IP Library Granted Patent US 12,367,169
Granted Patent B2
US 12,367,169 · App. 18/230,548 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Method and system of using USB user interface in electronic torque wrench

Inventors: Jie Li (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA); Jerry A. King (Hacienda Hts, CA); Tingwen Wu (Hacienda Heights, CA); Nathan J. Lee (Escondido, CA)
Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
G06F13/4282B25B23/1425H02J7/00034G06F2213/0042
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,367,169
App. No.
18/230,548
Granted
Jul 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication port interface facilitates charging of a power source, such as a battery, while the power source remains coupled to a tool. The communication port interface also facilitates downloading of torque and/or angle log information from an electronic torque tool to an external device. Torque and/or angle preset job information may be entered in client software and uploaded from the external device to the electronic torque tool via the communication port interface. Additional information including real time clock information and wrench system parameters may be uploaded to the electronic torque tool via the communication port interface.

Claims (19)

1. A charger adapted to charge a power source coupled to a tool, comprising:

a USB cable coupling the charger and the tool, and having first and second control lines, wherein the charger is adapted to:

send a first signal via the first control line to the tool to actuate a switch of the tool to an ON position;

allow a flow of power via the USB cable to the power source coupled to the tool;

measure a voltage of the power source, via the USB cable; and

cease the flow of power to the power source when the measured voltage substantially meets a voltage threshold.

2. The charger of claim 1 , wherein the charger is adapted to cease the flow of power by sending a second signal via the first control line to the tool to actuate the switch of the tool to an OFF position.

3. The charger of claim 1 , wherein the charger is further adapted to measure a temperature of the power source, via the second control line.

4. The charger of claim 3 , wherein the charger is further adapted to cease the flow of power to the power source when the measured temperature substantially meets or exceeds a temperature threshold.

5. The charger of claim 4 , wherein the charger is adapted to measure the temperature of the power source by receiving an output of a thermistor embedded in the power source.

6. The charger of claim 4 , wherein the charger is adapted to cease the flow of power by sending a second signal via the first control line to the tool to actuate the switch of the tool to an OFF position.

7. A charger adapted to charge a power source coupled to a tool, comprising:

a USB cable coupling the charger and the tool, and having first and second control lines, wherein the charger is adapted to:

send a first signal via the first control line to the tool to actuate a switch of the tool to an ON position;

allow a flow of power via the USB cable to the power source coupled to the tool;

measure a temperature of the power source via the second control line; and

cease the flow of power to the power source when the measured temperature substantially meets a temperature threshold.

8. The charger of claim 7 , wherein the charger is adapted to cease the flow of power by sending a second signal via the first control line to the tool to actuate the switch of the tool to an OFF position.

9. The charger of claim 7 , wherein the charger is adapted to measure the temperature of the power source by receiving an output of a thermistor embedded in the power source.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16804854 · Feb 28, 2020
Continuation In Part 13888685 · May 7, 2013
Related Publication 20230376443A1 · Nov 23, 2023
References Cited (98)
US 5354215A · Viracola · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 6415342B1 · Standiford et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6573621B2 · Neumann · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 7501792B2 · Boerjesson et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7502949B2 · Park · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7518343B2 · Skarine et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7688037B2 · Huh · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7768239B2 · Skarine et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7893660B2 · Skarine et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8095713B2 · Dorogusker et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8242742B2 · Guo et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8259221B1 · Bacho et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8283897B2 · Skarine et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8332664B2 · Sander et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8350522B2 · Johnson · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8358100B2 · Helfrich · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8412857B2 · Ady et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8610407B2 · Skarine et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8618769B2 · Johnson · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8667303B2 · Ady et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8723476B2 · Helfrich · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8736227B2 · Chadbourne et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8756358B2 · Su et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8812883B2 · Sander et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8981731B1 · Oku · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9037756B2 · Lee · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9224359B2 · Bourque · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9395780B2 · Berthout et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9407101B2 · Oku · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9459670B2 · Colahan et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9547617B2 · Berthout et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9569609B2 · Bourque · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9577452B2 · Kuan · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9627899B2 · Lee · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9634502B2 · Irish et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9917457B2 · Barnett et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 9953156B2 · Bourque · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 9990326B2 · Aiken et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10114401B2 · Furtner · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10204069B2 · Berthout et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10248599B2 · Burgers et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10310576B2 · Ueki · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10318394B2 · Newberry · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10333261B2 · Peng et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10430360B2 · Berthout et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10614013B2 · Bechtel et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10878077B2 · Bourque · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20050194928A1 · Hou · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20070067547A1 · Jang · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070145945A1 · McGinley et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20100213891A1 · Nishikawa · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20120021696A1 · Chang · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20120162839A1 · Wiederhold · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140042970A1 · Grigoryants · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140245037A1 · Geeraert et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140351622A1 · Sander et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160043586A1 · Wang · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160204626A1 · Cruz · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160226278A1 · Barnett et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170039153A1 · Chen et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170060799A1 · Berthout et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170108910A1 · Goh · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170187216A1 · Irish et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180011809A9 · Chen et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180076639A1 · Furui et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180097372A1 · Li · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180166886A1 · Euda · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180254648A1 · Harju · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190171600A1 · Burgers et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190215584A1 · Stampfl et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200044473A1 · Katase et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 104508939 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 104521094 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105563401 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 105762898A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 207530268 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108274424 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108879842A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108942767 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 109950433A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 2942853 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP H0765870 · 1995 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018062013 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
TW I388407 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 20180205684 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 8,878,496 B1, 11/2014, Oku (withdrawn) [cited by applicant]
www.wikipedia.org, Thermistor, 2004, p. 1-2 (Year: 2004). [cited by examiner]
Australian Examination Report No. 1 for corresponding AU Application No. 2023201155, dated Sep. 7, 2023, 3 pages. [cited by applicant]
United Kingdom Examination Report for corresponding UK Application No. GB2213929.9, dated Aug. 23, 2023, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Taiwan First Office Action for corresponding TW Application No. 112115816, dated Aug. 1, 2023, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Australian Examination Report No. 1 for corresponding AU Application No. 2021200856 dated Dec. 3, 2021, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
United Kingdom Combined Search and Examination Report for corresponding UK Application No. GB2102065.6 dated Dec. 14, 2021, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Taiwan First Office Action for corresponding Taiwan Patent Application No. 11021244350 dated Dec. 22, 2021, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
Examiner's Report for corresponding Application No. 3,108,639 dated Mar. 4, 2022, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Taiwan Office Action for corresponding Application No. 11120405540 dated Apr. 27, 2022, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
Examination Report for corresponding Application No. GB2102065.6 dated May 27, 2022, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Combined Search and Examination Report for corresponding Application No. GB2213929.9 dated Mar. 17, 2023, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Second Office Action for corresponding CN Application No. 202110226760.4, dated Feb. 4, 2024, 18 pages. [cited by applicant]