Insertable wireless communication device for a power tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11570888-B2
Application number	US-202217752548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	Nov 21, 2019
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A power tool may include a compartment in its housing and a first printed circuit board (PCB) located in the housing and electrically coupled to a first connector. An insertable wireless communication device may include a second electronic processor and an antenna that are each mounted to a second PCB. The insertable wireless communication device may be configured to be received in the compartment and may include a second connector configured to electrically and physically couple to the first connector. The insertable wireless communication device may be configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device. When the insertable wireless communication device is inserted into the compartment, a first conductive layer of the first PCB may be configured to be electrically coupled to the antenna via the first connector and the second connector such that the first conductive layer of the first PCB serves as a ground plane of the antenna.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wireless communication system comprising:
a transmitting device housing including a securing element configured to secure the transmitting device housing to an object;
a power source within the transmitting device housing;
a compartment located in the transmitting device housing; and
a first insertable wireless communication device including a first electronic processor and a first antenna each of which is mounted to a first printed circuit board (PCB), the first insertable wireless communication device configured to be received in the compartment,
wherein the first insertable wireless communication device is configured to receive power from the power source when the first insertable wireless communication device is inserted into the compartment, and
wherein the first insertable wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a first external device via a first communication protocol; and

a second insertable wireless communication device including a second electronic processor and a second antenna each of which is mounted to a second PCB, the second insertable wireless communication device configured to be received in the compartment,
wherein the second insertable wireless communication device is configured to receive power from the power source when the second insertable wireless communication device is inserted into the compartment, and
wherein the second insertable wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second external device via a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol includes short-range radio communication and the second communication protocol includes long-range radio communication over a cellular network.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second insertable wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first external device via the first communication protocol.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a third PCB located within the transmitting device housing;
wherein, when one of the first insertable wireless communication device and the second insertable wireless communication device is inserted into the compartment, a first conductive layer of the third PCB is configured to be electrically coupled to a respective one of the first antenna or the second antenna such that the first conductive layer of the third PCB serves as a ground plane of the respective one of the first antenna or the second antenna.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4 , wherein a second conductive layer of the first PCB is configured to be electrically coupled to the first antenna, and wherein a third conductive layer of the second PCB is configured to be electrically coupled to the second antenna;
when one of the first insertable wireless communication device and the second insertable wireless communication device is inserted into the compartment, the third PCB and a respective one of the first PCB or the second PCB are configured to extend in approximately the same plane, and the first conductive layer of the third PCB is configured to serve in combination with the respective one of the first PCB and the second PCB as the ground plane of the respective one of the first antenna or the second antenna.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 4 , wherein the power source is located on the third PCB.

7. A wireless communication device comprising:
an antenna;
a first electronic processor coupled to the antenna, wherein the first electronic processor is configured to
wirelessly communicate with an external device via the antenna, and
communicate with a second electronic processor of a host device, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to be removably received in a compartment of the host device;

wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to
receive power from an energy storage device included in the host device upon being inserted into the compartment,
broadcast, via the antenna, a unique identifier of the wireless communication device,
receive a unique identifier of the host device from the second electronic processor of the host device,
receive an acknowledgement from the second electronic processor, wherein the acknowledgement indicates whether the host device is associated with a different wireless communication device,
in response to the acknowledgement indicating that the host device is associated with the different wireless communication device, broadcast, via the antenna, the unique identifier of the wireless communication device, the unique identifier of the host device, and an improper device removal flag, and
in response to the acknowledgement indicating that the host device is not associated with the different wireless communication device, initiate association of the wireless communication device with the host device by communicating with the external device via the antenna.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first electronic processor is configured to communicate the unique identifier of the wireless communication device to the second electronic processor of the host device; and
wherein the acknowledgement from the second electronic processor of the host device is received in response to the first electronic processor communicating the unique identifier of the wireless communication device to the second electronic processor.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein receipt of the improper device removal flag by the external device causes the external device to transmit a message to a server to instruct the server to flag the host device as missing.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first electronic processor is configured to associate the wireless communication device with the host device by:
establishing, via the antenna, a communicative connection between the external device and the wireless communication device;
transmitting, via the antenna, insertable device authentication data of the wireless communication device to the external device;
receiving, from the second electronic processor of the host device, host device authentication data of the host device;
transmitting, via the antenna, the host device authentication data to the external device;
receiving, from the external device, an administrative password of the host device;
communicating the administrative password of the host device to the second electronic processor of the host device;
receiving, from the external device, an administrative password of the wireless communication device;
receiving, from the external device, a first command to associate the host device with the wireless communication device;
communicating the first command to the host device;
receiving, from the external device a second command to associate the wireless communication device with the host device; and
storing the unique identifier of the host device and an association status in a memory of the wireless communication device in accordance with the second command.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first electronic processor is configured to
broadcast the unique identifier of the wireless communication device until the second electronic processor wakes up from a low power sleep mode; and
in response to the second electronic processor waking up from the low power sleep mode, receive the unique identifier of the host device and the acknowledgement from the second electronic

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Lienau John B
• Davis Anthony M
• Duncan Ian A
• Gordon Benjamin
• Matson Stephen
• Smith Steven M

Classifications

• B25F5/02

  Construction of casings, bodies or handles {(B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01R12/7058

  characterised by the movement, e.g. pivoting, camming or translating parallel to the PCB · CPC title

• B25B21/00

  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 title

• H05K1/0243 Primary

  Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components · CPC title