Granted Patent B2

US 7,157,883 · App. 11/322,738 · Granted Jan 2, 2007

Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation

Abstract

Claims (20)

1. A method for operating a battery pack, the battery pack having a battery pack condition, the battery pack condition having a range, said method comprising the acts of:

conducting an operation which includes operating the battery pack;

measuring a first measurement of the battery pack condition;

measuring a second measurement of the battery pack condition, at least one of the first measurement and the second measurement being outside of the range;

averaging the first measurement and the second measurement to provide an average measurement; and

if the average measurement is within the range, continuing the operation which includes operating the battery pack.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the act of providing a controller, and wherein the measuring acts and the averaging act are performed by the controller.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the providing act includes the act of providing the battery pack including the controller.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the battery pack condition is a voltage.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the battery pack condition is a temperature.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the act of measuring a third measurement of the battery pack condition, and wherein the averaging act includes the act of averaging the first measurement, the second measurement and the third measurement to provide the average measurement.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the act of discontinuing the operation if the average measurement is outside of the range.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the range includes a range threshold, and wherein the discontinuing act includes the act of discontinuing the operation if the average measurement is at least one of equal to and greater than the range threshold.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the range includes a range threshold, and wherein the discontinuing act includes the act of discontinuing the operation if the average measurement is at least one of equal to and less than the range threshold.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conducting act and the continuing act include the act of supplying power from the battery pack to an electrical device to operate the electrical device.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the supplying act includes supplying power from the battery pack to a power tool to operate the power tool.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the conducting act includes the act of supplying an in rush current to the power tool, the act of supplying the in rush current causing at least one of the first measurement and the second measurement to be outside of the range.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the conducting act includes the act of supplying a speed control signal to the power tool, the act of supplying the speed control signal causing at least one of the first measurement and the second measurement to be outside of the range.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the conducting act includes the act of stalling the power tool, the act of stalling the power tool causing at least one of the first measurement and the second measurement to be outside of the range.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conducting act and the continuing act include the act of supplying power to battery pack to charge the battery pack.

Continuity (9)