US Patent 9284135 Safety systems for vertically storing dock levelers

Dock leveler safety systems for vertically storing dock levelers are disclosed herein. An example method for sensing a body present within an area of a pit at a loading dock includes monitoring the area of the pit via a sensor system by capturing an image of the area, comparing the captured image to a reference image to determine whether a body is present in the area of the pit, and commanding a deck of a dock leveler to not lower relative to the pit if the body is present.