Method for identifying wood-based panels

1 . A method for identification of wood-based panels, comprising:

capturing, for each wood-based panel of a plurality of wood-based panels, at least one respective comparison image of a predetermined section of a respective side edge of a respective wood-based panel at a respective first time;

determining and storing a plurality of comparison data sets by determining and storing, for each wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels, a respective comparison data set from the respective comparison image captured for the respective wood-based panel based on a respective structure of a respective wood-based material of the respective wood-based panel;

determining, for each wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels, a respective characterization data set;

linking each comparison data set of a plurality of comparison data sets to the respective characterization data set for the respective wood-based panel;

capturing a test image of the predetermined section of a respective side edge of a first wood-based panel at a second time, wherein the first wood-based panel comprises a first wood-based material, and wherein the second time is a time later than said respective first times;

determining a test data set from the test image based on a structure of the first wood-based panel;

comparing the test data set with the comparison data sets to identify a matching comparison data set; and

assigning the characterization data set linked to said matching comparison data set to the first wood-based panel.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the respective characterization data set comprises at least one datum selected from the following list:

material information on a type of wood or wood species of the wood-based material used for the respective wood-based panel,

material information on a formulation of a binder used for the respective wood-based panel,

a technical data sheet and laboratory protocols,

production parameters such as a temperature, a pressure, and a time course of a pressing process,

a production date, a production time, and a production location,

a dimension or a format,

a type of coating or a decoration applied to the respective wood-based panel,

a certification of the respective wood-based panel regarding the wood used therefor according to FSC and PEFC standards for sustainable forest management or corresponding ISO standards,

a certification of the respective wood-based panel regarding emission of volatile substances according to TSCA Title VI, CARB2, or CE standard,

a storage location, a storage time, a transport route, and a transport time, and

authorization information for a subsequent readout of the respective characterization data set.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

separating at least one wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels into at least two partial formats, wherein each of the at least two partial formats is associated with a characterization data set,

wherein, after separating the at least one wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels into the at least two partial formats, the characterization data set associated with the at least two partial formats is supplemented by the datum on the separation of the at least one wood-based panel into the at least two partial formats.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein comparison images are taken for a plurality of sections on at least one side edge of the respective wood-based panel, and wherein the comparison data set is determined for each of the comparison images.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein a respective test image is captured and a respective test data set is determined for one or more of the plurality of sections for which the respective comparison data set has been determined.

6 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein, for the plurality of sections, respective comparison images are captured, the plurality of sections being arranged in predetermined distances along at least part of the respective side edge of the respective wood-based panel;

wherein respective comparison data sets are generated for the respective comparison images; and

wherein at the second time the test image is captured of the first wood-based panel in an area of the plurality of sections of the respective side edge of the first wood-based panel and a test data set is determined for the first wood-based panel for comparison with the comparison data set.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after machining at least one side edge of the first wood-based panel, at least one comparison image is captured for at least one section of the at least one side edge of the first wood-based panel and the respective comparison data set is determined based on the at least one comparison image.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

separating at least one wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels into at least two partial formats,

wherein, after separating the at least one wood-based panel of the plurality of wood-based panels into the at least two partial formats, for each of the at least two partial formats for at least one section on at least one newly created side edge of the respective partial format, at least one new respective comparison image is captured, and a new respective comparison data set is determined, and

wherein, for each partial format, each new respective comparison data set is linked to a respective at least one wood-based panel.

9 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, for each comparison image and for each test image, a respective structure of the wood-based material of the respective wood-based panel is analyzed,

wherein respective structural values are determined from a respective structure of wood material elements of the wood-based material by a shape, a perimeter, an area, a length, and/or an orientation of the wood material elements with respect to dimensions of the captured section of the respective side edge of the respective wood-based panel, and

wherein the respective comparison data set or the test data set is determined as a sequence of structural values for a predetermined proportion of the wood material elements.

10 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each comparison image and test image is divided into pixel areas according to a predefined grid in relation to an orientation of the predetermined section of a respective captured side edge,

wherein each of the pixel areas is assigned a pixel value calculated from a plurality of individual pixels of the respective pixel area, and

wherein the respective comparison data set or the test data set is determined as a sequence of pixel values in a predetermined order from the pixel areas.

11 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, for each comparison image and for each test image, a respective topography is determined,

wherein a contour profile, sections of the contour profile, a triangular mesh, or sections of the triangular mesh are derived from each respective topography as respective topography values, and

wherein the respective comparison data set or the test data set is determined as a sequence of topography values in a predefined order from each respective topography.

12 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein an algorithm is used to calculate a mathematically defined distance between the comparison data sets and the test data set,

wherein the mathematically defined distance is compared to a threshold value, and

wherein, if the distance is less than the threshold value, a match is determined to be found.

13 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a neural network of a machine learning system is trained with the plurality of comparison data sets with a specification that each comparison data set fed to the neural network is associated with a classification of a plurality of classifications; and

wherein each test data set is assigned one of the classifications by the neural network.

14 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a neural network of a machine learning system is trained with the comparison data sets with a specification that each comparison data set fed to the neural network is different from all other comparison data sets of the plurality of comparison data sets to provide a trained neural network,

wherein a mathematical comparison value is generated and stored for each comparison data set after completion of the training,

wherein a mathematical test value is generated and stored for each test data set with the trained neural network, and

wherein the first wood-based panel is identified as the wood-based panel for which the comparison data set was generated if the mathematical test value matches a comparison value.

15 . The method according to claim 13 ,

wherein the method is carried out for a classification of the test image.

16 . The method according to claim 13 ,

wherein the method is performed separately for each comparison image in each of the plurality of classifications.

17 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the respective comparison data set is determined from the respective comparison image captured for the respective wood-based panel based on a geometry, a topography, and/or a distribution of wood material elements of the respective wood-based material, and

wherein the test data set is determined from the test image based on a geometry, a topography, and/or a distribution of wood material elements of the first wood-based material.