Power management system and tool powered by battery pack

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a power management system and a battery pack powered tool, the power management system comprising: a battery pack powered tool; one or more battery packs coupled to the battery pack powered tool; a first plurality of sub-circuits including a switch and one or more first peripheral outputs; and a second plurality of sub-circuits including a voltage regulator and one or more second peripheral outputs. The system also includes one or more control lines for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application is a divisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 247,447 filed on September 23, 2021 and claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to battery-powered devices, and more particularly to battery-powered tools or accessories. Utility Model Content

[0004] Embodiments described herein provide a power management system, the power management system comprising: a battery-powered tool; one or more battery packs, the one or more battery packs coupled to the battery-powered tool; a first plurality of subcircuits, the first plurality of subcircuits comprising switches and one or more first peripheral outputs; and a second plurality of subcircuits, the second plurality of subcircuits comprising voltage regulators and one or more second peripheral outputs. The system also includes one or more control lines, the one or more control lines being used to enable or disable the first plurality of subcircuits and the second plurality of subcircuits.

[0005] In some aspects, the one or more battery packs include a first battery pack and a second battery pack.

[0006] In some aspects, the first plurality of sub-circuits include high-side switches connected to at least one of a pulse width modulation ("PWM") driver, a memory, or one or more indicators.

[0007] In some aspects, the second plurality of sub-circuits includes a low dropout ("LDO") voltage regulator connected to at least one of the one or more sensors or the communication line.

[0008] In some aspects, the system also includes a switch mode power supply ("SMPS") configured to provide power to the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits from the one or more battery packs.

[0009] In some aspects, the SMPS is a buck converter.

[0010] In some aspects, the system further includes a processing unit configured to control at least one of the one or more control lines for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits.

[0011] In some aspects, the system further includes a control switch for controlling at least one of the one or more control lines for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits.

[0012] In some aspects, enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits reduces a quiescent current of the battery-powered tool to less than 7 microamps.

[0013] In some aspects, the system also includes one or more low equivalent series resistance ("ESR") output capacitors, a buffer capacitor, and a series resistor connected between the ESR output capacitor and the buffer capacitor.

[0014] The embodiments described herein provide a method for managing power consumption of a battery-powered tool. The method includes receiving power from one or more battery packs using a controller. The one or more battery packs are coupled to a battery-powered tool. The method also includes providing power from the one or more battery packs to a first plurality of subcircuits of the battery-powered tool using the controller. The first plurality of subcircuits include switches and one or more first peripheral outputs. The method further includes providing power from the one or more battery packs to a second plurality of subcircuits of the battery-powered tool using the controller. The second plurality of subcircuits include a voltage regulator and one or more second peripheral outputs. The method also includes controlling the operation of the battery-powered tool using the controller. The operation is to enable or disable the first plurality of subcircuits and the second plurality of subcircuits using one or more control lines.

[0015] In some aspects, the one or more battery packs include a first battery pack and a second battery pack.

[0016] In some aspects, the first plurality of sub-circuits include high-side switches connected to at least one of a pulse width modulation ("PWM") driver, a memory, or one or more indicators.

[0017] In some aspects, the second plurality of sub-circuits includes a low dropout ("LDO") voltage regulator connected to at least one of the sensor or the communication line.

[0018] In some aspects, controlling operation of a battery-powered tool includes controlling, with a controller, a switch mode power supply ("SMPS") to provide power from one or more batteries to a first plurality of sub-circuits and a second plurality of sub-circuits.

[0019] In some aspects, the SMPS is a buck converter.

[0020] In some aspects, enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits reduces a quiescent current of a tool powered by the battery pack to less than 7 microamps.

[0021] In some aspects, controlling operation of a battery-powered tool includes: determining, using a controller, that the battery-powered tool is not in use; and sending, using the controller, a control signal via one or more control lines to disable the first plurality of subcircuits and the second plurality of subcircuits.

[0022] In some aspects, controlling operation of a battery powered tool includes: determining, using a controller, that the battery powered tool is in use; and sending, using the controller, a control signal over one or more control lines that enables a first plurality of sub-circuits and a second plurality of sub-circuits.

[0023] Embodiments described herein include a battery-powered tool. The battery-powered tool includes: a battery interface configured to receive a battery; a first subcircuit including a switch and a first peripheral output; a second subcircuit including a voltage regulator and a second peripheral output; and one or more control circuits configured to enable or disable the first subcircuit and / or the second subcircuit.

[0024] Before explaining any embodiment in detail, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the configuration and arrangement details of the components set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments can be practiced or executed in various ways. In addition, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered restrictive. The use of "including", "comprising" or "having" and variations thereof is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mount", "connect", "support" and "couple", and variations thereof are widely used and cover both direct mounting, connection, support and coupling and indirect mounting, connection, support and coupling.

[0025] In addition, it should be understood that embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules, which, for the purpose of discussion, may be shown and described as if most components are implemented only in hardware. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize based on reading this detailed description that, in at least one embodiment, electronic-based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on a non-transient computer-readable medium) that may be executed by one or more processing units (e.g., microprocessors and / or application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs")). Thus, it should be noted that embodiments may be implemented using a plurality of hardware- and software-based devices and a plurality of different structural components. For example, the "server," "computing device," "controller," "processor," etc. described in the specification may include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input / output interfaces, and various connectors (e.g., system buses) connecting these components.

[0026] Relative terms used in conjunction with quantities or conditions, such as "about", "approximately", "substantially", etc., will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to include the stated value and have the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with measurement accuracy, the tolerance associated with a particular value [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.], etc.). Such terms should also be considered to disclose a range defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. For example, the expression "from about 2 to about 4" also discloses a range "from 2 to 4". Relative terms can refer to positive and negative percentages (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) of the indicated value.

[0027] It should be understood that although some drawings show the hardware and software in a particular device, these depictions are for illustrative purposes only. The function described herein as being performed by a component can be performed in a distributed manner by multiple components. Likewise, the function performed by multiple components can be merged and performed by a single component. In some embodiments, the components shown can be combined or divided into separate software, firmware and / or hardware. For example, logic and processing can be distributed between multiple electronic processors, rather than being located in a single electronic processor and performed by it. Regardless of how hardware components and software components are combined or divided, these hardware components and software components can be located on the same computing device or can be distributed between different computing devices connected by one or more networks or other suitable communication links. Similarly, the components described as performing a specific function can also perform additional functions not described herein. For example, a device or structure "configured" in a certain way is configured at least in this way, but can also be configured in a way that is not explicitly listed.

[0028] Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a power tool, such as a handheld blower, with optional attachments according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 2 The invention is shown in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Figure 1 Battery pack for power tools.

[0031] Figure 3 The invention is shown in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Figure 2 Control systems for power tools.

[0032] Figure 4 The invention is shown in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Figure 2 Voltage control diagram for power tools.

[0033] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A circuit diagram for power management according to embodiments described herein is shown.

[0034] Figure 6 The present invention provides a method for managing Figure 1 The process of power consumption of power tools. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Generally, the present disclosure relates to a power management system for a battery pack coupled to a battery-powered device (such as a power tool or accessory). A battery-powered device may be designed to receive one or more battery packs (e.g., two battery packs), each of which is managed to extend life when coupled to the device. For a battery-powered device, it may be beneficial to keep its current consumption to a minimum to ensure extended battery life of the connected battery pack and avoid premature failure of the battery pack due to over-discharge events, particularly for lithium-ion battery packs. For some devices, it may be preferred to keep the standby current consumption of the battery pack to <7 microamperes ("uA"). Standby current consumption can be managed by a subcircuit or entire group of subcircuits that can be cut off, disconnected, or otherwise disabled from the battery-powered device. When the product is not in use, the total quiescent current consumption of the circuit is reduced by disabling subcircuits having pull-up resistor values ​​less than 1 megohm.

[0036] In some embodiments, the present disclosure may be implemented in a power tool or accessory powered by a battery pack. Figure 1An example battery-powered tool 100 is provided that is a handheld blower for implementing features of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure is discussed with respect to a battery-powered handheld blower, the present disclosure may be implemented using any combination of a battery-powered tool 100 or accessories without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure may be implemented in any combination of a cutting tool, a drilling tool, a lawn care tool, a lighting accessory, an audio / visual accessory, a generator, and the like.

[0037] Figure 1 A handheld blower with three attachments is generally shown, including an extension 102 and a nozzle 104. Each of the extension 102 and the nozzle 104 is configured to be removably connected to an outlet 108 of the handheld blower 100. The nozzle 104 is also configured to be removably connected to the extension 102. The handheld blower 100 further includes an inlet 110 opposite to the outlet 108 and upstream of the outlet. In the illustrated embodiment, a grille is disposed above the inlet 110 to prevent larger debris from entering the inlet 110. The grille can be a structure forming a series of slits, screens, circuitous flow paths, etc. The handheld blower 100 includes an air duct that fluidly connects the inlet 110 to the outlet 108 and extends along a longitudinal axis. The air duct is at least partially surrounded by a housing 114 of the battery-powered tool 100. In some embodiments, the housing 114 can include two clamshell halves that are joined together using fasteners to surround the air duct. The handheld blower further includes a handle 116. In some embodiments, the handle 116 extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0038] In some embodiments, the housing 114 and / or the handle 116 may include a battery pack interface or battery pack receiving cavity 118 defined therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery pack receiving cavity 118 also extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The battery pack receiving cavity 118 may be configured to receive at least a portion of one or more battery packs. In the operating position, when at least a portion of the battery pack is received in the battery pack receiving cavity 118, at least another portion of the battery pack may be disposed outside the battery pack receiving cavity 118 (in the illustrated embodiment, in a direction substantially behind the handle 116). The portion of the battery pack outside the battery pack receiving cavity 118 is disposed radially outward from the longitudinal axis at a position above the inlet 110. With the battery pack located within the battery pack receiving cavity 118, electrical communication may be established between the battery pack and the battery powered tool 100. The electrical communication link may be used to provide power from the battery pack to the battery powered tool 100, and to allow the battery powered tool 100 to manage battery usage.

[0039] In some embodiments, the battery pack can be any combination of 12 volt battery packs, 18 volt battery packs, 36 volt battery packs, 40 volt battery packs, 80 volt battery packs, etc. In some embodiments, the battery pack receiving cavity 118 can be designed to receive two 18 volt battery packs to provide, for example, a total of 36 volts to the battery powered tool 100. The battery pack is provided to provide power to the battery powered tool 100 and its various components. In some embodiments, the battery pack can provide power for the following: a motor (for powering the fan of the blower), a microcontroller for the motor (for example, Figure 3 The controller 400 includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) driver 450 (e.g., a FET switch bridge), a memory 460 (e.g., a solid state drive [SSD]), an indicator 430, various sensors 425, and any other combination of electrical components used by the battery powered tool 100. In some embodiments, one of the 18 volt battery packs may be designed to power a first subgroup of components, while a combination of two 18 volt battery packs may be designed to power a second subgroup of components within the battery powered tool 100, as discussed in more detail below.

[0040] The battery-powered tool 100 (e.g., a handheld blower) shown can include numerous other features, including, for example: one or more triggers 150 or other controls disposed on or around the handle 116; a plurality of support feet 152 that allow a user to place the handheld blower on a support surface; a plurality of vibration damping sections (e.g., made of a polymer material) connecting the air duct to the housing 114; a plurality of nozzle attachments and extension attachments of various shapes, sizes, and lengths, and the like.

[0041] refer to Figure 2 , depicts a battery pack 200 that includes a housing 205 and a battery pack interface 210 for connecting the battery pack 200 to a device (e.g., a battery pack-powered tool 100). As provided by the present disclosure, the discharge of the battery pack 200 can be controlled by any combination of a battery pack controller, a power tool, a battery pack charger, etc. The battery pack 200 can be an 18 volt or 36 volt battery pack, but other voltages between 12 volts and 120 volts are also contemplated. The battery pack interface 210 includes a combination of mechanical components (e.g., tracks, grooves, latches, etc.) and electrical components (e.g., one or more terminals) that are configured and operable to interface (e.g., mechanically, electrically, and communicatively connect) the battery pack 200 with the battery pack 200. For example, power provided by the battery pack 200 to the battery pack-powered tool 100 is provided to the power input module 440 (see the battery pack interface 210). Figure 3). The power input module 440 includes a combination of active and passive components to condition or control the power received from the battery pack 200 before providing the power to the controller 400. The battery pack interface 210 also supplies power to the PWM driver 450 to selectively provide power to the motor 405. The battery pack interface 210 also includes, for example, a communication line 495, which is used to provide a communication line or link between the controller 400 and the battery pack 200.

[0042] Figure 3 An example control system 300 is shown for a battery-powered device (e.g., a battery-powered tool 100). The control system 300 includes a controller 400 that is electrically and / or communicatively connected to various modules or components of the battery-powered tool 100. For example, the controller 400 shown is electrically connected (e.g., directly, indirectly via various subcircuits, etc.) to a motor 405, a battery pack interface 210, a trigger switch 415 (connected to a trigger 150), one or more sensors 425 or sensing circuits (e.g., one or more current sensors, one or more speed sensors, one or more Hall effect sensors, one or more temperature sensors, etc.), one or more indicators 430, a user input module 435, a power input module 440, a (PWM) driver 450 (or a field effect transistor [FET] module including a plurality of switching FETs in a bridge configuration), and a high-side switch 508 (see Figure 4 ). The controller 400 includes a combination of hardware and software operable to, among other things, control the operation of the battery-powered tool 100, monitor the operation of the battery-powered tool 100, enable one or more indicators 430 (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs)), and the like.

[0043] In some embodiments, the controller 400 includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components and modules within the controller 400 and / or the battery-powered tool 100. For example, the controller 400 includes, among other things, a processing unit 455 (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an electronic processor, an electronic controller, or another suitable programmable device), a memory 460, an input unit 465, and an output unit 470. The processing unit 455 includes, among other things, a control unit 475, an arithmetic logic unit ("ALU") 480, and a plurality of registers 485 (in Figure 3The processing unit 455, the memory 460, the input unit 465 and the output unit 470, and the various modules or circuits connected to the controller 400 are connected through one or more control buses and / or data buses (e.g., the common bus 490). For the purpose of illustration, the control bus and / or data bus are generally Figure 3 In view of the invention described herein, it is known to those skilled in the art to use one or more control buses and / or data buses for interconnection and communication between various modules, circuits and components.

[0044] The memory 460 is a non-transient computer readable medium and includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include a combination of different types of memory, such as ROM, RAM (e.g., DRAM, SDRAM, etc.), EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, SSD, SD card or other suitable magnetic storage device, optical storage device, physical storage device or electronic storage device. The processing unit 455 is connected to the memory 460 and executes software instructions, which can be stored in the RAM of the memory 460 (e.g., during execution), the ROM of the memory 460 (e.g., on a generally permanent basis) or another non-transient computer readable medium such as another memory or disk. The software included in the embodiment of the battery-powered tool 100 can be stored in the memory 460 of the controller 400. The software includes, for example, firmware, one or more application programs, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules and other executable instructions. The controller 400 is configured to obtain from the memory 460 and execute instructions related to the control process and method described herein, in particular. In other configurations, the controller 400 includes additional components, fewer components, or different components.

[0045] The indicator 430 includes one or more visual feedback, audio feedback, or tactile feedback to provide feedback to the user about the status of the battery-powered tool 100 and / or the battery pack 200. For example, the indicator 430 may include one or more light-emitting diodes ("LEDs"). The indicator 430 may be configured to display the status of the battery-powered tool 100 or information associated with the battery-powered tool. For example, the indicator 430 is configured to indicate a measured electrical characteristic of the battery-powered tool 100, the status of the battery pack 200, etc. The user input module 435 is operably coupled to the controller 400 to, for example, select a forward operating mode or a reverse operating mode, select a torque and / or speed setting for the battery-powered tool 100 (e.g., using a torque and / or speed switch), etc. In some embodiments, the user input module 435 includes a combination of digital input or output devices and analog input or output devices required to achieve the desired operating level of the battery-powered tool 100, such as one or more knobs, one or more dials, one or more switches, one or more buttons, one or more touch or pressure sensitive sensors, etc.

[0046] In some embodiments, the controller 400 may include one or more power management systems for controlling the power draw of one or more subsystems of the tool 100 powered by the battery pack, such as Figure 4 Depicted in. Reference Figure 4 , depicts an example voltage control diagram 500 for implementing a power management system of the present disclosure. The voltage control diagram 500 includes a first plurality of sub-circuits 502 for operating a battery-powered tool 100 and its various peripheral components. Examples of the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 may include an indicator 430, a memory 460, a PWM driver 450, and any additional circuitry for operation of the battery-powered tool 100. The first plurality of sub-circuits 502 may include a high-side switch 508 (or other switch) to provide voltage to the components of the first plurality of sub-circuits 502. The high-side switch 508 may be a highly integrated power switch for connecting and disconnecting a power source to a load of a component. For example, as Figure 4 , the high side switch 508 can connect and disconnect the power supply to the PWM driver 450, the memory 460, and the indicator 430. Using a load switch instead of a conventional MOSFET provides several advantages, including simplified design, small footprint, and protection features. In some embodiments, the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 (indicator 430, memory 460, PWM driver 450, and high side switch 508) can be disabled by sending a disable or disable signal to the high side switch 508, as discussed in more detail herein.

[0047] The voltage control diagram 500 also includes a second plurality of subcircuits 504 for operating the battery-powered tool 100 and its various peripheral components. Examples of the second plurality of subcircuits 504 may include one or more sensors 425, communication lines 495, and any additional circuits for the operation of the battery-powered tool 100. The second plurality of subcircuits 504 may include a voltage regulator 510 (e.g., a low-dropout voltage regulator, etc.) to provide voltage to the components of the second plurality of subcircuits 504. The voltage regulator 510 is used to provide a stable power supply voltage independent of the battery charge state. For example, when the battery drops from 14.1V to an almost fully discharged level, the voltage regulator 510 can maintain a constant 3.3V at the load (sensor 425 and communication line 495). In some embodiments, the second plurality of subcircuits 504 (one or more sensors 425, communication lines 495, and voltage regulator 510) can be disabled by sending a deactivation or disable signal to the voltage regulator 510, as discussed in more detail herein. Although the present disclosure is discussed with respect to two sets of sub-circuits with example peripherals, any number of sub-circuits and peripherals may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] In some embodiments, power from one or more of the plurality of battery packs 200 may be provided to power the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504. The power management system may be designed such that a combination of battery packs 200 may be used to power the sub-circuits 502, 504. For example, a combination of two 18V battery packs 200 may be used in combination and / or individually to power different sub-circuits 502, 504.

[0049] In some embodiments, a switch mode power supply ("SMPS") 506 may be provided to provide power from the battery pack 200 to the high side switch 508 and the voltage regulator 510. The SMPS 506 transmits power from the battery pack 200 to the components (e.g., PWM drivers, memory, indicators, sensors, communication components, etc.) of the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504 through a combination of switches and voltage regulators. The SMPS 506 may provide power to the high side switch 508 and the voltage regulator 510, which then deliver appropriate power to the components attached to the high side switch and the voltage regulator in a controlled manner. For example, the switch mode power supply continuously switches between a low power consumption state, a full on state, and a full off state, and spends very little time in a high power consumption transition, which minimizes wasted energy. In some embodiments, the SMPS 506 may be a buck converter that steps down the voltage from the battery pack 200 to the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504. For example, the SMPS 506 may step down the voltage from a first voltage (eg, 36V) to a second voltage (eg, 14.1V).

[0050] In some embodiments, the SMPS 506, the high-side switch 508, and the voltage regulator 510 may each include an enable pin for turning on or off control of the switch and / or the regulator. The enable pin may be coupled to a control line connected to a combination of the processing unit 455, the trigger 150, and / or the switch 415. The processing unit 455, the trigger 150, and / or the switch 415 may provide enable and / or disable signals depending on how the power management system is configured. Figure 4, in some embodiments, the processing unit 455 can be coupled to control lines for the SMPS 506 and the voltage regulator 510, while the trigger 150 and / or the switch 415 can be coupled to control lines for the high-side switch 508. Depending on the operation of the battery-powered tool 100, different control lines can be enabled / disabled to control loads from corresponding subcircuits. The control lines can be analog, digital, and / or any other communication type, and the control lines can (but are not limited to) immediately enable or disable circuits that obtain and / or control supply voltages to multiple cascaded subcircuits, or individually enable or disable circuits that obtain and / or control supply voltages to separate groups of subcircuits. For example, the first plurality of subcircuits 502 and the second plurality of subcircuits 504 can be arranged in a cascaded manner, wherein the deactivation of the SMPS 506 will result in the deactivation of both the first plurality of subcircuits 502 and the second plurality of subcircuits 504. Using the control circuitry, improvements in the life and operation of a battery pack 200 connected to a battery-powered tool 100 can be achieved because the battery pack reduces the current draw of the battery pack by deactivating circuits when the battery pack 200 is not in use. Additionally, the life and operation of the battery pack 200 can be improved by a combination of power sequencing and quiescent current conservation for extending the life of the battery rack.

[0051] In some embodiments, the power management system may include a processing unit 455, a trigger 150, and / or a switch 415 that may control the enabling and disabling of the sub-circuits 502, 504. The processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 and / or the switch 415 may be coupled to a voltage regulator 512 to receive power from the battery pack 200. The voltage regulator 512 may be the same as or different from the voltage regulator 510. The processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 and / or the switch 415 may not require power from all of the battery packs in the battery pack 200. For example, the processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 and / or the switch 415 may only require power from one of the 18 volt battery packs 200 coupled to the battery-powered tool 100. In some embodiments, the processing unit 455 may be coupled to control lines for the voltage regulator 510 and the SMPS 506, while the trigger 150 and / or the switch 415 may be coupled to control lines for the high-side switch 508. The trigger 150 and / or switch 415 may also be coupled to the processing unit 455 and components (sensor 425, communication 410) for the second plurality of sub-circuits 504. Control lines between the processing unit 455, the second plurality of sub-circuits 504, and the trigger and / or switch 415 may be configured to control when various control lines are enabled / disabled. The enable line may be used to disable either of the sub-circuits 502, 504, or both circuits, by disabling the SMPS 506, as discussed in more detail below.

[0052] By disabling or deactivating one or both of the sub-circuits 502, 504, or the entire battery-powered tool 100, a power saving mode is achieved that reduces the quiescent current to below a threshold value (e.g., less than 7uA). Specifically, when the product is not in use, one of the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 or the second plurality of sub-circuits 504, or the entire group of sub-circuits 502, 504, whose pull-up resistance value is less than 1 megohm, can be cut off / disconnected / disabled, thereby reducing the total quiescent current consumption of the circuit.

[0053] refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5B , depicts another example circuit 600 for implementing a power management system of the present disclosure. Circuit 600 includes a switching buck regulator or converter, such as switching buck regulator or converter 605. Figure 5A The components in the circuit 600 may represent the Figure 4 For example, the converter 605 may correspond to Figure 4 The SMPS506 in the . The quiescent current of the regulator can be lower in sleep mode, making it suitable for battery-powered systems. For example, the regulator can have a quiescent current of about 40μA in sleep mode and can be further reduced in shutdown mode to extend battery life. The regulator can be connected to an inductor and multiple resistors and capacitors, such as Figure 5A In some embodiments, capacitor (C26) and resistors (R7) and (R13) may be located near pin 5 (FB) of regulator 605. Resistor (R13) connected at node "14V1_feedback" 610 may also be electrically connected to the node between capacitor (C17) and resistor (R3) such that it is the feedback path after capacitors (C11, C13, C14, C16, C17).

[0054] refer to Figure 5B In some embodiments, the circuit 600 further includes a voltage regulator with enable, and a channel load switch, such as a voltage regulator 615 and a load switch 620, respectively. Figure 5B The components of circuit 600 may correspond to Figure 4 For example, the voltage regulator 615 may correspond to the voltage regulators 510, 512, and the load switch 620 may correspond to the high-side switch 508. The voltage regulator may be a linear regulator with a relatively low quiescent current (eg, a quiescent current of about 1 μA).

[0055] In some embodiments, the circuit 600 may include an output filter capacitor bank 625 (i.e., C11, C13, C14, C16, C17) connected to and between the switching buck regulator 605 (or SMPS 506) or converter and the voltage regulator 615 (e.g., low dropout voltage regulator 510) and the load switch 620 (or high-side switch 508). The converter 605 is configured to maintain regulator stability under various load and environmental conditions, so the output capacitor should be a low equivalent series resistance ("ESR") capacitor. However, a general disadvantage of low ESR capacitors is that they are not the first choice for buffering applications due to their architecture. Alternatively, electrolytic capacitors are preferred for buffering applications. However, electrolytic capacitors tend to have significantly higher ESR, and their ESR is also significantly affected by aging and environmental conditions. In some embodiments, the output filter capacitor bank 625 can be coupled to a resistor 630 and a buffer capacitor 635. From an ESR point of view, resistor 630 represents decoupling between SMPS 506, output filter capacitor bank 625, and buffer capacitor 635. Buffer capacitor 635 is configured to handle the high current peak loads present at node 610 and the downstream load. Node 610 between capacitor (C17) and resistor 630 represents the last point where the switching buck regulator 605 is exposed to low ESR and is therefore able to regulate the output voltage with a fast response and low ripple voltage.

[0056] Having a series resistor 630 allows the capacitor ESR fluctuations of capacitor 635 to not affect the stability of the switching buck regulator 605 under varying loads, environmental conditions, and due to component degradation. Therefore, this combination of components provides a significant advantage over an implementation without a series resistor 630 between the ceramic capacitor and the buffer capacitor after the switching buck regulator 605. Previous circuits have inherent limitations on current consumption in standby / non-use modes, and they attempt to optimize their idle / non-use current consumption. Specifically, previous circuits require the exclusive use of ceramic capacitors, or accept the disadvantages of directly connected ceramic capacitors and large-capacity capacitors. This will result in an increase in the cost of the implementation, or cause the switching buck regulator 605 to be unstable. The circuit 600 of the present disclosure provides improvements to such deficiencies, etc.

[0057] In operation, the battery-powered tool 100 may be loaded with one or more battery packs 200, for example, in the battery pack receiving cavity 118. The one or more battery packs 200 may provide power to the battery-powered tool 100 and its various components. The battery pack 200 may communicate with the SMPS 506, which provides power to each of the subcircuits 502, 504 of the battery-powered tool 100. For example, the SMPS 506 may provide voltage to the first plurality of subcircuits 502 and the second plurality of subcircuits 504 through the high-side switch 508 and the voltage regulator 510, respectively. The high-side switch 508 may provide voltage to the PWM driver 450, the memory 460, and the indicator 430, while the voltage regulator 510 may provide voltage to the sensor 425 and the communication member 410. There may also be a second voltage regulator 512 to power the processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 / switch 415. Power may be provided on demand based on the activation of the battery-powered tool 100 (e.g., the actuation of the trigger 150).

[0058] In order to prevent the inserted battery pack 200 from being exhausted / damaged when connected to the battery pack powered tool 100, the power management system described herein can be implemented to minimize current consumption. The power management system of the present disclosure can be implemented by Figure 4 , Figure 5A and / or Figure 5B The circuits discussed are designed to reduce current consumption. When the battery-powered tool 100 is not in use, the combination of the processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 / switch 415 can send a disable signal through one or more control lines to disable the corresponding sub-circuit. Similarly, when the battery-powered tool 100 is enabled, the combination of the processing unit 455 and the trigger 150 / switch 415 can send an enable signal through one or more control lines to enable the corresponding sub-circuit. Figure 4 , the processing unit 455 can be coupled to control lines for the SMPS 506 and the voltage regulator 510. The trigger 150 / switch 415 can be coupled to control lines for the high-side switch 508 and to a trigger line to the processing unit 455. Enabling of the trigger 150 / switch 415 can cause a signal to be sent to the processing unit 455 and the high-side switch 508. In response to receiving the trigger signal, the processing unit 455 can send an enable signal to the SMPS 506 and the voltage regulator 510.

[0059] In some embodiments, the SMPS 506, the voltage regulator 510, and the high-side switch 508 may each have an enable pin for individually enabling or controlling their operation. If one of the SMPS 506, the voltage regulator 510, and the high-side switch 508 is disabled, the loads from the connected PWM driver 450, the memory 460, the indicator 430, the sensor 425, and the communication line 495 will substantially or completely stop drawing power from the battery pack 200. If the SMPS 506 is disabled, power will not be transmitted to either the voltage regulator 510 or the high-side switch 508, thereby disabling both of the multiple sub-circuits 502 and 504.

[0060] Figure 6 A method 700 performed by a controller 400 of a battery powered tool 100 is shown. The controller 400 receives a voltage signal from a battery pack 200 and determines that the battery pack 200 is coupled to the battery powered tool 100 (step 705). The controller 400 provides power to a first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and / or a second plurality of sub-circuits 504 of the battery powered tool 100 (step 710). For example, the controller 400 transmits power from the battery pack 200 to components (e.g., PWM drivers, memory, indicators, sensors, communication components, etc.) of the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504. The controller 400 determines whether the battery powered tool 100 is in use (step 715). For example, when the controller 400 receives a signal from the trigger 150, the controller 400 determines that the trigger 150 is enabled and the battery powered tool 100 is in use. If at step 715, the battery-powered tool 100 is in use, the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504 of the battery-powered tool may be enabled (step 720). For example, when the controller 400 stops receiving a signal from the trigger 150, the controller 400 determines that the trigger 150 is not enabled and the battery-powered tool 100 is not in use. When the battery-powered tool 100 is not in use, the first plurality of sub-circuits 502 and the second plurality of sub-circuits 504 of the battery-powered tool may be disabled (step 725).

[0061] Although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the disclosure described.

Claims

1. A power management system, comprising: Tools powered by battery packs; one or more battery packs coupled to a tool powered by the battery packs; a first plurality of sub-circuits including switches and one or more first peripheral outputs; a second plurality of sub-circuits including a voltage regulator and one or more second peripheral outputs; as well as One or more control circuits for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: The one or more battery packs include a first battery pack and a second battery pack.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein: The first plurality of sub-circuits include switches connected to at least one of a pulse width modulation driver, a memory, or one or more indicators.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein: The second plurality of sub-circuits includes a low dropout voltage regulator connected to at least one of one or more sensors or a communication line.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch mode power supply configured to provide power from the one or more battery packs to the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein: This switch mode power supply is a step-down converter.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: A processing unit is configured to control at least one of the one or more control lines for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control switch for controlling at least one of the one or more control lines for enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein: Enabling or disabling the first plurality of sub-circuits and the second plurality of sub-circuits reduces the quiescent current of the battery-powered tool to less than 7 microamps.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: one or more low equivalent series resistance output capacitors; Snubber capacitors; as well as A series resistor is connected between the equivalent series resistance output capacitors and the buffer capacitor.

11. A battery-powered tool comprising: a battery pack interface configured to receive a battery pack; a first subcircuit, the first subcircuit comprising a switch and a first peripheral output; a second subcircuit including a voltage regulator and a second peripheral output; as well as One or more control circuits configured to enable or disable the first sub-circuit and / or the second sub-circuit.

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