AT522384A1 - WORK EQUIPMENT AND METHOD OF DETECTING A WORK EQUIPMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

Portable, hand-held tool (Ai; i = 1,2, ... N) with a power supply that can be connected to an external power supply to provide the operating voltage required to operate the tool (Ai), as well as a manually operated trigger switch (2) for switching on - and switching off the implement (Ai) when the operating voltage is provided. It is proposed that the work device (Ai) is provided with a short-range radio transmitter (5) for wireless transmission of identification information identifying the work device (Ai), the short-range radio transmitter (5) to maintain the transmission of the identification information when there is no operating voltage Has internal voltage supply, which is formed by a charged fast-charging capacitor (7) when the operating voltage is maintained. Furthermore, a method for detecting the identity and position of a portable, hand-held work device (Ai) is proposed.

Description

The invention relates to a portable, hand-operated tool with a power supply that can be connected to an external power supply to provide the operating voltage required to operate the tool, as well as a manually operated trigger switch for switching the tool on and off when the operating voltage is provided, according to the preamble of claim 1, as well as a method for detecting the identity and position of a portable, hand-held working device according to the preamble

of claim 5.

Companies sometimes have a large number of portable, hand-held work equipment such as drills, rotary hammers, grinders or saws of various types, which are used not only on their own premises, but also on external construction sites or locally distributed operations. It is sometimes difficult to see the current location of all tools. However, it would be advantageous for deployment planning as well as for inventory purposes to know the current location of each piece of equipment and to have the current location available to employees of the company. Such knowledge of the last place of use can also be used during the reconnaissance

help with theft of portable tools.

It is therefore the aim of the invention to implement portable, hand-held working devices and corresponding methods which allow the identity and position of each working device for the purpose of more precise deployment planning and inventory

to be recorded in terms of data.

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1 and by a method according to claim 5. Claim 1 initially relates to a portable, hand-held tool with a voltage supply that can be connected to an external power supply system to provide the operating voltage required to operate the tool,

and a manually operated trigger switch for on and off

Fast charging capacitor is formed.

The short-range radio transmitter is based, for example, on "Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)" technology, with which data can be exchanged with other devices within a limited radius of 10-100 m. The power consumption can be kept very low. According to the invention, such a short-range radio transmitter is used to repeatedly transmit the identification information of the tool at predetermined, short time intervals of seconds to a few minutes, especially even if the operating device is not powered during the entire discharge time of the fast-charging capacitor. According to the invention, the short-range radio transmitter relies on an internal voltage supply that bridges the gap and ensures a power supply when the power supply intended for operating the tool is not available, i.e. when the tool is not connected to an external power supply or no battery is plugged in . This state is characterized by a lack of operating voltage, in the case of which no operation of the can be switched on by means of the trigger switch

Working device is possible. The residual voltage supply provides

but nevertheless, at least during the discharge time of the fast-charging capacitor, ensure that the identification information of the implement is also used

missing operating voltage can be sent. It can of course also be provided that the short-range radio transmitter is not only used when there is no operating voltage of the implement

during the entire discharge time of the fast-charging capacitor

sends, but also when the operating voltage is maintained.

The voltage supply that can be connected to an external power supply system can be a power supply unit for the working device or a rechargeable battery that can be connected to an external power supply system via a separate charger. The internal voltage supply formed by a fast-charging capacitor is charged when the operating voltage is maintained, i.e. when the power supply unit is connected to an external power supply via a cable or a battery is plugged in, in that the fast-charging capacitor is connected to the power supply of the work device in such a way that it is indeed when the operating voltage is maintained is charged, but is not discharged when the implement is started up by pressing the trigger switch. If the operating voltage is maintained, the tool can still be switched on and off by operating the trigger switch in order to put the tool into operation or out of operation. The fast charging capacitor is to be configured in such a way that the expected, for example daily, operating times of the work device, during which the power supply of the work device is maintained, a sufficient charging of the

Ensure fast charging capacitor, so that the short-range radio transmitter subsequently reliably receives the identification information | during the expected non-operating time of the implement with the discharge current given due to the radio operation of the short-range radio transmitter

sends. |

Since the time spans of an upright operating voltage are definitely |

can be short, it is further proposed according to the invention that a fast charging capacitor is used as an internal voltage supply.

Fast charging capacitors, also called super capacitors or

Ultracapacitors are electrochemical capacitors known as double-layer capacitors,

Pseudo capacitors or hybrid capacitors are executed

conventional electrolytic capacitors well below 1

Farad lie. The energy density of currently available fast-charging capacitors, i.e. the storable electrical energy related to the mass of the capacitor,

is around 0.5-15 Wh / kg at the time of registration and is thus significantly below the values that can be achieved by accumulators. However, the power density of fast-charging capacitors in relation to the mass of the capacitor, which is a measure of the speed with which energy can be delivered to a load or absorbed from an energy source, is about 10-100 times that of accumulators, so that fast-charging capacitors are extremely high have short loading times. In the context of the present invention, the effective power density of the fast charging capacitor is preferably 2-20 kW / kg, the effective power density of the fast charging capacitor being derived from the voltage U and

the internal resistance R; of the capacitor is calculated as follows: Pers = U? / (8.Rı)

Due to the high power density of the fast charging capacitor proposed according to the invention, the internal voltage supply of the short-range radio transmitter can be sufficiently charged even when the operating voltage of the working device is maintained for short periods of time in order to send the identification information for a sufficient period of time if the operating voltage is missing. The exact design of the fast charging capacitor in terms of capacity and

As already mentioned, power density can depend on the

idle times of the implement.

Furthermore, it is preferably proposed that the short-range radio transmitter be provided with a motion sensor. The motion sensor detects movements of the hand-held implement, which are interpreted as putting the implement into operation. The duration of the detected movements is recorded as the operating time and can also be transmitted as operating time information via the short-range radio transmitter. Specifically, the procedure can be such that the motion sensor is activated as soon as the work device is connected to an external power supply, and from then on logs the duration of the detected movements during the period of an upright operating voltage. If the work device is disconnected from the external power supply, i.e. if there is no operating voltage, the logged total operating time during the period of the operating voltage is used as operating time information and transmitted via the short-range radio transmitter. The operating time determined in this way can be used, for example, as a measure of the wear and tear of the working device and for determining maintenance intervals. The operating time determined in this way can also be used for later, precise accounting of the operating hours, which in conventional

Way can often only be estimated.

Furthermore, it is preferably proposed that the working device is provided with a short-range radio receiver for receiving the identification information of another working device and has a memory for storing the identification information. In this way, several working devices can be networked with one another, as before

will be described in more detail.

The tools according to the invention can for a

inventive method for the data acquisition of

the identification information of the implement to the

Mobile radio terminal is transmitted, wherein after the transmission of the identification information, the mobile radio terminal determines the position of the mobile radio terminal and the position information and the

Identification information is transmitted via a cellular connection to a central database for storing the last available position and ZIdentigungsinformation of the implement. The mobile radio connection is provided in a known manner by the radio network of a mobile radio operator. The central database will be embedded in a digital data processing system, which for example enables subsequent digital processing of the position and identification information, or also enables employees to access the database. The mobile radio terminal can be a mobile phone (“smartphone”), for example, or a tablet, a laptop, or something else provided with a router or gateway

Device, provided it establishes and uses cellular connections

can. The mobile radio terminal can be provided with user-specific operating software (for example as an “application” or “app”) that supports the

Mobile radio terminal enabled to recognize the radio signal of the short-range radio transmitter and the

Read out identification information.

Conventional mobile radio terminals are usually already provided by the manufacturer with a position determination unit

provided so that reading out a

the identification information and the determination of the

To transmit position information. The method according to the invention offers the practical advantage that the short-range radio transmitter of the working device and the mobile radio terminal do not initially respond to one for the transmission of the identification information

Mobile network are dependent, since in practical use many construction sites are outside the reception range of mobile networks. The mobile radio terminal can receive the identification information from the working device via its short-range radio interface even if there is no mobile radio connection, and usually also the GPS signal for determining the position. The position information and the identification information can thus be collected independently of a mobile radio connection. The position information and the identification information do not have to be sent immediately either, but rather can only be transmitted to the central database when the user of the mobile radio terminal has moved into an area in which again

a cellular connection is available.

the logged total operating time during the

Period of the operating voltage is used as operating time information and transmitted via the short-range radio transmitter. The so determined

Operating time can be used, for example, as a measure of wear and tear

of the implement and to define maintenance intervals. The operating time determined in this way can also be used for later, more precise

Used to offset the operating hours.

As already stated, the working device can also be provided with a short-range radio receiver for receiving the identification information of another working device, and can also have a memory for storing the identification information. For such an embodiment it is proposed that if a mobile radio terminal provided with a short-range radio interface is present in the transmission range of the short-range radio transmitter, the identification information of the working device and the identification information of another working device received by means of the short-range radio receiver are sent to the

Mobile terminal and transmitted to the central database

be detected in a timely manner, since in this embodiment it is sufficient that one working device is in the transmission range of the short-range radio transmitter of another working device

is located.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment with the aid of the accompanying drawings. It

show the

1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment

an implement according to the invention, and the

Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration to explain a

Embodiment of the method according to the invention.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a working device according to the invention A: (i1 = 1, 2,... N). The

portable and hand-held implement A; is designed, for example, as a drill in the exemplary embodiment shown and has a power supply unit 1 which has a voltage supply that can be connected to an external power supply system for providing the power required for operating the implement A; represents the required operating voltage. The implement A; furthermore has a manually operated trigger switch 2 with which, for example, a motor 3 of the implement A; when the operating voltage is maintained, that is, when the power supply unit 1 has been connected to an external power supply system, can be switched on and off by means of a circuit 4, not shown in detail

can.

The work device Ai is equipped with a short-range radio transmitter 5

provided inside a housing of the implement A:

is arranged and has an internal voltage supply also arranged within the housing, which is designed as a fast charging capacitor 7. The fast-charging capacitor 7 is connected to the circuit 4 in such a way that it is charged when the operating voltage is maintained, but when the implement A is started up; is not discharged by actuating the trigger switch 2, which is indicated in FIG. 1 by the arrangement of a diode. The short-range radio transmitter 5 is based, for example, on the “Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)” technology, with which in a limited transmission range S; (1 = 1,2, .. N) from 10-100 m data can be exchanged with other devices. The power consumption of the short-range radio transmitter 5 can be kept very low, so that the discharge current from the fast charging capacitor 7 and thus its discharge time are correspondingly small. If there is no operating voltage, the short-range radio transmitter 5 repeatedly sends identification information identifying the implement A: during the entire discharge time of the fast-charging capacitor 7 at predetermined time intervals of, for example, a few seconds. Of course, it can also be provided that the short-range radio transmitter 5 not only receives the identification information when there is no operating voltage

sends, but also when the operating voltage is maintained.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the implement A; furthermore a short-range radio receiver 6 and a motion sensor 12. The short-range radio receiver 6 is used to receive one of another implement A; read out sent identification information as soon as it is in the transmission area S: (1i = 1,2, .N) of this other implement A; is located, and to store in a shared memory of the short-range radio transmitter 5 and the short-range radio receiver 6. If there is identification information of another implement A:, the implement A sends; henceforth both its own identification information and the identification information of the relevant other implement A :. The movement sensor 12 detects movements

of the hand-held tool A; which is used as the commissioning of the

Tool A; be interpreted. The duration of the detected movements is recorded as the operating time and stored in the shared memory so that it can also be transmitted as operating time information via the close-range radio transmitter 5. The procedure can be such that the motion sensor 12 is activated as soon as the implement A; is connected to an external power supply, and from then on the duration of the detected movements is logged during the period of an upright operating voltage. If the implement Ai is disconnected from the external power supply, i.e. when there is no operating voltage,

the logged total operating time during the

Period of the upright operating voltage used as operating time information and transmitted via the short-range radio transmitter 5. The so determined

Operating time can be used, for example, as a measure of wear and tear

of the implement Az and for the definition of maintenance intervals. The operating time determined in this way can also be used for later, more precise

Used to offset the operating hours.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows a schematic illustration for explaining an embodiment of the method according to the invention. There are several working devices A; shown, in the present embodiment, about three tools Ai, A, Az (N = 3), each equipped with the components shown in FIG. The working devices Ai shown each transmit in particular even when there is no operating voltage for the respective working device A; their respective identification information about their respective transmission area Si. Furthermore, in FIG. 2 a

Mobile terminal 8 can be seen, which with a short-range

Radio interface 9 for receiving the identification information and with a position determination unit 10 is provided. At the

Mobile radio terminal 8 can be a mobile phone (“smartphone”), for example, or a tablet or a

Laptop, provided they set up and use cellular connections

can. The mobile radio terminal 8 is also provided with user-specific operating software (for example as an “application” or “app”) which enables the mobile radio terminal 8 to recognize the radio signal from the short-range radio transmitter 5 and to read out the transmitted identification information. The mobile radio terminal 8 is connected to a central database 11 via a mobile radio connection which is provided in a known manner by the radio network of a mobile radio operator. Data from the central database 11 and data from the central database 11 can be transmitted via the mobile radio connection

can be read out on the mobile radio terminal 8.

As soon as a mobile radio terminal 8 is, for example, in the transmission range S,> of the working device A; is located, the mobile radio terminal 8 detects the signal emitted by the short-range radio transmitter 5 of the implement A, »and receives the identification information transmitted by the implement A, which identifies the implement A. Furthermore, the stored in the memory of the work device A2

Operating time information transmitted. If in the memory of the

Work device A », identification information for example for the work device Aı and / or the work device Az3 are also stored, these are also stored

Identification information transmitted by the short-range radio transmitter 5 and received by the mobile radio terminal 8. Of

Furthermore, it can be provided that the mobile radio terminal 8

the implement A confirms the successful receipt of the identification information by means of a confirmation signal, which

Radio receiver 6 of the work device A2 is received and, for example, deletion of the stored identification information of the other work devices Aı

and / or Az initiated to the memory of the implement A, »to

relieve. After the transmission of identification information, the mobile radio terminal 8 determines the position of the

Mobile radio terminal 8. The position determined in this way is used as an approximation for the position of the implement A; and, if applicable, the work devices A, and Az are used, since the inaccuracy essentially corresponds to the transmission range S2 of the short-range radio transmitter 5 and for the purpose of detecting the work devices A; is usually sufficient. The identification information is subsequently shared with the position information and the

Operating time information via the cellular connection to the

central database 11 for storage and the last available position and identification information of the work equipment Ai, as well as for updating the

Operating duration information is transmitted, whereby it can be expedient to temporarily store all of the information collected in a memory of the mobile radio terminal 8 and to transmit it to the central database 11 as a data packet at predetermined time intervals. In this case, time information can also be determined in order to also determine the exact point in time of the acquisition of the identification information and the operating time information and the determination of the

To transmit position information.

In the central database 11, the respectively last available position and identification information of the working devices Ar as well as the respectively updated operating time information are stored and held ready for retrieval. The central database 11 will be embedded in a digital data processing system which, for example, enables subsequent digital processing of the position and identification information, for example for inventory purposes, or access to the

central database 11 made possible by employees.

With the aid of the invention, a portable, hand-held work device Az and a corresponding method are thus realized which allow the identity and position of each work device A; for the purpose of more precise deployment planning and

To record inventory with data.

Claims (4)

Patent claims: 1. Portable, hand-held tool (A ;; i = 1,2, .. N) with a power supply that can be connected to an external power supply to provide the operating voltage required to operate the tool (Ai), as well as a manually operated trigger switch (2) for switching the implement (A;) on and off when the operating voltage is provided, characterized in that the implement (A; i) is provided with a short-range radio transmitter (5) for wireless transmission of identification information identifying the implement (As), the Short-range radio transmitter (5) has an internal voltage supply for maintaining the transmission of the identification information in the event of a lack of operating voltage, which is charged by an internal voltage supply Fast charging capacitor (7) is formed. 2. Portable, hand-held tool (Ai) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast-charging capacitor (7) has an effective Has a power density of 2-20 kW / kg. 3. Portable, hand-held tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the short-range radio transmitter (5) with a motion sensor (12) is provided. 4. Portable, hand-held implement (A;) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a short-range radio receiver (6) for receiving the identification information of another implement (A;) and a memory for storing the Has identification information. Method for detecting the identity and position of a portable, hand-held implement (A;) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the short-range radio transmitter (5) during the entire discharge period of the fast-charging capacitor in the absence of operating voltage of the implement (A :) (7) repeatedly sends the identification information of the working device (A :;), and if one is present with a short-range radio interface (9) for reception the identification information and with a Position determination unit (10) provided mobile radio terminal (8) in the transmission range (Si; i = 1,2, .. N) of the short-range radio transmitter (5) Identification information of the working device (A) is transmitted to the mobile radio terminal (8), with the mobile radio terminal (8) determining the position of the mobile radio terminal (8) after the transmission of the identification information and the position information and the identification information to a central database (11) via a mobile radio connection to store the last available position and identification information of the Implement (A :). Method according to claim 5 for detecting the identity and position of a portable, hand-held work device (Aı) according to claim 3, characterized in that an operating time of the work device (A :;) as operating time information by means of the movement sensor (12) of the short-range radio transmitter (5) is determined, and if a mobile radio terminal (8) provided with a short-range radio interface (9) is present in the transmission range (S :) of the short-range radio transmitter (5) the service life information with the Identification information is transmitted to the mobile radio terminal (8) and to the central database (11) becomes. Method according to claim 5 or 6 for the detection of the identity and position of a portable, hand-held work device (Ai) according to claim 4, characterized in that when a mobile radio terminal (8) provided with a short-range radio interface (9) is present in the transmission range (Si) of the Short-range radio transmitter (5) the identification information of the working device (A) and the identification information of another working device (A :) received by means of the short-range radio receiver (6) to the mobile radio terminal (8) and is transmitted to the central database (11).