INFORMATION COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20170346530A1
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: OGURA, Hironori, MURAKAMI, Junichi
• Application Number:
  US15/593,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

An information communication apparatus in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a controller and a proximity wireless communication device. The controller performs a control process including at least transmission and/or reception of information between the information communication apparatus and at least one information holding apparatus. The at least one information holding apparatus comprises a battery pack and/or a field electric apparatus. The proximity wireless communication device communicates the information via the proximity wireless communication with an operation apparatus different from the at least one information holding apparatus.

Claims

1. An information communication apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to perform a control process including at least transmission and/or reception of information between the information communication apparatus and at least one information holding apparatus, the at least one information holding apparatus comprising a battery pack and/or a field electric apparatus, the information including setting information to be set to the at least one information holding apparatus, and/or acquisition information acquired from the at least one information holding apparatus; and

a proximity wireless communication device configured to establish proximity wireless communication with an operation apparatus different from the at least one information holding apparatus, and transmit and/or receive the information between the controller and the operation apparatus via the proximity wireless communication.

2. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having an outer surface, and configured to house the controller and the proximity wireless communication device, the outer surface including an abutting area that is configured to abut on an installation place of the information communication apparatus, and a communication area that is provided in the outer surface at a position different from the abutting area and includes the proximity wireless communication device disposed therein.

3. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the proximity wireless communication device is arranged in an area within 20 mm from the communication area inside the housing.

4. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the outer surface has a front area on the opposite side of the abutting area, and

the communication area is included in the front area.

5. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the housing comprises a front-side housing portion including the front area, and an abutting-side housing portion including the abutting area,

wherein the information communication apparatus comprises an extension extending from an inner surface of the abutting-side housing portion toward an inner surface of the communication area in the front-side housing portion, and

wherein the proximity wireless communication device is disposed at a portion of the extension facing the inner surface of the communication area.

6. The information communication apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the extension is fixed to the inner surface of the abutting-side housing portion in a manner separable from the abutting-side housing portion.

7. The information communication apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the controller comprises a circuit board, and

wherein the information communication apparatus further comprises a fixing member configured to fix the extension and the controller to the abutting-side housing portion.

8. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the proximity wireless communication device is arranged to include the communication area in a communication direction of the proximity wireless communication.

9. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the housing further comprises an apparatus attachment portion configured to allow the at least one information holding apparatus to be attached,

wherein the outer surface is provided with a front area on the opposite side to the abutting area,

wherein the front area comprises an attachment arrangement area where the apparatus attachment portion is arranged, and a non-attachment area which is an area other than the attachment arrangement area, and

wherein the communication area is disposed in an area of the non-attachment area closer to an outer peripheral edge of the front area than the attachment arrangement area.

10. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the housing comprises an apparatus attachment portion configured to allow the at least one information holding apparatus to be attached,

wherein the communication area comprises a plane surface of which extending direction does not intersect the information holding apparatus attached to the apparatus attachment portion.

11. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charger configured to charge the battery pack.

12. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the field electric apparatus.

13. A method of communication between a battery pack and/or a field electric apparatus and an operation apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring information from the battery pack and/or the field electric apparatus; and

transmitting the information acquired from the battery pack and/or the field electric apparatus to the operation apparatus via proximity wireless communication.

14. A method of communication between a battery pack and/or a field electric apparatus and an operation apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving information from the operation apparatus via proximity wireless communication; and

setting the information received from the operation apparatus in the battery pack and/or the field electric apparatus.