Power tool operation recording and playback

• US 10,345,797 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Conrad, Cole A., Simeone, Thomas G., Mergener, Matthew J., Wycklendt, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US15/267,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20170083014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/02 with means for imparting impact to screwdriver blade or nut socket
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1475 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/423 Teaching successive positions by walk-through, i.e. the tool head or end effector being grasped and guided directly, with or without servo-assistance, to follow a path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/425 Teaching successive positions by numerical control, i.e. commands being entered to control the positioning servo of the tool head or end effector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36494 Record position and inclination of tool, wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/02 Registering or indicating working or idle time only
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

Systems and methods of operating power tools. The method includes receiving a command to start a recording mode at a first electronic processor of a first power tool, and receiving at the first electronic processor, a measured parameter from a sensor of the first power tool while a first motor of the first power tool is operating. The method also includes generating a recorded motor parameter by recording the measured parameter, on a first memory of the first power tool, when the first power tool operates in the recording mode, and transmitting, with a first transceiver of the first power tool, the recorded motor parameter. The method further includes receiving the recorded motor parameter at an external device, transmitting the recorded motor parameter to a second power tool via the external device, and receiving the recorded motor parameter via a second transceiver of the second power tool.

Claims

1. A method of operating power tools, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first electronic processor of a first power tool, a command to start a recording mode;

receiving, at the first electronic processor, a measured parameter from a sensor of the first power tool while a first motor of the first power tool is operating;

generating a recorded motor parameter by recording, on a first memory of the first power tool, the measured parameter when the first power tool operates in the recording mode;

transmitting, via a first transceiver of the first power tool, the recorded motor parameter;

receiving, at an external device, the recorded motor parameter;

transmitting, via the external device, the recorded motor parameter to a second power tool; and

receiving, via a second transceiver of the second power tool, the recorded motor parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, at the second power tool, the recorded motor parameter with a selectable mode of the second power tool.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

receiving, at a second electronic processor of the second power tool, a selection of a first mode of operation of the second power tool via a mode profile button;

and

controlling, via the second electronic processor, a second motor of the second power tool to operate according to the recorded motor parameter when the second power tool operates in the first mode of operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, via a device transceiver of the external device, the recorded motor parameter to a remote server;

receiving, via the device transceiver of the external device, the recorded motor parameter from the remote server prior to transmitting the recorded motor parameter to the second power tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command to start the recording mode includes receiving, at the first electronic processor the first power tool, the command to enter the recording mode from the external device via the first transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising entering, at the first power tool, an adaptive mode, based on an actuation of a mode profile button of the first power tool, to enable execution of the command to start the recording mode.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning, via graphical user interface of the external device, the recorded motor parameter to a first mode of the first power tool;

receiving, via the first transceiver of the first power tool, the recorded motor parameter associated with the first mode from the external device; and

operating the first motor according to the recorded motor parameter when the first power tool operates in the first mode.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating a second motor of the second power tool according to the recorded motor parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein operating the second motor according to the received recorded motor parameter begins in response to an activation of a trigger of the second power tool.

10. A power tool system comprising:

a first power tool including

a first motor,

a sensor coupled to the first motor and configured to measure a parameter of the first motor,

a first electronic processor coupled to the first motor and the sensor, the first electronic processor configured to

receive a command to start a recording mode, and

generate a recorded motor parameter by recording the measured parameter while the first motor is operating and the first power tool is in the recording mode, and

a first transceiver coupled to the first electronic processor, and configured to transmit the recorded motor parameter to an external device;

the external device in communication with the first power tool, and including

a device transceiver configured to

receive the recorded motor parameter from the first power tool, and

transmit the recorded motor parameter to a second power tool; and

the second power tool in communication with the external device, and including

a second transceiver configured to receive the recorded motor parameter from the external device, and

a second electronic processor configured to store the recorded motor parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second power tool includes a second motor and a mode profile button and wherein the second electronic processor is configured to

associate the recorded motor parameter with a first mode of the second power tool,

receive a selection of the first mode via the mode profile button, and

operate the second motor according to the recorded motor parameter when the second power tool operates in the first mode.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the external device includes a device processor configured to

associate the recorded motor parameter with a mode profile name,

transmit, via the device transceiver, the recorded motor parameter and the mode profile name to a remote server for storage at the remote server, and

receiving a user selection of the mode profile name, and

receiving, from the remote server and via the device transceiver, the recorded motor parameter in response to the user selection of the mode profile name.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first transceiver is configured to receive the command to start the recording mode from the external device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first power tool includes a mode profile button, and wherein the first electronic processor is configured to enter an adaptive mode, based on an actuation of the mode profile button, to enable execution of the command to start the recording mode.

15. The system it claim 14, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to operate the second motor according to the recorded motor parameter in response to an activation of a trigger of the second power tool.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first transceiver is configured to receive a stop recording command from the external device to stop recording the measured parameter.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to operate a second motor of the second power tool according to the recorded motor parameter.

18. A power tool comprising:

a motor;

a sensor coupled to the motor and configured to measure a parameter of the motor;

a transceiver;

an electronic processor coupled to the motor, the sensor, and the transceiver, the electronic processor configured to

receive, from an external device via the transceiver, a command to start a recording mode;

generate a recorded motor parameter by recording the measured parameter while the motor is operating and the power tool is in the recording mode;

transmit, via the transceiver, the recorded motor parameter to the external device; and

receive, from the external device via the transceiver, a second motor parameter from the external device, the second motor parameter generated based on a second recorded motor parameter,

the second recorded motor parameter originating from a recording mode at a second power tool during a second motor operation.

19. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the recorded motor parameter is a first recorded motor parameter, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a second recorded motor parameter recorded on a second power tool.

20. The power tool of claim 19, further comprising a mode profile button configured to select a first mode of the power tool, and wherein the electronic processor is configured to

associate the second recorded motor parameter with the first mode of the power tool,

receive a selection of the first mode of the power tool via the mode profile button, and

operate the motor according to the second recorded motor parameter when the power tool operates in the first mode.

21. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to start recording the measured parameter in response to receiving, by the transceiver, a record command from the external device while the power tool is in the recording mode.

22. The power tool of claim 18, further comprising a mode selection mechanism configured to select a mode of operation from a plurality of modes, wherein the electronic processor is configured to

receive an activation of the mode selection mechanism to select a first mode for operation, and

operate the motor according to the recorded motor parameter while the power tool operates in the first mode.

23. The power tool of claim 18, further comprising a mode profile button, and wherein, based on an actuation of the mode profile button, the electronic processor is configured to enter an adaptive mode to enable execution of the command to start the recording mode.

24. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a stop recording command from the external device, and wherein the electronic processor is configured to stop recording the measured parameter in response to receiving the stop recording command.

25. The power tool of claim 18, wherein generating the second motor parameter based on the recorded motor parameter comprises at least one of the group of:

copying the recorded motor parameter and modifying the recorded motor parameter.

26. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the command to start the recording mode is generated in response to a selection of the recording mode on a graphical user interface of the external device.