SMART TOOL SYSTEM, DEVICES, AND METHODS

• US 20200133229A1
• Filed: 10/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Authentas LLC
• Original Assignee: Authentas LLC
• Inventors: Girt, Benjamin, Kuzemchak, Ed, Lamb, SR., Frederick William, Lamb, II, Frederick William
• Granted Patent: US 11,662,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34191 Pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50203 Tool, monitor condition tool

Abstract

A tool monitoring device and method for using a tool monitoring device, the tool monitoring device including a housing configured to couple with an exterior surface of a tool, one or more sensors positioned within the housing and configured to measure one or more properties of the tool over a period of time, a communication interface configured to transmit data from the tool monitoring device to one or more external devices, the transmitted data being generated based at least in part on the measured one or more properties of the tool over the period of time, and a power source configured to provide power to the one or more sensors and the communication interface.

Claims

1. A tool monitoring device, the tool monitoring device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an exterior surface of a tool;

one or more sensors positioned within the housing and configured to measure one or more properties of the tool over a period of time;

a communication interface configured to transmit data from the tool monitoring device to one or more external devices, the transmitted data being generated based at least in part on the measured one or more properties of the tool over the period of time; and

a power source configured to provide power to the one or more sensors and the communication interface.

2. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the tool comprises a pneumatically powered tool.

3. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the tool comprises an electrically powered tool and wherein the power source is independent of a second power source configured to power the tool.

4. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to couple with the exterior surface of the tool at a plurality of attachment points.

5. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to removably couple with the exterior surface of the tool.

6. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more properties of the tool comprises either an electromagnetic property or a physical property.

7. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more controllers configured to generate one or more data signatures based at least in part on the one or more measured properties.

8. The tool monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:

compare at least one generated data signature in the one or more generated data signatures to one or more stored data signatures; and

generate a diagnostic assessment based at least in part on the comparison.

9. The tool monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:

transmit location data indicating a location of attachment of the tool monitoring device on the tool.

10. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of:

an audio sensor, an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, a pressure sensor, a barometric sensor, an electrical current sensor, a voltage sensor, a hall effect sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, or a temperature sensor.

11. The tool monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the one or more external devices comprise one or more cloud servers.

12. The tool monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the communication interface comprises a cellular communications interface and wherein the communication interface configured to transmit data from the tool monitoring device directly to the one or more cloud servers.

13. The tool monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the communication interface comprises one of a wireless interface, and infrared interface, a Bluetooth interface, a near-field communications interface, or a radio frequency interface and wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit data from the tool monitoring device to the one or more cloud servers via a gateway device disposed between the tool monitoring device and the one or more cloud servers.

14. A method executed by one or more computing devices for performing a diagnostic assessment based on one or more properties of a tool over a period of time, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, data from a tool monitoring device coupled to the tool, the received data being generated based at least in part on measurements of one or more properties of the tool captured over the period of time by one or more sensors of the tool monitoring device;

generating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, one or more data signatures based at least in part on the one or more measured properties;

comparing, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, at least one generated data signature in the one or more generated data signatures to one or more stored data signatures corresponding to one or more diagnostic outcomes; and

generating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a diagnostic assessment based at least in part on the comparison.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of:

an audio sensor, an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, a pressure sensor, a barometric sensor, an electrical current sensor, a voltage sensor, a hall effect sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, or a temperature sensor.

16. An apparatus for performing a diagnostic assessment based on one or more properties of a tool over a period of time, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to;

receive data from a tool monitoring device coupled to the tool, the received data being generated based at least in part on measurements of one or more properties of the tool captured over the period of time by one or more sensors of the tool monitoring device;

generate one or more data signatures based at least in part on the one or more measured properties;

compare at least one generated data signature in the one or more generated data signatures to one or more stored data signatures corresponding to one or more diagnostic outcomes; and

generate a diagnostic assessment based at least in part on the comparison.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of:

an audio sensor, an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, a pressure sensor, a barometric sensor, an electrical current sensor, a voltage sensor, a hall effect sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, or a temperature sensor.

18. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing a diagnostic assessment based on one or more properties of a tool over a period of time, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

receive data from a tool monitoring device coupled to the tool, the received data being generated based at least in part on measurements of one or more properties of the tool captured over the period of time by one or more sensors of the tool monitoring device;

generate one or more data signatures based at least in part on the one or more measured properties;

compare at least one generated data signature in the one or more generated data signatures to one or more stored data signatures corresponding to one or more diagnostic outcomes; and

generate a diagnostic assessment based at least in part on the comparison.

19. The least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of:

an audio sensor, an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, a pressure sensor, a barometric sensor, an electrical current sensor, a voltage sensor, a hall effect sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, or a temperature sensor.