Wood tracking by identification of surface characteristics

• US 20050040085A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucidyne Technologies, Inc. (Fincomp Srl)
• Original Assignee: Lucidyne Technologies, Inc. (Fincomp Srl)
• Inventors: Briskey, William J., Carman, George M., Heyman, Ofer, Freeman, Patrick S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/576
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8986 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/46 Wood

Abstract

A “woodprint™” characterization and identification technique unique employs cameras (16), lighting (14), camera interface hardware (18), a computer (20), and/or image processing software to collect and analyze surface characteristics of pieces of wood (8) to track them through an automated production process in real-time with information that is specific to each wood piece (8), such as what machining is required, its value, and/or its destination. When a wood piece (8) reaches a point in the production process where a decision is required, its unique identity is used to retrieve appropriate information previously determined and assigned to the wood piece (8).

Claims

1. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood in a wood processing system, comprising:

obtaining inherent wood characteristic information from first and second pieces of wood at a first station; and

using the inherent wood characteristic information obtained at the first station to confirm the identify of the first and second pieces of wood at a second station.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood each have a surface and the inherent wood characteristic information is obtained from the surface.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood each have at least first and second surfaces and the inherent wood characteristic information is obtained from both the first and second surfaces.

4. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the wood surface characteristic information further comprises obtaining an image of at least a portion of the first and second pieces of wood.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the wood surface characteristic information comprises a grain characteristic.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the grain characteristic comprises grain frequency magnitude, grain direction, and/or grain direction confidence.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the wood surface characteristic information comprises tracheid data.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood comprise at least one of the following:

timber, lumber, log, flitch, cant, beam, post, stud, or board.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood are surfaced or unsurfaced.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood comprise any level of moisture content within the range of uncured to cured.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood each comprise a board and the inherent wood characteristic information comprises a defect.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the defect comprises at least one of bark, missing wood, or a physical shape defect.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the physical shape defect comprises a wane defect.

14. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second pieces of wood each comprise a board and the inherent wood characteristic information is obtained from an end, side, or face of the board.

15. The method of claim 1 in further comprising employing a camera to obtain the inherent wood characteristic information.

16. The method of claim 1 in further comprising employing a photodiode to obtaining the inherent wood characteristic information.

17. The method of claim 1 in further comprising employing an antenna to obtain the inherent wood characteristic information.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising employing a light source to illuminate the pieces of wood as their inherent wood characteristic information is obtained.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the light source is pulsed or strobed.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the light source presents a light line.

21. The method of claim 18 in which the light source emits at least a green wavelength.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising exposing the pieces of wood to x-ray radiation to facilitate obtaining their inherent wood characteristic information.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising exposing the pieces of wood to radio waves to facilitate obtaining their inherent wood characteristic information.

24. The method of claim 1 in which the wood surface characteristic information is obtained in cooperation with a wood grading system.

25. The method of claim 1 in which the inherent wood characteristic information is obtained from a wood surface of an intended appearance-grade product.

26. The method of claim 1 in which the inherent wood characteristic information provides for each of the first and second pieces unique identification data without contacting the first or second pieces of wood.

27. The method of claim 3 in which the inherent wood characteristic information of only either one of the first or second surfaces of the piece of wood is obtained at the second station to uniquely identify the piece of wood.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining inherent wood characteristic information from first, second, and third pieces of wood in consecutive order; and

using the inherent wood characteristic information obtained at the first station to uniquely identify the first, second, and third pieces of wood at the second station regardless of the order in which they arrive at the second station.

29. The method of claim 1 in which confirming the identity of the first and second pieces of wood further comprises:

obtaining inherent wood surface characteristic information from at least a portion of the first and second pieces of wood at the second station; and

comparing at least a portion of the wood surface characteristic information obtained at the second station for the first piece of wood against the wood surface characteristic information of the respective portions of one or both of the first and second pieces of wood to identify a match within predetermined statistical parameters.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the comparisons are performed by a central computer.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the comparisons are performed by a computer associated with the second station.

32. The method of claim 29 in which obtaining inherent wood characteristic information further comprises:

obtaining an image from a portion of respective surfaces of the first and second pieces of wood at both stations; and

independently adjusting images of the respective surfaces of the first and second pieces of wood at both stations to conform to a predetermined size and orientation.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

characterizing the images with a Fast Fourier Transformation technique.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

dividing each image into a corresponding array of image portion cells;

characterizing the inherent wood characteristic information within the image portion cells with a Fast Fourier Transformation technique to provide for some or all of the cells at least one value for the inherent wood characteristic information; and

comparing the values of corresponding cells of respective images to determine whether a sufficient number of corresponding cells have sufficiently similar values to be presented as a match or sufficiently different values to be presented as a nonmatch.

35. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

cutting the first piece of wood into at least third and fourth pieces of wood; and

using the inherent wood characteristic information obtained at the first station to confirm the identify of at least the third or the fourth pieces of wood.

36. The method of claim 1 in which a cutting solution is determined for the first piece of wood that recommends the first piece of wood be cut into multiple smaller pieces of wood and in which inherent wood characteristic information is obtained for some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood, further comprising:

cutting the first piece of wood into at least third and fourth pieces of wood; and

using the inherent wood characteristic information obtained at the first station to confirm the identify of some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood.

37. A wood tracking system, comprising:

first image acquisition hardware for collecting a first image of at least a first portion of a surface of a piece of wood as it travels across a first image collection area;

second image acquisition hardware for collecting a second image of at least a second portion of the surface of the piece of wood as it travels across a second image collection area at a different location than the first image collection area, the second portion including some or all of the first portion;

image processing software located on one or more computers for independently adjusting first and second portions of respective first and second images to conform to a predetermined size and orientation;

image characterization software located on one or more computers for independently characterizing an inherent wood surface characteristic appearing in the first and second portions of the respective first and second images to independently create values for the inherent wood surface characteristics within the respective first and second image portions; and

image comparison software located on one or more computers for comparing the values of the inherent wood surface characteristics within the respective first and second image portions and for determining whether the values have sufficient similarities to be presented as a match or sufficient differences to be presented as a nonmatch.

38. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas, each piece of wood has at least first and second surfaces, and images are obtained from both the first and second surfaces of each piece of wood in proximity to at least one of the image collection areas.

39. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the inherent wood surface characteristic comprises a grain characteristic value.

40. The wood tracking system of claim 39 in which the grain characteristic value comprises grain frequency, grain frequency magnitude, grain direction, contrast, and/or grain direction confidence.

41. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the inherent wood surface characteristic comprises tracheid data.

42. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas and the pieces of wood comprise at least one of the following:

timber, lumber, log, flitch, cant, beam, post, stud, board, or veneer.

43. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas and the pieces of wood comprise any level of moisture content within the range of cured to uncured.

44. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas and the pieces of wood comprise any level of moisture content.

45. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas and in which the pieces of wood each comprise a board and the inherent wood surface characteristic comprises a defect including one of the following:

bark, missing wood, or a twist.

46. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which multiple pieces of wood travel across the first and second image collection areas and in which the pieces of wood each comprise a board and the inherent wood surface characteristic is obtained from an end, side, or face of the board.

47. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the first and/or second image acquisition hardware comprises a camera.

48. The wood tracking system of claim 38 further comprising first and second light sources at the respective first and second image collection areas for illuminating the surface of the piece of wood.

49. The wood tracking system of claim 48 in which the light source presents a light line.

50. The wood tracking system of claim 48 in which the light source emits at least a green wavelength.

51. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the inherent wood surface characteristic is obtained in cooperation with a wood grading system.

52. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the inherent wood surface characteristic is obtained from a wood surface of an intended appearance-grade product.

53. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the inherent wood surface characteristic provides unique identification data without contacting the first or second pieces of wood.

54. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the wood surface characteristic information of only either one of the first or second sides of the piece of wood is employed at the second station to uniquely identify the piece of wood.

55. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the image characterization software employs Fast Fourier Transformation or wavelet analysis.

56. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the image acquisition hardware collects radio frequency data.

57. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which the image processing software, image characterization software, and image comparison software are all located on one computer.

58. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which at least one of the image processing software, image characterization software, or image comparison software is located on a computer that is remote from at least one of the image collection areas.

59. The wood tracking system of claim 37 further comprising:

a cutting station for cutting the piece of wood into at least second and third pieces of wood such that the second portion of the wood piece surface is located on the second or third pieces of wood.

60. The wood tracking system of claim 37 in which a cutting solution is determined for the piece of wood that recommends the piece of wood be cut into multiple smaller pieces of wood and in which inherent wood surface characteristics are characterized for some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood, further comprising:

a cutting station for cutting the piece of wood into the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood such that a first image are obtained from some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood before the piece of wood is cut and such that second images are obtained from some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood after they are cut to confirm the identify of some of the recommended multiple smaller pieces of wood.

61. A method for characterizing a piece of wood, comprising:

capturing an image of at least a portion of at least one surface of a piece of wood;

creating from the image an image packet of data concerning inherent characteristics of the piece of wood and that uniquely identifies the piece of wood; and

using the image packet to confirm the identity of the piece of wood.

62. A substantially automated wood processing system, comprising:

a wood evaluation station for acquiring data about numerous inherent characteristics of a piece of wood, the wood evaluation station adapted for using at least some of the data to create a first vector packet of data that uniquely identifies the piece of wood; and

a wood identification station for acquiring data about at least one of the numerous inherent characteristics of the piece of wood to create a second vector packet of data that can be compared to the first vector packet of data to confirm the identity of the piece of wood.

63. A wood identification system for acquiring data about at least one of numerous inherent characteristics of a piece of wood, comprising:

image acquisition hardware for collecting image data concerning inherent characteristics from at least a portion of a piece of wood;

image data characterization software for creating from the image data a verification image packet concerning inherent characteristics of the piece of wood and that uniquely identifies the piece of wood; and

image comparison software for comparing the verification image packet to an identification image packet derived from image data collected by a wood characterization system that evaluates inherent characteristics of the piece of wood and for determining whether the verification and identification image packets have sufficient similarities to be presented as a match or sufficient differences to be presented as a nonmatch.