System, methods and apparatus for monitoring via a hand held tool

• US 8,049,636 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reactec Limited
• Original Assignee: Reactec Limited
• Inventors: Kent, Tim, Dickson, Stephen, Black, Donald, McKeown, John Paul, Buckingham, Mark-Paul, Keepax, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/158,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20090091465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 340/679, 340/680, 340/683
• US Class Current: 340/683
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power

Abstract

The present invention relates to hand held tool monitoring apparatus (10). The hand held tool monitoring apparatus (10) comprises a mount, which in use of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus forms part of a hand held tool (22), and a monitoring component (12) configured to be releasably attached to the mount. The monitoring component (12) comprises an operative part of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus (10) and the hand held tool monitoring apparatus further comprises a vibration sensor and a timer. The vibration sensor is operable to sense vibration of the hand held tool (22) and to provide a vibration signal in response to sensed vibration when the monitoring component is attached to the mount. The timer is operative in dependence on the vibration signal to record a duration of vibration of the hand held tool (22).

Claims

1. Hand held tool monitoring apparatus comprising a mount, which in use of the hand held monitoring apparatus forms part of a hand held tool, the mount comprising hand held tool information for the hand held tool and a communications component operable to wirelessly convey the hand held tool information to a monitoring component;

and

the monitoring component comprising an operative part of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus, a vibration sensor and a timer, the vibration sensor being operable to sense vibration of the hand held tool and provide a vibration signal in response to sensed vibration when the monitoring component is attached to the mount, and the timer being operative in dependence on the vibration signal to record a duration of vibration of the hand held tool,

the monitoring component and the mount having respective surface profiles that are configured to engage with each other to provide for releasable attachment of the monitoring component to the mount, and the mount and monitoring component are configured to be detached from each other by a single manual operation by a user.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the mount and monitoring component are configured such that the user detaches the monitoring component from the mount solely by one of:

pulling the monitoring component away from the mount; and

twisting the monitoring component in relation to the mount.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which one of the mount and monitoring component defines a recess configured to receive the other of the mount and the monitoring component.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the monitoring component and the mount comprise respective cooperating magnetic components that in use provide for releasable attachment of the monitoring component to the mount.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the monitoring component is configured to be carried by an operator when not in use on a hand held tool.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the mount forms an integral part of the hand held tool and in which the hand held tool and the hand held tool monitoring apparatus are configured to switch off the hand held tool when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the predetermined condition comprising at least one of:

a vibration level value being reached; and

an incorrect license being provided for the hand held tool monitoring apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the hand held tool information comprises hand held tool identification information.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the hand held tool information comprises a predetermined vibration dosage rate.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which, where the vibration sensor is configured to be responsive to vibrations in three mutually orthogonal axes, the hand held tool information comprises vibration axis information regarding which measurement axis or combination of axes is be used for measurement or detection of vibrations.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the hand held tool monitoring apparatus further comprises a user identification component configured to identify one of a plurality of possible users, the user identification component comprising a specific user component comprising information for a specific user, the user identification component being configured to be carried by the specific user, and the monitoring apparatus comprises a separate, specific user configurable component associated with the vibration sensor to which information for the specific user can be conveyed.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the hand held tool monitoring apparatus further comprises a filter operative to change the vibration signal to take account of a change in a vibration characteristic between the hand held tool and the operator.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the communications component is passive.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which the monitoring component is operable to actuate the passive communications component and receive hand held tool information conveyed from the mount.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a base component configured for use at a central location spaced apart from a location of use of the vibration sensor on a hand held tool, the base component and the vibration sensor being configured for transmission of a transmission signal between the base component and the vibration sensor by at least one of a wired coupling and an inductive coupling.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a base component configured for use at a central location spaced apart from a location of use of the vibration sensor on a hand held tool; and

communications apparatus comprising first and second Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transceivers, the first and second RFID transceivers being configured to wirelessly transmit data between the first and second RFID transceivers, the first RFID transceiver forming part of the base component and the second RFID transceiver forming part of the monitoring component.

12. A hand held tool monitoring method using monitoring apparatus comprising a mount and a monitoring component, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching the monitoring component, which comprises an operative part of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus, to the mount, the mount in use, forming part of the hand held tool and comprising hand held tool information for the hand held tool and a communications component operable to wirelessly convey the hand held tool information to the monitoring component,

the monitoring component and the mount having respective surface profiles that are configured to engage with each other to provide for releasable attachment of the monitoring component to the mount, and the mount and monitoring component are configured to be detached from each other by a single manual operation by a user;

operating a vibration sensor of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus to sense a vibration of the hand held tool and to provide a vibration signal in dependence upon the sensed vibration;

operating a timer of the hand held tool monitoring apparatus in dependence upon the vibration signal to record a duration of vibration of the hand held tool; and

removing the monitoring component from the mount.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the step of attaching the mount to the hand held tool comprises attaching the mount at a location on the hand held tool spaced apart from a location where an operator engages the hand held tool when the tool is in use.

14. A method according to claim 12, in which the step of attaching the mount to the hand held tool comprises attaching the mount at a location of the hand held tool that is as close as practical to a location where the operator engages the hand held tool when the tool is in use.