Power tool with combined chip for wireless communications and power tool control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12311522-B2
Application number	US-202418661961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2024
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

Power tool devices described herein include a motor, an actuator configured to be actuated by a user, a plurality of power switching elements configured to drive the motor, a gate driver coupled to the plurality of power switching elements and configured to control the plurality of power switching elements, a first printed circuit board (PCB), an antenna, and a combined chip. The combined chip is located on the first PCB and is coupled to the actuator, the antenna, and the gate driver. The combined chip includes a memory and an electronic processor configured to determine that the actuator has been actuated, and provide, in response to determining that the actuator has been actuated, a signal to the gate driver, control the signal based on the motor position information, wirelessly transmit power tool device information to an external device, and wirelessly receive configuration information from the external device via the antenna.

First claim

We claim:

1. A power tool device comprising:
an actuator configured to be actuated by a user;
a powered element;
a power switching element configured to control whether power is provided to the powered element;
a gate driver coupled to the power switching element and configured to control the power switching element;
a printed circuit board (PCB);
a driver chip including the gate driver and a power manager for the gate driver, wherein the power manager is configured to:
monitor a characteristic of the powered element, the power switching element, or both the powered element and the power switching element, and
control the gate driver based on the characteristic that is monitored; and

a combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip located on the PCB and coupled to the actuator and the gate driver, wherein the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip includes a memory and one or more electronic processors, the one or more electronic processors configured to control both (i) power tool device operation and (ii) wireless communication between the power tool device and an external device, wherein the one or more electronic processors of the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip control the wireless communication between the power tool device and the external device (i) by interfacing directly with a wireless transceiver and (ii) without interfacing with any intermediate electrical components of the power tool device that are external to the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip between the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip and the wireless transceiver.

2. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the powered element includes a work light, and wherein the one or more electronic processors is configured to control power tool device operation by controlling a signal provided to the gate driver to control a work light duration, a work light intensity, or both the work light duration and the work light intensity.

3. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the power tool device includes a work light, and wherein a primary function of the power tool device includes lighting an area.

4. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the powered element includes a motor, and further comprising a Hall effect sensor configured to monitor motor position information of the motor;
wherein the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip is coupled to the Hall effect sensor; and
wherein the one or more electronic processors is configured to receive the motor position information from the Hall effect sensor, and control a signal provided to the gate driver based on the motor position information.

5. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the PCB is located below the powered element and above the actuator.

6. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the power switching element is located on the PCB.

7. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic processors is configured to:
wirelessly transmit power tool device information to the external device, wherein the power tool device information includes at least one of the group consisting of usage data, maintenance data, mode information, and combinations thereof; and
wirelessly receive configuration information from the external device, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of the group consisting of a motor speed parameter, a motor torque parameter, a work light parameter, and combinations thereof.

8. The power tool device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver is integrated into the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip, wherein the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip includes an integrated antenna, and wherein the one or more electronic processors is configured to:
wirelessly transmit power tool device information to the external device via the integrated antenna; and
wirelessly receive configuration information from the external device via the integrated antenna, wherein the one or more electronic processors is configured to use the configuration information to control a signal that is provided to the gate driver.

9. A method of operating a power tool device, the method comprising:
controlling, with one or more electronic processors of the power tool device, both (i) power tool device operation and (ii) wireless communication between the power tool device and an external device, wherein the one or more electronic processors is included in a combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip that includes a memory, the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip being located on a printed circuit board (PCB) and coupled to an actuator of the power tool device, and wherein the one or more electronic processors of the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip control the wireless communication between the power tool device and the external device (i) by interfacing directly with a wireless transceiver and (ii) without interfacing with any intermediate electrical components of the power tool device that are external to the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip between the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip and the wireless transceiver; and
controlling, with a gate driver of the power tool device, a power switching element configured to control whether power is provided to a powered element of the power tool device, wherein the gate driver is included in a driver chip that includes a power manager for the gate driver, the power manager configured to:
monitor a characteristic of the powered element, the power switching element, or both the powered element and the power switching element, and
control the gate driver based on the characteristic that is monitored.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the powered element includes a work light, and further comprising providing, with the one or more electronic processors, a signal to the gate driver to control a work light duration, a work light intensity, or both the work light duration and the work light intensity.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power tool device includes a work light, and wherein a primary function of the power tool device includes lighting an area.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the powered element includes a motor, and further comprising:
receiving, with the one or more electronic processors, motor position information of the motor from a Hall effect sensor coupled to the combined power tool device control and wireless communication control chip; and
controlling, with the one or more electronic processors, a signal provided to the gate driver based on the motor position information.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the PCB is located below the powered element and above the actuator.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power switching element is located on the PCB.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
wirelessly transmitting, with the one or more electronic processors, power tool device information to an external device, wherein the power tool device information includes at least one of the group consisting of usage data, maintenance data, mode information, and combinations thereof; and
wirelessly receiving, with the one or more electronic processors, configuration information

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Davis Anthony
• Huber Alexander
• Obermann Timothy R

Classifications

• H04M1/72415

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• H04M1/72412

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• B25D16/00

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• B25B21/02

  with means for imparting impact to screwdriver blade or nut socket · CPC title

• B25D2250/221

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