Power tool and method for wireless communication
Patent No. US9756402 (titled "Power tool and method for wireless communication") on May 4, 2016. The application was issued on Sep 5, 2017.
What is this patent about?
’402 is related to the field of cordless power tools and their integration with wireless communication networks. Specifically, it addresses the challenge of maintaining tool visibility, security, and data integrity when the primary battery pack is removed or depleted, ensuring the tool remains part of a managed ecosystem even during storage or transport.
The underlying idea behind ’402 is the implementation of a dual-state wireless architecture supported by a secondary internal power source. By decoupling the communication module from the main high-voltage battery, the tool can transition between a high-bandwidth 'connectable' state for active configuration and a low-power 'advertisement' state for persistent identification and security monitoring.
The claims of ’402 focus on a wireless communication controller that automatically toggles between these two states based on the presence of a battery pack. The independent claims specifically protect the mechanism of using a backup power source to broadcast a unique tool identifier and backup battery status while the tool is unpowered, alongside a time-based lock-out feature driven by an internal real-time clock.
In practice, the system utilizes a real-time clock (RTC) that remains active regardless of the main battery status. This allows the tool to enforce security protocols, such as a scheduled expiration, where the controller compares the current time against a user-defined lock-out timestamp. If the tool is stolen or not checked back into a tool crib by a certain date, the internal logic disables the motor drive circuitry, rendering the hardware inoperable until authorized via the wireless link.
This approach differentiates itself from prior solutions by ensuring the tool is never truly 'dark.' While traditional tools lose all intelligence once the battery is pulled, this invention maintains a persistent heartbeat through periodic advertisement packets. This allows fleet management software to distinguish between a tool that is simply offline and one that is physically present but unpowered, while simultaneously tracking the health of the internal backup cell to prevent security lapses.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2010s when ’402 was filed, cordless power tools were increasingly incorporating digital control systems at a time when tool management was typically implemented using physical inventory logs or wired diagnostic connections. When systems commonly relied on the presence of a primary high-voltage battery pack to power all onboard electronics, wireless connectivity was generally limited to active operational periods. Hardware constraints made persistent wireless presence non-trivial, as maintaining a communication link or broadcasting identification signals without the main power source would rapidly deplete standard volatile memory or auxiliary circuits, often resulting in the loss of real-time tracking and tool state data once the battery pack was removed for charging or storage.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a meaningful technical advancement through an architectural shift that decouples the tool's wireless communication state from the presence of its primary power source. By integrating a dedicated backup power source and a multi-state wireless communication controller, the system enables a dual-mode operational capability: a high-bandwidth 'connectable state' for data exchange when the main battery is attached, and a low-power 'advertisement state' for persistent identification when the battery is removed. This structural solution overcomes the technical constraint of tool invisibility during power-down cycles, achieving the technical effect of continuous asset tracking and security monitoring. Furthermore, the integration of a real-time clock powered by the backup source enables time-based security lockouts that persist independently of the main battery status, providing a hardware-level enforcement mechanism for tool management.
Claims
The patent includes a total of 23 claims, with claims 1, 11, and 22 serving as the independent claims. These independent claims focus on a power tool and associated method for managing multiple wireless communication states, specifically transitioning between a connectable state for data exchange when a primary battery is attached and an advertisement state for broadcasting a unique identifier using a backup power source when the primary battery is removed. The dependent claims further define the system by specifying hardware components like switching networks and real-time clocks, detailing the physical accessibility of the backup power source, and describing operational features such as tool lockout functions based on time limits and the transmission of specific tool usage or configuration data.
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US9756402
- Application Number
- US15146535A
- Filing Date
- May 4, 2016
- Publication Date
- Sep 5, 2017
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents