Apparatus and methods for sensing vehicle positioning and vehicle restraint movement

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for sensing RIG positioning and vehicle restraint movement. An example method includes determining a presence of a RIG and enabling a barrier to move to an operational position when the RIG is present.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A vehicle restraint system comprising:
 a main body moveable along a track;   a sensor coupled to the main body;   machine readable instructions; and   programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to:   collect, via the sensor, data representative of at least one of movement or loads of the main body during a loading/unloading operation; and   generate a profile of the loading/unloading operation based on the collected data.   
     
     
         22 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 21 , wherein the collected data includes data pertaining to at least one of positional height values, velocity values, or acceleration values of the main body during the loading/unloading operation. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 21 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a landing gear collapse event occurred, and initiate a warning in response to determining that the landing gear collapse event occurred. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 21 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a load at a rear end of a vehicle exceeds a weight load threshold. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 24 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a tilt state of a trailer occurred in response to detecting that the load at the rear end of the vehicle exceeds the weight load threshold. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 21 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to analyze the generated profile to detect whether at least one of the main body failed to return to an initial position after the loading/unloading operation or whether one or more springs of the main body require maintenance or repair. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicle restraint system of  claim 21 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to analyze the generated profile to determine whether a rate of change of the vehicle restraint system exceeds a rate of change threshold, and initiate a warning in response to determining that the rate of change exceeds the rate of change threshold. 
     
     
         28 . A machine readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause programmable circuitry to at least:
 collect, via a sensor coupled to a main body of a vehicle restraint movable along a track, data representative of at least one of movement or loads of the main body during a loading/unloading operation; and   generate a profile of the loading/unloading operation based on the collected data.   
     
     
         29 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the collected data includes data pertaining to at least one of positional height values, velocity values, or acceleration values of the main body during the loading/unloading operation. 
     
     
         30 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the programmable circuitry to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a landing gear collapse event occurred, and initiate a warning in response to determining that the landing gear collapse event occurred. 
     
     
         31 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the programmable circuitry to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a load at a rear end of the vehicle exceeds a weight load threshold. 
     
     
         32 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the programmable circuitry to analyze the generated profile to detect whether a tilt state of a trailer occurred in response to detecting that the load at the rear end of the vehicle exceeds the weight load threshold. 
     
     
         33 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the programmable circuitry to analyze the generated profile to detect whether at least one of the main body failed to return to an initial position after the loading/unloading operation or one or more springs of the main body require maintenance or repair. 
     
     
         34 . The machine readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the programmable circuitry to analyze the generated profile to determine whether a rate of change of the vehicle restraint exceeds a rate of change threshold, and initiate a warning in response to determining that the rate of change exceeds the rate of change threshold. 
     
     
         35 . A method comprising:
 collecting, via a sensor coupled to a main body of a vehicle restraint movable along a track, data representative of at least one of movement or loads of the main body during a loading/unloading operation; and   generating, via at least one processor, a profile of the loading/unloading operation based on the collected data.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the collected data includes data pertaining to at least one of positional height values, velocity values, or acceleration values of the main body during the loading/unloading operation. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further including detecting whether a landing gear collapse event occurred, and initiating a warning in response to determining that the landing gear collapse event occurred. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , further including detecting whether a load at a rear end of the vehicle exceeds a weight load threshold. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further including detecting whether a tilt state of a trailer occurred in response to detecting that the load at the rear end of the vehicle exceeds the weight load threshold. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , further including detecting whether at least one of the main body failed to return to an initial position after the loading/unloading operation or whether one or more springs of the main body require maintenance or repair. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , further including determining whether a rate of change of the vehicle restraint exceeds a rate of change threshold, and initiating a warning in response to determining that the rate of change exceeds the rate of change threshold.