Power tool profile sharing and permissions

• US 10,380,883 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Matson, Stephen, Coulis, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Canh
• Application Number:
  US15/183,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Method and system for programming a power tool from an external device. The method includes establishing a first communication link with a server. The server includes a profile bank that includes mode profiles generated by a plurality of users. The method further includes receiving, over the first communication link, a list of mode profiles representing a subset of the mode profiles of the profile bank. The method further includes receiving, in response to user input from a first user on the external device, a selection of a mode profile. The method further includes transmitting, over the first communication link, the selection of the mode profile. The method further includes receiving, over the first communication link, the mode profile, the mode profile having been generated by a second user. The method further includes transmitting wirelessly, to the power tool, the mode profile to configure the power tool.

Claims

1. A method of programming a power tool from an external device, the method comprising:

establishing, with an external wireless communication controller of the external device, a first communication link with a server, the server including a profile bank that includes mode profiles generated by a plurality of users, the mode profiles including power tool configuration data;

receiving, with the external wireless communication controller over the first communication link, a list of mode profiles representing a subset of the mode profiles of the profile bank;

receiving, in response to user input from a first user on the external device, a selection of a mode profile from the list of mode profiles;

transmitting, with the external wireless communication controller over the first communication link, the selection of the mode profile;

receiving, with the external wireless communication controller over the first communication link, the mode profile, the mode profile having been generated by a second user and previously saved with a processor of the server in the profile bank, wherein the mode profile includes a power tool configuration parameter to control operation of a motor of the power tool, wherein, when a motor of the power tool is enabled in response to a trigger pull, operation of the motor is controlled based on the power tool configuration parameter while the motor continues to be enabled, and wherein the mode profile of the power tool is based on a type of the power tool;

receiving, with the external wireless communication controller over the first communication link, a permission level associated with the first user, wherein the permission level specifies whether the external device is operable to modify the mode profile; and

configuring performance of the operation of the motor of the power tool by transmitting wirelessly, to the power tool, the mode profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to the server over the first communication link, a profile request based on user input on the external device, wherein the list of mode profiles is received in response to the profile request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile request includes a profile source indication specifying a profile creator source type for mode profiles being requested.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile request includes a group identifier specifying mode profiles associated with a group, and wherein the list of mode profiles received corresponds to the mode profiles associated with the group.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving, in response to user input on the external device, a selection to update information associated with the group, wherein the information associated with the group includes at least one selected from the group consisting of mode profiles within the group, users within the group, power tools within the group, and permission levels of the users within the group; and

transmitting, to the server over the first communication link, a request to update information associated with the group based on the selection to update information associated with the group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the list of mode profiles in response to receiving the list of mode profiles.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the external device, a share request based on user input; and

transmitting the mode profile to a peer external device of another user in response to the share request.

8. A method of providing power tool configuration data to an external device, the method comprising:

establishing, with a network interface, a first communication link with a first external device of a first user, the server including a profile bank that includes mode profiles generated by a plurality of users, the mode profiles including power tool configuration data;

receiving, with the network interface over the first communication link, a first mode profile, wherein the first mode profile includes a value for a power tool configuration parameter, the value being set via a first user input from the first user on the first external device;

saving, with a processor of the server, the first mode profile in the profile bank;

establishing, with the network interface, a second communication link with a second external device of a second user;

transmitting, from the network interface over the second communication link, a list of mode profiles representing a subset of the mode profiles of the profile bank, wherein the subset of the mode profiles includes the first mode profile generated by the first user;

receiving, with the network interface over the first communication link, a selection of the first mode profile from the subset of the mode profiles, wherein the selection of the first mode profile is made by the second user via a second user input on the second external device; and

transmitting, from the network interface over the second communication link, the first mode profile, the first mode profile having been generated by the first user,

wherein, when a motor of the power tool is enabled in response to a trigger pull, operation of the motor is controlled based on the value of the power tool configuration parameter of the first mode profile while the motor continues to be enabled,

wherein the first mode profile of the power tool is based on a type of the power tool, and

wherein the second external device is operable to configure performance of the operation of the motor of the power tool by transmitting the first mode profile to the power tool.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, with the network interface over the second communication link, a profile request from the second external device, wherein the list of mode profiles is transmitted by the network interface in response to the profile request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the profile request includes a profile source indication specifying a profile creator source type for mode profiles being requested.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the profile request includes a group identifier specifying mode profiles associated with a group, and wherein the list of mode profiles transmitted corresponds to the mode profiles associated with the group.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving, with the network interface over the second communication link, a request to update information associated with the group, wherein the information associated with the group includes at least one selected from the group consisting of mode profiles within the group, users within the group, power tools within the group, and permission levels of the users within the group;

updating, with a processor, the information associated with the group in a memory of the server; and

transmitting, with the network interface over a third communication link to a peer external device of another user, updated information associated with the group.

13. A server accessible by an external device, the server comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, wherein the network interface establishes a first communication link with a first external device, and wherein the network interface establishes a second communication link with a second external device; and

a memory, wherein the memory includes a profile bank that includes mode profiles generated by a plurality of users, the mode profiles including power tool configuration data;

wherein the network interface is configured to

receive, over the first communication link, a first mode profile, wherein the first mode profile includes a value for a power tool configuration parameter, the value being set via a first user input from a first user on the first external device, wherein the processor is configured to save the first mode profile in the profile bank in the memory;

transmit, over the second communication link, a list of mode profiles representing a subset of the mode profiles of the profile bank, wherein the subset of the mode profiles includes the first mode profile generated by the first user,

receive, over the second communication link, a selection of the first mode profile from the subset of the mode profiles, wherein the selection of the first mode profile is made by a second user via a second user input on the second external device, and

transmit, over the second communication link, the first mode profile, wherein the first mode profile was generated by the first user,

wherein, when a motor of the power tool is enabled in response to a trigger pull, operation of the motor is controlled based on the value of the power tool configuration parameter of the first mode profile while the motor continues to be enabled,

wherein the first mode profile of the power tool is based on a type of the power tool, and

wherein the second external device is operable to configure performance of the operation of the motor of the power tool by transmitting the first mode profile to the power tool.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the second external device is configured to

receive the first mode profile from the server over the second communication link;

and

transmit the first mode profile to a power tool to configure the power tool.

15. The server of claim 13, wherein the network interface

receives, over the second communication link, a profile request from the second external device, and

transmits the list of mode profiles in response to the profile request.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the profile request includes a group identifier specifying mode profiles associated with a group, and wherein the list of mode profiles transmitted corresponds to the mode profiles associated with the group.

17. The server of claim 16 wherein

the network interface receives, over the second communication link, a request to update information associated with the group, wherein the information associated with the group includes at least one selected from the group consisting of mode profiles within the group, users within the group, power tools within the group, and permission levels of the users within the group;

the processor updates the information associated with the group in the memory; and

the network interface transmits, over a third communication link to a peer external device of another user, updated information associated with the group.