REMOTE PROGRAMMING OF A POWER TOOL

• US 20140367134A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Steven J., Sergyeyenko, Oleksiy, Shook, Christopher W., Ng, Wong Kun, Wenger, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,908,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/176
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2270/32 Use of electronics
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 45/02 driven by electric power
• 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 23/14 Arrangement of torque limiters or torque indicators in wrenches or screwdrivers couplings for transmitting rotation or clutches F16D; devices for measuring torque per se G01L
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/147 specially adapted for electrically operated 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 19/4083 Adapting programme, configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45127 Portable, hand drill

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling operation of a power tool, such as a drill driver. The method begins with one or more descriptors for a fastening application being received by a controller residing in the power tool, where the descriptors are indicative of a fastening application to be performed by the power tool and are received via a wireless data link from a computing device located remotely from the power tool. The descriptors are translated into a threshold value used by a fastener setting algorithm and the threshold value is stored in a data store of the power tool. During a subsequent fastening operation performed using the tool, an operating parameter of the power tool is monitored and evaluated in accordance with the fastener setting algorithm, including the updated threshold value. Example operating parameters include current delivered to the motor and speed of the motor.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a power tool having an electric motor drivably connected to an output spindle to impart rotary motion thereto, comprising:

receiving, by a controller residing in the power tool, one or more descriptors for a fastening application, where the descriptors are indicative of a fastening application to be performed by the power tool and are received via a wireless data link from a computing device located remotely from the power tool;

translating, by the controller, the descriptors into a threshold value used by a fastener setting algorithm, where the translating occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller;

updating, by the controller, a data store with the threshold value, where the data store resides on the power tool;

sampling periodically, by the controller, current delivered to the electric motor; and

evaluating, by the controller, the current delivered to the electric motor in accordance with the fastener setting algorithm, including the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises selecting the descriptors from a group consisting of fastener type, fastener diameter, fastener length, size of workpiece and material of workpiece.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises receiving, by the computing device, an input indicative of the one or more descriptors from a tool operator and sending the one or more descriptors over the wireless data link to the power tool.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises displaying an indicia of the descriptors on a display of the power tool, where the displaying occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises

evaluating, by the controller, the current delivered to the electric motor in accordance with the fastener setting algorithm when a clutch setting of an electronic clutch is in a drive mode;

disregarding, by the controller, torque applied to the output spindle when the clutch setting of the electronic clutch is a drill mode, the clutch setting being selectable from a drill mode and a drive mode; and

setting, by the controller, the clutch setting to a drill mode, where the setting occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises prompting the tool operator to confirm setting of the clutch setting to drill mode prior to the step of setting the clutch setting to drill mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating the current delivered to the electric motor further comprises

storing, by the controller, a sequence of current measures most recently sampled, the sequence of current measures being stored in a memory of the power tool;

determining, by the controller, a slope for the sequence of current measures; and

interrupting, by the controller, transmission of torque to the output spindle based in part on the slope of the sequence of current measures.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises

comparing, by the controller, the slope to a minimum slope threshold;

incrementing, by the controller, a slope counter by one when the slope exceeds the minimum slope threshold;

evaluating, by the controller, the slope counter in relation to a fastener criteria, where the fastener criteria is indicative of a desired stopping position for a fastener being driven by the power tool; and

interrupting, by the controller, transmission of torque to the output spindle when the slope counter meets the fastener criteria.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprises translating the descriptors into a value for the minimum slope threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein translating the descriptors into a value for the minimum slope threshold includes adjusting the value of the minimum slope threshold proportionally with diameter of the fastener.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein translating the descriptors into a value for the minimum slope threshold includes retrieving the value for the minimum slope threshold from a look-up table residing in a data store on the power tool.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprises

storing, by the controller, a sequence of values for the slope counter;

and

evaluating, by the controller, the sequence of values for the slope counter in relation to the fastener criteria.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises interrupting transmission of torque when values in the sequence of values for the slope counter are increasing from an oldest value to a most recent value.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprises interrupting transmission of torque when values in the sequence of values for the slope counter increase from an oldest value to an intermediate value and decrease from the intermediate value to a most recent value.

15. A method for controlling operation of a power tool having an electric motor drivably connected to an output spindle to impart rotary motion thereto, comprising:

receiving, by a controller residing in the power tool, one or more descriptors for a fastening application, where the descriptors include an indicator for a type of fastener and are received via a wireless data link from a computing device located remotely from the power tool;

translating, by the controller, the descriptors into a threshold value used by a fastener setting algorithm;

updating, by the controller, a data store with the threshold value, where the translating and updating occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller and the data store resides on the power tool;

monitoring, by the controller, an operating parameter of the power tool during a fastening operation by the power tool; and

evaluating, by the controller, the operating parameter in relation to the threshold value of the fastener setting algorithm.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the operating parameter is one of current delivered to the electric motor or speed of the electric motor.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprises displaying an indicia of the descriptors on a display of the power tool, where the displaying occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprises

evaluating, by the controller, the current delivered to the electric motor in accordance with the fastener setting algorithm when a clutch setting of an electronic clutch is in a drive mode;

disregarding, by the controller, torque applied to the output spindle when the clutch setting of the electronic clutch is a drill mode, the clutch setting being selectable from a drill mode and a drive mode; and

setting, by the controller, the clutch setting to a drill mode, where the setting occurs in response to receiving the one or more descriptors by the controller.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprises prompting the tool operator to confirm setting of the clutch setting to drill mode prior to the step of setting the clutch setting to drill mode.

17. The method of 15 wherein the descriptors further include a diameter of the fastener, a length of the fastener, a material of a workpiece or a size of the workpiece.

21. A power tool comprising:

a tool housing;

a motor housed in the tool housing and connected to an output spindle to impart rotary motion thereto;

a wireless transceiver housed in the tool; and

a controller housed in the tool housing and interface with the wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more descriptors for a fastening application via a wireless data link from a computing device located remotely from the power tool,

wherein the controller controls operation of the motor according to a fastener setting algorithm and modifies the fastener setting algorithm based on the descriptors.

22. The power tool of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to sample a parameter of the power tool and the parameter is used in the fastener setting algorithm.

23. The power tool of claim 22, wherein the parameter is one of current delivered to the motor and speed of the motor.

24. The power tool of claim 21, wherein the descriptors includes one a fastener type, a fastener diameter, a fastener length, a workpiece size, and a workpiece material.