Systems and methods for modifying the performance of a staple driver

Abstract

A device may include a housing, a driving mechanism disposed within the housing, and a brushless motor within the housing. The brushless motor includes a rotor and a stator and is configured to generate a rotary output for the driving mechanism.The device may further comprise a battery interface configured to be coupled to a battery, and an electronic controller electrically coupled to the driving mechanism and the battery interface and configured to determine an operating mode of the staple driver, monitor a parameter of the battery coupled to the battery interface, determine whether the monitored parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold in response to determining that the operating mode is a first operating mode, and adjust a power consumption of the motor in response to determining that the operating mode is the first operating mode and the monitored parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

Description

Cross-reference to related application

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 620,755, filed January 12, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein. Area

[0002] The present application relates to an electric staple driver, such as a nail gun. background

[0003] Staple drivers, such as nail guns, are used in a variety of applications. In some cases, speed may be the deciding factor, requiring a touch-down firing mode that allows staples to be driven as quickly as the user desires. However, in other cases, the user may want to extend the operating time of a battery-powered staple driver. For example, if the user is in an environment where replacing the battery is not convenient or efficient, they may want to extend the life of the staple driver with the current battery as much as possible. The concepts described here give the user the flexibility to tailor the operation of the staple driver to their needs. Overview

[0004] Cordless battery-powered staple drivers are often designed to drive a staple at a constant speed while maintaining a constant power consumption. However, there are situations where higher or lower operating speeds or higher power consumption are required. For example, if the power source has a lower capacity or power, it may be beneficial to modify the performance of the stapler to extend the life of the device.

[0005] In some aspects, the concepts described herein relate to a staple driver comprising a housing, a driving mechanism disposed within the housing, and a brushless motor within the housing. The brushless motor includes a rotor and a stator and is configured to generate a rotational output for the driving mechanism. The staple driver further includes a battery interface located on the housing and configured to be connected to a battery. The staple driver further includes an electronic controller electrically connected to the driving mechanism and the battery interface.The controller is configured to determine an operating mode of the staple driver, monitor a parameter of the battery coupled to the battery interface, and, in response to determining that the operating mode is a first operating mode, determine whether the monitored parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold. The controller is also configured to adjust the energy consumption of the motor if it determines that the operating mode is the first operating mode and the monitored parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0006] In some aspects, the concepts described herein relate to a process for controlling a staple driver, the staple driver comprising a battery interface configured to be connected to a battery and a motor. The process includes determining an operating mode of the staple driver, determining a battery parameter of the battery, and determining whether the determined parameters exceed a predetermined threshold in response to determining that the operating mode is a first operating mode. The process also includes decreasing power supplied to the motor in response to determining that the operating mode is the first operating mode and the monitored parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0007] In some aspects, the concepts described herein describe a staple driver comprising a housing, a driving mechanism disposed within the housing, and a brushless motor within the housing. The brushless motor includes a rotor and a stator and is configured to generate a rotational output for the driving mechanism. The staple driver further includes a battery interface disposed on the housing and configured to be coupled to a battery. The staple driver further includes an electronic controller electrically connected to the driving mechanism and the battery interface.The electronic control unit is configured to receive an instruction to operate in a power saving mode, to reduce the energy supplied to the motor by a first amount, to monitor a parameter of the battery coupled to the battery interface, and to reduce the energy supplied to the motor by at least a second amount up to a predetermined minimum in response to the monitored parameter.

[0008] Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The embodiments may be otherwise embodied and practiced. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be considered limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof is intended to encompass the elements listed below and their equivalents as well as additional elements.Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “attached,” “connected,” “held,” and “coupled,” and their variations, are used in their broadest sense and include both direct and indirect attachments, connections, supports, and couplings.

[0009] Furthermore, it is understood that embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules, which for explanatory purposes may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize upon reading this detailed description that, in at least one embodiment, the electronically based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on a non-transitory, computer-readable medium) that may be executed by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and / or application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs").It should therefore be appreciated that a variety of hardware- and software-based devices, as well as a variety of different design elements, may be used to implement the embodiments. For example, the "servers," "computing devices," "controllers," "processors," etc., discussed in the specification may include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable media modules, one or more input / output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) that interconnect the components.

[0010] Relative terms such as "approximately," "approximately," "substantially," etc., used in connection with a quantity or condition, will be understood by those skilled in the art to include the stated value and to have the meaning given by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with the accuracy of measurement, the tolerances associated with the particular value [e.g., manufacturing, application, use, etc.], etc.). Such terminology should also be considered to disclose the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. For example, the phrase "from about 2 to about 4" also indicates the range "from 2 to 4." Relative terminology may refer to plus or minus a percentage (about 1%, 5%, 10%) of a stated value.

[0011] It should be understood that although certain drawings depict hardware and software in particular devices, these depictions are for illustrative purposes only. Functions described herein as being performed by one component may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Likewise, functions performed by multiple components may be consolidated and performed by a single component. In some embodiments, the depicted components may be combined or separated into separate software, firmware, and / or hardware. For example, rather than being housed in and executed by a single electronic processor, logic and processing may be distributed among multiple electronic processors.Regardless of how they are combined or divided, the hardware and software components may be located on the same computing device or distributed among different computing devices interconnected by one or more networks or other suitable communications links. Similarly, a component that performs a particular function may also perform additional functions not described herein. A device or structure that is "configured" in a particular manner is at least configured in that manner, but may also be configured in a manner not explicitly listed. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of an electric staple driver according to some embodiments Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the electric staple driver of Fig. 1 showing a frame assembly and an engine according to some embodiments Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the driver blade and the driver wheel of the electric staple driver of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a control system for the electric staple driver of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for determining an operation mode of the staple driver of Fig. 1 according to some embodiments. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for operating the electric staple driver of Fig. 1 in a power saving mode according to some embodiments. Fig. 7 is a graph illustrating the commutation of a brushless motor according to some embodiments. Detailed description

[0012] An electric staple driver 10 is used to drive staples (for example, nails, wire pins, staples, etc.) located in a magazine 14 into a workpiece via an exit nose portion 16 of the staple driver 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the staple driver 10 includes a housing 18 having a handle portion 22, a cylinder support portion 26, and a motor support portion 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle portion 22 is integrally formed with the cylinder support portion 26 and the motor support portion 30 as a single piece (e.g., by a casting or molding process, depending on the material used). A power source 34 (e.g., a rechargeable battery) is connected to a battery terminal 38 near the end of the handle portion 22.

[0013] With reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a motor 42 disposed in the motor support section 30 receives power from the power source 34 during operation to rotate a gear 46. The motor 42 of the staple driver 10 may be a brushless motor comprising a rotor and a stator and generating a rotary output. The gear 46 is configured to raise a driver blade 50 between a bottom dead center (“BDC”) position and a top dead center (“TDC”) position. In the Fig. 3, the driver blade 50 is raised by a drive gear 52 coupled to the gear box 46. The drive gear 52 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth 53 disposed on the driver blade 50 when the driver blade 50 is raised to the TDC position. The driver blade 50 is coupled to a movable piston 54. Referring again to Fig. 2, the piston 54 is configured to pressurize air within an inner cylinder 58 as the driver blade 50 is moved from the BDC position to the TDC position. The movement of the driver blade 50 and piston 54 within the inner cylinder 58 defines a drive axis 62. As previously mentioned, the driver blade 50 and piston 54 are movable between a TDC position (i.e., retracted) and a driven or BDC position (i.e., extended). When driven to the TDC position, the driver blade 50 and piston 54 are decoupled from the output of the motor 42 so that the pressure of the inner cylinder 58 drives the driver blade 50 and piston 54 to the TDC position, thereby driving a tack. The driver blade 50 can then re-engage the output of the motor 42 and be driven back from the BDC position to the TDC position.Accordingly, the driver blade 50 reciprocates between the BDC position and the TDC position during operation. The illustrated staple driver 10 operates on the principle of a gas spring, which utilizes the piston 22 to compress the gas in the inner cylinder 58. In other embodiments, the staple driver 10 may utilize another means for storing and releasing energy (e.g., a spring). The staple driver 10 may include multiple inputs and sensors, such as a user-operable trigger 66 and a seat sensor 62.

[0014] Fig. 4 shows a control unit 100 for the staple driver 10. The control unit 100 is electrically and / or communicatively connected to a variety of modules or components of the staple driver 10 and includes a variety of electrical and electronic components that power, control the operation, and protect the components and modules within the control unit 100 and / or the staple driver 10. The control unit 100 includes, for example, among other things, a processing unit 105 (e.g., a microprocessor, an electronic processor, an electronic control unit, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device), a memory 125, input units 130, and output units 135. The processing unit 105 includes, among other things, a control unit 110, an arithmetic logic unit ("ALU") 115, and a plurality of registers 120 (in Fig. 4 as a register group) and is implemented using a known computer architecture (e.g., a modified Harvard architecture, a von Neumann architecture, etc.). The processing unit 105, the memory 125, the input units 130 and the output units 135, as well as the various modules connected to the control unit 100, are connected via one or more control and / or data buses (e.g., the common bus 142). The control and / or data buses are in Fig. 4 for illustrative purposes. The use of one or more control and / or data buses for interconnection and communication between the various modules and components will be known to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the embodiments described herein.

[0015] The memory 125 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium and includes, for example, a program storage area 127 and a data storage area 129. The program storage area and the data storage area may include combinations of different memory types, such as ROM, RAM (e.g., DRAM, SDRAM, etc.), EEPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, an SD card, or other suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic storage devices. The processing unit 105 is connected to the memory 125 and executes software instructions, which may be stored in a RAM of the memory 125 (e.g., during execution), a ROM of the memory 125 (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as another memory or a floppy disk.The software associated with implementing the staple driver 10 may be stored in the memory 125 of the controller 100. The software includes, for example, firmware, one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. The controller 100 is configured to retrieve and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes and methods described herein from the memory 125. In other embodiments, the controller 100 includes additional, fewer, or different components.

[0016] The controller 100 drives the motor 42 to rotate a drive in response to the user's actuation of the trigger 66. The controller 100 may also utilize inputs from other input devices 140, such as the landing switch 70 to determine when to drive the motor 42, or a mode selector that allows the user to control the operating mode of the driver 10. Pressing the trigger 66 actuates a trigger switch, which outputs a signal to the controller 100 to drive the motor 42 and, in turn, the driver 10. Depressing the landing switch 70 may also output a signal to the controller 100 to drive the motor 42. In some embodiments, the trigger 66 or other input devices 140 may include other sensors (e.g., a pressure sensor) with sensor portions 158 configured to communicate with the controller 100.Based on the signal from the trigger and / or input devices 140, the controller 100 controls the power switching circuit 155 (e.g., a FET bridge) to drive the motor 42. The power switching circuit 155 may, for example, include a plurality of high-side switching elements (e.g., FETs) and a plurality of low-side switching elements. The controller 100 may control each FET of the plurality of high-side switching elements and the plurality of low-side switching elements to drive each phase of the motor 42. For example, the power switching circuit 155 may be controlled to decelerate the motor 42 more quickly. In some embodiments, the controller 100 monitors the rotation of the motor 42 (e.g., the speed of the motor 42, the speed of the motor 42, the position of the motor 42, etc.) via the speed sensor 150.

[0017] The controller may also be connected to additional sensors and components, such as an indicator 145, a power input unit 160, a current sensor 165, a temperature sensor 170, and other secondary sensors 175. In other embodiments, the controller 100 includes additional, fewer, or different sensor components. The current sensor 165 may be configured to sense various currents within the staple driver 10, such as the current output of a battery 180, the current draw of the motor 42, and / or other currents within the staple driver 10. In some embodiments, the current sensor 165 senses at least one of the phase currents of the motor 42. The current sensor 165 may, for example, be an in-line phase current sensor, a pulse width modulation center current sensor for the inverter bus, or the like.The speed sensor 150 is configured to detect the speed of the motor 42. The speed sensor 150 may, for example, include one or more Hall effect sensors. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 170 detects the temperature of various components and / or portions of the stapler, such as the power circuitry 155, the battery 180, the motor 42, and / or other components described herein.

[0018] The indicators 145 (e.g., an operating mode indicator, a battery charge level indicator) are also connected to the controller 100 and receive control signals from the controller 100 to turn on and / or off, or to otherwise provide information to the user based on various states / parameters of the staple driver 10. The indicators 145 may, for example, include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a display screen, and / or a combination thereof. The indicators 145 may be configured to display states or information related to the staple driver 10.For example, the indicators 145 may display information about the operating state of the staple driver 10, such as an operating mode (e.g., a sequential mode, a touch-down firing mode, and / or other operating modes required for a particular application) or a speed setting. The indicators 145 may also display information about an error condition or other parameters of the staple driver 10. In addition to or instead of visual indicators, the indicators 145 may also include a speaker or a tactile feedback mechanism to convey information to the user through audible or tactile outputs. In some embodiments, the indicators 145 display information related to a braking operation or a clutch operation (e.g., an electronic clutch operation) of the controller 100.For example, one or more LEDs may be activated when the control unit 100 performs a clutch operation.

[0019] The battery interface 38 is connected to the control unit 100 and is configured to be connected to a battery 180. The battery interface 38 includes a combination of mechanical (e.g., a battery receiving portion) and electrical components configured to interface (e.g., mechanical, electrical, and communicative) the staple driver 10 with the battery 180. The battery 180 may be a lithium-ion battery such as the M12 and / or M18 battery from Milwaukee Tool. The battery 180 may also be a different battery model or have a different chemistry as required for a specific application. The battery interface 38 is connected to the power input unit 160. The battery interface 38 sends the power received from the battery 180 to the power input unit 160.The power input unit 160 includes active and / or passive components (e.g., voltage step-down controllers, voltage converters, rectifiers, filters, etc.) to regulate and / or control the power received via the battery interface 38 and pass it on to the controller 100. In some embodiments, the battery interface 38 is also connected to the power switching circuit 155. The operation of the power switching circuit 155, which is controlled by the controller 100, determines how the motor 42 is powered. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the controller 100 may communicate with the power input unit 160 to control the power supply to the staple driver 10.

[0020] Fig. 5 illustrates a process 500 for determining an operating mode of a power tool, such as the driver 10. In some embodiments, the operating mode may be a specific function of the driver 10, such as a sequential operating mode and / or a touch-fire operating mode. In a sequential operating mode, the driver 10 performs a single operation (e.g., driving a staple) each time the trigger 66 is pressed. In the touch-fire operating mode, the driver 10 drives a staple each time the touch-fire switch 70 is pressed, as long as the trigger 66 is also pressed, allowing for faster operation. In process block 502, the controller 100 receives an operating mode input. In one embodiment, the operating mode input may be received via the one or more input devices 140.The operating mode input may include a sequential operating mode input and / or a touchdown launch mode input. However, other operating modes are also conceivable, as required for a specific application.

[0021] At operation block 504, controller 100 determines whether the received mode input is a touchdown launch mode input. In response to determining that the received mode input is a touchdown launch mode input, the controller controls driver 10 to operate in the touchdown launch mode at operation block 506.

[0022] In response to determining that the received mode input is not the touchdown launch mode input, controller 100 controls the loader to the sequential mode at operation block 508. In response to operating in the sequential mode, controller 100 determines one or more parameters associated with battery pack 180 at operation block 510. The parameters include battery state of charge (SoC), battery state of performance (SoH), battery impedance (e.g., age), and battery identity (e.g., battery energy characteristics 2Ah, 4Ah, etc.). However, other battery parameters may also be determined as required for a particular application. In some embodiments, controller 100 may communicate directly with a secondary controller (not shown) of the battery pack, which may provide one or more battery parameters.In other embodiments, sensors such as current sensors 165, temperature sensors 170, and / or secondary sensor 175 may be used to determine the battery parameters. In still further embodiments, the battery parameters may be determined by controller 100 based on a combination of sensed data from the sensors (e.g., current sensors 165, temperature sensors 170, and / or other secondary sensors 175) in combination with data received from the secondary battery controller 180.

[0023] In response to determining the one or more battery parameters, controller 100 determines whether the battery parameters exceed a predetermined threshold. For simplicity, "exceeds" means that the value is above or below a predetermined threshold required for a particular application. The predetermined threshold may be associated with one or more of the battery parameters. For example, a predetermined threshold may be 80% of the nominal SoC. However, values greater than 80% or less than 80% may also be required for a particular application. In other examples, the predetermined threshold may be associated with one or more other parameters of the battery, such as battery impedance. For example, the predetermined threshold may be a certain percentage above the nominal impedance, which could be indicative of the age or condition of the battery.

[0024] If controller 100 determines that the determined battery parameters do not exceed a predetermined threshold, controller 100 controls driver 10 to operate in a standard sequential mode at operation block 514. When driver 10 operates in the standard sequential mode, it maximizes the power to motor 42 to ensure smooth operation.

[0025] If the controller 100 determines that the determined battery parameters exceed the predetermined threshold, the controller 100 determines whether user intervention has been received at operation block 516. In one embodiment, the user intervention may be provided by a user via the input devices 140. In one example, the user intervention prevents the collector 10 from entering a power-saving ("marathon") mode of operation, as described in more detail below.

[0026] After the controller 100 determines that the user intervention has been received, it operates the device in the standard sequential mode at operation block 514.

[0027] When controller 100 determines that no user intervention has been received, controller 100 operates driver 10 in a power-saving mode. As described in more detail below, the power-saving mode is configured to reduce power consumption by making one or more modifications to the operation of driver 10 to increase the operating time (i.e., the length of time a paired battery can provide power for operation of driver 10) of battery 180.

[0028] In Fig. 6 illustrates a process 600 for operating the driver 10 in a power-saving mode. In process block 602, the controller 100 controls the driver to operate in the power-saving mode, as mentioned above. In some embodiments, the controller 100 may receive an instruction from a user, for example, via input devices 140, requesting operation in the power-saving mode. In process block 604, the controller 100 monitors one or more battery parameters. As mentioned above, the battery parameters may include the battery charge (SoC), the battery state of health (SoH), the battery impedance (e.g., age), the battery identity (e.g., battery energy characteristics 2Ah, 4Ah, etc.), and / or other battery parameters required for a particular application.

[0029] In operation block 606, the controller 100 reduces the power consumption of the driver 10. In one embodiment, the power consumption is reduced by changing one or more parameters of the motor 42. However, it is conceivable that the power consumption is reduced by controlling the current to one or more other components of the driver 10, as required for a particular application. In some examples, the power consumption of the motor 42 is reduced by a first amount. A first amount may be determined, for example, based on one or more battery parameters, the received instruction, or a preset amount. A preset value may be, for example, 10%. However, values greater than 10% or less than 10% may also be used, as needed for a particular application.

[0030] In one example, controller 100 may reduce energy consumption by reducing the speed of motor 42. For example, if controller 100 uses a proportional-integral-derivative ("PID") control scheme to control motor 42, the weights (Kp / Ki / Kd) and error percentages used to regulate motor speed may be adjusted accordingly based on the monitored battery parameters. For example, controller 100 may be configured to increase the speed control weights of the Kp and / or Ki elements of the PID control scheme to reduce the speed of motor 42 and thus reduce energy consumption of motor 42. In other examples, controller 100 may also be configured to adjust an error of the PID control scheme to account for a potential undershoot resulting from reducing the speed control weights.In some examples, the speed control signal may be generated using only the error value. Additionally, if controller 100 controls the motor using PWM, the duty cycle of each phase may be adjusted accordingly to further reduce the motor speed. While the above example describes the use of a PID control scheme, other control schemes, such as PD or PI schemes, may be used as needed for a particular application.

[0031] In another example, the controller 100 may reduce the power consumption of the driver 10 by setting a delay between each portion of the drive cycle (e.g., engaging the drive gear 52 with the driver blade 50, moving the driver blade 50 to the TDC position, releasing the driver blade 50, etc.) of the driver 10 to reduce the speed and / or increase the efficiency of the drive cycle. For example, the controller 100 may increase the delay between the drive gear 52 releasing the driver blade 50 and the drive gear engaging the drive gear to take advantage of a "spring back" of the ram, or when the driver blade 50 moves from BDC toward TDC due to the impact on the driver and the negative pressure of the spring.

[0032] In other examples, controller 100 may reduce the power consumption of the driver 10 by adjusting and / or limiting the current supplied to the motor 42 based on the monitored battery parameters. For example, controller 100 may set a hardware overcurrent threshold of the driver 10. The hardware overcurrent threshold is a current threshold that represents a maximum allowable current in the driver 10. Controller 100 may be configured to control a power switch to interrupt power to the motor 42 when a sensor detects a current greater than the hardware overcurrent threshold.Accordingly, in some embodiments, controller 100 may control an overcurrent switch to control the amount of current supplied to motor 42, for example, by lowering the hardware overcurrent threshold to reduce the maximum current used by motor 42. In some embodiments, other hardware thresholds (e.g., slew rate) may also be adjusted.

[0033] In other examples, controller 100 may reduce the energy consumption of driver 10 by adjusting the commutation of motor 42 based on the monitored battery parameters. Adjusting the commutation of motor 42 is further described in graphic 700. Controller 100 may be configured to adjust the conduction angle applied to each phase of motor 42. Additionally, controller 100 may adjust the phase advance for each phase of motor 42. In some embodiments, controller 100 may control motor 42 of driver 10 using conduction angle control, phase angle control, or a combination of field weakening methodologies. In some examples, controller 100 may be configured to vary the application of at least one field weakening methodology based on monitored battery parameters (e.g., battery voltage, battery temperature, etc.).In some embodiments, the controller 100 may vary a combination of at least one field weakening methodology and the reactive power supplied to the motor 42 of the driver 10.

[0034] In some examples, controller 100 may include a signal conditioning module (not shown) configured to convert a motor control signal into a spline curve. For example, the signal conditioning module may adapt a linear signal so that the spline output increases rapidly before reducing the rate of change to achieve the same maximum output as the linear output of the feedback control block while consuming less power. In some embodiments, the signal conditioning block uses one or more piecewise polynomial functions to generate the spline output. In other embodiments, other functions may be used, or the processing may be performed by controller 100. Although the signal conditioning module generates a spline output as described above, other output types, such as logarithmic, parabolic, etc., may also be used.output by the signal conditioning module or controller 100. In some embodiments, the spline parameters may be adjusted depending on the operating mode. For example, the functions used to generate the spline output may be increased for the power mode 515 or decreased for the long-term mode 505. In other words, each operating mode may use its own spline parameters.

[0035] In some embodiments, after operation block 630, operation 600 proceeds to operation block 605 and continues to monitor the energy of battery pack 180 while adjusting the energy to motor 42. Accordingly, operation 500 may continuously adjust the power thresholds and continuously reduce the energy of the motor down to a predetermined minimum. For example, the energy consumption of the motor may be reduced in synchronization with a decrease in the available energy of battery pack 180. However, in other examples, the continuous reduction of energy to motor 42 may also be reduced and / or controlled based on other parameters as required for a particular application. In some embodiments, a delay may be inserted between resets. In further embodiments, operation 600 may be performed only once by controller 100.In still other embodiments, operation 600 may be performed based only on user action.

[0036] Fig.7 is a diagram 700 illustrating the commutation of the motor 42 in the staple driver 10. For example, the conduction angle of the motor 42 may be increased. By increasing the conduction angle, as shown in the shaded portions 710, more current can flow through the motor windings for a longer duration, resulting in higher torque production and being beneficial for maintaining motor performance at higher speeds. However, increasing the amount of current flowing through the motor 42 may result in greater resistive losses and is therefore less efficient. The conduction angle 705 may additionally or alternatively be shifted to occur earlier in the current flow cycle (i.e., phase advance), as shown by the phase advance line 715.In general, a brushless DC motor (e.g., motor 42) can achieve higher speeds through phase advance by adjusting the current waveform to match the motor's back EMF, which can weaken the motor's magnetic field. As a result, phase advance applied to motor 42 can cause motor 42 to operate at higher speeds and lower torque. However, applying phase advance can increase the power consumed by motor 42 because the current ripple increases, thereby increasing the current drawn by the motor. Accordingly, in the energy-saving mode, controller 100 can utilize field weakening by adjusting the conduction angle and phase advance of motor 42 to increase the motor's power at a lower efficiency. In other words, the power mode can utilize field weakening to increase the operating speed of driver 10. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 63 / 620,755

[0001]

Claims

[1] Staple driver, comprising: a housing; a driving mechanism arranged in the housing; a brushless motor within the housing, the brushless motor comprising a rotor and a stator and configured to generate a rotary output for the driving mechanism; a battery interface arranged on the housing, which is adapted to be connected to a battery; and an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the driving mechanism and the battery interface, the control unit being configured to: to determine an operating mode of the staple driver; to monitor a parameter of the battery connected to the battery interface, in response to determining that the operating mode is a first operating mode, determine whether the monitored parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold; and to adjust the energy consumption of the motor when it is determined that the operating mode is the first operating mode and the monitored parameter exceeds the specified threshold. [2] The staple driver of claim 1, wherein the monitored parameter comprises one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery capacity, battery power condition, and battery identity. [3] A staple driver according to claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation is a sequential mode of operation. [4] A staple driver according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduces the energy supplied to the motor by limiting the current supplied to the motor from the battery. [5] A staple driver according to claim 4, wherein the controller limits the current supplied to the motor from the battery by setting a hardware overcurrent threshold. [6] A staple driver according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduces the energy supplied to the motor by adjusting a duty cycle parameter. [7] The staple driver of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the motor power consumption adjustment in response to determining that the operating mode is a second operating mode. [8] A staple driver according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is a touch-down firing mode. [9] A staple driver according to claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts the energy consumption of the motor by field weakening. [10] A method for controlling a staple driver, the staple driver comprising a battery interface configured to be coupled to a battery and a motor, the method comprising: Determining an operating mode of the staple driver; Determining a battery parameter of the battery; Determining whether the particular parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold in response to determining that the operating mode is a first operating mode; and Reducing the energy supplied to the motor in response to determining that the operating mode is the first operating mode and the determined parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold. [11] The method of claim 10, wherein the determined parameter comprises one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery capacity, battery power state, and battery identity. [12] The method of claim 10, wherein the first mode of operation is a sequential mode of operation. [13] The method of claim 12, further comprising reducing the power supplied to the motor by limiting the current supplied to the motor from the battery. [14] The method of claim 10, further comprising reducing the energy supplied to the motor by applying field weakening to the motor. [15] Staple driver, comprising: a housing; a driving mechanism in the housing; a brushless motor in the housing, the brushless motor comprising a rotor and a stator and configured to generate a rotary output for the driving mechanism; a battery interface arranged on the housing, which is adapted to be connected to a battery; and an electronic control unit electrically connected to the driving mechanism and the battery interface, the electronic control unit being configured to: to receive an instruction to operate in an energy-saving mode; to reduce the energy supplied to the motor by a first amount; to monitor a parameter of the battery coupled to the battery interface; and reducing the energy supplied to the motor by at least a second value up to a predetermined minimum in response to the monitored parameter. [16] The staple driver of claim 15, wherein the monitored parameter comprises one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery capacity, battery power condition, and battery identity. [17] A staple driver according to claim 15, wherein the energy consumption of the motor is reduced by reducing the motor speed. [18] A staple driver according to claim 15, wherein the controller reduces the energy supplied to the motor by limiting the current supplied to the motor from the battery. [19] A staple driver according to claim 18, wherein the controller limits the current supplied to the motor from the battery by setting a hardware overcurrent threshold. [20] A staple driver according to claim 15, wherein the controller reduces the energy supplied to the motor by adjusting a duty cycle parameter.

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