US 12,259,336 B2
Online method to determine quality standards for incoming wood chips to a papermill
Brian James Mock, Mint Hill, NC (US); John Graves Larkin, Gastonia, NC (US); Akhil Kumar, Bangalore (IN); David Hirvonen, Brooklyn, NY (US); and Chris Giroux, British Columbia (CA)
Assigned to Event Capture Systems, Inc., Mint Hill, NC (US)
Filed by Event Capture Systems, Inc., Mint Hill, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/403,051.
Application 17/403,051 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/018236, filed on Feb. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/806,168, filed on Feb. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0372940 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 21/898 (2006.01); G06F 3/048 (2013.01); G06F 16/51 (2019.01); G06F 16/583 (2019.01); G06Q 50/04 (2012.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G01N 21/8986 (2013.01) [G06F 3/048 (2013.01); G06F 16/51 (2019.01); G06F 16/583 (2019.01); G06Q 50/04 (2013.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 2200/24 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30161 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method implemented on at least one computing device for monitoring and determining a quality level of incoming wood chips from one or more sources in absence of off-line inspection, the method comprising:
receiving real-time visual data from an online camera system configured to capture images on-line and in real-time of incoming wood chips associated with a paper manufacturing process;
determining online and in real-time an indication of quality level associated with the incoming wood chips based on the real-time visual data and deep learning using an artificial neural network configured to learn an algorithm while processing additional image data; and
transmitting, to at least one of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a computer log, the indication of quality level and at least one timestamp associated with the real-time visual data.