Methods for detecting compression wood in lumber
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser NR Company
InventorThomas J. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods are provided for detecting compression wood, blue stain, or pitch in lumber. A light beam is projected towards the wood sample. Line or area cameras acquire images of light that is reflected from the wood sample. Based on the intensity of the reflected light at one or more locations on the wood sample, compression wood, blue stain, or pitch may be detected.
Claims14
A method for detecting compression wood in a wood sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- projecting a coherent light beam toward a first section of the wood sample;
- acquiring a first image of reflected light using a first line camera;
- measuring a first intensity of the reflected light based on the first image;
- acquiring a second image of reflected light using a second line camera;
- measuring a second intensity of the reflected light based on the second image;
- measuring a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity;
- and
- detecting an area of compression wood in the wood sample wherein the detection is based on whether the difference between the first intensity and the second intensity is within a predetermined intensity range.
A method for detecting compression wood in a wood sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- projecting one or more coherent light beams toward a first section of the wood sample;
- acquiring an image of the first section using an area camera;
- measuring a first intensity of reflected light along a first pixel row based on the image;
- measuring a second intensity of reflected light along a second pixel row based on the image;
- measuring a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity;
- and
- detecting an area of compression wood in the wood sample wherein the detection is based on whether the difference between the first intensity and the second intensity is within a predetermined intensity range.
A method for detecting compression wood in a wood sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- projecting one or more coherent light beams toward a first section of the wood sample;
- acquiring an image of the first section using an area camera;
- predetermining a first intensity;
- determining a first distance from the light beam at which a measured reflected intensity is equal to the predetermined first intensity;
- predetermining a second intensity;
- determining a second distance from the light beam at which a measured reflected intensity is equal to the predetermined second intensity;
- measuring a difference between the first distance and the second distance;
- and
- detecting an area of compression wood in the wood sample wherein the detection is based on whether the difference between the first distance and the second distance is within a predetermined distance range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.