Patent ID: 9678019
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: G01N,G05B,G06T

Claim:
1. A method of facilitating check grader interaction by physical contact with grade-quality measured boards of lumber as they are transported along a lumber flow path, comprising: transporting multiple grade-quality measured boards of lumber on a conveyor and along a board flow path, each of the multiple grade-quality measured boards characterized by a set of board attribute information and associated board identification information that are stored in memory; obtaining a board conveyor movement signal representing expected movement of the multiple grade-quality measured boards transported on the conveyor; identifying the multiple grade-quality measured boards transported on the conveyor; processing the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards by a check grader interface system that includes a three-dimensional depth camera, an image display device, a board location tracking module, and a system modeling module, the three-dimensional depth camera acquiring area-depth images of the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards as they are transported through a field of view associated with the image display device, the image display device displaying a rendering of a subset of the set of board attribute information in spatial alignment with the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards as they are transported through the field of view, and the board location tracking module using the area-depth images and the board conveyor movement signal to produce board location tracking signals representing locations of the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards as they are transported through the field of view; defining, in proximity to the conveyor, a check grader space from which a check grader can displace a selected one of the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards transported through the field of view; and processing by operation of the system modeling module, in response to displacement by check grader tactile contact with the selected one of the identified multiple grade-quality measured boards, the board location tracking signals to display the rendering of the subset or to display a rendering of a different subset of the set of board attribute information in spatial alignment with the displaced selected identified grade-quality measured board.