ENERGY SOURCE MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy source monitoring system evaluates the state of an energy source and responsively controls a power tool or other device. The energy source may be, for example, a power tool battery pack that includes multiple individual battery packs connected in series. The energy source monitoring system may be incorporated into a power tool, screwdriver, flashlight, audio and/or video player, or any other device. The energy source monitoring system intelligently exercises control over the power applied to the device (e.g., to the motor in the device). In one implementation, the energy source monitoring system detects when voltages in the energy source have fallen below a cutoff level, yet allows the device to continue running until the operator finishes the current device operation (e.g. a miter saw cut, or playback of a song).
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Citations
50 Claims
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1-25. -25. (canceled)
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26. A power supply monitoring and control system for a power supply operated device, the system comprising:
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a first voltage measurement point; a second voltage measurement point; voltage measurement logic coupled to the voltage measurement points and which determines a power supply voltage V1 and a power supply voltage V2 arranged in series with the power supply voltage V1; a power switch operable to connect the series arranged power supply voltages V1 and V2 to device circuitry; a function switch to activate a function of the device circuitry; comparison logic operable to recognize a cutoff condition when V1, V2, or both V1 and V2 fade below a cutoff threshold for disconnecting V1 and V2 from the device circuitry; and switch control logic operable to hold the power switch in an ‘
ON’
state until the function is complete despite recognition of the cutoff condition, then release the power switch to an ‘
OFF’
state. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A power supply monitoring and control system for a power supply operated device, the system comprising:
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a power supply input for accepting series connected power supply voltages V1 and V2; a main power switch coupled between the power supply input and device circuitry; a function switch for activating a function of the device circuitry; a controller coupled to the power supply input and the main power switch; a memory coupled to the controller, the memory comprising; a cutoff threshold for disconnecting the series connected power supply voltages V1 and V2 for stopping device operation; an operation threshold for connecting the series connected power supply voltages V1 and V2 to allow device startup; a power supply monitoring program operable to; determine V1 and V2; determine when both V1 and V2 exceed the operation threshold and responsively hold the main power switch in an ‘
ON’
state; anddetermine when V1, V2, or both V1 and V2 fade below the cutoff threshold for disconnecting V1 and V2 to stop device operation and responsively hold the main power switch in an ‘
ON’
state until the function is complete. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A product comprising:
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a machine readable medium; and instructions encoded on the medium for execution by a controller in a power supply operated device, which will cause the controller to; determine series connected power supply voltages V1 and V2;
initially hold a main power switch in an ‘
ON’
state;determine when both V1 and V2 exceed an operation threshold and responsively hold the main power switch in an ‘
ON’
state;determine when a device function is proceeding; and determine when V1, V2, or both V1 and V2 fade below a cutoff threshold for disconnecting V1 and V2 to stop device operation, but responsively hold the main power switch in an ‘
ON’
state until the device function is complete. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification