Power tool and method for operating a power tool

• US 9,766,608 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wuertele, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/654,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 700113, 700 83, 700 17, 700286, 700168, 173 1, 173 2, 173 20, 173217, 230134, 230106, 318413, 318811, 81479, 81468, 81478
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25131 Collect several parameters and transmit in block to control microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25136 Transmission with variable frequency, set by operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2656 Instrumentation

Abstract

A power tool having a digital control unit is provided, an interface of the digital control unit being switchable between standard operation and communication operation. In communication operation, operating data of the power tool are able to be transmitted via the interface.

Claims

1. A power tool, comprising:

a digital control unit including a microprocessor; and

an electrical energy store device connected to the digital control unit via at least one conductive line, the electrical energy store device including at least one of;

an accumulator, or a battery;

wherein an interface of the digital control unit is switchable periodically between standard operation and communication operation, in the standard operation the digital control unit receiving at least one analog signal from the electrical energy store device via the at least one conductive line, and in the communication operation the digital control unit transmitting at least one digital signal over the at least one conductive line, the at least one digital signal including operating data of the power tool, and

wherein the interface is switchable periodically between the standard operation and the communication operation via a periodic switchover of input pins to output pins of the microprocessor.

2. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the operating data are outputtable via one of supply lines and code lines of the interface.

3. The power tool according to claim 2, wherein the operating data are transmittable by a modulation system via the supply lines of the interface.

4. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface is formed from control lines of a light-emitting diode of the power tool.

5. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the operating data are storable in the standard operation of the power tool, by a storage device.

6. The power tool according to claim 5, wherein the stored operating data of the storage device are outputtable by the power tool by a transmission device.

7. The power tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data acquisition device for acquiring the transmitted operating data.

8. The power tool according to claim 7, wherein the data acquisition device is situated one of inside and outside the power tool.

9. A data acquisition device, which cooperates with the power tool according to claim 1, in order to acquire the operating data of the power tool.

10. The data acquisition device according to claim 9, wherein the data acquisition device is developed as an adapter, which is attachable to the power tool.

11. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor initiates the communication operation by transmitting a initialization code over the at least one conductive line.

12. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein a period of the periodic switching of the interface is defined by a duration of the standard operation during the period and a duration of the communication operation during the period, the duration of the standard operation being greater than the duration of the communication operation.

13. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one analog signal includes a supply voltage.

14. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one analog signal includes a voltage indicating a temperature of the electrical energy store device.

15. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one analog signal includes a voltage indicating a type of the electrical energy store device.

16. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy store device includes at least one code resistor configured to provide the at least one analog signal as a voltage indicating at least one of:

a temperature of the electrical energy store device, or a type of the electrical energy store device.

17. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the input pins receive the at least one analog signal and the output pins provide the at least one digital signal.

18. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive line includes at least two conductive lines, and the digital control unit transmits at least two digital signals over the at least two conductive lines during the communication operation, the at least two digital signals including a timing signal and a data signal.

19. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the communication operation is for at least one of:

customer request analyses, field tests during a predevelopment/development stage of the power tool, production of electronics boards, diagnosis options for returns from the field, monitoring of continuous operation of the power tool, readout of the software version of the power tool, and electronics identification.

20. A method for operating a power tool, the method comprising:

switching over an interface of a digital control unit of the power tool between standard operation and communication operation, the digital control unit including a microprocessor and the power tool further including an electrical energy store device connected to the digital control unit via at least one conductive line, in the standard operation the digital control unit receiving at least one analog signal from the electrical energy store device via the at least one conductive line, and in the communication operation the digital control unit transmitting at least one digital signal over the at least one conductive line, the at least one digital signal including operating data of the power tool;

wherein the electrical energy store device includes at least one of;

an accumulator, or a battery; and

wherein the switching over between the standard operation and the communication operation takes place periodically via a periodic switchover of input pins to output pins of the microprocessor.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

storing the operating data by a storage device.

22. A computer program product having program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the program code instructs a programmable computer system to perform the method according to claim 20.