Optical inspection system and method

1. An optical inspection system comprising:

a plurality of cameras operative to image a plurality of spatially distinct regions on an object;

a plurality of illumination sources which output a plurality of laser pulses; and

at least one illumination manager operative to combine illumination from said plurality of illumination sources into a single composite input beam and thereafter to direct the illumination from said plurality of illumination sources to said plurality of spatially distinct regions,

said at least one illumination manager comprising:

a beam distributor configured to receive the composite input beam, to separate the composite input beam into a plurality of composite output beams, the plurality of composite output beams all being substantially identical, and to direct the plurality of composite output beams to the plurality of spatially distinct regions, respectively.

2. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein said beam distributor is a time and space beam distributor.

3. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein said beam distributor is a time beam distributor.

4. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein said beam distributor is a space beam distributor.

5. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein said beam distributor comprises a polygon mirror.

6. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein said beam distributor comprises a monogon mirror.

7. An optical inspection system according to claim 1 and wherein at least one of said plurality of cameras operates in a strobed mode governed by a timing of arrival of a corresponding at least one of said composite output beams at at least one of said spatially distinct regions.

8. An optical inspection system according to claim 7 and wherein operation of said at least one of said plurality of cameras in said strobed mode is controlled by said at least one illumination manager.

9. An optical inspection system comprising:

a plurality of cameras operative to image a plurality of spatially distinct regions on an object;

a plurality of illumination sources which output a plurality of laser pulses; and

at least one illumination manager operative to combine illumination from said plurality of illumination sources into a single composite illumination beam and thereafter to separately direct the illumination from said plurality of illumination sources to said plurality of spatially distinct regions,

said at least one illumination manager comprising:

a moveable mirror configured to receive the composite input beam, to direct a plurality of composite output beams to the plurality of spatially distinct regions.

10. An optical inspection system according to claim 9 and wherein said at least one illumination manager comprises a polygon mirror.

11. An optical inspection system according to claim 9 and wherein said at least one illumination manager comprises a monogon mirror.

12. An optical inspection system according to claim 9 and wherein at least one of said plurality of cameras operates in a strobed mode governed by a timing of arrival of a corresponding at least one of said composite output beams at at least one of said spatially distinct regions.

13. An optical inspection system according to claim 12 and wherein operation of said at least one of said plurality of cameras in said strobed mode is controlled by said at least one illumination manager.

14. An optical inspection method comprising:

imaging, using a plurality of cameras, a plurality of spatially distinct regions on an object;

combining, using at least one illumination manager, a plurality of laser pulses from a plurality of illumination sources into a single composite input beam; and

directing, using said at least one illumination manager, illumination from said plurality of illumination sources onto said plurality of spatially distinct regions,

said combining comprising:

receiving, at a beam combiner, said a plurality of non-mutually coherent, spatially concentrated laser pulses from said plurality of illumination sources; and

providing, using said beam combiner, the composite input beam; and

wherein said directing the illumination from said plurality of illumination sources onto said plurality of spatially distinct regions comprises:

receiving, at a beam distributor, said composite input beam;

separating the composite input beam into a plurality of composite output beams, the plurality of composite output beams all being substantially identical, and

directing, using said beam distributor, the plurality of composite output beams to said plurality of spatially distinct regions, respectively.

15. An optical inspection method according to claim 14 and also comprising:

operating at least one of said plurality of cameras in a strobed mode governed by a timing of arrival of a corresponding at least one of said composite output beams at at least one of said spatially distinct regions.

16. An optical inspection method according to claim 15 further comprising controlling said operating using said at least one illumination manager.

17. An optical inspection method comprising:

imaging, using a plurality of cameras, a plurality of spatially distinct regions on an object;

combining, using at least one illumination manager, a plurality of laser pulses from a plurality of illumination sources into a single composite input beam; and

separately directing, using said at least one illumination manager, illumination from said third multiplicity of illumination sources to said second multiplicity of regions,

said combining comprising:

receiving, at a beam combiner, said illumination from said third multiplicity of illumination sources; and

providing, using said beam combiner, a single composite input beam of a multiplicity of non-mutually coherent, spatially concentrated laser pulses; and

said separately directing comprising:

receiving, at a moving mirror, said single composite input beam of said multiplicity of non-mutually coherent, spatially concentrated laser pulses; and

directing, using said moving mirror, a multiplicity of composite output beams of a plurality of said non-mutually coherent, spatially concentrated laser pulses to a corresponding plurality of spatially distinct locations corresponding to said second multiplicity of regions.

18. An optical inspection method according to claim 17 and also comprising:

operating at least one of said first multiplicity of cameras in a strobed mode governed by the timing of arrival of a corresponding at least one of said composite output beams at at least one of said spatially distinct locations.

19. An optical inspection method according to claim 18 and wherein said operating is at least partly governed by said at least one illumination manager.