Monitoring tools

1. A system comprising:

an accelerometer coupled to a hand tool,

and

a processor for receiving data from the accelerometer and analyzing the data to detect an event associated with operation of the hand tool, wherein detecting the event comprises at least one of: detecting human operator error, detecting that the tool has been dropped, detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool, or detecting a click.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the accelerometer includes a multi-axis accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 1 in which detecting the event includes detecting human operator error.

4. The system of claim 1 in which detecting the event includes detecting that the tool has been dropped.

5. The system of claim 1 in which detecting the event includes detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the hand tool includes a torque wrench.

7. The system of claim 1 comprising a task completion component for monitoring successful tasks performed by the hand tool and comparing the number of successful tasks with an expected number of successful tasks.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the hand tool is a click-type torque wrench, and wherein detecting the event includes detecting a click produced by the wrench when a predetermined torque level is reached.

9. The system of claim 8 in which the processor detects an event by analyzing values of at least one of relative magnitude and timing of impulse-like signals from a plurality of sensors.

10. The system of claim 8 in which analyzing the data to detect an event comprises determining when the accelerometer produces at least two distinct spikes that define an interval substantially satisfying first predetermined criteria and have magnitudes substantially satisfying second predetermined criteria.

11. The system of claim 10 comprising an angular rate sensor.

12. The system of claim 11 in which the processor, based on a measure of angular rotation preceding the click produced by the wrench, determines if the click is caused by tightening of a bolt that has previously been tightened.

13. The system of claim 11 in which, to determine whether the event has occurred, the processor compares a signal from the angular rate sensor with third predetermined criteria during at least one of time intervals before, during and after the two spikes.

14. The system of claim 1 comprising an integration component for integrating an angular motion of the tool.

15. The system of claim 1 comprising a position measurement component for measuring a location of the tool during the event.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the processor verifies proper operation of the hand tool by comparing a measured location of the tool with an expected location of the tool.

17. The system of claim 15 in which the processor verifies that events associated with operation of the hand tool take place in a predetermined sequence and at predetermined locations.

18. A method of monitoring operation of a hand tool, comprising:

by an accelerometer, sensing the operation of the hand tool,

generating data based on the sensing, and

analyzing the data to detect an event associated with operation of the hand, wherein detecting the event comprises at least one of: detecting human operator error, detecting that the tool has been dropped, detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool, or detecting a click.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting the data from the hand tool at one location to a processor for the analyzing at another location.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the analyzing is carried out at the hand tool.

21. The method of claim 18 in which detecting the event includes detecting human operator error.

22. The method of claim 18 in which detecting the event includes detecting that the tool has been dropped.

23. The method of claim 18 in which detecting the event includes detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool.

24. The method of claim 18 in which the hand tool includes a torque wrench.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising monitoring successful tasks performed by the hand tool and comparing the number of successful tasks with an expected number of successful tasks.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising detecting an event by analyzing values of at least one of relative magnitude and timing of impulse-like signals from a plurality of sensors.

27. The method of claim 26 in which analyzing the data to detect an event comprises determining when the accelerometer produces at least two distinct spikes that define an interval substantially satisfying first predetermined criteria and have magnitudes substantially satisfying second predetermined criteria.

28. The method of claim 18 in which the hand tool is a click-type torque wrench, and detecting the event includes detecting a click produced by the wrench when a predetermined torque level is reached.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising, based on a measure of angular rotation preceding the click produced by the wrench, determining if the click is caused by a bolt that has previously been tightened.

30. The method of claim 18 further comprising measuring a location of the tool substantially during the event.

31. The method of claim 18 further comprising verifying the operation of the hand tool by comparing a measured location of the tool with an expected location of the tool.

32. The method of claim 18 further comprising verifying that events associated with operation of the hand tool take place in a predetermined sequence and at predetermined locations.

33. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to:

produce data based on sensing, by an accelerometer, an operation of a hand tool, and

analyze the data to detect an event associated with operation of the hand tool, wherein detecting the event comprises at least one of: detecting human operator error, detecting that the tool has been dropped, detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool, or detecting a click.

34. The medium of claim 33 further comprising instructions to transmit the data from the hand tool at one location to a processor for the analyzing at another location.

35. The medium of claim 33 in which the analyzing is carried out at the hand tool.

36. The medium of claim 33 in which detecting the event includes detecting human operator error.

37. The medium of claim 33 in which detecting the event includes detecting that the tool has been dropped.

38. The medium of claim 33 in which detecting the event includes detecting that an operation of the hand tool is a repeat of a previous operation of the hand tool.

39. The medium of claim 33 in which the hand tool includes a torque wrench.