Patent ID: 7426422
Filing Date: 2008-09-16
Classification: B07C,G01N,G05B

Abstract:
1. A substantially automated wood processing system, comprising: a wood evaluation station including a first light source and a first sensor for acquiring first data about inherent wood characteristics of multiple pieces of wood, including at least first and second pieces of wood; first characterization software in communication with the first sensor for using at least some of the first data to create a first data packet for each of at least the first and second pieces of wood that uniquely identifies at least the first and second pieces of wood based on at least one given inherent wood characteristic; a wood identification station including a second light source and a second sensor for acquiring second data about at least one given inherent wood characteristic of at least the first and second pieces of wood, the second sensor in communication with the first characterization software and/or second characterization software for using at least some of the second data to create a second data packet for each of at least the first and second pieces of wood; and processing circuitry directly or indirectly in communication with the first and/or second characterization software and having comparison software for comparing the second data packets to the first data packets of the at least first and second pieces of wood to create comparison scores for the second data packets, the comparison software employing confidence levels associated with the comparison scores of the second data packets of the at least first and second pieces of wood to determine the identity of at least the second piece of wood.