Wood tracking by identification of surface characteristics
First Claim
1. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood, each piece of wood having multiple surfaces and at least an end surface, comprising:
- obtaining first inherent wood characteristic information from at least a first portion of at least a first surface and from at least a second portion of at least a second surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through a first station, the multiple pieces of wood including a first piece of wood, and the first portion including a first area that is at least one foot away from the end surface;
converting at least some of the first inherent wood characteristic information concerning the first and second portions for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective first data packets;
obtaining second inherent wood characteristic information from only either one of the first or second surfaces of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through a second station;
converting at least some of the second inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective second data packets; and
comparing a second data packet to a first data packet of the first piece of wood to make a first evaluation of similarity between the first and second data packets.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A “Woodprint™” characterization and identification technique 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).
76 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood, each piece of wood having multiple surfaces and at least an end surface, comprising:
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obtaining first inherent wood characteristic information from at least a first portion of at least a first surface and from at least a second portion of at least a second surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through a first station, the multiple pieces of wood including a first piece of wood, and the first portion including a first area that is at least one foot away from the end surface; converting at least some of the first inherent wood characteristic information concerning the first and second portions for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective first data packets; obtaining second inherent wood characteristic information from only either one of the first or second surfaces of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through a second station; converting at least some of the second inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective second data packets; and comparing a second data packet to a first data packet of the first piece of wood to make a first evaluation of similarity between the first and second data packets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood, each piece of wood having multiple surfaces and at least an end surface, comprising:
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obtaining first inherent wood characteristic information from at least a first portion of at least a first surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through a first station, the multiple pieces of wood including a first piece of wood, and the first portion including a first area that is at least one foot away from the end surface; converting at least some of the first inherent wood characteristic information concerning the first area for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective first data packets; obtaining third inherent wood characteristic information from at least a second portion of at least the first surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through the first station, the multiple pieces of wood including the first piece of wood, the second portion including a second area at least one foot away from the end surface, and the second area being different from the first area; converting at least some of the third inherent wood characteristic information concerning the second area for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective third data packets; obtaining second inherent wood characteristic information from at least the first area of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through a second station; converting at least some of the second inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective second data packets; obtaining fourth inherent wood characteristic information from at least the second area of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through the second station; converting at least some of the fourth inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective fourth data packets; comparing a second data packet to a first data packet of the first piece of wood to make a first evaluation of similarity between the first and second data packets; comparing a fourth data packet to a third data packet of the first piece of wood to make a second evaluation of similarity between the third and fourth data packets; and using the first and second evaluations to determine whether a given piece of wood that has traveled through the second station is the first piece of wood.
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8. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood, each piece of wood having multiple surfaces and at least an end surface, comprising:
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obtaining first inherent wood characteristic information from at least a first portion of at least a first surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through a first station, the multiple pieces of wood including a first piece of wood, and the first portion including a first area; obtaining third inherent wood characteristic information from at least a second portion of at least the first surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through the first station, the second portion including a second area that is distinct from the first area; converting at least some of the first inherent wood characteristic information concerning the first area for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective first data packets; converting at least some of the third inherent wood characteristic information concerning the second area for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective third data packets; obtaining second inherent wood characteristic information from at least the first area of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through a second station; obtaining fourth inherent wood characteristic information from at least the second area of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through the second station; converting at least some of the second inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective second data packets; converting at least some of the fourth inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective fourth data packets; comparing a second data packet to a first data packet of the first piece of wood to make a first evaluation of similarity between the first and second data packets; comparing a fourth data packet to a third data packet of the first piece of wood to make a second evaluation of similarity between the third and fourth data packets; and using the first and second evaluations to determine whether a given piece of wood that has traveled through the second station is a specific piece of wood that has traveled through the first station. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for tracking multiple pieces of wood, each piece of wood having multiple surfaces, comprising:
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moving multiple pieces of wood in a first direction of travel through a first station in a manner that permits the multiple pieces of wood to move in a direction transverse to the first direction of travel; obtaining first inherent wood characteristic information from at least a first portion of at least a first surface of each of the multiple pieces of wood as they move through the first station, the multiple pieces of wood including a first piece of wood; converting at least some of the first inherent wood characteristic information concerning the first portion for each of the multiple pieces of wood into respective first data packets; obtaining second inherent wood characteristic information from at least the first portion of each of the multiple pieces of wood, including the first piece of wood, as they move through a second station; converting at least some of the second inherent wood characteristic information for the multiple pieces of wood into respective second data packets; and comparing a second data packet to a first data packet of the first piece of wood to make a first evaluation of similarity between the first and second data packets. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification