Power tool and method for wireless communication

• US 9,888,300 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Stampfl, Burtrom Lee, Mergener, Matthew J., Huber, Alex, Rossetto, Paul, Conrad, Cole A., Matson, Stephen, Fischer, Scott R., Kubale, Mark A., Coulis, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US15/668,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 455507, 455500, 455517, 455557, 4555501, 4554261, 4554262, 4555751, 455 901- 903, 455572, 455573, 4555757, 4554221, 455403, 455445, 455 73, 320 13, 320 14, 320134
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/00 Arrangements for observing, indicating or measuring on machine tools for automatic control or regulation of feed movement, cutting velocity or position of tool or work B23Q15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• 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: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A power tool having multiple wireless communication states and a method of wirelessly communicating by a power tool. The power tool includes a motor, a battery pack interface that selectively receives a battery pack, a backup power source, and a wireless communication controller coupled to the backup power source and the battery pack interface. The wireless communication controller operates in a connectable state when coupled to a battery pack and transmits tool operational data to the external device and receives tool configuration data from the external device. The wireless communication controller operates in an advertisement state when the wireless communication controller is coupled to and powered by the backup power source. In the advertisement state, the wireless communication controller is configured to transmit the unique tool identifier. The external device may also display an indication of the communication state of the power tool.

Claims

1. A power tool having multiple wireless communication states, the power tool comprising:

a motor;

a battery pack interface that selectively receives a battery pack;

a backup power source;

a wireless communication controller coupled to the backup power source and the battery pack interface, the wireless communication controller including a wireless transceiver, a processor, and a unique tool identifier, the wireless communication controller configured to operate in an advertisement state when the wireless communication controller is coupled to and powered by the backup power source, wherein, in the advertisement state, the wireless communication controller is configured to transmit an advertisement message including the unique tool identifier;

a switching network coupled between the motor and the battery pack interface;

an actuator;

a controller coupled to the actuator and the switching network, the controller configured to control the switching network to apply power from the battery pack to drive the motor based on actuator activation, wherein the controller is unpowered when the wireless communication controller is in the advertisement state and the battery pack is disconnected from the battery pack interface.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication controller is further configured to operate in a connectable state when the wireless communication controller is coupled to and powered by the battery pack, wherein, in the connectable state, the wireless communication controller is configured to form a wireless communication link with an external device and to one or more of transmit tool operational data to the external device and receive tool configuration data from the external device.

3. The power tool of claim 2, further comprising a communication channel coupling the controller to the wireless communication controller, wherein the controller further includes a memory storing the tool operational data obtained by a processing unit of the controller, and the wireless communication controller is further configured to, in the connectable state, obtain the tool operational data from the controller over the communication channel and transmit the tool operational data to the external device.

4. The power tool of claim 2, further comprising a communication channel coupling the controller to the wireless communication controller, the wireless communication controller is further configured to, in the connectable state, obtain the tool configuration data from the external device and to provide the tool configuration data to the controller over the communication channel.

5. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the controller further includes a memory storing the tool configuration data and a processing unit that controls the switching network to apply power from the battery pack to drive the motor based on the tool configuration data.

6. The power tool of claim 2, further comprising a real-time clock coupled to the backup power source and configured to maintain a current time;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive a lock out time from the external device via the wireless communication controller and to receive the current time, and further configured to lock the power tool upon determining that the current time exceeds the lock out time.

7. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a housing that houses the motor and the wireless communication controller, the housing including a backup battery receptacle for receipt of the backup power source.

8. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the backup battery receptacle is inaccessible when the battery pack is connected to the battery pack interface and accessible when the battery pack is disconnected from the battery pack interface.

9. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the backup battery receptacle and the battery pack interface are located on a foot of the housing.

10. The power tool of claim 1, wherein transmitting of the advertisement message in the advertisement state includes periodic broadcasting of the advertisement message, and wherein the advertisement message further includes a charge level of the backup power source.

11. A method of wirelessly communicating by a power tool, the method comprising:

determining, by a wireless communication controller, that a battery pack interface is disconnected from a battery pack;

entering, by the wireless communication controller, an advertisement state for wireless communication based on determining that the battery pack interface is disconnected from the battery pack; and

transmitting, by the wireless communication controller, an advertisement message including a unique tool identifier of the power tool when in the advertisement state.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the wireless communication controller of the power tool, that the battery pack interface is connected to the battery pack;

forming a wireless communication link with an external device; and

communicating, over the wireless communication link, to one or more of transmit tool operational data and receive tool configuration data from the external device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein entering the advertisement state includes receiving, by the wireless communication controller, power from a backup power source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, by the wireless communication controller, the advertisement message further includes periodic broadcasting of the advertisement message, and wherein the advertisement message further includes a charge level of the backup power source.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by a real-time clock, power from the backup power source;

maintaining, by the real-time clock, a current time;

receiving a lock out time, from an external device via the wireless communication controller; and

locking the power tool upon determining that the current time exceeds the lock out time.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising

receiving, by a backup battery receptacle of the power tool, a backup power source;

blocking, by the battery pack, the backup battery receptacle when the battery pack is connected to the battery pack interface; and

providing access to the backup battery receptacle when the battery pack is disconnected from the battery pack interface.

17. A method of wirelessly communicating by a power tool, the method comprising:

detecting activation of an actuator;

controlling, by a controller, a switching network of the power tool to apply power from a battery pack to drive a motor of the power tool based on the activation of the actuator;

determining, by a wireless communication controller, that a battery pack interface is disconnected from the battery pack;

entering, by the wireless communication controller, an advertisement state for wireless communication based on determining that the battery pack interface is disconnected from the battery pack;

transmitting, by the wireless communication controller, an advertisement message including a unique tool identifier of the power tool when in the advertisement state; and

maintaining the controller in an unpowered state when the wireless communication controller is in the advertisement state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising

determining, by the wireless communication controller, that the battery pack interface is connected to the battery pack;

entering, by the wireless communication controller, a connectable state for wireless communication based on determining that the battery pack interface is connected to the battery pack;

forming a wireless communication link with an external device in the connectable state; and

communicating, over the wireless communication link, to one or more of transmit tool operational data and receive tool configuration data from the external device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, in the connectable state,

storing the tool configuration data received from the external device to a memory of the power tool;

and

controlling driving the motor of the power tool based on the tool configuration data.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

powering the wireless communication controller with power from a backup power source in the advertisement state; and

powering the wireless communication controller with power from the battery pack in the connectable state.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining, by the external device, a communication state of the wireless communication controller, the communication state being one selected from the group consisting of the connectable state and the advertisement state;

displaying, by the external device, an identity of the power tool and the communication state.