System and method for operational data retrieval from a power tool

• US 9,367,062 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch Tool Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Volpert, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akki, Munear
• Application Number:
  US14/142,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20140184397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538.15, 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 340/13.24, 340/12.37, 606/167, 606/45, 83/58, 831/31, 834/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts

Abstract

A power tool data collection system includes a memory in a housing of a power tool that stores data corresponding to at least one operational parameter of the power tool, a wireless data transceiver communicatively connected to the memory, and a controller operatively connect to the memory. The wireless data transceiver transmits the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter of the power tool to an external wireless transceiver in response to receiving a signal from the external wireless transceiver. The controller identifies the at least one operational parameter of the power tool during operation of the power tool and stores the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter in the memory to enable the wireless data transceiver to transmit the data.

Claims

1. A power tool data communication system comprising:

a housing of a power tool;

a memory within the housing, the memory being configured to store data corresponding to at least one operational parameter of the power tool;

a wireless data transceiver affixed to the housing of the power tool and communicatively connected to the memory, the wireless data transceiver being configured to transmit the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter of the power tool to an external wireless transceiver in response to receiving a signal from the external wireless transceiver;

a releasable engagement mount that is configured to secure a removable attachment to the power tool;

a sensor associated with the releasable attachment mount, the sensor being configured to generate an attachment signal in response to an attachment engaging the releasable attachment mount; and

a controller within the housing of the power tool, the controller being operatively connected to the memory and the sensor, the controller being configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter of the power tool during operation of the power tool, including engagement of an attachment to the releasable attachment mount with reference to the attachment signal received from the sensor and a length of time corresponding to the operation of the power tool after the engagement of the attachment to the releasable attachment mount; and

store the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter including the length of time in the memory to enable the wireless data transceiver to transmit the data.

2. The system of claim 1, the wireless transceiver being a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

3. The system of claim 2, the RFID transceiver being a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1, the controller being further configured to:

identify the at least one operational parameter including a count of a number of times that the power tool has been activated; and

store data corresponding to the identified count in the memory.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensor located in the housing and configured to generate data corresponding to a temperature of the power tool; and

the controller being operatively connected to the temperature sensor and further configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter including the temperature of the power tool received from the temperature sensor; and

store data corresponding to the identified temperature in the memory.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a motor configured to rotate during operation of the power tool;

a tachometer configured to identify a rate of the rotation of the motor during operation of the power tool; and

the controller being operatively connected to the tachometer and further configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter including the rate of rotation of the motor received from the tachometer; and

store data corresponding to the identified rate of rotation of the motor in the memory.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

at least one of a vibrational sensor or an acoustic sensor located in the housing and configured to generate data corresponding to a level of vibration or sound, respectively, in the motor of the power tool; and

the controller being operatively connected to the vibrational or acoustic sensor and further configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter including the level of vibration or sound of the motor received from the vibrational or acoustic sensor, respectively; and

store data corresponding to the identified operational parameter in the memory.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery mechanically connected to the housing and configured to provide electrical power to the power tool;

a battery monitor configured to monitor at least one of a state of charge and a state of health in the battery; and

the controller being operatively connected to the battery monitor and further configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter including at least one of the state of charge and the state of health in the battery with reference to data received from the battery monitor; and

store data corresponding to at least one of the identified state of charge and state of health operational parameters in the memory.

9. The system of claim 1, the external wireless transceiver being incorporated in a mobile electronic device, the mobile electronic device further comprising:

an output device; and

a processor operatively connected to the external wireless transceiver and the output device, the processor being further configured to;

identify the at least one operational parameter in the data received from the wireless transceiver in the power tool; and

generate an output with the output device with a predetermined format corresponding to the data of the identified at least one operational parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, the processor in the mobile electronic device being further configured to:

operate the external wireless transceiver to transmit the signal to the wireless transceiver in the power tool.

11. A method for collecting data from a power tool comprising:

identifying with a controller in a housing of the power tool, at least one operational parameter of the power tool during operation of the power tool including an engagement of a removable attachment to a releasable engagement mount in the tool with reference to data received from a sensor associated with the releasable engagement mount and a length of time corresponding to the operation of the power tool after the engagement of the removable attachment to the releasable engagement mount;

storing with the controller, data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter including the length of time in a memory in the power tool; and

transmitting with a wireless transceiver in the power tool, the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter in the memory including the length of time to an external wireless transceiver in response to receiving a signal from the external wireless transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying with the controller the at least one operational parameter including a count of a number of times that the power tool has been activated; and

storing with the controller data corresponding to the identified count in the memory.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying with the controller the at least one operational parameter including a temperature of the power tool with reference to temperature data received from a temperature sensor in the housing; and

storing with the controller data corresponding to the identified temperature in the memory.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying with the controller the at least one operational parameter including a rate of rotation of a motor in the housing of the power tool with reference to data received from a tachometer associated with the motor; and

storing with the controller data corresponding to the identified rate of rotation of the motor in the memory.

15. The method of claim 11, the controller being further configured to:

identify an engagement of a saw blade to a releasable saw blade mount with reference to data received from a sensor associated with the releasable saw blade mount.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying with the controller the at least one operational parameter including at least one of a state of charge and a state of health in a battery that provides electrical power to the power tool with reference to data received from a battery monitor; and

storing with the controller data corresponding to the at least one of the identified state of charge and state of health operational parameters in the memory.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting with the wireless transceiver in the power tool the data from the memory in the power tool to the external wireless transceiver in a mobile electronic device;

identifying with a processor in the mobile electronic device the at least one operational parameter in the data received from the wireless transceiver in the power tool; and

generating with an output device in the mobile electronic device an output with a predetermined format corresponding to the data of the identified at least one operational parameter.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting with the external wireless transceiver in the mobile electronic device a request signal to the wireless transceiver in the power tool; and

transmitting with the wireless transceiver in the power tool the data corresponding to the at least one operational parameter of the power tool in response to receiving the request signal.