Patent ID: 8229803

Claim:
A method of operating a lumber tracking system for tracking lumber in a sawmill, the method comprising: determining by at least one processor at least one geometric characteristic of a sideboard; determining by the at least one processor at least one geometric characteristic of a cant; and logically associating by at least one processor the sideboard with the cant based at least in part on the at least one geometric characteristic of the sideboard and the at least one geometric characteristic of the cant, wherein determining the at least one geometric characteristic of the sideboard includes: scanning the sideboard with a first laser scanner positioned near an infeed of an edger, and determining the at least one geometric characteristic of the cant includes scanning the cant with a second laser scanner positioned near an infeed of a gangsaw; sending data indicative of the sideboard from the first laser scanner to an edger computer optimizer, the edger computer optimizer configured to control the edger during sawing of the sideboard; receiving geometric information indicative of the sideboard from the edger computer optimizer at a mill audit computing device; and determining the at least one geometric characteristic of the sideboard based at least in part on the received geometric information.