Flexible sensor curtain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970904-B2
Application number	US-202016994551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2020
Priority date	Aug 14, 2020
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A flexible curtain defines a major surface and is configured to repeatedly actuate to move between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration. Two sensors are configured to detect different condition and are removably attached to two sensor attachment locations. The major surface extends across an operational surface of a target system such that the sensors detect the conditions of the target system when the flexible curtain defines the deployed configuration. The flexible curtain and the sensors converge at a predetermined edge of the flexible curtain to expose the operational surface of the target system when the flexible curtain defines the stowed configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a flexible curtain that defines a major surface and is configured to repeatedly actuate to move between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration;
a first sensor configured to detect a first condition and removably attached to a first sensor attachment location; and
a second sensor configured to detect a second condition and removably attached to a second sensor attachment location, wherein:
the major surface extends across an operational surface of a target system such that the first and second sensors detect the first and second conditions of the target system when the flexible curtain defines the deployed configuration;
the flexible curtain and the first and second sensors converge to a predetermined edge of the flexible curtain to expose the operational surface of the target system when the flexible curtain defines the stowed configuration,
the target system comprises a server closet configured to hold one or more server racks inside the server closet; and
the flexible curtain is configured to be attached to any selected side of the server closet, and to extend across most of the selected side of the server closet, and the flexible curtain is translucent.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible curtain enables air flow through the major surface.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bar to which the first and second sensor are secured, wherein the flexible curtain includes a plurality of loops configured to securely receive the bar such that the first and second sensor are at the first and second sensor locations.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the bar is telescopic.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive the first and second condition as detected by the first and second sensor; and
transmit the first and second conditions to a remote computer.

6. The system of claim 5 , the memory further containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
analyze the first and second condition as detected by the first and second sensor at the first and second sensor attachment locations;
identify an inefficiency of the first condition as detected by the first sensor; and
identify a third sensor attachment location as an improved sensor attachment location that is determined to be relatively more efficient than the first sensor attachment location.

7. The system of claim 6 , the memory further containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to turn off the first sensor at the first sensor attachment location and turn on a third sensor secured to the flexible curtain at the third sensor attachment location in response to determining that the third sensor attachment location is relatively more efficient than the first sensor attachment location.

8. The system of claim 6 , the memory further containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to move the first sensor from the first sensor attachment location to the third sensor attachment location in response to determining that the third sensor attachment location is relatively more efficient than the first sensor attachment location.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein moving the first sensor from the first sensor attachment location to the third sensor attachment location includes moving the first sensor closer to a predetermined edge of the flexible curtain.

10. The system of claim 8 , the system further comprising a flexible frame,
wherein the first sensor is plugged into the flexible frame, and the flexible frame acts as a power source and a communication means for the first sensor, and
wherein moving the first sensor from the first sensor attachment location to the third sensor attachment location includes rotating the flexible frame including the first sensor around a fixed point of the flexible curtain.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rod secured to a longitudinal edge of the curtain, wherein the stowed configuration includes the flexible curtain wrapped around the rod while the first and second sensor are secured to the first and second sensor attachment locations.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first condition includes temperature and the second condition includes humidity,
the system further comprising additional sensors for sensing particle mixture, noise, light, and gas.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Eggenberger Christian
• Rathgeber Jens
• Zenerino Toby
• Egger Michael

Classifications

• E06B9/68 Primary

  Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive · CPC title

• E06B9/40 Primary

  Roller blinds (usable only as awnings E04F10/06) · CPC title

• E06B2009/407

  Telescopic roller · CPC title

• E06B2009/6818

  using sensors · CPC title

• H05K7/20209

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title