Pedestrian-vehicle safety systems for loading docks
AssigneeRite-Hite Holding Corporation
InventorsAlan Mushynski, Matthew Sveum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Pedestrian-Vehicle safety systems for loading docks are disclosed. An example system includes a first sensor system to determine a position of a vehicle relative to a pedestrian zone adjacent a dock wall of a loading dock and a second sensor system to monitor the pedestrian zone. The second sensor system to attempt to detect a pedestrian in the pedestrian zone, the second sensor system responsive to signals from the first sensor system to enable the second sensor system to dynamically change a sensing area of the pedestrian zone to maintain a delta threshold between the vehicle and the pedestrian zone in response to the vehicle moving toward a dock wall of the loading dock.
Claims26
A monitoring and alert system, the system comprising:
- a first sensor system to determine a position of a vehicle relative to a pedestrian zone adjacent a dock wall of a loading dock;
- and
- a second sensor system to monitor the pedestrian zone, the second sensor system to attempt to detect a pedestrian in the pedestrian zone, the second sensor system responsive to signals from the first sensor system to enable the second sensor system to dynamically change a sensing area of the pedestrian zone to maintain a delta threshold between the vehicle and the pedestrian zone in response to the vehicle moving toward a dock wall of the loading dock.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
- detect a presence of a vehicle at a loading dock relative to a pedestrian zone located adjacent a dock face of the loading dock based on first feedback signals from a first sensor system;
- detect a presence of a pedestrian in the pedestrian zone via second feedback signals received from a second sensor system different from the first sensor system;
- in response to detecting the vehicle, determine a position of the vehicle relative to the pedestrian zone via the first feedback signals of the loading dock;
- and
- dynamically reduce a sensing area of the pedestrian zone relative to the dock face based on the determined position of the vehicle to maintain a predetermined delta threshold between the pedestrian zone and the vehicle in response to the vehicle moving toward the loading dock.
A method comprising:
- determining, via a logic circuit, a position of a vehicle relative to a dock face of a loading dock based on a first signal from a first sensor system;
- monitoring, via the logic circuit, for a presence of a pedestrian in a pedestrian zone located adjacent a dock face of a loading dock based on a second signal from a second sensor system;
- and
- dynamically reducing, via the logic circuit, a sensing area of a pedestrian zone adjacent the dock face in response to the determined position of the vehicle based on the first signal of the first sensor system to maintain a predetermined delta threshold between the vehicle and the pedestrian zone in response to the vehicle moving toward the loading dock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.