Machine vision verification

1. A vision verification system for directly reading and verifying a character on a surface of a personalized document, comprising:

a ring-shaped first light source that surrounds the personalized document and that emits grazing incident light that is incident onto the surface including the character to illuminate the surface including the character, the ring-shaped first light source defines a first plane;

a second light source that emits light that is directed onto the surface including the character to illuminate the surface including the character in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the personalized document, the second light source defines a second plane;

the first plane is substantially perpendicular to the second plane, and the light emitted by the second light source is emitted in a direction substantially parallel to the first plane;

a camera configured to capture an image of the character on the surface of the personalized document, the camera having an optical axis that is parallel to the surface;

a mirror that is positioned to direct the light from the first and second light sources that is reflected from the surface including the character to the camera;

wherein during use of the vision verification system, the ring-shaped first light source is positioned closer to the personalized document than it is to the camera; and

wherein the ring-shaped first light source and the second light source are disposed with respect to the personalized document so that only light reflected from the surface and the character of the personalized document in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface thereof is collected by the camera, and that the captured image provides a contrast between the perimeter of the character and an inner portion of the character defined by the perimeter.

2. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein the light emitted from the ring-shaped first light source forms an angle of from about 0 degrees to about 45 degrees with respect to the first plane.

3. The vision verification system of claim 1 , further comprising a box, wherein the ring-shaped first light source is mounted at a first side of the box adjacent to the personalized document, and the camera is mounted at an opposite side of the box to detect the reflected light from the surface including the character.

4. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein the ring-shaped first light source includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are disposed in the ring shape.

5. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the ring-shaped first light source is larger than a size of the personalized document.

6. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein incident light from the second light source transmits through a hole defined by the ring-shaped first light source to illuminate the surface including the character.

7. The vision verification system of claim 1 , further comprising a beam splitter that is positioned such that the incident light from the second light source is reflected by the beam splitter to illuminate the surface including the character.

8. The vision verification system of claim 7 , wherein the beam splitter is semitransparent and disposed between the personalized document and the camera so that the reflected light from the surface including the character passes through the beam splitter to be collected by the camera.

9. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein the character comprises an embossed character.

10. The vision verification system of claim 1 , wherein the document is a plastic card.