Automated wood species identification

1. A method of identifying a wood species of a workpiece, the method comprising:

emitting electromagnetic radiation from a UV light source onto a workpiece;

obtaining an image of fluorescent light emitted by pitch on/in the workpiece, wherein the fluorescent light is emitted in response to absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by the pitch;

determining one or more pitch characteristics of the workpiece based on the image of the fluorescent light, wherein the one or more pitch characteristics includes pitch content, pitch location, a pattern of pitch deposition, or pitch fluorescence wavelength;

comparing the one or more pitch characteristics to reference pitch characteristic values, and identifying the wood species of the workpiece from among a plurality of wood species based at least on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the image comprises capturing sequential images of the workpiece as sequential image data, the method further comprising assembling the sequential image data into at least a partial image of the workpiece.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pitch characteristics includes two or more of pitch content, pitch location, a pitch deposition pattern, or a pitch emission wavelength.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including determining, based on the identified wood species, one or more of a grading system or sorting decision to be applied to the workpiece.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including issuing a command to at least one of a drop-out device, a workpiece positioning device, a scanner, a processor, a workpiece transport, a workpiece marking device, or a wood cutting or processing machine based at least partially on the identified wood species.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV light being is oriented transverse to a direction of workpiece flow.

7. A wood species identification system, comprising:

a radiation source configured to emit a beam of radiation into a workpiece, wherein the radiation source is a UV light source;

an imaging module with a field of view, the imaging module configured to capture an image of fluorescent light emitted by pitch on or within the workpiece, wherein the fluorescent light is emitted by the pitch in response to absorption of the radiation by the pitch; and

a processing module operatively coupled to the imaging module and the radiation source, the processing module further including executable commands operable, upon execution, to

receive image data from the imaging module,

assemble the image data into an image of the workpiece,

determine one or more pitch characteristics of the workpiece based at least on the assembled image, wherein the one or more pitch characteristics includes pitch content, pitch location, a pattern of pitch deposition, or pitch fluorescence wavelength,

compare the determined one or more pitch characteristics to reference pitch characteristic values, and

identify the wood species of the workpiece from among a plurality of wood species based at least on the comparison,

wherein the field of view and the beam of radiation intersect on or within the workpiece.

8. The wood species identification system of claim 7 , wherein the radiation source comprises a plurality of UV LED lights.

9. A wood species identification apparatus comprising:

a radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic energy into a workpiece, wherein the radiation source comprises one or more UV lights; and

an imaging module with a field of view, the imaging module configured to capture an image of fluorescent light emitted by pitch on or within the workpiece, wherein the fluorescent light is emitted by the pitch in response to absorption of the electromagnetic energy by the pitch, and wherein the imaging module includes one or more filters configured to exclude UV light and visible light having wavelengths within a range of 380-475 nm or 590-750 nm.

10. The wood species identification apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the imaging module comprises at least one of a CCD imager or an APS imager.

11. The wood species identification apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the imaging module comprises a CMOS imager.

12. The wood species identification apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a mounting assembly, wherein at least one of the radiation source and the imaging module is movably coupled to the mounting assembly.

13. The wood species identification apparatus of claim 12 , the mounting assembly further including at least one actuator configured to reposition one or more of the radiation source and the imaging module in response to a command from a processor.

14. The wood species identification apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more filters is configured to exclude admit only light within a range of wavelengths 476-590 nm.

15. The wood species identification system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more pitch characteristics includes two or more of pitch content, pitch location, pitch deposition pattern, or pitch emission wavelength.

16. The wood species identification system of claim 7 , wherein the wood species is a category of tree from which the workpiece was cut, and wherein the executable instructions are operable, upon execution, to identify the wood species of the workpiece from among a plurality of categories of tree, each of the categories of tree including a corresponding one or more tree species or tree sub-species.

17. The wood species identification system of claim 16 , wherein said category of tree from which the workpiece was cut includes at least two tree species, and wherein the executable instructions are further operable, upon execution, to determine that the workpiece was not cut from a first one of the at least two tree species based at least on the one or more pitch characteristics.