Trailer door monitoring and reporting

A trailer monitoring unit (TMU) for reporting a status of a trailer door, comprising:

• a housing;
• an imaging assembly at least partially within the housing and operable to capture a three-dimensional image representative of a three-dimensional formation, the three-dimensional image having a plurality of points with three-dimensional point data;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to the imaging assembly, the controller operable to:
• analyze respective depth values of a first sub-plurality of the plurality of points to determine whether the three-dimensional formation is within a first predetermined distance threshold from a location;
• when the three-dimensional formation is within the first predetermined distance threshold, analyze respective depth values of a second sub-plurality of the plurality of points to determine whether the three-dimensional formation is substantially flat;
• and
• provide a determination of the trailer door being closed when the three-dimensional formation is substantially flat.

A system for reporting a status of a trailer door at a loading dock, comprising:

• a host computer;
• and
• a trailer monitoring unit (TMU) mounted proximate a loading bay and communicatively connected with the host computer, the TMU including:
• a housing;
• an imaging assembly at least partially within the housing and operable to capture a three-dimensional image representative of a three-dimensional formation, the three-dimensional image having a plurality of points with three-dimensional point data;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to the imaging assembly and the host computer, the controller operable to:
• analyze respective depth values of a first sub-plurality of the plurality of points to determine whether the three-dimensional formation is within a first predetermined distance threshold from a location;
• when the three-dimensional formation is within the first predetermined distance threshold, analyze respective depth values of a second sub-plurality of the plurality of points to determine whether the three-dimensional formation is substantially flat;
• and
• provide a first communication to the host computer representative of the trailer door being closed when the three-dimensional formation is substantially flat.