Apparatus and method for detecting door curtain removal

Abstract

To provide an apparatus capable of taking a corrective action to reduce the possibility of the occurrence of a future door curtain detachment occurrence by utilizing the analysis of door curtain detachment occurrence data.SOLUTION: An apparatus includes a sensor for detecting a side edge of a door curtain 104 within a guide 110 of a door 102 and a controller 114 for identifying when the door curtain 104 transitions from an operational state to a detachment state based on a signal from the sensor, the operational state being enabled when the side edge of the door curtain 104 is surrounded with the guide 110 when the door curtain 104 moves between its open position and closed position, the detachment state being enabled when a portion of the side edge of the door curtain 104 below an upper end of the guide 110 disengages from the guide 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] [Related Applications]

[0002]

[0001] This patent claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 897,790, filed September 9, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] [Field of Disclosure]

[0004]

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to door curtains, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for door curtain removal detection.

[0005] [background]

[0006]

[0003] The door curtain of a breakaway door can be partially displaced when it is impacted in a direction not parallel to the direction of travel of the door curtain. When a force sufficient to displace the door curtain strikes the door curtain of a breakaway door, the door curtain exits the vertical channel through which the door curtain normally travels. The breakaway door can then restore the door curtain to its normal operating state within the channel through a manual re-feed action, such as a user repositioning the door curtain within the channel, or an automatic re-feed action, such as the door curtain being pulled through a re-feed mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary door constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper left corner of the door of the embodiment of FIG. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a detailed view of an exemplary refeed roller assembly of the door of the embodiment of FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a detailed view of the refeed roller assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, but with the door curtain in the fully open position. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the refeed roller assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along line 4-4. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the refeed roller assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along line 5-5, but with the door curtain in an operational position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of another embodiment door similar to the embodiment door of FIG. 1 but including the first embodiment door curtain separation detection system. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a front view of another embodiment of a re-feed roller assembly similar to the re-feed roller assembly of FIGS. 3A-3B, but including the door curtain separation detection system of the second embodiment. [Figure 7B] 7B is a front view of another configuration of the door curtain separation detection system of the second embodiment of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 5, showing a third embodiment door curtain separation detection system installed within a guide of an embodiment door similar to the door of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a front view of an example re-feed roller assembly similar to that of FIGS. 3A-3B, but including a fourth example door curtain separation detection system. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a partial view of an embodiment door similar to the embodiment door of FIG. 1, but including the fifth embodiment door curtain separation detection system. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 10A. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is an illustration of an alternative alignment function used in the door curtain removal detection system of the embodiment of FIGS. 10A and 10B with an alternative sensor type. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a partial view of an embodiment door similar to the embodiment door of FIG. 10A, but including the door curtain separation detection system of the sixth embodiment. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 11A. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is an alternative embodiment of a door curtain removal detection system similar to FIG. 11B but with a movable sensor. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial view of an embodiment door similar to the embodiment door of FIG. 5, but including the door curtain separation detection system of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram of an example re-feed roller assembly similar to that of FIG. 5, but including an eighth example door curtain disengagement detection system with an example door curtain shown in a disengaged position. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation of any one of the controller embodiments of FIG. 1, FIG. 6, and / or FIG. 10A. [Figure 15] 15 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the first door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 6. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the second door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 7A and / or FIG. 7B. [Figure 17] 17 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the third door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 8. [Figure 18] 18 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the fourth door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 9. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the fifth door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 10A. [Figure 20] 20 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to detect a door curtain departure event using the eighth door curtain departure detection system of FIG. 13. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the example controller of FIG. 14 to analyze separation event data and make adjustments based on the analysis of the departure event data. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a block diagram of an example processor platform configured to execute the machine-readable instructions of the examples of FIGS. 15-21 to implement the controller of the example of FIG. 14.

[0032] The figures are not to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or regions may be exaggerated in the drawings. Generally, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings and the accompanying written description to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0033] Descriptors such as "first," "second," and "third" are used herein to identify multiple elements or components that may be individually referenced. Unless otherwise stated or understood based on the context of their use, such descriptors are not intended to imply any sense of priority or ordering in time, but are merely intended as labels for separately referencing multiple elements or components to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while the same element may be referenced in the claims with different descriptors such as "second" or "third." In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are merely used to facilitate reference to multiple elements or components.

[0008] Detailed Description

[0009]

[0034] Breakaway doors provide a fail-safe mechanism for automatic door operation. If the automatic door cannot operate from the closed position to the open position (or cannot operate quickly enough) when a vehicle or person approaches the breakaway door, impact to the door caused by the vehicle and / or person striking the breakaway door's door curtain can displace the door curtain from its normal position (e.g., to a breakaway state) to reduce (e.g., prevent) damage to the vehicle and / or door curtain and / or reduce (e.g., prevent) damage to the person. However, repeated impacts to the breakaway door's door curtain can ultimately result in damage to the door curtain and / or other components associated with the breakaway door.

[0010]

[0035] Improper use and / or configuration of a breakaway door can exacerbate damage to the door curtain. For example, if a user repeatedly impacts the door curtain, relying on the door curtain's ability to break away from normal conditions, the door curtain and / or other components of the breakaway door may experience wear at a higher rate than if the user attempts to avoid door curtain impacts with a breakaway design used solely as a fail-safe. Similarly, if the breakaway door is improperly configured (e.g., the actuation sensor that activates the door curtain is incorrectly positioned, the actuation is incorrectly timed, the door remains open for an incorrect amount of time, etc.), components may suffer wear damage. Such wear can result in excessive warranty claims at the manufacturer's expense. With conventional breakaway doors, without someone visually monitoring the operation of the breakaway door, it may not be possible for the breakaway door owner and / or breakaway door manufacturer to determine the extent of a door curtain breakaway event that occurs. A door curtain breakaway event occurs when at least a portion of one of the door curtain's side edges moves out of the vertical guide within which the door curtain's side edges move during normal operation during opening and closing.

[0011]

[0036] Examples of methods, devices, systems, and products (e.g., physical storage media) disclosed herein enable detection of a door curtain breakaway event. In some examples of methods, devices, systems, and products disclosed herein, one or more sensors are configured to detect a force applied to a re-feed roller of the breakaway door, indicating that a breakaway event has occurred. Some examples of methods, devices, systems, and products disclosed herein use one or more sensors within the breakaway door guide to detect the presence of the door curtain within the guide. In some such examples, the door curtain may include an easily detectable component (e.g., an RFID tag, a metallic feature, etc.) for movement within the guide. In some examples of methods, devices, systems, and products disclosed herein, one or more switches directly engage the door curtain within the guide to determine the presence of the door curtain. In some examples, the presence of the door curtain within the guide can be used in combination with a known position of the door curtain (e.g., a closed position, an open position, or an intermediate position between the open and closed positions) to detect a door curtain breakaway event. In some example methods, apparatus, systems, and products disclosed herein, a conductive feature on the door curtain (e.g., a conductive sphere with a metallic outer layer, a conductive solid sphere, etc.) completes a circuit when it contacts the refeed roller, thereby indicating refeed operation and further indicating that the curtain was in a detached state.

[0012]

[0037] Example methods, apparatus, systems, and products disclosed herein analyze data related to a door curtain breakaway event to generate an alert regarding the breakaway event. In some examples, an example breakaway alert generator communicates the alert to maintenance personnel, a manufacturer, and / or other entities. In some example methods, apparatus, systems, and products disclosed herein, the door curtain breakaway event data can be used to identify potentially missing alignment features on the door curtain and, in some examples, issue a maintenance request. In some examples, the door curtain breakaway event data can be analyzed to determine the specific location of the impact that caused the door curtain breakaway event.

[0013]

[0038] Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture disclosed herein utilize analysis of door curtain exit event data to enable corrective actions that attempt to reduce the likelihood of future door curtain exit events occurring. In some examples, actuation sensor positions are adjusted to better detect approaching vehicles and / or people. In some examples, timing associated with the actuation sensors is adjusted to allow for faster actuation of the door curtain. In some examples, the amount of time a door remains open is adjusted to account for certain behaviors, such as the recurring occurrence of two or more vehicles and / or people passing through the door in succession.

[0014]

[0039] FIG. 1 is a front view of an example door 102 constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein. The illustrated example door 102 includes an example door curtain 104 that is vertically movable between an open position and a closed position. The illustrated example door 102 includes an example drive tube 106 that includes a horizontal axis about which the door curtain 104 rotates as the door curtain 104 is actuated to move between the open and closed positions. When the door curtain 104 is moved to the open position, the door curtain 104 is at least partially retracted within an example door curtain retainer 108. FIG. 2 includes a perspective view of the door curtain retainer 108 illustrating an example curved slot 202 that the door curtain 104 occupies when it is open (e.g., retracted).

[0015]

[0040] The door curtain 104 in the illustrated embodiment extends between the example tracks or guides 110. Specifically, the door curtain 104 in the illustrated embodiment extends laterally between the guides 110, with opposing side edges 116 of the door curtain 104 retained within the guides 110 during normal operation to maintain closure of the example doorway 112 when the door curtain 104 is in the closed position. The door curtain 104 has an example bottom edge 105. In some embodiments, the guides 110 also serve to retain the side edges 116 of the door curtain 104 as the curtain moves between open and closed positions during normal operation. However, an impact can displace the door curtain 104 in a direction that is not parallel to the door curtain 104, such that an edge of the door curtain 104 moves out of or away from one or more of the guides 110. In some embodiments, an impact may cause the door curtain 104 to move out of only one of the guides (e.g., the left one or the right one), while in some embodiments, an impact may cause the door curtain 104 to move out of both guides 110. For example, if a person and / or object (e.g., a vehicle such as a forklift) strikes the door curtain 104 in a direction that is not parallel to the door curtain 104, the force of the impact may cause the door curtain 104 to move out of the guides, thereby reducing the possibility of injury to the person and / or damage to the object. Enabling the door curtain 104 to move out of the guides may also reduce the possibility of damage to the door curtain 104 and / or other components of the door 102 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the door 102 is an automatic door, and when a person and / or vehicle approaches the door, one or more sensors communicate a feedback signal to the controller 114 indicative of the approach of the person and / or vehicle. In some such embodiments, the controller 114 responds to sensor feedback by moving the door curtain 104 to an open position to unblock the doorway 112 and allow people and / or vehicles (and / or other traffic) to pass through.However, even in embodiments where door operation is automated, delays in operation, failed operation (e.g., due to a faulty sensor), and / or other factors may cause people and / or objects to collide with the door curtain 104.

[0016]

[0041] The controller 114 of the illustrated embodiment provides commands to components (e.g., motors, actuators, etc.) of the door 102 to move the door curtain 104 to an open position or extend it to a closed position in response to signals from one or more sensors and / or commands issued by an operator. The controller 114 of the illustrated embodiment receives signals from one or more sensors associated with the door 102, which enable detection of a door curtain disengagement event corresponding to the door curtain 104 entering a disengagement state. In some embodiments, the controller 114 analyzes door curtain disengagement event data to generate a report regarding the door curtain disengagement event, provide recommendations for correcting the cause of the door curtain disengagement event, cause adjustments to one or more actuators and / or sensors, issue a maintenance alert, and / or take other action based on the analysis of the door curtain disengagement event data. Further details of the structure of the controller 114 are shown and described in connection with FIG. 14 , and techniques implemented by the controller 114 are shown and described in connection with FIGS. 15-21 .

[0017]

[0042] As used herein, a door is said to be in a "detached state" when the door curtain 104 is struck with enough force that an edge of the door curtain 104 exits one or more of the guides 110. As used herein, the door curtain 104 is in an "operated state" when the door curtain 104 is held by the guides 110 during normal operation. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the door curtain 104 enters the detached state by a portion of the door curtain 104 exiting the guide 110 on the left side (as viewed from the page) of the example door 102. In particular, the door curtain 104 is in the detached state when the portion of the door curtain 104 below the top of the guide 110 disengages from the guide 110.

[0018]

[0043] The side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 in the illustrated embodiment is partially visible because it has been removed from the left side of the guide 110. This side edge 116 is one of two side edges of the door curtain 104. A second side edge is on the right side of the door curtain 104, opposite the left side edge 116 as viewed in FIG. 1, although the second side edge is obscured within the corresponding guide 110 in FIG. 1. As used herein, the side edge 116 refers to either of the side edges (e.g., the left or right side edge) of the door curtain 104. In this embodiment, both side edges 116 are substantially identical. Thus, although only one of the side edges 116 is shown, both side edges 116 include multiple example alignment features 118. The example alignment features 118 are protrusions extending from the door curtain 104 that help to retain the door curtain's side edge 116 within the guide 110. Although the alignment features 118 in the illustrated embodiment have a generally spherical shape, the alignment features 118 may be any type of shape and / or any combination of shapes (e.g., different ones of the alignment features 118 may have different geometric shapes).

[0019]

[0044] When the door curtain 104 transitions to the disengaged state, it is important to restore the door curtain 104 to an operative state (e.g., by pushing the door curtain's side edge 116 out of one of the guides 110 and restoring it to its corresponding position within the guide 110). If the door curtain's side edge 116 remains detached from one of the guides 110 while the door curtain 104 moves between the open and closed positions, the door curtain 104, one of the guides 110, and / or other components of the door 102 may be damaged by wear. To avoid this, the door 102 includes an example re-feed roller assembly 120 attached near the top of the guide 110. The example re-feed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 1 includes a plurality of re-feed rollers 122 aligned in a direction away from the guide 110 along the travel path of the door curtain 104. When the door curtain 104 is in the disengaged state and the controller 114 moves the door curtain 104 to the open position, the alignment features 118 on the door curtain 104 outside the guides 110 contact one or more of the re-feed rollers 122 and are forced back into alignment with the corresponding guides 110, thereby restoring the door curtain 104 to an operative state.

[0020]

[0045] Details of the re-feed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 1 are shown and described in connection with FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B, and 4. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper left corner of the door 102 of the embodiment of FIG. 1. The perspective view of FIG. 2 illustrates three embodiment re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, and 122c of one of the re-feed roller assemblies 120. In some embodiments, the configuration and operation of the two re-feed roller assemblies 120 are substantially identical. Therefore, although the following discussion is provided with respect to the re-feed roller assembly 120 shown in FIG. 2, the discussion applies equally to the other re-feed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 1 that is not shown in the detailed perspective view of FIG. 2.

[0021]

[0046] The three re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, and 122c of the re-feed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 2 are vertically spaced apart. In the illustrated embodiment, the re-feed roller assembly 120 includes three re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, and 122c on one side of the door curtain 104 and three re-feed rollers 122d, 122e, and 122f ( FIG. 3B ) on the other side of the door curtain 104. For comparison, FIG. 3A shows a detailed view of the re-feed roller assembly 120 of the embodiment of the door 102 of FIG. 1 with the door curtain in a closed position, and FIG. 3B shows a detailed view of the re-feed roller assembly 120 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A but with the door curtain 104 in a fully open position. All six re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, and 122f are visible in FIG. 3B . The door curtain 104 translates vertically within the guide 110 and moves between pairs of re-feed rollers 122. For example, the first re-feed roller 122a and the fourth re-feed roller 122d act as a first pair, the second re-feed roller 122b and the fifth re-feed roller 122e act as a second pair, and the third re-feed roller 122c and the sixth re-feed roller 122f act as a third pair. For purposes of explanation and simplicity, as used herein, "re-feed roller 122" may refer to any one of the re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, and 122f, and "re-feed roller 122" may refer to any group of the re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, and 122f.

[0022]

[0047] The re-feed rollers 122 in the illustrated embodiment are configured such that, during a re-feed operation in which the door curtain 104 is opened, when one of the alignment features 118 contacts one of the re-feed rollers 122, the one of the alignment features 118 is forced inward and vertically aligned with the guide 110, and moves to vertically align with the guide 110. The re-feed rollers 122 in the illustrated embodiment can move (e.g., translate and / or rotate) in response to a force from one of the alignment features 118. In the illustrated embodiment, there are several pairs of re-feed rollers 122 to capture the alignment features 118 and hold the door curtain 104 within the guide 110. When in an operative state (e.g., when the door curtain 104 is not in a disengaged state), the re-feed rollers 122 are spaced apart from the alignment features 118 because the alignment features 118 are held within the guide 110. In some embodiments, the re-feed roller assembly 120 can include additional pairs of re-feed rollers 122. In other embodiments, the re-feed roller assembly 120 may include fewer than three pairs of re-feed rollers 122 .

[0023]

[0048] The re-feed roller 122 is mounted to first and second re-feed blocks 124a, 124b in the illustrated embodiment, which connect to the frame 126 of the door 102. The re-feed blocks 124a, 124b in the illustrated embodiment are mounted directly above the guide 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide 110 is also attached to the frame 126 of the door 102. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the re-feed roller assembly 122 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the alignment feature 118 of the door curtain 104 is held behind the re-feed rollers 122b, 122e (e.g., to the left as viewed in FIG. 4), aligning the guide 110 with the re-feed rollers. The re-feed roller 122 in the illustrated embodiment directly contacts the alignment feature 118 during the re-feed operation. The re-feed roller pair (e.g., re-feed rollers 122b, 122e) in the illustrated embodiment are positioned such that the alignment feature 118 cannot be inserted directly between the re-feed rollers 122b, 122e, so that when the alignment feature 118 is forced upward toward the top of the door 102 (e.g., due to force from a motor) during opening of the door curtain 104, the alignment feature 118 is returned to vertical alignment with the guide 110 by the re-feed roller 122, returning the door curtain 104 to its normal operating state. The re-feed roller 122 is directly connected to the re-feed blocks 124a, 124b. In some embodiments, the re-feed roller 122 can have a different geometry that also allows for restoration of the alignment feature 118 within the guide 110.

[0024]

[0049] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the example refeed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 1 taken along line 5-5, but with the door curtain in an operative state, as opposed to the disengaged state shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 5, the door curtain 104 is in an operative state, with the alignment features 118 behind the refeed roller 122 and the side edges 116 of the door curtain held within the guides 110. The guides 110 include example retention strips 128 on either side of the door curtain 104 to help hold the side edges 116 of the door curtain 104 within the guides 110. In the illustrated example, the retention strips 128 extend inward toward the door curtain 104, with a gap therebetween sized larger than the thickness of the door curtain 104. In this manner, the door curtain 104 can freely translate between an open position and a closed position along the gap between the retention strips 128. However, the gaps are sized to be smaller than the size of the alignment features 118 so as to retain the alignment features 118 within the guide 110 when the door curtain 104 moves under normal operating conditions. In some embodiments, the retention strips 128 are flexible, allowing the alignment features 118 to pass through the gaps between the strips 128 when sufficient force is applied. That is, when a relatively small force is applied to the door curtain 104 (e.g., 2 pounds of force applied perpendicular to the door curtain 104), the alignment features 118 may interfere with or engage with the retention strips 128 but remain within the guide 110. However, when a relatively large force (e.g., 5 pounds of force, 10 pounds of force, etc.) is applied perpendicular to the door curtain 104, the retention strips 128 may flex such that the alignment features 118 cease to align with the guide 110 and allow the door curtain 104 to enter the disengaged state.

[0025]

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5 , the alignment features 118 are evenly spaced along the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104. In some embodiments, the alignment features 118 can be spaced at irregular intervals. In some embodiments, the alignment of the alignment features 118 is not consistent across the entire length of the side edge 116 of the door curtain. The alignment features 118 may comprise any material. In some embodiments disclosed herein, the alignment features 118 are partially and / or entirely conductive. In some embodiments disclosed herein, the alignment features 118 comprise a magnetic material.

[0026]

[0051] Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) disclosed herein include one or more sensing systems for determining when the door curtain 104 enters a disengaged state or transitions from a disengaged state to an operational state (e.g., during a retransmission operation).

[0027]

[0052] FIG. 6 is a front view of another example door 602 similar to the example door 102 of FIG. 1 but including an example first door curtain departure detection system. The first door curtain departure detection system includes example tags 604 attached to the side edges 116 of the door curtain 104. The illustrated example tags 604 are positioned alternately with alignment features 118 along the side edges 116. Any number of tags 604 may be attached to the side edges 116 of the door curtain 104 to detect the presence of the door curtain 104 within the guide 110. Thus, in some embodiments, two or more alignment features 118 may be positioned between adjacent ones of the tags 604. In some embodiments, each of the side edges 116 includes only one tag 604. In some such embodiments, a single tag 604 is positioned near the bottom or leading edge of the door curtain 104. This is because the bottom corners of the door curtain 104 are often the parts of the curtain most likely to be pushed out of the guides 110 upon impact with the curtain. In some embodiments, the tag 604 may be integrated into or is an integral part of the alignment feature 118.

[0028]

[0053] The tag 604 in the illustrated embodiment is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. In some embodiments, the tag is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag, an optical tag (e.g., a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, a symbol for optical recognition, etc.), or any other type of tag that allows for detection of the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 within the corresponding guide 110.

[0029]

[0054] The first door curtain departure detection system includes example scanners 606a, 606b. In the illustrated example, scanners 606a, 606b are attached to the guide 110 to detect the door curtain 104 within the guide 110. While FIG. 6 shows two scanners 606a, 606b for simplicity, the door 602 may include any amount of scanners on either side of the guide 110 (including the one on the right side of the guide 110). For example, in some examples, only one scanner may be located on either side of the door curtain 104. In other examples, three or more scanners may be located on one side of the door curtain 104. In some examples, there may be more scanners associated with one side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 than the other side edge. The scanners 606a, 606b in the illustrated example can detect the tag 604 when the tag 604 is within proximity (e.g., within 5 inches, within 10 inches, etc.) of the scanners 606a, 606b. For example, the scanners 606a, 606b may be aimed toward the inside of the guide 110 where the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 passes through the guide 110.

[0030]

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the guide 110 includes a first scanner 606a at its upper portion, which is useful for detecting the presence of the door curtain 104 within the guide 110 at a position directly below the refeed roller assembly 120. If the door curtain 104 is moved to a fully open position (e.g., a position where no portion of the door curtain 104 extends across the doorway 112), the entire door curtain 104 that extends below the position of the scanner 606a when the door curtain 104 is in the closed position will pass through the scanner 606a during normal operation. In contrast, if any portion of the door curtain 104 is broken away from the guide 110, that portion of the door curtain 104 will not be detected by the scanner 606a when the door curtain 104 moves from the closed position to the open position. A breakaway condition can be detected based on a failure of the scanner 606a to detect a portion of the door curtain 104 when expected based on the position and movement of the curtain. In some embodiments, the door 602 may be configured for partial-open operation. In some such implementations, the door curtain 104 only opens to a partially open position (e.g., a portion of the door curtain 104 remains extending across a first portion of the door curtain 112, while a second portion of the door curtain 112 is not obstructed by the door curtain 104). For example, a user may have the door only open to a partially open position to accommodate pedestrian traffic, or open the door when vehicles traveling through the door are not expected to exceed a certain height. Utilizing this partially open position helps conserve energy utilized by the motor to operate the door curtain 104 and conserve energy due to potential HVAC differentials on different sides of the door curtain 104.

[0031]

[0056] When the door 602 opens the door curtain 104 to a partially open position, it may be advantageous to utilize both the first scanner 606a and the second scanner 606b, with the second scanner 606b mounted below the guide 110 (e.g., below the level of the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 when in the partially open position) to detect a separation condition caused by the door curtain 104 separating from the guide 110 toward the bottom edge of the door curtain 104. In some such embodiments, the second scanner 606b communicates data to the controller 114, and when a separation condition is detected, the controller 114 can move the door 602 to a fully open position and move the alignment feature 118 toward the bottom of the door curtain 104 through the re-feed roller assembly 120 to restore the curtain to its normal operating state. When the door 602 opens the door curtain 104 to a partially open position and only the first scanner 606a is utilized toward the top of the guide 110, a separation occurring toward the bottom of the door curtain 104 may not be detected. Thus, one or more of the scanners 606a, 606b may be attached to the guide 110 to detect a disengagement condition based on the particular configuration of the door 602. Any number of scanners may be utilized, and may be utilized at any location along the guide 110.

[0032]

[0057] The scanners 606a, 606b in the illustrated embodiment are RFID scanners. In some embodiments, the scanners 606a, 606b are optical scanners, BLE scanners, and / or any other type of scanner suitable for detecting the tag 604. The scanners 606a, 606b communicate data to the controller 114, enabling the controller 114 to determine whether the door curtain 104 is in an operative or disengaged state and to determine characteristics of the disengaged state. For example, the controller 114 can determine whether the door curtain 104 is in a disengaged state based on the vertical position of the door curtain (e.g., as determined based on the motors and / or drive elements for the door curtain 104) and data from the scanners 606a, 606b. For example, if the door curtain 104 is approximately half-open and is known to be moving toward a fully open position, and the first scanner 606a has not detected a tag 604 for a threshold period of time (or a threshold number of expected tags) during the movement of the door curtain, the controller 114 can determine that the door curtain 104 is likely in a disengaged state. Conversely, the controller 114 does not indicate that the door curtain 104 is in a disengaged state in response to the second scanner 606b not detecting a tag 604 during this movement because it is known that the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 is over the second scanner 606b and that no detection of a tag 604 is expected. In some examples, if only a single tag 604, or a small number of tags 604, are not detected when they are expected to be detected (e.g., based on the location of the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 and the known speed and direction of movement of the door curtain 104), the controller 114 can determine that a maintenance alert should be issued to determine if one or more tags 604 are inoperative or missing.

[0033]

[0058] Additionally, in some embodiments, the tags 604 are serialized to enable decoding of location information corresponding to the vertical position of the tags 604. For example, when an individual tag 604 is detected by one of the scanners 606 a, 606 b, it can communicate the vertical position of the detected tag 604. The controller 114 can determine that the door curtain 104 is in a disengaged state if it determines that multiple tags (e.g., a threshold amount of tags) are not detected where they should pass one of the scanners 606 a, 606 b. Similarly, the controller 114 can compare the elapsed time of movement to a threshold time at which the tags 604 are expected to be detected based on the known spacing of the active tags and the known speed of the door curtain 104. For example, if the door curtain is expected to pass one of the scanners 606 a, 606 b and one of the scanners 606 a, 606 b does not detect any of the tags 604 for a threshold period of time, the controller can determine that the door curtain 104 is in a disengaged state.

[0034]

[0059] FIG. 7A is a front view of a second example refeed roller assembly 120a similar to the refeed roller assembly 702 of FIGS. 3A-3B but including a second example door curtain separation detection system. The second door curtain separation system includes an example switch 704 that engages with an example rear portion 706 of a support structure for each of the second refeed roller 122b and the third refeed roller 122c. The first and second refeed rollers 122b, 122c are further connected to a support structure that includes an example center portion 708 that extends through the refeed block 124a and connects each of the refeed rollers 122a, 122b to the corresponding rear portion 706. The refeed block 124a includes an example cavity 710 that includes an example spring 712 that biases the refeed roller 122 and the support structure connected to the refeed roller 122 toward the switch 704.

[0035]

[0060] In the configuration of a first embodiment of the second re-feed roller assembly 702a shown in FIG. 7A, the cavity 710 is located inside the re-feed block 124a adjacent to the re-feed roller 122, and the spring 712 is a compression spring for biasing the re-feed roller 122 to the right as viewed in the illustrated embodiment. In the configuration of a second embodiment of the second re-feed roller assembly 702b shown in FIG. 7B, the cavity 710 is located outside the re-feed block 124a adjacent to the rear portion 706 of the re-feed roller 122, and the spring 712 is a tension spring for biasing the re-feed roller 122 and the support structure connected to the re-feed roller 122 to the right as viewed in the illustrated embodiment. In both the embodiment of FIG. 7A and the embodiment of FIG. 7B, the switch 704 is normally depressed by the biasing force generated by the spring 712 (e.g., when no re-feed operation is occurring). However, when the door curtain 104 is restored from the disengaged state, the alignment features 118 pushed out of the guides 110 may engage one or more re-feed rollers 122 and move the re-feed rollers against one or more springs 712 until the corresponding switch 704 is no longer depressed. In some embodiments, the switch 704 may alternatively be configured such that the switch 704 is not engaged (e.g., not depressed) when the door curtain 104 is in a normal operating state, but is engaged during a re-feed operation. In some embodiments, the switch 704 may be integrated within the re-feed block 124a or may engage a portion of the re-feed roller 122 located opposite the re-feed block 124a that engages the alignment features 118.

[0036]

[0061] Although only two of the three visible re-feed rollers 122a, 122b, 122c include a switch 704, any number of the re-feed rollers 122 may include a switch 704 to engage a rear portion 706 of the re-feed roller 122. In some embodiments, the lowest re-feed roller 122 (e.g., the third re-feed roller 122c) is monitored using one of the switches 704 because it is most likely to engage the alignment feature 118. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B, only the re-feed roller monitored by the switch 704 includes a rear portion 706. In some embodiments, any combination of the re-feed rollers 122 includes a rear portion 706.

[0037]

[0062] The switches 704 are communicatively coupled to the controller 114 and provide signals to the controller 114 indicating whether the switches 704 are currently pressed or otherwise actuated. The controller 114 can determine that a re-feed operation has occurred (and thus the door curtain 104 should have been in a disengaged state) when one or more signals from the one or more switches 704 change. For example, the signals may be binary signals, where a "1" represents an engaged switch (e.g., indicating that the roller is in its normal state and has not been displaced during the re-feed operation) and a "0" represents an unengaged switch (e.g., indicating that the roller has been displaced during the re-feed operation), or vice versa. In some embodiments, proximity sensors and / or other sensors may be used in addition to or instead of the switches 704.

[0038]

[0063] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 5 of an example third door curtain separation detection system installed within the guide 110 of an example door 802 similar to the door of FIG. 1 . The third door curtain separation detection system is installed within the guide 110 of the door 802. The guide 110 includes a retaining strip 128, an example open portion 804, and an example seal portion 806. The open portion 804 is a vertical channel within which the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 (including the alignment feature 118) translates during normal operation. The retaining strip 128 holds the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 within the open space of the guide 110. The seal portion 806 of the guide 110 provides a seal along the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 to reduce airflow through the door 802 when the door curtain 104 is in the closed position. The seal portion 806 is substantially perpendicular to and parallel to (e.g., within 10 degrees of) the opening 804. For example, the seal portion 806 may be a seal (e.g., insulation within the cavity of the guide 110) implemented to reduce energy costs for heating and air conditioning when there is a thermal gradient between the spaces separated by the door 802.

[0039]

[0064] In a third door curtain removal detection system, example switches 808 are recessed (or recessed) into the sealing portion 806 of the guide 110. The sealing portion 806 can include any number of switches 808. In the illustrated embodiment, the switches 808 are evenly spaced along the vertical length of the sealing portion 806. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 8, the switches 808 are spring-loaded and are depressed by the door curtain 104 when the door curtain 104 is in a vertical position corresponding to each of the switches 808. In some embodiments, sensors (e.g., proximity sensors) are utilized in place of the switches 808. In some embodiments, rather than recessing the switches 808 within the sealing portion 806, the switches 808 are mounted on an outer surface of the sealing portion 806. That is, in some embodiments, the switches 808 are mounted on and extend from a surface 810 of the example sealing portion 806 of the guide 110 that faces the open portion 804 of the guide 110. In some embodiments, the door 802 does not include a sealing portion 806. In some such embodiments, the switch 808 is mounted on another surface of the guide 110.

[0040]

[0065] The switch 808 is communicatively coupled to the controller 114 and provides the controller 114 with a signal indicating whether the switch 808 is pressed or otherwise activated. In some embodiments, the switch 808 communicates a binary signal (e.g., a "1" if the switch 808 is in the pressed position and a "0" if the switch 808 is in the extended position, or vice versa). The controller 114 can determine whether the door curtain 104 is within the guide 110 at the switch location based on a signal from the switch 808 at a known vertical position and a known vertical height of the door (e.g., as determined from a motor or other drive element). For example, if the switch is at or above the bottom edge of the door curtain 104, the switch should be pressed when the door curtain 104 is in an activated state. If the signal from the switch indicates that it is not pressed down in such a position (e.g., the door curtain 104 is not present), the controller 114 can determine that the door curtain 104 is in a disengaged state.

[0041]

[0066] FIG. 9 is a front view of an example refeed roller assembly 902 similar to the refeed roller assembly of FIGS. 3A-3B but including a fourth example door curtain separation detection system. The fourth door curtain separation detection system includes an example sensor 904 for detecting a force on and / or movement of the refeed block 124a. In the illustrated example, the sensor 904 is an accelerometer. In some examples, the sensor 904 is integrated into the refeed block 124a. The sensor 904 communicates data representing the force on and / or movement of the refeed block 124a to the controller 114. The controller 114 analyzes the data from the sensor 904 to determine whether the force and / or movement represented in the data is likely associated with a refeed operation. For example, the controller 114 can recognize patterns during post-processing associated with a refeed operation. In some embodiments, the controller 114 may be trained using a set of training data and may utilize machine learning techniques to identify characteristics in the data from the sensor 904 that correspond to a replay action, as opposed to an impact on a frame component of the door 102, movement due to normal operation of the door curtain 104, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 114 may infer a breakaway condition based on the identification of the replay action.

[0042]

[0067] In some embodiments, the door 102 includes one or more example additional sensors 906 to provide baseline data regarding forces and / or motions on the door 102. For example, the controller 114 can compare the forces and / or motions represented by data from the sensor 904 on the re-feed block 124a with the forces and / or motions represented by data from one or more additional sensors 906 located elsewhere on the door 102. The additional sensors 906 may be located adjacent to the re-feed block 124a, or the additional sensors 906 may be located farther away from the re-feed block 124a. If the forces and / or motions are specific to the re-feed block 124a, this may indicate a higher probability that a re-feed action occurred relative to forces and / or motions experienced by another sensor on another portion of the door 102. In some embodiments, the controller 114 can determine the portion of the door curtain 104 that is farther away from the guide 110 based on the known position of the door curtain 104 and the data from the sensor 904. For example, if data from sensor 904 indicates that a refeed operation was initiated when the bottom edge of door curtain 104 was at a particular height, controller 114 can determine that the portion of door curtain 104 extending from the particular height of the bottom edge of door curtain 104 to refeed roller assembly 902 is away from guide 110.

[0043]

[0068] FIG. 10A is a partial view of an example door 102 similar to the example door 1002 of FIG. 1 but including a fifth example door curtain separation detection system. The fifth example door curtain separation detection system includes an example sensor 1004 mounted along the guide 110. The illustrated example sensor 1004 is oriented toward the center of the guide 110 (e.g., where the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 is located when in normal operation) to enable detection of the door curtain 104. The illustrated example sensor 1004 detects alignment features 118 on the side edge 116 of the curtain. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 10A and illustrates the sensor 1004 detecting one of the alignment features 118 on the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 as the door curtain 104 moves through the guide 110.

[0044]

[0069] 10A . In some such embodiments, the top one of the sensors 1004 can detect a disengagement event based on not detecting one of the alignment features 118 when the door curtain 104 moves to the open position. In some embodiments, the controller 114 can determine a portion of the door curtain 104 that has disengaged from the guide 110 based on counting the alignment features 118 as they pass by. For example, if there are 20 alignment features 118 along the entire length of the door curtain 104 and the sensor 1004 does not detect the bottom 10 alignment features 118 when the door curtain 104 moves to the fully open position, it can determine that the portion of the door corresponding to the bottom 10 alignment features (e.g., the bottom half of the door curtain 104 if the alignment features are evenly distributed vertically) has disengaged from the guide 110. In some embodiments, the presence of multiple sensors 1004 can determine a portion of the door curtain 104 that separates from the guide 110 before the door curtain 104 moves to a fully open position. In some such embodiments, the position of the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 can be determined based on data from the sensors 1004 and a known location of the sensors 1004 (e.g., lateral position along the guide 110) when a portion of the door curtain 104 separates from the guide 110. In some embodiments, the alignment features 118 are conductive. In some such embodiments, the sensors 1004 are inductive proximity sensors for detecting conductive material within the alignment features 118. In some embodiments, the door curtain 104 can include conductive material separate from the alignment features 118 that is detected by the sensors 1004. In some such embodiments, only the bottom of the alignment feature 118 may be conductive, and therefore the inductive sensor can determine whether the door curtain 104 has entered a detached state (because the bottom of the door curtain 104 is detached from the guide 110 regardless of the height at which the detachment event begins), but the data cannot indicate which portion of the door curtain 104 has detached from the guide 110.

[0045]

[0070] In some embodiments, the sensors 1004 are capacitive sensors (e.g., capacitive proximity sensors) or ultrasonic proximity switches (e.g., ultrasonic proximity sensors). In some such embodiments, the sensors 1004 can detect non-conductive alignment features (e.g., made of plastic, nylon, etc.). In some embodiments in which the sensors 1004 are ultrasonic sensors, the sensors 1004 can measure a gap distance between one of the sensors 1004 and an object (e.g., the door curtain 104). The controller 114 can then determine whether this gap distance meets a threshold range associated with the door curtain 104 within the guide 110. In some embodiments, the sensors 1004 are Hall sensors (e.g., reed switches), and one or more alignment features 118 include a magnetic material. For example, FIG. 10C shows an alternative design alignment feature 118c of an embodiment having a portion of the alignment feature 118c including a magnetic material that is detected by a Hall sensor. In some embodiments, only the bottom of the alignment feature 118c includes magnetic material because the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 is necessarily detached from the guide 110 during any transition to the disengaged state. In some embodiments, the door curtain 104 can include magnetic material separate from the alignment feature 118 that is detected by the Hall sensor.

[0046]

[0071] In some embodiments, one or more of the sensors 1004 may be located within and / or connected to the refeed block 124a. In some such embodiments, the one or more sensors 1004 are microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) magnetometer sensors for detecting ferrous material embedded within the alignment features 118 and / or elsewhere on the door curtain 104. In some such embodiments, the MEMS magnetometer sensors can determine the position of one or more locations of the ferrous material based on magnetic field strength in three axes, which can be used to determine whether the locations of the ferrous material are outside of the guide 110. In some embodiments, when the sensors 1004 include one or more MEMS magnetometer sensors, the sensors 1004 can detect when a vehicle passes through the doorway 112. One or more sensors 1004 on the door 1002 communicate a signal indicative of the presence of one or more of the alignment features 118 or other locations containing ferrous material (and thus the presence of the door curtain 104), allowing the controller 114 to analyze a transition to a breakaway state (a "breakaway event") and implement corrective action to address the cause of the transition to the breakaway state.

[0047]

[0072] FIG. 11A is a partial view of an example door 1102 similar to the example door 1002 of FIG. 10A but including a sixth embodiment door curtain separation detection system. Unlike the illustrated example of FIG. 10A, the sixth embodiment door curtain separation detection system shown in FIG. 11A includes one or more example sensors 1104 mounted along the guide 110 to detect one or more metal features 1106 coupled to the outermost edge 1108 of the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104. In the illustrated example, the metal features 1106 are spaced twice as far apart as the alignment features 118. However, in other examples, the metal features 1106 may be spaced farther apart or closer together than shown in FIG. 11A. In some examples, as shown in the illustrated example, only one metal feature 1106 is provided along the entire length of the door curtain 104 near the bottom edge, as this is the location most likely to become detached from the guide 110 during disengagement. 11B, the metal feature 1106 is a clip or other similarly shaped element that extends around the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104 to connect with the front and back of the door curtain 104. In other embodiments, the metal feature 1106 is attached (e.g., via adhesive or other attachment means) only to the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104. In other embodiments, the metal feature may be recessed within the door curtain 104 so that it does not extend beyond the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104.

[0048]

[0073] In the illustrated embodiment, only one sensor 1104 is shown positioned near the top of the guide 110. However, in other embodiments, multiple sensors 110 may be positioned at different heights along the guide 110 (e.g., similar to sensor 1004 shown in FIG. 10A ). As shown more clearly in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 11B , the sensor 1104 is attached to the rear wall of the guide opposite the opening through which the door curtain 104 extends and through which the retaining strip 128 is placed during normal operation. In some embodiments, the sensor 1104 is an inductive proximity sensor. The sensor 1104 in the embodiment of FIG. 11 is positioned to detect when a metallic feature 1106 is in proximity to (e.g., passes by) the sensor 1104. When the sensor 1104 detects the metallic feature 1106, the sensor 1104 generates a signal that is sent to the controller 114. Thus, the control device 114 can detect a disengagement event based on one of the metal features 1106 not being detected when the door curtain 104 moves to the open position because the metal feature 1106 is outside the guide 110 and outside the detection range of the sensor 1104.

[0049]

[0074] 11C is an alternative embodiment of a door curtain separation detection system similar to that of FIG. 11B, but including a movable sensor 1104. More specifically, in some embodiments, the sensor 1104 is coupled to a biasing element 1110 (e.g., a spring) that biases the sensor 1104 toward the door curtain 104. In some embodiments, the sensor 1104 is part of an assembly that directly engages the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104 and / or a metal feature 1106 on the door curtain 104. In some such embodiments, the sensor assembly includes a low-friction surface and / or roller 1112 (as shown in FIG. 11C) to reduce friction caused by contact between the door curtain 104 and the sensor assembly. 11C , allowing the sensor 1104 to move relative to the guide 110 allows the sensor 1104 to be closer to the metal feature 1106 and therefore have a smaller size and / or shorter detection range than would be possible for the fixed-position sensor 1104 shown in FIG. 11B . Additionally, the moving sensor 1104 of FIG. 11C can move with the movement of the door curtain 104. For example, the alignment feature 118 on the door curtain 104 may be urged toward the retention strip 128 by the force of wind on the door curtain 104. While such force is insufficient to cause a breakaway event, it can nevertheless pull the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104 away from the sensor 1104 of FIG. 11B . However, due to the biasing element 1110 of FIG. 11C, the sensor 1104 of FIG. 11C moves with the door curtain 104, maintaining a relatively constant distance from the outermost edge 1108 of the door curtain 104 so as to detect the metal feature 1106 as it passes by during the door opening operation.

[0050]

[0075] The particular cross-sectional shape of guide 110 shown in Figures 11B and 11C is provided for illustrative purposes only. Similarly, the cross-sectional shape of guide 110 shown in Figure 4, which differs from the cross-sectional shape shown in Figures 11B and 11C, is also provided for illustrative purposes only. More generally, guide 110 can be configured with any suitable cross-sectional shape. Similarly, retaining strip 128 can have any suitable shape depending on the shape and / or geometry of guide 110 (e.g., the thickness of door curtain 104).

[0051]

[0076] FIG. 12 is a partial view of an example door 102 similar to the example door 1202 of FIG. 1 detailed in FIG. 5, but including a seventh example door curtain separation detection system. In the illustrated example, a photoelectric sensor 1204 including first and second portions 1206, 1208 is positioned within the refeed blocks 124a, 124b below the refeed roller 122. More specifically, in some examples, the first and second portions 1206, 1208 of the photoelectric sensor 1204 are positioned to transmit a beam of light 1210 (e.g., infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, etc.) across the path of the door curtain 104 during normal operation. In the illustrated example, the photoelectric sensor 1204 is a retroreflective photoeye that generates the light beam 1210 from the first portion 1206 and detects the light beam after it reflects off the second portion 1208, which corresponds to any suitable reflective surface. When the light beam 1210 is detected by the first portion 1206, a signal is generated and provided to the controller 114. In other embodiments, one of the portions 1206, 1208 of the photoelectric sensor 1204 generates the light beam 1210, and the other portion 1206, 1208 detects the light beam and provides an associated signal to the controller 114. In some embodiments, the door curtain 104 includes and / or carries a reflective surface along the side edge 116 to function as the second portion 1208 when the first portion 1206 corresponds to a retroreflective photoeye. In some such embodiments, the reflective surface on the door curtain 104 is positioned along the side edge 116 at a location that aligns with the retroreflective photoeye when the door curtain 104 is in normal operating condition within the guide 110. In such an embodiment, the first portion 1206 detects the light beam 1210 when the door curtain 104 is in a normal operating state and generates a signal (indicating a disengagement state) that is provided to the controller 114 when the light beam 1210 is not detected.

[0052]

[0077] During normal operation, the door curtain 104 blocks the path of the light beam 1210 between the first portion 1206 and the second portion 1208 of the photoelectric sensor 1204, preventing a signal from being generated or output to the controller 114. However, during a departure event in which at least a portion of the side edge 116 of the door curtain 104 is forcibly removed from the guide 110, the door curtain 104 does not block the beam of light 1210, thereby allowing the controller 114 to detect the departure event. In some embodiments, the first and second portions 1206, 1208 of the photoelectric sensor 1204 are located within the guide 110 near the top, directly below the refeed blocks 124a, 124b. Additionally, in some embodiments, multiple photoelectric sensors 1204 may be located at different locations along the guide 110.

[0053]

[0078] 13 is a diagram of an example refeed roller assembly 1302 including an eighth example door curtain separation detection system similar to the refeed roller assembly 120 of FIG. 5, but with the door curtain 104 shown in a disengaged state. The door curtain 104 is shown in a disengaged state so that one of the alignment features 118 is in front of the lower pair of refeed rollers 122c, 122f, indicating that the side edge of the door curtain 104 is not aligned with the guide 110 at the vertical position of the lower pair of refeed rollers 122c, 122f.

[0054]

[0079] In the eighth door curtain separation detection system, both the alignment feature 118 and the re-feed roller 122 are electrically conductive. The eighth door curtain separation detection system includes an example input power source 1304 and an example electrical circuit 1306 that connects the input power source 1304 to a controller through a pair of re-feed rollers 122 when one of the alignment features 118 engages the re-feed roller 122, thereby closing an electrical circuit. For example, in the illustrated example of FIG. 13 , a re-feed operation occurs, causing one of the alignment features 118 to contact the re-feed rollers 122c, 122f. As a result, an electrical signal flows from the input power source 1304 through the electrical circuit, through the re-feed rollers 122c, 122f and the alignment features 118 contacting the re-feed rollers 122c, 122f, and ultimately to the controller 114. When the controller 114 receives a signal from the electrical circuit 1306, the controller 114 can determine that a re-feed operation has occurred (and thus the door curtain 104 was previously in the disengaged state). In some embodiments, all of the alignment features 118 are conductive. In some embodiments, only one or a relatively small number (e.g., two or three) of the alignment features 118 toward the bottom of the door curtain 104 are conductive because these features are more likely to be involved in the re-feed operation when the door curtain 104 is in the disengaged state. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the second re-feed roller pair 122b, 122e and the third re-feed roller pair 122c, 122f are connected to the electrical circuit 1306, although any one or more of the pairs of re-feed rollers 122 may be connected to the electrical circuit 1306.

[0055]

[0080] In some embodiments, the input power source 1304 is a direct current (DC) power source. In some embodiments, the input power source 1304 is an alternating current (AC) power source and utilizes an AC / DC converter. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical circuit 1306 includes one or more resistors to prevent current overload when one of the alignment features 118 closes the circuit.

[0056]

[0081] Although each of the different example door curtain departure detection systems described in connection with Figures 6-13 have been described individually, in some examples, multiple detection systems and / or particular aspects of different systems of the detection systems may be combined in any suitable manner to provide redundancy and / or more powerful and / or accurate detection of departure events.

[0057]

[0082] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of the controller 114 of Figures 1, 6, 1OA, and 11A. The example controller 114 includes an example sensor data analyzer 1402, an example door position monitor 1404, an example maintenance alert generator 1406, an example departure alert generator 1408, an example departure alert analyzer 1410, an example report generator 1412, an example door operation regulator 1414, and an example door movement regulator 1416.

[0058]

[0083] The sensor data analyzer 1402 of the illustrated embodiment of Figure 14 analyzes sensor data from one or more of the scanner 606 of Figure 6, the switch 704 of Figure 7, the switch 808 of Figure 8, the sensor 904 of Figure 9, the sensor 1004 of Figure 10A, the sensor 1104 of Figure 11A, the photoelectric sensor 1204 of Figure 12, and / or the electrical circuit 1306 of Figure 13. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 of the illustrated embodiment interprets the sensor signals to determine whether the door curtain 104 was present adjacent one of the sensing devices and / or whether a retransmission action occurred. In some embodiments, this analysis can be the basis for inferring or determining that a disengagement event has occurred.

[0059]

[0084] The sensor data analyzer 1402 in the illustrated example determines a resend action that occurred in response to a change in a signal (e.g., from "0" to "1," from "1" to "0," etc., if the signal is a binary signal) from one or more of switch 704 of Figure 7, switch 808 of Figure 8, and / or electrical circuit 1306 of Figure 13. In some such examples, because a departure condition precedes the resend action, the sensor data analyzer 1402 communicates the occurrence of the detected resend action to a departure alarm generator 1408 to generate a departure alarm.

[0060]

[0085] In some embodiments, data from the sensor data analyzer 1402 may not independently indicate whether a departure event has occurred. In some such embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines whether a departure event has occurred based on the analysis from the sensor data analyzer 1402 and data from the door position monitor 1404. For example, the sensor data analyzer 1402 in this embodiment communicates data indicating whether one or more scanners 606 detected the tag 604 to the departure alarm generator 1408, and the departure alarm generator determines whether a departure condition has occurred based on the data indicating whether the tag 604 was detected and the position of the door curtain 104 from the door position monitor 1404. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 also communicates location data and / or other data decoded based on the tag 604. Similarly, the sensor data analyzer 1402 in the illustrated embodiment communicates data indicating the state of one or more switches 808 in FIG. 8. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 communicates the state of the switch 808 to a departure alarm generator 1408, which, along with data from the door position monitor 1404, determines whether the door curtain 104 was in a departure state. Additionally, the sensor data analyzer 1402 in the illustrated embodiment analyzes data from the sensors 1004, 1104, 1204 of Figures 10-12 to determine whether the door curtain 104 was present within the guide 110 at the sensor's location. This determination is communicated to the departure alarm generator 1408, which determines whether the door curtain 104 was in a departure state based on the data from the door position monitor 1404.

[0061]

[0086] The sensor data analyzer 1402 of the illustrated embodiment analyzes data from the sensor 904 of FIG. 9 to determine whether a re-fed motion has occurred. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 compares the data from the sensor 904 to data from a similar sensor (e.g., additional sensor 906, etc.) located on another portion of the door 102. For example, if another sensor of the same type (e.g., a second accelerometer if the sensor 904 is an accelerometer) located on another component of the door 102 has similar data (e.g., similar acceleration data, similar force, similar movement, etc.), a re-fed motion is unlikely to have occurred. Conversely, the sensor data analyzer 1402 may determine that a re-fed motion has occurred when the data from the sensor 904 has characteristics unique to another sensor attached to the door 102. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 is trained to recognize characteristics of a re-fed motion in the data from the sensor 904. In some such embodiments, machine learning is used to train the sensor data analyzer 1402 to recognize characteristics of a re-fed motion.

[0062]

[0087] 14 determines the position of the door curtain 104. For example, the door position monitor 1404 of the illustrated embodiment can determine the vertical position of the door curtain 104 between a fully open position and a fully closed position (e.g., the position of the bottom edge 105 of the door curtain 104) based on the position and / or output of a motor or other element that drives the door curtain 104. In some embodiments, the controller 114 determines the position of the door curtain 104 based on data from another component of the controller 114 that issues control commands to adjust the position of the door curtain 104. The door position monitor 1404 communicates the position data of the door curtain 104 to a maintenance alarm generator 1406, a departure alarm generator 1408, and / or a departure alarm analyzer 1410.

[0063]

[0088] The maintenance alert generator 1406 of the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 14 generates a maintenance alert corresponding to a potential maintenance issue identified based on data from the sensor data analyzer 1402. The maintenance alert generator 1406 of the illustrated embodiment issues a maintenance alert when data from the scanner 606 indicates that a small amount of tags 604 were not detected (e.g., not meeting a threshold amount indicating a possible disengagement condition) when they were expected to be detected (e.g., when the door position monitor 1404 indicates that the door curtain 104 covered the vertical position of the door scanner). Similarly, the maintenance alert generator 1406 of the illustrated embodiment may issue a maintenance alert if one or more sensors 1004 of FIG. 10A do not detect the alignment feature 118 when they were expected to be detected, assuming that the door curtain 104 is determined not to be in a disengagement condition. Similarly, the maintenance alert generator 1406 may issue a maintenance alert if one or more sensors 1104 of FIG. 11A do not detect the metal feature 1106 when they were expected to be detected. In some embodiments, the maintenance alert generator 1406 communicates with the breakaway alert generator 1408 to ensure that a maintenance alert is not generated when the door curtain 104 moves to the breakaway state. In some embodiments, if the breakaway alert generator 1408 repeatedly detects that the door curtain 104 is in the breakaway state (e.g., by detecting that the door curtain 104 is in the breakaway state more than a threshold number of times over a period of time), the maintenance alert generator 1406 may generate a maintenance alert to correct the unrecoverable separation condition, where the refeed roller assembly 120 may not be able to restore the door curtain 104 to an operational state.

[0064]

[0089] The departure alarm generator 1408 of the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 14 generates a departure alarm in response to determining whether the door curtain 104 is currently in a departure state or has previously been in a departure state based on data from the sensor data analyzer 1402 and the door position monitor 1404. For example, if the door position monitor 1404 indicates that the door curtain 104 was in a sensor, switch, and / or scanner location, and data from the sensor, switch, and / or scanner indicates that the door curtain 104 is not present (e.g., as determined by the sensor data analyzer 1402), the departure alarm generator 1408 of the illustrated embodiment generates a departure alarm. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 communicates the departure alarm to an operator via a display on or around the controller 114. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 communicates the departure alarm to a departure alarm analyzer 1410 for further analysis to determine characteristics of the departure event, potential corrective actions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of similar departure events, and / or generate a report regarding the departure event. In some embodiments, in response to the door position monitor 1404 indicating that the door curtain 104 was not present at a location where a sensor, switch, and / or scanner indicated that the door curtain 104 was not present (e.g., the door curtain 104 was higher than the switch, sensor, and / or scanner), the departure alarm generator 1408 determines that there is no indication that the door curtain 104 is in a departure state and does not need to generate a departure alarm.

[0065]

[0090] 14, an example departure alarm analyzer 1410 generates reports related to the departure alarms generated by the departure alarm generator 1408 and / or causes adjustments to aspects of the door 102 based on the departure alarms. In the illustrated example, the departure alarm analyzer 1410 includes an example report generator 1412, an example door operation adjuster 1414, and an example door movement adjuster 1416.

[0066]

[0091] 14 , an example report generator 1412 generates a report based on departure alarm data from departure alarm generator 1408 and / or maintenance alarm data from maintenance alarm generator 1406. In some examples, the report generator 1412 additionally or alternatively generates a report based on data from sensor data analyzer 1402 and / or door position monitor 1404. For example, the report generator 1412 can analyze departure alarms, maintenance alarms, sensor data, and / or door position data to determine patterns related to departure events and / or maintenance issues. In some such examples, the report generator 1412 generates a report describing these patterns. In such examples, the report generator 1412 determines corrective actions that can be taken to address potential causes of the departure alarms and / or maintenance alarms and includes such corrective actions in the report.

[0067]

[0092] The report generator 1412 in the illustrated embodiment can communicate reports regarding breakaway events and / or maintenance alerts to a display on the controller 114 and / or an operator-accessible display. In some embodiments, the report generator 1412 communicates the reports to a central computing system (e.g., a computing system that receives data from multiple doors, a computing system that is remote from the doors, etc.).

[0068]

[0093] The door actuation regulator 1414 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 14 issues door actuation control signals to adjust parameters associated with door actuation sensors and / or door actuation components of the controller 114 to address potential causes of a door separation event. In some embodiments, the door 102 includes one or more sensors that detect people and / or vehicles approaching the doorway 112. In some such embodiments, the one or more sensors communicate with the controller 114 to raise the door curtain 104 to allow people and / or vehicles to move through the doorway 112. In some embodiments, the door actuation regulator 1414 issues door actuation control signals to adjust the position (e.g., rotation angle) of the sensor that raises the door curtain 104 to allow people and / or vehicles to move through the doorway 112. In some embodiments, the door actuation regulator 1414 adjusts parameters on the controller 114 to adjust the timing of door actuation. For example, if disengagement is occurring frequently because people and / or vehicles passing through the door impact the door curtain 104 as the curtain moves upward, the door actuation adjuster 1414 can reduce the delay between the detection of the person and / or vehicle by the sensor and the actuation of the door curtain 104. Conversely, if the door curtain 104 is impacted by a person and / or vehicle while moving downward toward the closed position, the door curtain 104 may open too quickly and then close before the person and / or vehicle can fully open the doorway 112. The door actuation adjuster 1414 can make any other adjustments to the sensors that effect the actuation of the door curtain 104 and / or to the way the controller 114 responds to data from these sensors to address potential causes of disengagement events. In some examples, the door actuation adjuster 1414 implements adjustments to parameters related to door actuation based on patterns analyzed by and / or recommendations generated by the report generator 1412.

[0069]

[0094] The door movement adjuster 1416 of an embodiment issues a door adjustment control signal to adjust parameters related to the opening and closing of the door curtain 104. For example, the door movement adjuster 1416 can slow down or speed up the speed at which the door curtain 104 opens to address potential causes of a departure event. In some embodiments, the door movement adjuster 1416 adjusts the period of time that the door curtain 104 remains open. For example, if the report generator 1412 analyzes the departure alert data from the departure alert generator 1408 and determines that the door often transitions to a departure state when two consecutive people and / or vehicles pass through the doorway 112, the door movement adjuster 1416 can issue a door adjustment control signal to instruct the door curtain 104 to remain open for a longer period of time to allow two or more people and / or vehicles to pass before the door curtain 104 begins to close. In some embodiments, the door movement adjuster 1416 makes adjustments to parameters related to door movement based on patterns analyzed by the report generator 1412 and / or recommendations generated by the report generator 1412.

[0070]

[0095] In some embodiments, when a separation is detected and the door curtain 104 is configured to open to a partially open position, the door motion adjuster 1416 moves the door curtain 104 to a fully open position. For example, because the re-feed roller assembly 120 is located near the top edge of the door curtain 104, the door motion adjuster 1416 can fully retract the door curtain 104 when a separation is detected, even if the door curtain 104 is configured to open to only a partially open position. In some embodiments, when the door curtain 104 is fully retracted, the entire side edge of the door curtain 104 passes through the re-feed roller assembly 120, thereby restoring the door curtain 104 to an operative state.

[0071]

[0096] 1, 6, 10A, and 11A are illustrated in Figure 14, one or more of the elements, processes, and / or devices illustrated in Figure 14 may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and / or implemented in any other manner. Additionally, the example sensor data analyzer 1402, the example door position monitor 1404, the example maintenance alert generator 1406, the example departure alert generator 1408, the example departure alert analyzer 1410, the example report generator 1412, the example door operation regulator 1414, the example door movement regulator 1416, and / or more generally, the example controller 114 of Figure 14 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, and / or any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the example sensor data analyzer 1402, the example door position monitor 1404, the example maintenance alarm generator 1406, the example departure alarm generator 1408, the example departure alarm analyzer 1410, the example report generator 1412, the example door operation regulator 1414, the example door movement regulator 1416 and / or more generally the example controller 114 may be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, programmable controllers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) and / or field programmable logic devices (FPLDs).If any of the apparatus or system claims of this patent are read to cover a pure software and / or firmware implementation, then at least one of the example sensor data analyzer 1402, the example door position monitor 1404, the example maintenance alert generator 1406, the example departure alert generator 1408, the example departure alert generator 1410, the example report generator 1412, the example door operation regulator 1414, and / or the example door movement regulator 1416 are expressly defined herein to include a non-transitory computer-readable storage device or storage disk, such as a memory, digital versatile disk (DVD), compact disk (CD), Blu-ray disk, etc., containing software and / or firmware. Furthermore, the example controller 114 of Figures 1, 6, 10A, and 11A can include one or more elements, processes, and / or devices in addition to or instead of the elements shown in Figure 14, and / or can include two or more of any or all of the shown elements, processes, and devices. As used herein, the phrase "in communication," including variations thereof, encompasses direct communication and / or indirect communication via one or more intermediate components and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or constant communication, but rather further includes selective communication at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, aperiodic intervals, and / or one-time events.

[0072]

[0097] Flowcharts representing example hardware logic, machine-readable instructions, hardware-implemented state machines, and / or any combination thereof for implementing the controller 114 of FIG. 14 are shown in FIGS. 15-21. The machine-readable instructions may be one or more executable programs, or portions of executable programs, executed by a computer processor, such as the processor 2212 shown in the example processor platform 2200 discussed below in connection with FIG. 22. The programs may be implemented in software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard drive, DVD, Blu-ray disk, or memory associated with the processor 2212, although the entire program and / or portions thereof may be executed by devices other than the processor 2212 or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware. Furthermore, although the example programs are described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 15-21, many other ways of implementing the example controller 114 may alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and / or some of the described blocks may be changed, removed, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the blocks may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) configured to perform the corresponding operations without executing software or firmware.

[0073]

[0098] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of a compressed format, an encrypted format, a fragmented format, a packaged format, etc. The machine-readable instructions described herein may also be stored as data (e.g., portions of instructions, code, representations of code, etc.) that can be utilized to create, manufacture, and / or generate machine-executable instructions. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be disaggregated and stored on one or more storage devices and / or computing devices (e.g., servers). The machine-readable instructions may require one or more of installation, modification, adaptation, updating, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, reassignment, etc. to become directly readable and / or executable by computing devices and / or other machines. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be individually compressed, encrypted, and stored in multiple portions stored on separate computing devices, where the portions, when decrypted, decompressed, and combined, form a set of executable instructions that implement a program as described herein. In another example, the machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state where they can be read by a computer, but require the addition of a library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)), a software development kit (SDK), an application programming interface (API), etc., to execute the instructions on a particular computing device or other device. In another example, it may be necessary to configure the machine-readable instructions (e.g., stored settings, data input, recorded network addresses, etc.) before the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding program can be executed in whole or in part. Thus, the disclosed machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding program are intended to encompass such machine-readable instructions and / or program regardless of the particular format or state of the machine-readable instructions and / or program when stored, or otherwise at rest, or in motion.

[0074]

[0099] As noted above, the example processes of Figures 15-21 may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer- and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer- and / or machine-readable medium, such as a hard disk drive, flash memory, read-only memory, compact disc, digital versatile disc, cache, random access memory, and / or any other storage device or disk on which information is stored for any period of time (e.g., for an extended period of time, permanently, for short instances, for temporarily buffering, and / or for caching information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer-readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or disk, to exclude propagating signals, and to exclude transmission media.

[0075]

[0100] The terms "comprising" and "comprising" (and all forms and tenses thereof) are used herein as open-ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "comprising" (e.g., includes, comprises, includes, including, comprising, including, having, etc.) as a preamble or within any type of claim recitation, it is to be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without departing from the scope of the corresponding claim or recitation. As used herein, when the word "at least" is used as a transitional term, for example, in the preamble of a claim, it is open-ended, just as the terms "comprising" and "comprising" are open-ended. The term "and / or," when used in the form, for example, A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of: (1) A only; (2) B only; (3) C only; (4) A and B; (5) A and C; (6) B and C; and (7) A, B, and C. When used herein in the context of describing a structure, component, item, object, and / or thing, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes either (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, when used herein in the context of describing a structure, component, item, object, and / or thing, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes either (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. When used herein in the context of describing the execution or performance of a process, instruction, act, activity, and / or step, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes either (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.Similarly, when used herein in the context of describing the execution or performance of a process, instruction, act, activity, and / or step, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any of: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0076]

[0101] Example machine-readable instructions 1500 that may be executed by the controller 114 to detect a door curtain departure event using the first door curtain departure detection system of Figure 6 are illustrated in Figure 15. With reference to the foregoing figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 1500 of Figure 15 begin with the example controller 114 accessing signals from one or more sensors (block 1502). In some examples, the sensor data analyzer 1402 accesses signals from one or more scanners 606.

[0077]

[0102] In block 1506, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether the door curtain 104 is moving. In some embodiments, the door position monitor 1404 determines whether the door curtain 104 is moving based on a motor and / or other elements that drive the door curtain 104. In some embodiments, the door position monitor 1404 determines whether the door curtain 104 is moving based on another component of the controller 114 that commands the movement of the door curtain 104. In response to the door curtain being moving, processing proceeds to block 1506. Conversely, in response to the door curtain 104 not being moving, processing returns to block 1502.

[0078]

[0103] In block 1506, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether the number of observed tags detected matches the expected number of tags for the elapsed period of the movement. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines, based on data from the sensor data analyzer 1402 and the door position monitor 1404, whether the observed number of tags 604 detected in the data from the scanner 606 matches the expected number of tags 604 for the elapsed period of the movement. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines the expected number of tags 604 for the elapsed period based on the speed of the door curtain 104 from the door position monitor 1404 and based on known spacing between tags 604. In response to the number of observed tags detected corresponding to the expected number of tags for the elapsed period of the movement, processing proceeds to block 1516. Conversely, in response to the number of observed tags detected not corresponding to the expected number of tags for the elapsed period of the movement, processing proceeds to block 1508.

[0079]

[0104] In block 1508, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether a period of movement without tag recognition exceeds a disengagement period threshold. In some embodiments, the disengagement alarm generator 1408 determines whether a period of movement without tag 604 recognition exceeds a disengagement period threshold. In some embodiments, the disengagement alarm generator 1408 alternatively determines whether the number of missing tags 604 exceeds a disengagement tag quantity threshold. The disengagement tag quantity threshold quantifies the minimum number of tags 604 expected to be removed from the guide 110 during the smallest possible disengagement event (e.g., a disengagement event with the smallest amount of door curtains 104 in a disengaged state). In response to a period of movement in which tag recognition does not exceed the disengagement period threshold, processing proceeds to block 1510. Conversely, in response to a period of movement in which tag recognition does not exceed the disengagement period threshold, processing proceeds to block 1512.

[0080]

[0105] In block 1510, the example controller 114 generates a departure detection alarm. In some examples, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm. For example, the departure alarm generator 1408 can send a signal visually (e.g., via a display on the controller 114), audibly, or otherwise notify an operator that a departure event has occurred. Processing then moves to block 1516.

[0081]

[0106] In block 1512, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether a departure event has been ruled out. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines whether a departure alarm has been ruled out by determining whether a time period equal to or greater than a departure period threshold time period has occurred following the detection of a potentially missing tag (e.g., following a time period in which the number of observed tags detected did not correspond to the expected number of tags for the elapsed period, per block 1506). In some embodiments, a potentially missing tag may be due to a departure event, and the departure alarm generator 1408 may require more time to determine whether a departure event has occurred or whether a potentially missing tag has been detected. In response to ruling out a departure event, processing proceeds to block 1514. Conversely, in response to not ruling out a departure event, processing proceeds to block 1516.

[0082]

[0107] In block 1514, the example controller 114 generates an alert corresponding to the potential missing tag, including the location of the potential missing tag. In some examples, the maintenance alert generator 1406 generates data and / or an alert corresponding to the potential missing or malfunctioning tag 604. In some such examples, the data and / or alert includes the location(s) of the potentially missing or malfunctioning tag (e.g., vertical distance on the door curtain 104).

[0083]

[0108] In block 1516, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing proceeds to block 1502. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0084]

[0109] Example machine-readable instructions 1600 that may be executed by the controller 114 to detect a door curtain departure event using the second door curtain departure detection system of Figure 7A and / or 7B are illustrated in Figure 16. With reference to the foregoing figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 1600 of Figure 16 begin with the example controller 114 accessing signals from one or more switches associated with the refeed roller (block 1602). In some examples, the sensor data analyzer 1402 accesses signals from one or more switches 704 of Figure 7A and / or 7B associated with the refeed roller 122.

[0085]

[0110] In block 1604, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether there has been a change in the signals from the one or more switches. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines whether there has been a change in the signals from the one or more switches 704. In response to detecting a change in the one or more signals from the one or more switches 704, processing is transferred to block 1606. Conversely, in response to not detecting a change in the one or more signals from the one or more switches 704, processing is transferred to block 1608.

[0086]

[0111] In block 1606, the example controller 114 generates a departure detection alarm. In some examples, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm. The departure detection alarm can be an audible alarm, a visual alarm (e.g., communicated via a display on the controller 114 or via a display on a central processing unit, etc.), or any other type of alarm.

[0087]

[0112] In block 1608, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing proceeds to block 1602. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0088]

[0113] Example machine-readable instructions 1700 that may be executed by the controller 114 to detect a door curtain departure event using the third door curtain departure detection system of Figure 8 are illustrated in Figure 17. With reference to the previous figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 1700 of Figure 17 begin with the example controller 114 accessing signals from one or more switches (block 1702). In some examples, the sensor data analyzer 1402 accesses signals from one or more switches 808 of Figure 8.

[0089]

[0114] In block 1704, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether there has been a change in one or more signals. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines whether there has been a change in one or more of the signals from the switch 808. In response to there being a change in one or more signals, processing is transferred to block 1706. Conversely, in response to there being no change in one or more signals, processing is transferred to block 1712.

[0090]

[0115] In block 1706, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether the signal change corresponds to an expected change in the door curtain position. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines whether the signal change corresponds to an expected change in the position of the door curtain 104 based on data from the door position monitor 1404. For example, if the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines, based on a signal from a particular one of the switches 808, that the door curtain 104 is no longer detected adjacent to one of the switches 808, the departure alarm generator 1408 can determine whether this is expected based on whether the door curtain 104 has moved to a position above the particular switch 808 (and therefore is not expected to be adjacent to the particular switch 808). In response to a signal change corresponding to an expected change in the door curtain position, processing is transferred to block 1712. Conversely, in response to a signal change that does not correspond to an expected change in the door curtain position, processing is transferred to block 1708.

[0091]

[0116] In block 1708, the controller 114 of an embodiment generates a departure detection alarm. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm.

[0092]

[0117] In block 1710, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines the portion of the door curtain 104 that has departed from the guide 110 based on the signal change. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines the portion of the door that has departed from the guide 110 based on the known position of the door curtain 104 and knowledge of the location of the switch that detected the signal change. For example, the departure alarm generator 1408 may determine that the entire door curtain 104 located below the switch that detected the signal change (which was later determined to be due to the door curtain 104 being in a departure state) is in a departure state.

[0093]

[0118] In block 1712, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing proceeds to block 1702. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0094]

[0119] Example machine-readable instructions 1800 that may be executed by the controller 114 to detect a door curtain departure event using the fourth door curtain departure detection system of Figure 9 are illustrated in Figure 18. With reference to the foregoing figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 1800 of Figure 18 begin with the example controller 114 accessing sensor data (block 1802). In some examples, the sensor data analyzer 1402 accesses sensor data from the sensors 904 of Figure 9.

[0095]

[0120] In block 1804, the controller 114 of an embodiment analyzes the sensor data to determine force and / or motion characteristics of the re-send block. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 analyzes data from the sensors 904 to determine force and / or motion characteristics of the re-send block 124a. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines velocity and / or acceleration characteristics of the re-send block 124a.

[0096]

[0121] In block 1806, the controller 114 of an embodiment analyzes sensor data from one or more additional sensors 906 to determine control forces and / or motion characteristics. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 analyzes sensor data from one or more additional sensors 906 mounted on another portion of the door 100 (e.g., not mounted on the refeed assembly 120) to provide baseline / control data that can be used by the departure alarm generator 1408 to determine whether a departure event has occurred. In some embodiments in which additional sensors 906 are not utilized, block 1806 can be omitted.

[0097]

[0122] In block 1808, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether a door curtain departure event is detected. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines whether the door curtain 104 has transitioned to a departure state based on characteristics of the data analyzed by the sensor data analyzer 1402. Specifically, if the sensor data analyzer 1402 and / or the departure alarm generator 1408 determine that characteristics of the sensor data from the sensor 904 correspond to a resend operation, they can determine that a door curtain departure event has occurred (because departure must precede a resend operation). In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 and / or the departure alarm generator 1408 can compare the data from the sensor 904 with data from an additional sensor 906 on another portion of the door 102, as analyzed in block 1806, to determine whether the force and / or motion characteristics of the sensor 904 are specific to the resend block 124a and therefore may potentially indicate a resend operation. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 and / or the departure alarm generator 1408 compares characteristics of the sensor data to known characteristics of retransmission behavior (e.g., those observed in training data, those programmed into the sensor data analyzer 1402, etc.). In response to determining that a door curtain departure event has been detected, processing moves to block 1810. Conversely, in response to determining that a door curtain departure event has not been detected, processing moves to block 1812.

[0098]

[0123] In block 1810, the controller 114 of an embodiment generates a departure detection alarm. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm.

[0099]

[0124] In block 1812, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing is transferred to block 1802. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0100]

[0125] Example machine-readable instructions 1900 executable by controller 114 to detect a door curtain departure event using any one of the door curtain departure detection systems of Figures 10A-C, 11A-C, and / or 12 are illustrated in Figure 19. With reference to the foregoing figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 1900 of Figure 19 begins with example controller 114 accessing signals from one or more sensors (block 1902). In some examples, sensor data analyzer 1402 accesses signals from one or more sensors 1004 of Figure 10A, sensors 1104 of Figures 11A-11C, and / or photoelectric sensor 1204 of Figure 12.

[0101]

[0126] In block 1904, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether there has been a change in one or more signals. In some embodiments, the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines whether there has been a change in one or more signals from the sensor 1004. In response to there being a change in one or more signals, processing is transferred to block 1906. Conversely, in response to there being no change in one or more signals, processing is transferred to block 1912.

[0102]

[0127] In block 1906, the example controller 114 determines whether the signal change corresponds to an expected change in the door curtain position. In some examples, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines whether the signal change corresponds to an expected change in the position of the door curtain 104 based on data from the door position monitor 1404. As a first example, the sensor data analyzer 1402 can determine, based on signals from a particular one of the sensors 1004, 1104, 1204, that the door curtain 104 is no longer detected adjacent to one of the sensors 1004 (e.g., based on not detecting one of the alignment features 118 for a period of time while the door is moving adjacent to the sensor 1004), the sensor 1104 (e.g., based on not detecting one of the metal features 1106 for a period of time while the door is moving adjacent to the sensor 1104), and / or the sensor 1204 (e.g., based on a beam of light 1210 traversing the path of the door curtain 104 between the first portion 1206 and the second portion 1208 of the sensor 1204). If, based on knowledge of the door curtain position data and the velocity of the door curtain 104, the sensors 1004, 1104, 1204 expect to see a signal change and this does not occur, the departure alarm generator 1408 can determine that the signal change data does not correspond to the expected change in door curtain position.

[0103]

[0128] As a second example, if the door curtain 104 is known to be above the sensors 1004, 1104, 1204 and the door curtain 104 continues to move upward, there will be no expected change in the position of the door curtain 104 (and therefore no expected signal change, at least until the door curtain 104 changes direction of movement and moves toward and then past the sensors 1004, 1104, 1204). In a third example, specific to FIG. 10A for illustrative purposes, the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 is 4 feet below the sensor 1004, the speed of the door curtain 104 is known to be 1 foot / second, the door is known to be moving upward, and the alignment features are evenly spaced every 6 inches vertically. In this third example, if no signal change associated with detecting an alignment feature is detected for 2 seconds (e.g., during which four alignment features should have been detected), the departure alarm generator 1408 can determine that a departure event has occurred.

[0104]

[0129] In response to a signal change corresponding to an expected change in door curtain position, processing is transferred to block 1912. Conversely, in response to a signal change that does not correspond to an expected change in door curtain position, processing is transferred to block 1908.

[0105]

[0130] In block 1908, the controller 114 of an embodiment generates a departure detection alarm. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm.

[0106]

[0131] In block 1910, the example controller 114 determines the portion of the door curtain 104 that has separated from the guide 110 based on the signal change. In some examples, the departure alarm generator 1408 determines the portion of the door curtain 104 that has separated from the guide 110 based on the signal from the sensor data analyzer 1402 and the change in door position from the door position monitor 1404. For example, based on the door position and the location of the sensor that detected the door curtain 104 as being separated, the portion of the door curtain 104 between the sensor and the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 may be determined to be separated.

[0107]

[0132] In block 1912, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing is transferred to block 1902. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0108]

[0133] Example machine-readable instructions 2000 executable by the controller 114 to detect a door curtain separation event using the eighth door curtain separation detection system of FIG. 13 are illustrated in FIG. 20. With reference to the previous figure and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 2000 of FIG. 20 begin with the example controller 114 determining whether a signal is received via the separation detection circuit (block 2002). In some examples, the sensor data analyzer 1402 determines whether a signal is received via the electrical circuit 1306, indicating that a refeed action has occurred in which the conductive ones of the alignment features 118 close the electrical circuit 1306 by electrically connecting the pair of refeed rollers 122. In response to a signal received via the separation detection circuit, processing is transferred to block 2004. Conversely, in response to a signal not received via the separation detection circuit, processing is transferred to block 2006.

[0109]

[0134] In block 2004, the controller 114 of an embodiment generates a departure detection alarm. In some embodiments, the departure alarm generator 1408 generates the departure detection alarm.

[0110]

[0135] In block 2006, the controller 114 of an embodiment determines whether to continue monitoring. In response to continued monitoring, processing is transferred to block 2002. Conversely, in response to not continuing monitoring, processing ends.

[0111]

[0136] Example machine-readable instructions 2100 executable by the controller 114 to analyze departure event data and cause adjustments based on the analysis of the departure event data are illustrated in Figure 21. With reference to the previous figures and associated description, the example machine-readable instructions 2100 of Figure 21 begin with the example controller 114 accessing a door curtain departure event alert and associated data (block 2102). In some examples, the departure alert analyzer 1410 accesses the door curtain departure event alert from the departure alert generator 1408 and the associated data from the sensor data analyzer 1402.

[0112]

[0137] In block 2104, the controller 114 of an embodiment analyzes the breakaway event data to determine the expected extent of product damage. In some embodiments, the report generator 1412 analyzes the breakaway event data to determine the expected extent of product damage. In some embodiments, the report generator 1412 analyzes patterns of breakaway occurrences to attempt to identify the cause of the door curtain 104 transitioning to a breakaway state. In some embodiments, the report generator 1412 estimates the amount of damage to components of the door 102 based on a number of breakaway events and / or data associated with the breakaway events (e.g., the location of the breakaway along the door curtain 104). For example, the report generator 1412 may generate a report indicating that 50% of the door curtain breakaway events were initiated in the top half of the door curtain 104, indicating that this was not a "near miss" where a vehicle and / or person simply contacted the bottom edge of the door curtain 104 as the door curtain 104 was moving to the open position. In some embodiments, the report generator 1412 is integrated with and / or operates in series with the maintenance alert generator 1406 to generate reports that quantify and / or describe damage caused by components of the door curtain 104. For example, the report generator 1412 and / or the maintenance alert generator 1406 may report on the amount of wear to the door curtain 104, the amount of wear to the alignment features 118 due to excessive refeed operations, etc.

[0113]

[0138] In block 2106, the example controller 114 determines whether there is data indicating that an alignment feature and / or tag on the door curtain is missing. In some examples, the maintenance alert generator 1406 determines whether there is data received by the sensor data analyzer 1402 indicating that one of the alignment features 118 may be missing or that one of the tags 604 may be missing or malfunctioning. If (1) the door position monitor 1404 determines the distance and / or period that should allow the scanners 604 to detect one or more of the tags 604, the door curtain 104 has moved past one of the scanners 606, and (2) the departure alert generator 1408 and / or the sensor data analyzer 1402 determine that the door curtain 104 did not transition to the departure state, for example, the maintenance alert generator 1406 can determine that there is data indicating a missing and / or malfunctioning tag 606. In response to data indicating that alignment features and / or tags on the door curtain are missing, processing is transferred to block 2108. Conversely, in response to no data indicating that alignment features and / or tags on the door curtain are missing, processing is transferred to block 2110.

[0114]

[0139] In block 2108, the controller 114 of an embodiment generates a maintenance alert. In some embodiments, the maintenance alert generator 1406 generates the maintenance alert. For example, the maintenance alert generator 1406 can communicate the alert to maintenance equipment, a maintenance operator, and / or other entities to enable subsequent correction of a potential maintenance issue (e.g., a missing alignment feature, a malfunctioning tag, etc.).

[0115]

[0140] In block 2110, an example controller 114 analyzes the exit events for patterns. In some examples, the report generator 1412 analyzes the exit events for patterns. For example, the report generator 1412 may attempt to identify patterns regarding where people and / or vehicles are initiating the transition of the door curtain 104 to the exit state, patterns regarding where people and / or vehicles are approaching the door, patterns regarding the time of day the exit events are occurring, etc.

[0116]

[0141] In block 2112, the controller 114 of an embodiment adjusts one or more of the settings or positioning of the actuation sensors, the door speed, the door opening time, and / or other door behaviors to address potential causes of the door separation occurrence. In some embodiments, the door actuation adjuster 1414 adjusts parameters associated with the sensors that actuate the door curtain 104 to the open position. For example, the door actuation adjuster 1414 may adjust the delay between the time that motion is detected and the time that the door curtain 104 begins to open. In some embodiments, the door actuation adjuster 1414 adjusts the position of one or more sensors that actuate the door curtain 104 to the open position. In some embodiments, the door motion adjuster 1416 adjusts the speed of the door curtain 104. In some embodiments, the door motion adjuster 1416 adjusts the amount of time the door curtain 104 remains open. The door actuation adjuster 1414 and / or the door movement adjuster 1416 can issue control signals to make adjustments based on recommendations generated by the report generator 1412 and / or alerts generated by the maintenance alert generator 1406 or the departure alert generator 1408.

[0117]

[0142] Figure 22 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 2200 configured to execute the instructions of Figures 15-21 to implement the controller 114 of Figure 14. The processor platform 2200 can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet such as an iPad™), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an Internet appliance, or any other type of computing device.

[0118]

[0143] The processor platform 2200 of the illustrated example includes a processor 2212. The processor 2212 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor 2212 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor may be a semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) device. In this example, the processor implements an example sensor data analyzer 1402, an example door position monitor 1404, an example maintenance alert generator 1406, an example departure alert generator 1408, an example departure alert generator 1410, an example report generator 1412, an example door operation adjuster 1414, and an example door movement adjuster 1416.

[0119]

[0144] The processor 2212 of the illustrated embodiment includes a local memory 2213 (e.g., a cache). The processor 2212 of the illustrated embodiment communicates with a main memory, including a volatile memory 2214 and a non-volatile memory 2216, via a bus 2218. The volatile memory 2214 may be implemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM®), and / or other types of random access memory devices. The non-volatile memory 2216 can be implemented by flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 2214, 2216 is controlled by a memory controller.

[0120]

[0145] The processor platform 2200 of the illustrated embodiment also includes an interface circuit 2220. The interface circuit 2220 may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Bluetooth interface, a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, and / or a PCI Express interface.

[0121]

[0146] In the illustrated embodiment, one or more input devices 2222 are connected to the interface circuit 2220. The input devices 2222 allow a user to input data and / or commands to the processor 2212. The input devices may be implemented, for example, by audio sensors, microphones, cameras (still or video), keyboards, buttons, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, trackballs, isopoints, and / or voice recognition systems.

[0122]

[0147] One or more output devices 2224 are also connected to the interface circuit 2220 of the illustrated embodiment. The output device(s) 2224 may be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube display (CRT), an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touch screen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Accordingly, the interface circuit 2220 of the illustrated embodiment typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or a graphics driver processor.

[0123]

[0148] The interface circuitry 2220 of the illustrated embodiment also includes communications devices such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., computing devices of any type) over the network 2226. Communications may occur, for example, via an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a site-to-site wireless system, a cellular phone system, etc.

[0124]

[0149] The processor platform 2200 of the illustrated embodiment also includes one or more mass storage devices 2228 for storing software and / or data. Examples of such mass storage devices 2228 include a floppy disk drive, a hard drive disk, a compact disk drive, a Blu-ray disk drive, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system, and a digital versatile disk (DVD) drive.

[0125]

[0150] The machine-executable instructions 2232 of Figures 15-21 may be stored in mass storage device 2228, in volatile memory 2214, in non-volatile memory 2216, and / or on a removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

[0126]

[0151] From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed that enable the detection of door curtain detachment events and subsequent analysis and adjustments that attempt to address the cause of the detected door curtain detachment event. The examples disclosed herein reduce damage to the detached door by accurately identifying when a door curtain detachment event occurs and by providing additional data, such as the location (e.g., vertical location along the door curtain) where the door curtain detachment event occurred. In analyzing the door curtain detachment event, the example techniques disclosed herein identify patterns within the detachment event and adjust components associated with the detached door to address the cause of the detachment event. Furthermore, the example techniques disclosed herein include the detection of potential maintenance issues due to the detached door and the accurate generation of maintenance alerts.

[0127]

[0152] Example 1 includes an apparatus including a sensor that detects a side edge of a door curtain within a door guide, and a controller, wherein the controller identifies, based on a signal from the sensor, when the door curtain transitions from an operating state to a disengaged state, the operating state corresponding to when the side edge of the door curtain is surrounded by the guide as the door curtain moves between an open position and a closed position, and the disengaged state corresponding to when a portion of the side edge of the door curtain below the top end of the guide moves away from the guide.

[0128]

[0153] Example 2 includes the device of Example 1, and further includes a re-feeding assembly for re-feeding the side edge of the door curtain into the guide in response to the door curtain transitioning to the detached state, and the sensor is located below the re-feeding assembly.

[0129]

[0154] Example 3 is the device of either example 1 or example 2, wherein the sensor is a scanner arranged on a guide, and the scanner detects a tag attached to a side edge of the door curtain, and the tag moves within the guide when the door curtain moves in an operating state.

[0130]

[0155] Example 4 includes the apparatus of example 3, wherein the controller determines that the door curtain is in the detached state based on (1) whether the scanner detects a tag and (2) the vertical position of the door curtain.

[0131]

[0156] Example 5 includes the device of example 4, in which the controller determines that the door curtain is in a detached state when (1) a vertical position of the door curtain corresponds to a bottom edge of the door curtain being below a height of the scanner, and (2) the scanner does not detect at least one of the plurality of tags including the tag.

[0132]

[0157] Example 6 includes the apparatus of example 5, wherein the controller determines a distance between the tag and a bottom edge of the door curtain based on serial data associated with the tag.

[0133]

[0158] Example 7 includes the device of any one of examples 3-6, wherein the tag is an RFID tag.

[0134]

[0159] Example 8 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 3-7, wherein the scanner is positioned vertically in the lower half of the guide.

[0135]

[0160] Example 9 includes the device of any one of examples 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is a switch, and the switch communicates a first signal when the door curtain is present adjacent to the switch and a second signal when the door curtain is not present adjacent to the switch.

[0136]

[0161] Example 10 includes the device of example 9, wherein the sensor is at least partially embedded in the sealing portion of the guide.

[0137]

[0162] Example 11 includes the device of example 10, wherein the switch is spring-loaded and retracts when the door curtain is adjacent to the switch.

[0138]

[0163] Example 12 includes the device of any one of examples 10 or 11, wherein the sealing portion reduces air flow through a doorway associated with the door.

[0139]

[0164] Example 13 includes the device of any of examples 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is mounted on the guide and the sensor is directed toward a side edge of the door curtain.

[0140]

[0165] Example 14 includes the device of example 13, wherein the sensor is mounted in a hole in the guide.

[0141]

[0166] Example 15 includes the device of example 13 or example 14, wherein the door curtain includes a plurality of alignment features and the sensor detects the alignment features.

[0142]

[0167] Example 16 includes the device of any one of examples 13-15, wherein the sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor or an ultrasonic proximity sensor.

[0143]

[0168] Example 17 includes the device of example 15, wherein one of the plurality of alignment features includes a metal portion.

[0144]

[0169] Example 18 includes the device of example 17, wherein the sensor is an inductive proximity sensor.

[0145]

[0170] Example 19 includes the device of example 15, wherein one of the plurality of alignment features includes a magnet and the sensor is a Hall sensor.

[0146]

[0171] Example 20 includes the device of any one of examples 15-19, wherein the controller identifies missing alignment features based on data from the sensor.

[0147]

[0172] Example 21 includes the device of any of examples 13-15, wherein the sensor is a magnetometer, and the magnetometer detects the presence of a vehicle passing through the door.

[0148]

[0173] Example 22 includes the device of example 13, wherein an outermost edge of the side edge of the door curtain includes a metal feature, and the sensor detects the metal feature.

[0149]

[0174] Example 23 includes the device of example 22, wherein the sensor is biased toward the outermost edge by a biasing element to bring a sensor assembly including the sensor into contact with the outermost edge.

[0150]

[0175] Example 24 includes the device of example 23, wherein the sensor assembly includes a roller that interfaces with the outermost edge.

[0151]

[0176] Example 25 is the device of either example 1 or example 2, wherein the sensor is a photoelectric sensor, and the photoelectric sensor detects a light beam transmitted across a path of the door curtain when the door curtain is in a disengaged state, and the door curtain blocks the light beam when the door curtain is in an operating state.

[0152]

[0177] Example 26 includes the apparatus of example 25, wherein the photoelectric sensor is a retroreflective photoeye.

[0153]

[0178] Example 27 includes the device of any one of examples 1-26, wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors distributed along the guide.

[0154]

[0179] Example 28 includes the device of any one of Examples 1 to 27, wherein the control device includes a door movement adjuster to move the door curtain to a fully open position in response to the door curtain transitioning from an operating state to a disengaged state.

[0155]

[0180] Example 29 includes the device of Example 28, wherein the door movement adjuster moves the door curtain to a fully open position in response to (1) the door curtain transitioning from an operating state to a disengaged state, and (2) the door curtain being configured for a partially open movement.

[0156]

[0181] Example 30 includes the device of any of Examples 1 to 24 or Examples 27 to 29, wherein the door curtain includes a reflective surface and the sensor is a photoelectric sensor, and the photoelectric sensor detects the light beam reflected from the reflective surface when the door curtain is in an operating state, and the sensor does not detect the light beam when the door curtain is in a disengaged state.

[0157]

[0182] Example 31 includes an apparatus comprising a re-feed roller assembly including electronic components for detecting a re-feed operation, and a controller, the re-feed operation transitioning the door curtain from a disengaged state to an operative state, at least a portion of a side edge of the door curtain being displaced from the door curtain guide when the door curtain is in the disengaged state, and the side edge of the door being guided within the guide when the door curtain is in the operative state, and the controller identifying when the door curtain transitions from the operative state to the disengaged state based on signals from the electronic components.

[0158]

[0183] Example 32 includes the device of example 31, wherein the electronic component includes a switch, the switch being activated based on lateral movement of the re-feed roller relative to the re-feed roller assembly.

[0159]

[0184] Example 33 includes the device of example 32, further including a spring biasing the refeed roller toward the switch.

[0160]

[0185] Example 34 includes the apparatus of example 31, wherein the electronic component is a sensor mounted to the refeed roller assembly to detect motion indicative of a refeed operation.

[0161]

[0186] Example 35 includes the device of example 34, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

[0162]

[0187] Example 36 includes the device of example 35, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the device further includes a second sensor mounted at a location remote from the refeed roller assembly to provide reference sensor data, and the controller identifies when the door curtain transitions from the operating state to the disengaged state based on a comparison of the reference sensor data to the data provided by the first sensor.

[0163]

[0188] Example 37 includes the device of example 34, wherein the sensor is embedded within the refeed roller assembly.

[0164]

[0189] Example 38 includes the device of any of Examples 31 to 37, wherein the re-feed roller assembly includes a pair of re-feed rollers, a pair of first re-feed rollers arranged on a first side of the door curtain, and a pair of second re-feed rollers arranged on a second side of the door curtain; the door curtain includes a conductive feature that contacts the pair of re-feed rollers during the re-feed operation; and the electronic component is an electronic circuit that connects an input power source and a controller via the pair of re-feed rollers and the electronic circuit during the re-feed operation.

[0165]

[0190] Example 39 includes the apparatus of example 38, wherein the controller is responsive to a signal received from the electronic circuit to identify when the door curtain transitions from an operating state to a disengaged state.

[0166]

[0191] Example 40 includes the device of any one of examples 38 or 39, wherein the pair of refeed rollers moves the conductive feature into alignment with the guide during the refeed operation.

[0167]

[0192] Example 41 includes an apparatus including a departure alarm generator that generates an output including an indication of whether the door curtain has moved between a disengaged state and an operating state, and a departure alarm analyzer that determines a portion of the door curtain that is aligned with the guide when the door curtain is in the operating state and at least a portion of the side edge is not aligned with the guide when the door curtain is in the disengaged state and that has disengaged from the guide causing the door curtain to transition from the operating state to the disengaged state.

[0168]

[0193] Example 42 includes the apparatus of example 41, wherein the departure alarm analyzer causes an adjustment to a characteristic of a door system associated with the door curtain.

[0169]

[0194] Example 43 includes the device of example 42, wherein the characteristic corresponds to at least one of (1) a positioning of the door actuation sensor, (2) a timing of the door actuation, or (3) a time the door curtain remains open after moving to the open position.

[0170]

[0195] Example 44 includes the device of any one of examples 42 or 43, further including a sensor data analyzer that determines at least one of a presence of the door curtain within the guide or an occurrence of a resending operation, and a door position monitor that determines a vertical position of the door curtain, wherein the departure alarm generator generates an output based on (1) at least one of the presence of the door curtain within the guide or an occurrence of a resending operation, and (2) the vertical position of the door curtain.

[0171]

[0196] Example 45 includes the apparatus of example 44, wherein the sensor data analyzer determines, based on the sensor data, whether one of a plurality of alignment features is missing from the door curtain, and the alignment feature is attached to a side edge of the door curtain to hold the side edge of the door curtain within the guide.

[0172]

[0197] Example 46 includes the apparatus of example 45, further including a maintenance alert generator that generates a maintenance alert in response to the sensor data analyzer determining that one of the plurality of alignment features is missing.

[0173]

[0198] Example 47 includes the device of any one of examples 41-46, wherein the departure alarm analyzer generates a report including at least one of (1) a prevalence of door curtains transitioning from an operational state to a departure state, (2) expected damage to components of the door system based on doors transitioning from an operational state to a departure state, or (3) recommended adjustments to reduce the likelihood of transitioning from an operational state to a departure state.

[0174]

[0199] Example 48 includes the device of any one of Examples 41-47, and further includes a door motion adjuster that moves the door curtain to a fully open position in response to (1) the door curtain transitioning from an operating state to a disengaged state and (2) the door curtain being configured for a partially open operation.

[0175]

[0200] Example 49 includes a method including the steps of generating an output including an indication of whether the door curtain has moved between a disengaged state and an operating state, wherein a side edge of the door curtain is aligned with the guide when the door curtain is in the operating state and at least a portion of the side edge is not aligned with the guide when the door curtain is in the disengaged state, and determining a portion of the door curtain that has disengaged from the guide to transition the door curtain from the operating state to the disengaged state.

[0176]

[0201] Example 50 includes the method of example 49, further including adjusting a characteristic of the door system associated with the door curtain.

[0177]

[0202] Example 51 includes the method of example 50, wherein the feature corresponds to at least one of (1) positioning of the door actuation sensor, (2) timing of the door actuation, or (3) the amount of time the door curtain remains open after moving to the open position.

[0178]

[0203] Example 52 includes the method of either example 50 or example 51, further including determining at least one of the presence of a door curtain in the guide or the occurrence of a re-feed operation, and determining to generate an output based on the vertical position of the door curtain, and (1) the presence of at least one of the presence of a door curtain in the guide or the occurrence of a re-feed operation, and (2) the vertical position of the door curtain.

[0179]

[0204] Example 53 includes the method of any one of Examples 50-52, further including generating a report including at least one of (1) a prevalence of door curtains transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state, (2) expected damage to components of the door system based on doors transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state, or (3) recommended adjustments to reduce the likelihood of transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state.

[0180]

[0205] Example 54 includes any one of the methods of Examples 50 to 53, and further includes a step of determining whether one of the plurality of alignment features or tags is missing from the door curtain based on the sensor data, and the plurality of alignment features are attached to the side edges of the door curtain to hold the side edges of the door curtain within the guide.

[0181]

[0206] Example 55 includes the method of example 54, further including generating a maintenance alert in response to determining that one of the plurality of alignment features is missing.

[0182]

[0207] Example 56 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to generate an output including instructions for determining, by executing the instructions in conjunction with the processor, whether the door curtain has moved between a disengaged state and an operative state, whether a side edge of the door curtain is aligned with the guide when the door curtain is in the operative state, whether at least a portion of the side edge is out of alignment with the guide when the door curtain is in the disengaged state, and a portion of the door curtain that has disengaged from the guide that causes the door curtain to transition from the operative state to the disengaged state.

[0183]

[0208] Example 57 includes the computer-readable medium of example 56, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to cause an adjustment to a characteristic of the door system associated with the door curtain.

[0184]

[0209] Example 58 includes the computer-readable medium of example 57, wherein the characteristic corresponds to at least one of (1) a positioning of a door actuation sensor, (2) a timing of a door actuation, or (3) a time that the door curtain remains open after moving to an open position.

[0185]

[0210] Example 59 includes the computer-readable medium of either example 57 or example 58, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to determine at least one of the presence of a door curtain in the guide or the occurrence of a re-sending operation by executing instructions with the processor, determine a vertical position of the door curtain by executing instructions with the processor, and generate an output based on (1) the at least one of the presence of the door curtain in the guide or the occurrence of a re-sending operation and (2) the vertical position of the door curtain.

[0186]

[0211] Example 60 includes the computer-readable medium of any one of Examples 57-59, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to generate a report including at least one of: (1) a prevalence of door curtains transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state; (2) expected damage to components of the door system based on doors transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state; or (3) recommended adjustments to reduce the likelihood of transitioning from an operational state to a disengaged state.

[0187]

[0212] Example 61 includes the computer-readable medium of any one of Examples 57-60, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to determine, based on sensor data, whether one of a plurality of alignment features is missing from the door curtain, and the plurality of alignment features are attached to a side edge of the door curtain to hold the side edge of the door curtain within the guide.

[0188]

[0213] Example 62 includes the computer-readable medium of example 61, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to generate a maintenance alert in response to determining that one of the plurality of alignment features is missing.

[0189]

[0214] Example 63 includes an apparatus including a departure alarm generator that determines that a door curtain has moved from an operating state to a disengaged state; a door movement adjuster that, when the door curtain is in the operating state, a side edge of the door curtain is aligned with the guide and, when the door curtain is in the disengaged state, at least a portion of the side edge is not aligned with the guide; and, in response to the door curtain moving from the operating state to the disengaged state, moves the door curtain to a fully open position to return the door curtain to the operating state.

[0190]

[0215] Example 64 includes the device of Example 63, wherein the door movement adjuster (1) moves the door curtain to a fully open position in response to the door curtain transitioning from an operating state to a disengaged state, and (2) the door curtain is configured to operate between a closed position and a partially open position when the door curtain is in the operating state.

[0191]

[0216] Although specific example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all manufacturing methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture that fall within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. a plurality of tags distributed along the side edges of a door curtain, the tags traveling along channels in the door guide as the door curtain moves along the guide; a scanner disposed on the guide for detecting the tag as it passes through the scanner during the door curtain's operating state; A controller; Equipped with The controller, when the door curtain transitions from an operating state to a disengaged state, identifies, based on the signal from the scanner, an operating state corresponding to when a side edge of the door curtain is surrounded by the guide as the door curtain moves between an open position and a closed position, and a disengaged state corresponding to when a portion of the side edge of the door curtain below an upper end of the guide moves away from the guide, wherein the portion of the side edge includes at least one of the plurality of tags.

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a re-feed assembly for re-feeding the side edge of the door curtain into the guide in response to the door curtain transitioning to the disengaged state, the scanner being below the re-feed assembly.

3. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the door curtain is in the detached state based on (1) whether the scanner detects a first tag of the plurality of tags and (2) a vertical position of the door curtain.

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller determines that the door curtain is in the detached state when (1) the vertical position of the door curtain corresponds to a lower edge of the door curtain that is below the height of the scanner, and (2) the scanner does not detect at least one of a plurality of tags, and the plurality of tags includes the tag, and the scanner does not detect at least one of the plurality of tags.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines the distance between the tag and the bottom edge of the door curtain based on serial data associated with the tag.

6. The device described in claim 3, wherein the first tag is an RFID tag.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scanner is positioned perpendicular to a lower half of the guide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scanner is a first scanner, and the apparatus further includes a second scanner arranged on the guide, the second scanner being spaced apart from the first scanner.

9. 10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of alignment features distributed along the side edges of the door curtain, the plurality of alignment features protruding away from the door curtain to help retain the side edges within the guides.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the tags is located between each of the alignment features.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the tags and alignment features are distributed along the side edges in an alternating pattern.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one of the alignment features includes one of the tags.

13. Door curtains and a track for guiding movement of the door curtain between an open position and a closed position relative to the doorway; a plurality of tags distributed along the door curtain and moving with the door curtain; a scanner arranged on the track for detecting successive tags in the series as they pass by the scanner as the door curtain moves between the open and closed positions; a controller that identifies when the door curtain is in a disengaged state based on a failure of the scanner to detect a given tag in the set of tags when the given tag is expected to pass by the scanner based on the position and movement of the door curtain; An apparatus comprising:

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of tags are RFID tags.

15. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tags are Bluetooth Low Energy tags.

16. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scanner is positioned to detect one of the tags as the tag moves within a channel of the track, and the scanner cannot detect the tag when the tag is outside the channel because the door curtain is in the disengaged state.

17. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tags are serialized such that at least one of the scanner or the controller can decode location information contained in the tags, the location information indicating the vertical position of each of the tags.

18. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller determines that the scanner has failed to detect a given one of the tags based on a threshold time elapsed without detecting a threshold number of the tags, the threshold number of tags being based on the spacing of the tags and the speed of movement of the door curtain.

19. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller generates an alarm in response to the scanner detecting a first tag and a second tag in the series of tags without detecting a third tag interposed between the first tag and the second tag, the alarm indicating at least one of a missing tag or an inoperable tag.

20. a door curtain that moves along a guide positioned adjacent to the entrance; RFID tags distributed along the side edges of the door curtain; an RFID scanner that detects multiple tags of the multiple RFID tags when multiple tags of the multiple RFID tags are in proximity to the RFID scanner, wherein different multiple RFID tags of the multiple RFID tags are in proximity to the RFID scanner at different times associated with different heights of a leading edge of the door curtain; A controller; An apparatus comprising: The controller Controlling the movement of the door curtain; monitoring the position of the leading edge of the door curtain; determining a location of a first one of the RFID tags based on the location of the leading edge of the door curtain; The apparatus determines that the door curtain is in a disengaged state when the location of the first tag passes the RFID scanner and the RFID scanner does not detect the first tag.

Images