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US 10,933,557 B2Granted
Method and system for adjusting the production process of a wood product based on a level of irregularity of a surface of the wood product using near infrared imaging
AssigneeBoise Cascade Corporation
InventorsDavid Bolton, Jude Richard Peek, Curtis Fennell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Near InfraRed NIR technology, including NIR cameras and detectors, are used to detect irregularity in the surface of a wood product. Based on the detected irregularities at various locations in a given wood product, one or more actions are taken with respect to a production process used to produce the wood product to ensure the wood product is put to the most efficient, effective, and valuable use.
Claims20
A method for adjusting a production process of a wood product based on surface irregularities comprising:
- generating a surface irregularity to greyscale mapping database, the surface irregularity level to greyscale mapping database containing data that maps surface irregularities to Near InfraRed (NIR) image greyscale values for one or more wood products;
- generating an NIR greyscale image to preconditioning level database, the NIR greyscale image to preconditioning level database mapping NIR greyscale images of a surface of a wood product to a preconditioning level of wood source used to produce the wood product;
- providing an NIR analysis station, the NIR analysis station including one or more sources of illumination positioned to illuminate a surface of a wood product, the NIR analysis station including one or more NIR cameras positioned to capture one or more NIR images of the illuminated surface of the wood product;
- positioning a wood product to be analyzed in the NIR analysis station such that a first surface of the wood product to be analyzed is illuminated by the one or more illumination sources;
- capturing, using the one or more NIR cameras, one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the wood product;
- processing the one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the wood product to generate NIR greyscale images indicating irregularities in the illuminated first surface of the wood product;
- processing the NIR greyscale images using the NIR greyscale image to preconditioning level database to determine a preconditioning level of wood source used to produce the wood product;
- based on the determined preconditioning level of wood source used to produce the wood product, adjusting one or more preconditioning parameters for subsequent wood sources used to produce subsequent wood products.
5 more elements
A method for adjusting a production process of a wood product based on surface irregularities comprising:
- generating a surface irregularity level to greyscale mapping database, the surface irregularity level to greyscale mapping database containing data that maps surface irregularities to Near InfraRed (NIR) image greyscale values for one or more wood products;
- generating a NIR greyscale image to processing parameter database, the NIR greyscale image to processing parameter database mapping NIR greyscale images of a surface of a wood product to one or more adjustments to processing parameters used to produce the wood product;
- providing an NIR analysis station, the NIR analysis station including one or more sources of illumination positioned to illuminate a surface of a wood product, the NIR analysis station including one or more NIR cameras positioned to capture one or more NIR images of the illuminated surface of the wood product;
- positioning a wood product to be analyzed in the NIR analysis station such that a first surface of the wood product to be analyzed is illuminated by the one or more illumination sources;
- capturing, using the one or more NIR cameras, one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the wood product;
- processing the one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the wood product to generate NIR greyscale images indicating irregularities in the illuminated first surface of the wood product;
- processing the NIR greyscale images using the NIR greyscale image to processing parameter database to determine a necessary processing parameter adjustment;
- based on the determined necessary processing parameter adjustment, adjusting a processing parameter for producing subsequent wood product from the wood source.
5 more elements
A method for adjusting a production process of a veneer ribbon based on a level of irregularity of a veneer ribbon surface comprising:
- training one or more machine learning based production adjustment models using Near InfraRed (NIR) image data for one or more veneer ribbons and determined corresponding preconditioning levels of logs used to produce the one or more veneer ribbons;
- providing an NIR analysis station, the NIR analysis station including one or more sources of illumination positioned to illuminate a surface of a veneer ribbon, the NIR analysis station including one or more NIR cameras positioned to capture one or more NIR images of the illuminated surface of the veneer ribbon;
- positioning a portion of the veneer ribbon to be analyzed in the NIR analysis station such that a first surface of the veneer ribbon to be analyzed is illuminated by the one or more illumination sources;
- capturing, using the one or more NIR cameras, one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the veneer ribbon;
- processing the one or more NIR images of the illuminated first surface of the veneer ribbon to generate NIR greyscale images indicating irregularities in the illuminated first surface of the veneer ribbon;
- providing the NIR image data for the illuminated first surface of the veneer ribbon to the one or more trained machine learning based production adjustment models;
- obtaining production parameter prediction data for the veneer ribbon from the one or more trained machine learning based surface irregularity prediction models;
- based on the production parameter prediction data for the veneer ribbon, adjusting one or more production parameters for subsequent veneer ribbons.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.