Power tool communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11810063-B2
Application number	US-202117196188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2021
Priority date	Jun 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A mobile device and method for determining power tool attendance. The mobile device and method are able to generate a list of power tools that are missing based on being outside of communication range with the mobile device. For example, the mobile device includes a short-range transceiver, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and the short-range transceiver. The processor is configured to receive a list of a first plurality of power tools and receive, via a user interface, a selection to detect nearby tools. The processor is also configured to receive, via the short-range transceiver, identification signals from a second plurality of power tools and determine that a subset of the first plurality of power tools is missing based on the identification signals. The processor is further configured to generate an indication that the subset of the first plurality of power tools is missing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of displaying information corresponding to a power tool using a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a short-range transceiver of the mobile electronic device, identification signals from a plurality of power tool devices;
displaying, via a user interface of the mobile electronic device, identification information of the plurality of power tool devices;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a power tool device from the plurality of power tool devices for display;
receiving, via the short-range transceiver, information corresponding to the power tool device; and
displaying, via the user interface, an indication of a voltage level of a back-up power supply of the power tool device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication includes a warning icon when a voltage percentage of the back-up power supply drops below a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, using an electronic processor of the mobile electronic device, whether the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below a first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold; and
displaying, via the user interface, a first warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, using the electronic processor, whether the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold; and
displaying, via the user interface, a second warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the back-up power supply is a coin cell battery.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is a percentage of remaining voltage on the back-up power supply.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, via the user interface, a list of identification information of the plurality of power tool devices and a plurality of indications of a voltage level of respective back-up power supplies of the plurality of power tool devices,
wherein the plurality of indications are displayed in correspondence with the identification information of the plurality of power tool devices.

8. A mobile electronic device comprising:
a short-range transceiver for communicating with a plurality of power tool devices;
a user interface;
an electronic processor connected to the short-range transceiver and the user interface, the electronic processor configured to:
receive, via the short-range transceiver, identification signals from the plurality of power tool devices;
display, via the user interface, identification information of the plurality of power tool devices;
receive, via the user interface, a selection of a power tool device from the plurality of power tool devices for display;
receive, via the short-range transceiver, information corresponding to the power tool device; and
display, via the user interface, an indication of a voltage level of a back-up power supply of the power tool device.

9. The mobile electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the indication includes a warning icon when a voltage percentage of the back-up power supply drops below a predetermined threshold.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:
determine whether the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below a first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold; and
display, via the user interface, a first warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold.

11. The mobile electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:
determine whether the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold; and
display a second warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the back-up power supply is a coin cell battery.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the indication is a percentage of remaining voltage on the back-up power supply.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:
displaying, via the user interface, a list of identification information of the plurality of power tool devices and a plurality of indications of a voltage level of respective back-up power supplies of the plurality of power tool devices,
wherein the plurality of indications are displayed in correspondence with the identification information of the plurality of power tool devices.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for displaying information corresponding to a power tool using a mobile electronic device and including computer executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling operation of the mobile electronic device to:
receive, via a short-range transceiver of the mobile electronic device, identification signals from a plurality of power tool devices;
receive, via the short-range transceiver, information corresponding to the plurality of power tool devices; and
display, via a user interface, a list of identification information of the plurality of power tool devices and a plurality of indications of a voltage level of respective back-up power supplies of the plurality of power tool devices, wherein the plurality of indications are displayed in correspondence with the identification information of the plurality of power tool devices.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indications includes a warning icon when a voltage percentage of the back-up power supply drops below a predetermined threshold.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of back-up power supplies are coin cell batteries.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indications includes a percentage of remaining voltage on the back-up power supplies.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising computer executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling operation of the mobile electronic device to:
determine, using an electronic processor of the mobile electronic device, whether a voltage level of a back-up power supply is below a first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold; and
display, via the user interface, a first warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the first low battery threshold and above a second low battery threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising computer executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling operation of the mobile electronic device to:
determine, using the electronic processor, whether the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold; and
display, via the user interface, a second warning icon when the voltage level of the back-up power supply is below the second low battery threshold.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Matson Stephen
• Coulis Christian

Classifications

• G06Q10/0877

  by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting · CPC title

• 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

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title