Communicator, electric working machine, and communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10847013-B2
Application number	US-201916514171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2019
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A communicator in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a connector, a communication circuit, and a communication controller. The connector is electrically coupled to an electric working machine. The communication circuit performs wireless communication. The communication controller cyclically transmits operational information without specifying a recipient via the communication circuit in response to an operating mode of the communication controller being set to an operation-transmission mode. The operational information indicates an operating state of the electric working machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communicator comprising:
a connector configured to be detachably coupled to an electric working machine, the electric working machine including:
a motor; and
a tool configured to be driven by the motor;

a communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit information input to the communication circuit;
a display;
a communication controller configured to generate operational information based on whether the motor is being driven, the operational information indicating whether the motor is being driven, the communication controller being further configured to transmit the operational information via the communication circuit to indicate an operational state of the motor; and
a display controller configured to show first information on the display in response to the motor being driven, the first information indicating that the motor is being driven, the display controller being further configured to show second information on the display in response to the motor being stopped, the second information indicating that the motor is stopped.

2. The communicator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication controller is configured to receive an operational signal indicating whether the motor is being driven, and
wherein the communication controller is configured to transmit the operational information indicating that the motor is being driven, in response to the operational signal indicating that the motor is being driven, and configured to transmit the operational information indicating that the motor is not being driven, in response to the operational signal indicating that the motor is not being driven.

3. The communicator according to claim 2 ,
wherein the communication controller is configured to receive the operational signal from the electric working machine via the connector.

4. The communicator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display controller is configured to receive an operational signal indicating whether the motor is being driven, and
wherein the display controller is configured to show the first information or the second information on the display in accordance with the operational signal.

5. The communicator according to claim 4 ,
wherein the display controller is configured to receive the operational signal from the electric working machine via the connector.

6. The communicator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication controller is configured to be set to an operation-transmission mode,
wherein the communication controller in the operation-transmission mode is configured to transmit the operational information, and
wherein the display controller is configured to show the first information or the second information on the display in response to the communication controller being set to the operation-transmission mode.

7. The communicator according to claim 6 ,
wherein the communication controller is further configured to be set to a registration-transmission mode,
wherein the communication controller in the registration-transmission mode is configured to transmit registration information via the communication circuit, the registration information including a command to register communicator information that identifies the communicator, and
wherein the display controller is configured to show third information on the display in response to the communication controller being set to the registration-transmission mode, the third information indicating that the communication controller is set to the registration-transmission mode.

8. The communicator according to claim 7 ,
wherein the communication controller is further configured to be set to a deletion-transmission mode,
wherein the communication controller in the deletion-transmission mode is configured to transmit deletion information via the communication circuit, the deletion information including a command to delete the communicator information, and
wherein the display controller is configured to show fourth information on the display in response to the communication controller being set to the deletion-transmission mode, the fourth information indicating that the communication controller is set to the deletion-transmission mode.

9. The communicator according to claim 7 ,
wherein the display comprises a plurality of LEDs,
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the plurality of LEDs to emit light in a first light-emitting pattern to thereby display the first information,
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the plurality of LEDs to emit light in a second light-emitting pattern to thereby display the second information, the second light-emitting pattern being different from the first light-emitting pattern, and
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the plurality of LEDs to emit light in a third light-emitting pattern to thereby display the third information, the third light-emitting pattern being different from the first light-emitting pattern and the second light-emitting pattern.

10. The communicator according to claim 6 ,
wherein the communication controller is further configured to be set to a wait-transmission mode in response to the connector being coupled to the electric working machine,
wherein the communication controller in the wait-transmission mode is configured to transmit identification information that indicates the communicator via the communication circuit, and
wherein the display controller is configured to show fifth information on the display in response to the communication controller being set to the wait-transmission mode, the fifth information indicating that the communication controller is set to the wait-transmission mode.

11. The communicator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display includes an LED.

12. The communicator according to claim 11 ,
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the LED to emit light in a first light-emitting pattern to thereby display the first information, and
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the LED to emit light in a second light-emitting pattern to thereby display the second information, the second light-emitting pattern being different from the first light-emitting pattern.

13. The communicator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication controller is configured to cyclically transmit the operational information via the communication circuit without specifying a recipient.

14. A first communicator that is configured to communicate with a second communicator provided to a transmission side electric working machine, the first communicator comprising:
a connector configured to be detachably coupled to a receiving side electric working machine;
a communication circuit configured to receive radio waves containing information, wherein the radio waves are transmitted from the second communicator;
a display;
a communication controller configured to receive operational information via the communication circuit, the operational information being wirelessly transmitted from the second communicator, the operational information indicating whether a motor of the transmission side electric working machine is being driven, the communication controller being configured to output the operational information to the receiving side electric working machine; and
a display controller configured to show first information on the display in response to the operational information indicating that the motor is being driven, the first information indicating that the motor is being driven, the display controller being further configured to show second information on

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Kusakawa Takuya
• Fukumoto Masaaki

Classifications

• B25F5/00 Primary

  Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B23D59/0064

  by suction · CPC title

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04H20/16

  Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly · CPC title