Methods and Systems to Indicate the Status of Door Operations

Abstract

Example methods and systems to indicate the status of door operations are disclosed. An example door system includes a door panel having a leading edge to be moved in a travel direction between an open position and a closed position relative to the doorframe. The door panel to block the passageway when the leading edge is at the closed position. The door panel to unblock the passageway when the leading edge is at the open position. The example door system also includes a series of lights distributed along the travel direction proximate the doorframe. The example door system further includes a controller to switch the lights between a first state and a second state to provide a visual effect of movement corresponding to the operating status of the door system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A door system for a passageway, the door system comprising:
 a door panel movable between an open position and a closed position, the door panel including a sheet extending continuously across a full height of the passageway when in the closed position;   a display positionable adjacent the passageway to provide selectively different visual signals having different meanings identifiable at a glance by a person, the different visual signals indicative of different operational states of the door system or an impending change in a corresponding operational state of the door system, a first visual signal corresponding to a timer to indicate a first impending change corresponding to movement of the door panel after a time period, the timer indicating a countdown associated with the time period; and   a controller to control operation of the door panel and the display.   
     
     
         2 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the different visual signals is animated. 
     
     
         3 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a second visual signal includes an arrow to indicate the door panel is at least one of closing, about to close, opening, or about to open. 
     
     
         4 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a first one of the different operational states corresponds to when the door panel is opening and the door system is waiting for further input. 
     
     
         5 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a second visual signal is to preannounce an opening of the door panel and a third visual signal is to preannounce a closing of the door panel, the third visual signal different than the second visual signal. 
     
     
         6 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a first one of the different operational states corresponds to when an interlock is affecting operation of the door. 
     
     
         7 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a second visual signal serves as a warning of cross traffic. 
     
     
         8 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein a second visual signal indicates at least one of a door system fault or a maintenance alert. 
     
     
         9 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the visual signals change color or brightness to indicate a change between different ones of the operational states of the door system. 
     
     
         10 . The door system of  claim 1 , further including one or more lights to be distributed adjacent the passageway along a travel direction of the door panel, the one or more lights to provide a visual indication of a status of the door system separate from the display. 
     
     
         11 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a user interface separate from the display, the user interface to provide at least one of a visual indication of a status of the door system or an actuator to enable operation of the door system, the display to be spaced apart from an enclosure associated with the user interface. 
     
     
         12 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein the timer is prominent within a full area of the display. 
     
     
         13 . The door system of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the visual signals are prominent within a central area of the display when presented via the display. 
     
     
         14 . A door system comprising:
 a door panel movable between a closed position and an open position to respectively block and unblock a passageway, the door panel including a sheet extending continuously across a full height of the passageway when in the closed position;   a controller to control operation of the door panel; and   a display positionable adjacent the passageway in communication with the controller, the display to generate one or more visual symbols viewable by a person facing the display, the controller to cause the display to change the one or more visual symbols based on at least one of a change in the operational state of the door system or an impending change in the operational state of the door system, the impending change in the operational state corresponding to movement of the door panel after a time period, the one or more visual symbols including a timer indicating a countdown associated with the time period.   
     
     
         15 . The door system of  claim 14 , wherein the display is to provide a fault icon when communication with the controller is lost. 
     
     
         16 . The door system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more visual symbols include a common symbol both when the door system is in a first operational state and when the first operational state is impending, the common symbol provided via at least one of different colors, different brightness, or flashing to distinguish when the door system is in the first operational state from when the first operational state is impending. 
     
     
         17 . The door system of  claim 16 , wherein the first operational state corresponds to one of the door panel moving to the closed position or the door panel moving to the open position. 
     
     
         18 . The door system of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the one or more visual symbols is animated. 
     
     
         19 . The door system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more visual symbols includes an arrow to indicate the door panel is at least one of closing, about to close, opening, or about to open. 
     
     
         20 . The door system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more visual symbols has a predominant appearance within the display to facilitate a user in quickly identifying the time period. 
     
     
         21 . A door system comprising:
 a door panel movable between a closed position and an open position to respectively block and unblock a passageway, the door panel including a sheet extending continuously across a full height of the passageway when in the closed position;   a graphical display positionable adjacent the passageway; and   a controller to control operation of the door panel, the controller to be in communication with the display to cause the display to provide a visual output representative of at least one of a current operational state of the door system or an impending change in the current operational state of the door system, the impending change in the current operational state corresponding to movement of the door panel after a time period, the visual output corresponding to a timer indicating a countdown associated with the time period.   
     
     
         22 . The door system of  claim 21 , wherein the visual output corresponding to the timer covers a predominant area of the display to facilitate identification by a user of a remaining duration of the time period when the user glances toward the display.