IP Library › Granted Patent US 12711963

Granted Patent B2

US 12711963 · App. 18/650,427 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Power tool system

Inventors: Fumitoshi Numata (Anjo, JP); Koichi Yakabe (Anjo, JP); Takumi Hayashi (Anjo, JP)

Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION

G10L17/22 B25F5/00 G10L17/06 H04R1/1008 H04R1/1025 H04R1/1041 H05B47/197 H04R2420/07

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12711963
App. No.: 18/650,427
Granted: Aug 18, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A power tool system includes at least one controlled device including a power tool, and a voice control device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one controlled device. The voice control device includes a at least one first processor configured to control operation of the at least one controlled device. The at least one first processor is configured to acquire voice data, and to control operation of the power tool in accordance with a command relating to the operation of the power tool and identified based on the voice data.

Claims (77)

1 . A power tool system comprising:

at least one controlled device including a power tool; and

a voice control device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one controlled device; and

a user device configured to wirelessly communicate with the voice control device,

wherein:

the voice control device includes at least one first processor configured to control operation of the at least one controlled device;

the at least one first processor is configured to (i) acquire voice data, and (ii) control operation of the power tool in accordance with a command relating to the operation of the power tool and identified based on the voice data;

the user device includes (i) a voice input portion including a microphone and configured to receive an input of voice via the microphone and convert the voice to the voice data and (ii) at least one second processor configured to control operation of the user device;

the at least one second processor is configured to transmit, to the voice control device, the voice data generated by the voice input portion; and

the at least one first processor of the voice control device is configured to control the operation of the power tool based on the voice data received from the user device.

2 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the user device further includes a voice output portion configured to output voice; and

the at least one first processor is configured to control the output of the voice output portion.

3 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the user device is a wearable device.

4 . The power tool system according to claim 3 , wherein the wearable device is a neck speaker wearable around the neck of a person.

5 . The power tool system according to claim 3 , wherein

the wearable device further includes a detection portion configured to detect whether the wearable device is being worn,

the at least one second processor is configured to transmit, to the voice control device, information indicating whether the wearable device is being worn, in accordance with a detection result by the detection portion, and

the at least one first processor is configured to perform different processing depending on when the at least one first processor receives information indicating that the wearable device is not being worn and when the at least one first processor receives information indicating that the wearable device is being worn.

6 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the voice control device includes a battery mounting portion;

the voice control device is configured to operate using power supplied from a rechargeable battery detachably mounted to the battery mounting portion; and

the battery is selectively mountable to multiple types of power tools.

7 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first processor is configured to perform at least one of voice recognition of the voice data and identification of the command, using a machine-learned model.

8 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one first processor is configured to (i) perform voiceprint authentication using the voice data and comparison data of at least one registered user, and (ii) determine whether voice represented by the voice data is voice of the at least one registered user; and

the at least one first processor is configured to cause the power tool to operate in accordance with the command only if the at least one first processor determines that the voice represented by the voice data is the voice of the at least one registered user.

9 . The power tool system according to claim 5 , wherein:

the at least one controlled device includes the wearable device;

the wearable device further includes a voice output portion configured to output voice;

the at least one first processor is configured to output voice from the voice output portion requesting an utterance for performing the voiceprint authentication once more, in response to receiving the information, from the wearable device, indicating that the wearable device is not being worn.

10 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first processor is configured to confirm, with a user, whether execution of the command is allowed, before causing the power tool to perform the operation in accordance with the command.

11 . The power tool system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one first processor is configured to cause the voice output portion of the user device to output voice requesting a user to confirm execution of the command, before causing the power tool to perform the operation in accordance with the command.

12 . The power tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first processor is configured to (i) determine whether the command identified based on the voice data is executable without limitation in the power tool, and (ii) perform different processing depending on when the command is determined not to be executable without limitation and when the command is determined to be executable without limitation.

13 . The power tool system according to claim 12 , wherein:

the power tool includes (i) a motor and (ii) at least one third controller; and

when the at least one third controller receives control information for executing the command from the voice control device during driving of the motor, the tool controller causes the power tool to operate in accordance with the control information after the driving of the motor is stopped.

14 . The power tool system according to claim 13 , wherein:

the at least one first controller is configured to transmit, to the power tool, different control information depending on whether or not the command is executable without limitation; and

the at least one third processor is configured to (i) cause the power tool to operate in accordance with the control information after the driving of the motor is stopped, in response to receiving control information indicating that there is a limitation on execution of the command from the voice control device during the driving of the motor, and (ii) cause the power tool to operate in accordance with the control information regardless of the driving of the motor, in response to receiving the control information indicating that there is no limitation on execution of the command from the voice control device during the driving of the motor.

15 . The power tool system according to claim 1 ,

wherein:

the user device is a neck speaker configured to wirelessly communicate with the voice control device and wearable around the neck of a person;

the neck speaker includes a detection portion configured to detect whether the neck speaker is being worn;

the at least one second processor is configured to (i) transmit, to the voice control device, the voice data generated by the voice input portion and (ii) transmit, to the voice control device, information indicating whether the neck speaker is being worn, in accordance with a detection result by the detection portion;

the at least one first processor is configured to perform at least one of voice recognition of the voice data and identification of the command, using a machine-learned model; and

the at least one first processor is configured to control the operation of the power tool in accordance with the command identified based on the voice data acquired from the neck speaker and the information indicating whether the neck speaker is being worn.

16 . The power tool system according to claim 15 , wherein:

the at least one controlled device includes the neck speaker;

the neck speaker further includes a voice output portion configured to output voice;

the at least one first processor is configured to (i) cause the voice output portion of the neck speaker to output voice requesting a user to confirm execution of the command, in response to determining that the voice represented by the voice data is the voice of the at least one registered user, (ii) cause the power tool to operate in accordance with the command, in response to determining, based on the voice data acquired from the neck speaker, that the user confirmed the execution of the command and in response to receiving, from the neck speaker, the information indicating that the neck speaker is being worn, and (iii) cause the voice output portion of the neck speaker to output voice requesting an utterance for performing the voiceprint authentication once more, in response to receiving, from the neck speaker, the information indicating that the neck speaker is not being worn.

17 . The power tool system according to claim 16 , wherein:

the power tool includes (i) a motor and (ii) at least one third controller configured to control operation of the power tool in accordance with control information received from the voice control device for executing the command;

the at least one first controller is configured to transmit, to the power tool, different control information depending on whether or not the command is executable without limitation; and

18 . A power tool system comprising:

at least one controlled device including a power tool; and

a voice control device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one controlled device,

wherein:

the voice control device includes at least one first processor configured to control operation of the at least one controlled device;

19 . A power tool system comprising:

at least one controlled device including a power tool; and

a voice control device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one controlled device,

wherein:

the voice control device includes at least one first processor configured to control operation of the at least one controlled device;

the at least one first processor is configured to (i) determine whether the command identified based on the voice data is executable without limitation in the power tool, and (ii) perform different processing depending on when the command is determined not to be executable without limitation and when the command is determined to be executable without limitation;

the power tool includes (i) a motor and (ii) at least one third controller;

the at least one first controller is configured to transmit, to the power tool, different control information depending on whether or not the command is executable without limitation; and