IP Library Granted Patent US 8,253,793
Granted Patent B2
US 8,253,793 · App. 12/596,211 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Lumber inspection method, device and program

Assignee: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,253,793
App. No.
12/596,211
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging means captures a color image of lumber. An image processing means obtains the color distribution of the color image captured by the imaging means, compares the obtained color distribution with a predetermined color distribution of normal lumber, judges the obtained color distribution as an abnormal one when it is deviated from the color distribution of normal lumber by a predetermined value or more, and detects a defect of the lumber having the abnormal color distribution deviated by a value larger than the predetermined value in an area on the surface of the lumber captured by the imaging means.

Claims (20)

1. A lumber inspection method executed by a programmed processor, comprising:

obtaining a color image of lumber captured by imaging means;

obtaining a color distribution of the color image captured by the imaging means;

comparing the obtained color distribution with a predetermined color distribution of normal lumber;

judging the obtained color distribution as an abnormal one when it is deviated from the color distribution of normal lumber by a predetermined value or more; and

detecting an area on the surface of the lumber captured by the imaging means whose abnormal color distribution has a value greater than the predetermined value as a defect of the lumber.

2. The lumber inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein when setting, as an inspection object, lumber whose defective area is small relative to an inspection object area, image distributions acquired on a per-inspection object basis are replaceably used from case to case as the predetermined color distributions of normal lumber.

3. The lumber inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein an abnormal brightness portion is detected by obtaining a brightness histogram of the color distribution of the captured color image.

4. The lumber inspection method according to claim 3 , characterized in that, for the brightness histogram of the color distribution of normal lumber determined in advance, an entire normal distribution is estimated from a cumulative frequency of a partial region on the assumption that an entire distribution follows a normal distribution.

5. The lumber inspection method according to claim 2 , wherein an abnormal brightness portion is detected by obtaining a brightness histogram of the color distribution of the captured color image.

6. A lumber inspection device comprising:

an imaging unit for capturing a color image of lumber; and

an image processing unit for obtaining a color distribution of the color image captured by the imaging unit, comparing the obtained color distribution with a predetermined color distribution of normal lumber, judging the obtained color distribution as an abnormal one when it is deviated from the color distribution of normal lumber by a predetermined value or more, and detecting an area on the surface of the lumber captured by the imaging unit whose abnormal color distribution has a value greater than the predetermined value as a defect of the lumber.

7. The lumber inspection device according to claim 6 , wherein when setting, as an inspection object, lumber whose defective area is small relative to an inspection object area, the image processing unit replaceably uses image distributions acquired on a per-inspection object basis from case to case as the predetermined color distributions of normal lumber.

8. The lumber inspection device according to claim 6 , wherein the image processing unit detects an abnormal brightness portion by obtaining a brightness histogram of the color distribution of the captured color image.

9. The lumber inspection device according to claim 8 , wherein, for the brightness histogram, the image processing unit estimates an entire normal distribution from a cumulative frequency of a partial region on the assumption that an entire distribution follows a normal distribution.

10. The lumber inspection device according to claim 7 , wherein the image processing unit detects an abnormal brightness portion by obtaining a brightness histogram of the color distribution of the captured color image.

11. A computer-readable storage device storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

an imaging unit for capturing a color image of lumber; and

an image processing unit for obtaining a color distribution of the color image captured by the imaging unit, comparing the obtained color distribution with a predetermined color distribution of normal lumber, judging the obtained color distribution as an abnormal one when it is deviated from the color distribution of normal lumber by a predetermined value or more, and detecting an area on the surface of the lumber captured by the imaging unit whose abnormal color distribution has a value greater than the predetermined value as a defect of the lumber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2009
From: HIRAOKA, NORIYUKI
To: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023382/0719 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100141754A1 · Jun 10, 2010