Remote light control, configuration, and monitoring

• US 10,349,498 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Isaacs, Jason, Verbrugge, Brandon L., Mergener, Matthew J., Stampfl, Burtrom L., Matson, Stephen, Coulis, Christian, Schneider, Scott, Schermerhorn, Josh, Simeone, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/878,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• 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: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system of light devices including a first light device and a second light device. The first light device having a first housing, a first light, a first transceiver, a first electronic processor. The second light having a second housing, a second light, a second transceiver, a second electronic processor. The first electronic processor is coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, and configured to control operation of the first light, and transmit, via the first transceiver a command to the second light device. The second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, and configured to receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and change an operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device.

Claims

1. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

receive, via the first transceiver from an external device, a command including an operational parameter, wherein the operational parameter is adjustable via a user interface on the external device before being received by the first electronic processor,

transmit, via the first transceiver, the command to a second light device in response to receiving the command from the external device,

receive, via the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device, and

transmit, via the first transceiver, a location signal to the external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device; and

the second light device including

a second housing,

a second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, the second electronic processor configured to

receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and

change the operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device includes

a screen;

a device transceiver configured to transmit the command to the first light device;

a device electronic processor coupled to the device transceiver and the screen, the device electronic processor configured to

display the user interface on the screen, wherein the user interface includes a setting corresponding to the operational parameter, and

receive an input, via the user interface on the screen, that changes the setting corresponding to the operational parameter, wherein the command transmitted to the first light device is based on the input.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to display, on the user interface on the screen, information regarding a power consumption and a power status of the first light device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to change the operational parameter of the first light in response to receiving the command from the external device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter of the second light includes one selected from a group consisting of a power consumption and a brightness of the second light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic processor is configured to detect an interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device, and transmit, via the first transceiver, an alert signal to the external device indicating that the interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device has been detected.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a device electronic processor of the external device is configured to transmit, via a device transceiver, the location signal to a remote server, and wherein the remote server updates a location associated with the power tool device based on the location signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first light device further includes an environmental sensor configured to sense an environmental parameter, and wherein the first light device is configured to transmit, via the first transceiver, an alert signal to the external device based on the environmental parameter.

9. A method of controlling a light device, the method comprising:

activating, by a first electronic processor of a first light device, a first light of the first light device;

receiving, by the first electronic processor and via a first transceiver, a command from an external device, the command including an operational parameter, the operational parameter being adjustable via a user interface on the external device before being received by the first electronic processor;

transmitting, by the first electronic processor and via the first transceiver, the command to a second light device in response to receiving the command from the external device;

receiving, by a second electronic processor and via a second transceiver of the second light device, the command from the first light device;

changing, by the second electronic processor, the operational parameter of a second light of the second light device in response to the command from the first light device;

receiving, by the first electronic processor via the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device; and

transmitting, by the first electronic processor via the first transceiver, a location signal to the external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting, by the first electronic processor, an interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device; and

transmitting, via the first transceiver, an alert signal to the external device indicating that the interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device has been detected.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, by the external device via a device transceiver, the command to the first light device;

displaying, by a device electronic processor on a screen of the external device, the user interface including a setting corresponding to the operational parameter; and

receiving an input, by the device electronic processor via the user interface on the screen, that changes the setting corresponding to the operational parameter, wherein the command transmitted to the first light device is based on the input.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying, by the device electronic processor on the user interface on the screen, information regarding a power consumption and a power status of the first light device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising changing, by the first electronic processor, the operational parameter of the first light in response to receiving the command from the external device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the operational parameter of the second light includes changing one selected from a group consisting of a power consumption and a brightness of the second light.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

measuring, by an environmental sensor of the first light device, an environmental parameter; and

transmitting, via the first transceiver, an alert signal to the external device based on the environmental parameter.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, by a device electronic processor of the external device via a device transceiver, the location signal to a remote server; and

updating, by the remote server, a location associated with the power tool device based on the location signal.

17. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

receive, via the first transceiver from an external device, a command instructing a second light to operate at an estimated level of brightness, the estimated level of brightness being determined by the external device based on a state of charge of a battery pack coupled to a second light device and a selection of a desired runtime for the second light device received via a user interface on the external device before being received by the first electronic processor, and

transmit, via the first transceiver, the command to the second light device in response to receiving the command from the external device; and

the second light device including

a second housing,

the second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, the second electronic processor configured to

receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and

control the second light to operate at the estimated level of brightness in response to the command from the first light device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device includes

a screen;

a device transceiver configured to transmit the command to the first light device;

a device electronic processor coupled to the device transceiver and the screen, the device electronic processor configured to

receive, via the user interface on the screen, the selection of the desired runtime for the second light device,

determine the estimated level of brightness of the second light device based on the state of charge of the battery pack coupled to the second light device, and

display, on the user interface on the screen, the estimated level of brightness.

19. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

receive, via the first transceiver from an external device, a command to turn the first light and a second light on or off, wherein the command is generated by the external device in response to an input received via a user interface on the external device, and

turn the first light on or off in response to receiving the command; and

a second light device including

a second housing,

the second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, the second electronic processor configured to

control operation of the second light,

receive, via the second transceiver, the command, and

turn the second light on or off in response to receiving the command.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the command includes an additional operational parameter, wherein the operational parameter is adjustable via the user interface on the external device before being received by the first electronic processor;

wherein the first electronic processor is configured to change the additional operational parameter of the first light in response to receiving the command;

wherein the second electronic processor is configured to change the additional operational parameter of the second light in response to receiving the command.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the additional operational parameter is at least one of a group consisting of a brightness and a runtime.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device includes

a screen;

a device transceiver configured to transmit the command to the first light device;

a device electronic processor coupled to the device transceiver and the screen, the device electronic processor configured to

display the user interface on the screen, and

receive the input, via the user interface on the screen, to turn the first light and the second light on or off, wherein the command transmitted to the first light device is based on the input.