Remote light control, configuration, and monitoring

• US 9,900,967 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Isaacs, Jason, Verbrugge, Brandon L., Mergener, Matthew J., Stampfl, Burtrom L., Matson, Stephen, Coulis, Christian, Schneider, Scott, Schermerhorn, Josh, Simeone, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/338,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 315294, 315297, 315307, 315312, 315112
• 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: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system of light devices including a first light device and a second light device. The first light device having a first housing, a first light, a first transceiver, a first electronic processor. The second light having a second housing, a second light, a second transceiver, a second electronic processor. The first electronic processor is coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, and configured to control operation of the first light, and transmit, via the first transceiver a command to the second light device. The second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, and configured to receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and change an operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device.

Claims

1. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

transmit, via the first transceiver, a command to a second light device;

the second light device including

a second housing,

a second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, and configured to

receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and

change an operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device; and

an external device including

a screen,

a device transceiver configured to transmit the command to the first light device,

an electronic processor coupled to the device transceiver and the screen, the device electronic processor is configured to

display, on the screen, settings associated with an operation of the first light device, and

receive an input changing one of the settings associated with the first light device, wherein the command to the first light device is based on the input received at the external device

wherein the first electronic processor is configured to transmit the command to the second light device in response to receiving the command from the external device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic processor is configured to detect an interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device, and transmit, via the first transceiver, an alert signal to an external device indicating alternating current power was lost.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to change the operational parameter of the first light device in response to receiving the command from the external device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising

an external device including an device electronic processor configured to

receive, through a graphical user interface, a selection of a desired runtime for the second light device;

determine an estimated level of brightness of the second light device based on a state of charge of a battery pack coupled to the second light device, and

display the estimated level of brightness to the user,

wherein the command received by the second light device includes a command to operate at the estimated level of brightness.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to display, on the screen, information regarding a power consumption and a power status of the first light device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter of the second light device includes one selected from a group consisting of a power consumption and a brightness of the second light device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to receive, via the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device, and transmit, via the first transceiver, a location signal to an external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a device electronic processor is configured to transmit, via a device transceiver, the location signal to a remote server, and wherein the remote server updates a location associated with the power tool device based on the location of the first light device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first light device also includes an environmental sensor configured to sense an environmental parameter, and wherein the first light device is configured to transmit an alert signal to an external device based on the environmental parameter.

10. A system for controlling a light device, the system comprising:

an external device including

a screen;

a device transceiver;

a device electronic processor coupled to the screen and the device transceiver, and configured to

receive, through a graphical user interface, a selection of a desired runtime for a first light device,

determine an estimated level of brightness for the light device based on a state of charge of a battery pack coupled to the light device and the desired runtime, and

display the estimated level of brightness on the screen

transmit, via the device transceiver, a command to the light device to operate at the estimated level of brightness;

a light device including

a first light,

a first transceiver configured to exchange wireless messages with the external device, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

receive the command from the external device, and

operate the first light at the estimated level of brightness.

11. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

transmit, via the first transceiver, a command to a second light device; and

the second light device including

a second housing,

a second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, and configured to

receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and

change an operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device

wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to receive, via the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device, and transmit, via the first transceiver, a location signal to an external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device.

12. A method of controlling a light device, the method comprising:

activating, by a first electronic processor, a first light of a first light device;

transmitting, by the first electronic processor and via a first transceiver, a command to a second light device;

receiving, by a second electronic processor and via a second transceiver of the second light device, the command from the first light device;

changing, by the second electronic processor, an operational parameter of a second light of the second light device in response to the command from the first light device;

transmitting, by an external device, the command to the first light device;

receiving, by the first transceiver, the command from the external device;

displaying, on a screen of the external device and by a device electronic processor, settings associated with an operation of the first light device; and

receiving, by a device electronic processor, an input changing one of the settings associated with the first light device;

wherein transmitting the command to the first light device includes transmitting the command based on the input received by the device electronic processor;

wherein transmitting the command to the second light device includes transmitting the command to the second light device in response to receiving the command from the external device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting, by the first electronic processor, an interruption in alternating current power received by the first light device; and

transmitting, by the first transceiver, an alert signal to an external device indicating that alternating current power was lost at the first light device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing, by the first electronic processor, the operational parameter of the first light in response to receiving the command from the external device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, at an external device and through a graphical user interface, a selection of a desired runtime for the second light device;

determining, by a device electronic processor of the external device, an estimated level of brightness of the second light device based on a state of charge of a battery pack coupled to the second light device;

displaying, on the external device, the estimated level of brightness to the user; and

wherein changing an operational parameter of a second light of the second light device includes operating the second light device at the estimated level of brightness.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying, on the screen of the external device, information regarding a power consumption and a power status of the first light device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the operational parameter of the second light includes one of a group consisting of changing a power consumption of the second light device, and changing a brightness of the second light device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device, and

transmitting, via the first transceiver, a location signal to an external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

transmitting, by the external device, the location signal to a remote server;

and

updating, by the remote server, a location associated with the power tool device based on the location of the first light device.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

measuring, by an environmental sensor of the first light device, an environmental parameter, and

transmitting, by the first transceiver, an alert signal to an external device, the alert signal being based on the environmental parameter.

21. A system of light devices comprising:

a first light device including

a first housing,

a first light supported by the first housing,

a first transceiver supported by the first housing, and

a first electronic processor coupled to the first light and the first transceiver, the first electronic processor configured to

control operation of the first light,

transmit, via the first transceiver, a command to a second light device; and

the second light device including

a second housing,

a second light supported by the second housing,

a second transceiver supported by the second housing, and

a second electronic processor coupled to the second light and the second transceiver, and configured to

receive, via the second transceiver, the command from the first light device, and

change an operational parameter of the second light in response to the command from the first light device

wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to receive, via the first transceiver, an identification signal from a power tool device, and transmit, via the first transceiver, a location signal to an external device, the location signal indicating that the power tool device is within a proximity threshold of the first light device.