Power tool and method for wireless communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12225335-B2
Application number	US-202318519757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a power tool device including a housing including a battery pack receiving portion, wherein the battery pack receiving portion includes:
a terminal block including first terminals configured to make contact with second terminals of a battery pack, wherein the terminal block is located in approximately a center of the battery pack receiving portion in a left-right direction that is perpendicular to a second direction along which the battery pack is configured to slide to engage a connecting structure of the battery pack receiving portion, the connecting structure configured to secure the battery pack to the battery pack receiving portion, and
a compartment configured to receive a modular unit device, wherein the compartment is positioned on a lateral side of the battery pack receiving portion in the left-right direction;

the modular unit device including a first wireless transceiver and a power source configured to provide power to the first wireless transceiver, wherein the modular unit device is removable from the compartment when the battery pack is decoupled from the battery pack receiving portion, and the modular unit device is not removable from the compartment when the battery pack is coupled to the battery pack receiving portion; and
an external device including:
a second wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the first wireless transceiver,
a display, and
an electronic processor coupled to the second wireless transceiver and to the display, the electronic processor configured to control the display to display information about the modular unit device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about the modular unit device includes text data indicating the power tool device in which the modular unit device is received.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about the modular unit device is displayed such that the information about the modular unit device indicates whether the modular unit device is within communication range of the external device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to control the display to display an icon to indicate whether the modular unit device is within communication range of the external device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to control the display to display an icon to indicate a communication state of the modular unit device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular unit device includes a first modular unit device, and wherein the power tool device includes a first power tool device; and
wherein the electronic processor is configured to control the display to display a list of power tool devices, the list including first text data indicating the first power tool device in which the first modular unit device is received and second text data indicating a second power tool device in which a second modular unit device is received.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the list includes a first icon to indicate a first communication state of the first modular unit device and a second icon to indicate a second communication state of the second modular unit device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular unit device includes:
a planar support structure; and
third terminals located on the planar support structure and configured to removably receive the power source;
wherein the third terminals are located on a side of the planar support structure that faces toward the terminal block of the power tool device when the modular unit device is located in the compartment;
wherein the power source is located on the side of the planar support structure that faces toward the terminal block of the power tool device when the modular unit device is located in the compartment and the power source is connected to the third terminals;
wherein the modular unit device is configured to be secured in the compartment using one or more screws;
wherein the one or more screws is inaccessible when the battery pack is coupled to the battery pack receiving portion, and the one or more screws is accessible when the battery pack is decoupled from the battery pack receiving portion;
wherein the power source is configured to provide power to a light-emitting diode (LED);
wherein the compartment is configured to receive the modular unit device along a third direction that is perpendicular to the second direction and perpendicular to the left-right direction; and
wherein the first wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit a unique identifier to the external device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power tool device further includes a motor within the housing, wherein the motor is configured to drive an output drive device.

10. A power tool device comprising:
a housing including a battery pack receiving portion;
wherein the battery pack receiving portion includes:
a terminal block including first terminals configured to make contact with second terminals of a battery pack, wherein the terminal block is located in approximately a center of the battery pack receiving portion in a left-right direction that is perpendicular to a second direction along which the battery pack is configured to slide to engage a connecting structure of the battery pack receiving portion, the connecting structure configured to secure the battery pack to the battery pack receiving portion, and
a compartment configured to receive a modular unit device including a wireless transceiver and a power source configured to provide power to the wireless transceiver and to a light-emitting diode (LED),
wherein the compartment is positioned on a lateral side of the battery pack receiving portion in the left-right direction,
wherein the modular unit device is removable from the compartment when the battery pack is decoupled from the battery pack receiving portion, and the modular unit device is not removable from the compartment when the battery pack is coupled to the battery pack receiving portion, and
wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit a unique identifier to an external device.

11. The power tool device of claim 10 , wherein the modular unit device is configured to be secured in the compartment using one or more screws; and
wherein the one or more screws are inaccessible when the battery pack is coupled to the battery pack receiving portion, and the one or more screws are accessible when the battery pack is decoupled from the battery pack receiving portion.

12. The power tool device of claim 10 , wherein the modular unit device comprises:
a planar support structure; and
third terminals located on the planar support structure and configured to removably receive the power source;
wherein the third terminals are located on a side of the planar support structure that faces toward the terminal block of the power tool device when the modular unit device is located in the compartment;
wherein the power source is located on the side of the planar support structure that faces toward the terminal block of the power tool device when the modular unit device is located in the compartment and the power source is connected to the third terminals; and
wherein the power source includes a coin cell battery.

13. The power tool device of claim 10 , wherein the compartment is configured to receive the modular unit device along a third direction that is perpendicular to the second direction and perpendicular to the left-right direction.

14. The power tool device of claim 10 , wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly tran

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Stampfl Burtrom Lee
• Mergener Matthew J
• Huber Alex
• Rossetto Paul
• Conrad Cole A
• Matson Stephen
• Fischer Scott R
• Kubale Mark A
• Coulis Christian

Classifications

• 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

• B23Q17/00 Primary

  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 title

• B25F5/00

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

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title