Universal protocol for power tools

• US 9,710,373 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mergener, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BURGESS, BARBARA N
• Application Number:
  US15/249,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20160364326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 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: G05B 2219/25206 Protocol: only devices with changed states communicate their states, event
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0796 Safety measures, i.e. ensuring safe condition in the event of error, e.g. for controlling element
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/251 Local memory within processor subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with power tools using a universal protocol. The universal protocol may be implemented using a universal core module that is installed across a variety of power tools and other devices to enable communications therewith. Communications to and from the power tools are translated to a universal protocol once received. The translated communications are handled by the universal core module of a particular tool according to a set of rules. In response, the universal core module outputs communications according to the universal protocol and the set of rules, which may be translated to another protocol for receipt by components of the tool or an external device. The communications may be used, for example, to obtain tool performance data from the tools and to provide firmware updates.

Claims

1. A method for communicating commands between electrically powered tools, the method comprising:

establishing, using a physical interface comprising a wireless radio, a wireless radio link between a first electrically powered tool and a second electrically powered tool, the wireless radio link comprising a first wireless communication protocol;

receiving, a command, via the physical interface, at the first electrically powered tool from the second electrically powered tool using the first wireless communication protocol;

translating, by a physical interface module in a controller of the first electrically powered tool, the command from the first protocol to a universal protocol, wherein

the universal protocol is a protocol shared between a universal core module of the controller and the physical interface module;

translating, by a tool component interface module of the controller, the command to a second protocol for execution by a tool component, wherein the second protocol is a protocol usable by the tool component; and

executing the command by the tool component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command comprises an identifier and a security element, and

the method further comprises the first electrically powered tool verifying that the second electrically powered tool is authorized to issue the command by processing the identifier and security element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command comprises an instruction to the first electrically powered tool to activate the tool component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tool component is a motor, and the command comprises an instruction to disable the motor of the first electrically powered tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tool component is a motor, and the command comprises an instruction to activate the motor of the first electrically powered tool in response to a command from the second electrically powered tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tool component is an illumination component, and the command comprises an instruction to activate the illumination component of the first electrically powered tool in response to a command from the second electrically powered tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command comprises a request for data reflecting a status of the first electrically powered tool to be sent to the second electrically powered tool.

8. A system for communicating messages between an electrical device and an external device, the system comprising:

the external device including a first wireless communication interface configured to transmit a message, the external device being a power tool and including a motor; and

the electrical device including

a second wireless communication interface configured to receive a message in a radio transmission from the external device, wherein the message is communicated using a first protocol, and the first protocol is a protocol shared between the electrical device and the external device,

a component, and

a controller coupled to the second communication interface and the component, the controller configured to receive the message and control the component based on the message.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electrical device is an electromechanical device that includes a motor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the message comprises an identifier and a security element, and

the system further comprises instructions for verifying that the external device is authorized to issue the message by processing the identifier and security element.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the message comprises an instruction to the electrical device to activate the component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the component is a motor, and the message comprises an instruction to slow the motor of the electrical device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the component is a motor, and the message comprises an instruction to activate the motor of the electrical device in response to a message from the external device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the component is an illumination component, and the message comprises an instruction to activate the illumination component of the electrical device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the message comprises a request for data reflecting a status of the electrical device to be sent to the external device.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the component is a speaker component, and the message comprises an instruction to cause the speaker to generate sound.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

translate the message from the first protocol to a universal protocol, wherein the universal protocol is a protocol shared between a universal core module of the electrical device and a physical interface module; and

translate the message to a second protocol for transmission to the component.

18. A method for communicating messages between electromechanical devices, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, by a first wireless communication interface of a power tool, a message; and

receiving the message, by a second wireless communication interface of an electromechanical device, the message being communicated using a first protocol that is shared between the electromechanical device and the power tool,

receiving, by a controller, the message via the second wireless communication interface; and

controlling, by the controller, a motor of the electromechanical device based on the message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the motor based on the message includes at least one selected from the group consisting of disabling the motor and activating the motor.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the second wireless communication interface, a second message from the power tool;

receiving, by the controller, the second message via the second wireless communication interface; and

controlling, by the controller, one selected from the group consisting of an illumination component of the electromechanical device and a speaker of the electromechanical device based on the second message.