Power tool system

Abstract

To provide improvement relating to voice control technology of a power tool system including a power tool.SOLUTION: A power tool system includes: at least one controlled device including a power tool; and a voice control device configured to be wirelessly communicable with the at least one controlled device. The voice control device includes a system control unit configured to control operation of the at least one controlled device. The system control unit is configured to: acquire voice data; and control operation of the power tool in accordance with a command relating to the operation of the power tool and identified based on the voice data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power tool system including a power tool and a voice control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric power tool equipped with a connection part capable of electrically and mechanically connecting multiple types of auxiliary adapters. This electric power tool can control the driving of a drive part based on information acquired via the auxiliary adapter connected to the connection part. An audio instruction device, which is an example of an auxiliary adapter, is equipped with a microphone for collecting the user's voice, generates control information according to the contents of instructions included in the voice, and provides the control information to the electric power tool. A drive control part of the electric power tool controls the drive part based on the control information acquired from the audio instruction device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-108619 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The power tool of Patent Document 1 operates based on a user's voice instruction only when the auxiliary adapter configured as a voice instruction device is electrically and mechanically connected to the power tool, and therefore, for example, voice instructions are possible only within a certain distance range from the power tool.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE It is one, but not limited, object of the present disclosure to provide improvements relating to voice control technology for power tool systems, including power tools. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a power tool system including at least one controlled device including a power tool, and a voice control device configured to be capable of wirelessly communicating with the at least one controlled device. The voice control device includes a system controller configured to control the operation of the at least one controlled device. The system controller is configured to acquire voice data and control the operation of the power tool in response to instructions related to the operation of the power tool that are identified based on the voice data.

[0007] In addition, the power tool of this embodiment includes not only tools for processing materials (e.g., drilling, tightening, chipping, cutting, milling, polishing, etc.), but also outdoor power equipment for outdoor work (e.g., mowing grass, cutting and pruning plants, etc.).

[0008] The at least one controlled device may include (i) only one power tool, (ii) only a plurality of power tools (which may all be the same type of power tools or at least one may be a different type), or (iii) at least one power tool and at least one device (electrical appliance / electronic device) other than the power tool. Examples of devices other than the power tool include lighting devices, cleaners, radios, electric kettles, etc. that are used in the work site where the power tool is used.

[0009] The system control unit can be realized, for example, by at least one processor and memory, and its functions can be realized, for example, by executing a program stored in a non-volatile storage device. The system control unit can control the operation of at least one control target device by, for example, transmitting control information to the at least one control target device.

[0010] The system control unit may acquire voice data via a voice input unit (e.g., a microphone) provided in the voice control device, or may acquire voice data transmitted from an external device connected to the voice control device. The system control unit may also identify an instruction by processing the acquired voice data and control the operation of the power tool according to the identified instruction. Alternatively, the voice control device may transmit the acquired voice data to an external information processing device (e.g., a server) connected to the voice control device. In this case, the server processes the voice data and transmits the text obtained thereby or information related to the identified instruction to the voice control device, and the voice control device identifies the instruction from the received information.

[0011] According to this embodiment, as long as the voice control device can obtain voice data of instructions and can communicate wirelessly with the power tool, voice instructions can be given at a location farther away from the power tool than when a voice instruction device is provided on the power tool. Therefore, for example, the voice control device can be installed in a location that is less susceptible to the effects of dust or noise generated by processing work using the power tool. Also, for example, a person (e.g., a site supervisor) other than the person who actually performs the work using the power tool can give appropriate instructions by voice. Furthermore, it is possible to control multiple power tools based on voice instructions using one voice control device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram of an overall configuration of a power tool system; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the power tool system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of processing executed in the entire power tool system. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart of a user registration process executed by the voice control device. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart of a main process executed by the voice control device. [Figure 6]11 is a flowchart of a pairing process executed in the main process. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart of the pairing process, which is a continuation of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart of a user authentication process executed in the main process. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart of an instruction identification process executed in the main process. [Figure 10] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of instruction specification information. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart of an instruction execution process that is executed in the main process. [Figure 12] 12 is a flowchart of the instruction execution process, which is a continuation of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart of a main process executed by the neck speaker. [Figure 14] 11 is a flowchart of a pairing process executed in the main process. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart of a user authentication process executed in the main process. [Figure 16] 11 is a flowchart of a voice instruction process executed in the main process. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart of a voice control process executed by the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the power tool system may further include a user device configured to be capable of wirelessly communicating with the voice control device. The user device may include a voice input unit configured to receive voice input and convert it into voice data, and a device control unit configured to control an operation of the user device. The device control unit may be configured to transmit the voice data generated by the voice input unit to the voice control device. According to this embodiment, since the voice instruction is received by a user device separate from the voice control device, a user (speaker, instructor) who gives the voice instruction may be located away from the power tool and the voice control device. This improves convenience.

[0014] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the user device may further include a voice output unit configured to output a voice. The system control unit may be configured to control the output of the voice output unit. According to this embodiment, the system control unit can request the user to make a necessary utterance or perform an operation by causing the voice output unit to output an appropriate voice.

[0015] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the user device may be a wearable device. According to this embodiment, the user does not need to hold the user device in his / her hand, which improves convenience. Examples of wearable devices include neck speakers (also called neckband speakers), smart watches, smart earphones, smart glasses, and smart jackets.

[0016] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the wearable device may be a neck speaker that can be worn around a person's neck. According to this embodiment, the voice input unit can be disposed close to the user's mouth, which is preferable because voice input is less susceptible to noise.

[0017] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the wearable device may further include a detection unit that detects whether the wearable device is worn. The device control unit may be configured to transmit information indicating whether the wearable device is worn to the voice control device according to a detection result by the detection unit. The system control unit may be configured to execute a process different from a process when receiving information indicating that the wearable device is not worn, compared to a process when receiving information indicating that the wearable device is worn. For example, the system control unit may not execute a specified instruction when the wearable device is not worn, or execute the instruction after a predetermined condition is satisfied. According to this embodiment, for example, when the wearable device is removed or the wearer is changed after a voice instruction is given from the wearable device, it is possible to avoid the instruction being executed inadvertently.

[0018] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the voice control device may include a battery mounting section and be configured to operate with power supplied from a rechargeable battery removably mounted in the battery mounting section. The battery may be selectively mountable to a plurality of types of power tools. According to this embodiment, for example, a battery mounted in an unused power tool can be removed and used as a power source for the voice control device, improving convenience.

[0019] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the system control unit may be configured to perform at least one of voice recognition of voice data and specification of instructions using a trained model by machine learning. According to this embodiment, by generating a trained model in advance by appropriate machine learning, it is possible to perform at least one of voice recognition of voice data and specification of instructions with high accuracy. The trained model by machine learning may be generated in advance by machine learning in the voice control device. Alternatively, the trained model may be generated in an information processing device different from the voice control device. In this case, the voice control device does not require a high-performance processing device for machine learning, which is preferable. The trained model may be stored, for example, in a non-volatile storage device of the voice control device.

[0020] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the system control unit may be configured to perform voiceprint authentication using the voice data and matching data of at least one registered user, and determine whether the voice represented by the voice data is the voice of at least one registered user. The system control unit may be configured to cause the power tool to perform an operation according to an instruction only when it is determined that the voice represented by the voice data is the voice of at least one registered user. According to this embodiment, for example, by registering only persons who satisfy a predetermined condition (e.g., an experienced worker, a site supervisor) as registered users, the possibility of an inappropriate voice instruction being executed can be reduced.

[0021] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the wearable device may further include a voice output unit that is one of the at least one controlled device and is configured to output a voice. When the system control unit receives information from the wearable device indicating that the wearable device is not being worn, the system control unit may be configured to cause the voice output unit to output a voice requesting the user to speak again for voiceprint authentication. According to this embodiment, after voiceprint authentication, the wearable device is removed from the person authenticated as a registered user, and the possibility that an inappropriate voice instruction is executed by another person can be reduced.

[0022] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the system control unit may be configured to confirm with the user whether or not to execute the instruction before causing the power tool to execute the operation according to the instruction. According to this embodiment, it is possible to deal with a case where the user who has given a voice instruction wants to cancel the execution of the instruction after the instruction.

[0023] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the system control unit may be configured to determine whether or not the instruction identified based on the voice data is an instruction that can be executed without restrictions in the power tool. The system control unit may further be configured to execute a process different from the process when the identified instruction is determined to be an instruction that can be executed without restrictions, if the identified instruction is not an instruction that can be executed without restrictions. For example, if the identified instruction is not an instruction that can be executed without restrictions, the system control unit may not execute the instruction, or may execute the instruction after a predetermined condition is satisfied. According to this embodiment, a more appropriate control of the power tool is possible by setting a limit according to an operation corresponding to the instruction.

[0024] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the power tool may include a motor and a tool control unit. The tool control unit may be configured to operate the power tool according to the control information when control information for executing an instruction from the voice control device is received while the motor is being driven, after the driving of the motor is stopped. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent an instruction from being inadvertently executed while the motor is being driven, thereby enabling more appropriate control of the power tool.

[0025] Hereinafter, a power tool system 1 according to a representative and non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] First, an overview of a power tool system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0027] The power tool system 1 includes a voice control device 3, at least one control target device 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 100), and a user device 5. Each of the at least one device 100 and the user device 5 is connected to the voice control device 3 so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the voice control device 3. In the power tool system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, the at least one device 100 includes a plurality of devices 100 of different types.

[0028] The voice control device 3 is configured to selectively control the operation of at least one wirelessly connected device 100 and the neck speaker 50 based on instructions contained in the voice of a user 7 of the user device 5. The voice control device 3 may also be referred to as a voice assistant device.

[0029] The multiple devices 100 include at least one power tool. The multiple devices 100 may also include at least one device (e.g., electrical appliance, electronic device) of a type different from the power tool. The types and number of the power tools and devices other than the power tools are not particularly limited, but in the example shown in FIG. 1, the multiple devices 100 include an impact driver 101, a grinder 102, and a lighting device 103. Both the impact driver 101 and the grinder 102 are examples of power tools that perform processing work by driving the tip tool 91 with the power of the motor 12. The lighting device 103 is an electrical appliance for lighting. The impact driver 101, the grinder 102, and the lighting device 103 may be used simultaneously at the same work site. In the following, when the multiple devices 100 are collectively referred to or when at least one device 100 is referred to without distinction, they will simply be referred to as the device 100.

[0030] The user device 5 is a device used by the user 7 to input voice instructions. The user device 5 can be used by being placed near the user 7 or worn by the user 7. In the example of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a neck speaker 50 is adopted as the user device 5. The neck speaker 50 is an example of a wearable device that does not need to be held in the hand, and can be worn around the neck of the user 7. The neck speaker 50 includes a microphone 52, which is an example of a voice input device. The voice of the user 7 is input to the microphone 52 and converted into voice data.

[0031] In the power tool system 1, the user 7 issues voice instructions to cause at least one of the devices 100 to perform a desired operation. Voice data generated by the microphone 52 of the neck speaker 50 is transmitted to the voice control device 3. The voice control device 3 controls the operation of the instructed device 100 by transmitting control information (signals) corresponding to the instruction identified based on the acquired voice data to the instructed device 100. Note that the user 7 who issues voice instructions using the neck speaker 50 and the user / operator of the device 100 (e.g., a worker who uses a power tool) are not necessarily the same person and may be different.

[0032] Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the power tool system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] First, the device 100 (the impact driver 101, the grinder 102, and the lighting device 103) will be described. Note that components common to the impact driver 101, the grinder 102, and the lighting device 103 (components having substantially the same functions) will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0034] The impact driver 101 is an electric power tool for tightening screws and the like, and is configured to deliver an impact in the rotational direction when a load equal to or greater than a certain level is applied to a tip tool 91 called a bit during rotational driving.

[0035] 1, a housing 11 of an impact driver 101 accommodates a motor 12, a switch 13 for starting the motor 12, a communication unit 18 capable of wireless communication with an external device, and a control unit 16 for controlling the operation of the impact driver 101. The switch 13 is normally off, and is turned on when a trigger provided on the housing 11 is pressed.

[0036] The housing 11 includes a battery mounting section 111 configured to detachably receive the battery 93. Specifically, the battery mounting section 111 includes an engagement section that can physically engage with the battery 93 and a terminal section that can be electrically connected to the terminal of the battery 93. Since the configuration of such a battery mounting section 111 is well known, detailed illustration and description will be omitted. When the battery 93 is mounted in the battery mounting section 111, power is supplied from the battery 93 to each section of the impact driver 101 other than the communication section 18. The battery 93 can be commonly used for power tools other than the impact driver 101 (e.g., a grinder 102) and specific electrical products (e.g., a lighting device 103). Also, the device 100 may be supplied with power from an external AC power source via a power cord instead of the battery 93.

[0037] In addition, the housing 11 is provided with an LED light 115, an operation unit 116, a notification unit 117, and a pairing button 118.

[0038] The LED light 115 is an illumination device including an LED light source. The LED light 115 is attached to the housing 11 so that the LED light source illuminates an area where work is performed by the tool accessory 91.

[0039] The operation unit 116 is provided on the surface of the housing 11 so as to be manually operable for inputting various information. The operation unit 116 is configured as, for example, a push button switch, a touch screen, or the like. The operation unit 116 is operated to input information for, for example, setting the rotation speed of the motor 12, turning the LED light 115 on and off, setting the light intensity of the LED light 115, and the like. The impact driver 101 also has a plurality of modes corresponding to strikes of different strengths. Therefore, the operation unit 116 is further operated to input information for setting the mode.

[0040] The notification unit 117 is provided on the surface of the housing 11 and configured to notify information. The notification unit 117 may be any device that notifies information by display, light, sound, or the like. In this embodiment, the notification unit 117 includes two LEDs, one green and one red, and is configured to notify various types of information by the driving state (on, blinking, off) of each LED. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the notification unit 117 is used to present information to a person (worker) who performs work using the impact driver 101, for example.

[0041] The pairing button 118 is a manual operation unit for starting pairing. Pairing refers to registering setting information of a partner device so that two devices can communicate wirelessly one-to-one. Although details will be described later, when the pairing button 118 of the impact driver 101 is pressed and the pairing button 314 of the voice control device 3 is also pressed, predetermined information is transmitted and received between the impact driver 101 and the voice control device 3. After pairing is completed, one-to-one wireless communication is possible between the impact driver 101 and the voice control device 3.

[0042] 2, the control unit 16 of the impact driver 101 is electrically connected to each of the above-mentioned switch 13, communication unit 18, LED light 115, operation unit 116, notification unit 117, and pairing button 118. In addition, the control unit 16 is electrically connected to a motor drive circuit 121 for driving the motor 12.

[0043] The control unit 16 includes at least one processor / processing circuit (e.g., a CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)) and at least one memory. In this embodiment, the control unit 16 includes a microcomputer including a CPU 161, a ROM 162, a RAM 163, a non-volatile memory 164, etc.

[0044] The communication unit 18 is configured to be connectable to the voice control device 3 wirelessly. The communication unit 18 may have any known configuration as long as it can wirelessly transmit and receive information (data, signals) to and from the communication unit 38 of the voice control device 3 in accordance with a predetermined standard. The communication unit 18 may be configured as, for example, a wireless unit / wireless module. Note that power supply to the communication unit 18 starts in response to pressing a pairing button 118 described below. This reduces unnecessary power consumption when wireless communication is not performed.

[0045] The control unit 16 controls the operation of the impact driver 101 according to the state of the switch 13 and / or information input from the operation unit 116. In addition, in a state where wireless communication between the impact driver 101 and the voice control device 3 is established (a state where pairing is completed), the control unit 16 acquires control information received from the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18. The control unit 16 controls the operation of the impact driver 101 (for example, driving the motor 12, the LED light 115, and the LED of the notification unit 117, and changing modes) according to the control information transmitted from the voice control device 3.

[0046] 1, the grinder 102 is a well-known rotary tool that performs processing such as grinding, polishing, and cutting by rotating a disk-shaped tip tool 91 (e.g., a grindstone, a rubber pad, a brush, or a blade). The grinder 102, like the impact driver 101, includes a motor 12 housed in a housing 11, a switch 13, a control unit 16, and a communication unit 18. The housing 11 is provided with a battery mounting unit 111, an operation unit 116, an alarm unit 117, and a pairing button 118.

[0047] The hardware configuration of the grinder 102 is substantially the same as that of the impact driver 101, except that the grinder 102 does not include the LED light 115, and therefore detailed illustration and description will be omitted. As with the impact driver 101, the control unit 16 of the grinder 102 controls the operation of the grinder 102 (e.g., driving the motor 12) according to the state of the switch 13 and / or information input from the operation unit 116, or according to control information transmitted from the voice control device 3.

[0048] 1, the lighting device 103 includes a light source 141, a control unit 16 accommodated in a housing 11, and a communication unit 18. The housing 11 is provided with a battery mounting unit 111, an operation unit 116, a notification unit 117, and a pairing button 118. The operation unit 116 of the lighting device 103 is operated to input information for turning the light source 141 on and off, setting the light intensity of the light source 141, etc.

[0049] The light source 141 of the lighting device 103 is an LED. Although detailed illustration of the hardware configuration of the lighting device 103 is omitted, the control unit 16 is electrically connected to each of the light source 141 (LED), the communication unit 18, the operation unit 116, the notification unit 117, and the pairing button 118. As with the impact driver 101, the control unit 16 of the lighting device 103 controls the operation of the lighting device 103 (for example, turning the light source 141 on and off, and the light amount of the light source 141) according to the state of the switch 13 and / or information input from the operation unit 116, or according to control information transmitted from the voice control device 3.

[0050] The neck speaker 50 (user device 5) will be described below.

[0051] 1, the neck speaker 50 includes a main body 51 formed in a C-shape / U-shape. The main body 51 is usually worn such that the center part of the main body 51 is placed behind the neck of the user 7, and two side parts extending from both ends of the center part extend forward from the neck.

[0052] The main body 51 is provided with a microphone 52, a power switch 501, a pairing button 502, a wearing detection unit 55, and a notification unit 516. The main body 51 houses a speaker 53, a communication unit 58, and a control unit 56 inside.

[0053] The microphone 52 is provided at one end of the main body 51. That is, the microphone 52 is located relatively close to the mouth of the user 7, which is preferable because the voice input is less susceptible to noise. The microphone 52 converts the input voice into voice data (voice signal) and outputs it. It is preferable that the microphone 52 has directivity that is specified in the direction of the mouth when the main body 51 is in a normal wearing state.

[0054] The power switch 501 and the pairing button 502 are arranged on one of the two sides so as to be manually operable. The power switch 501 is turned on and off in response to being pressed. When the power switch 501 is turned on, power is supplied to each part of the neck speaker 50. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the neck speaker 50 has a built-in rechargeable battery, which can be charged via a cable connected to a charging port. The pairing button 502 is a manually operated part for starting pairing with the audio control device 3, similar to the pairing button 118 of the device 100.

[0055] The wearing detection unit 55 is a detector configured to detect that the neck speaker 50 is being worn. The wearing detection unit 55 is disposed in the center of the main body 51 (more specifically, in the inner part that faces the neck of the user 7 when worn). The wearing detection unit 55 may be any known detector as long as it can detect that the inner part of the center is in contact with the neck of the user 7 or is disposed in a position close to the neck. For example, various contact switches or various non-contact sensors may be employed.

[0056] The notification unit 516 may be any device that is configured to visually notify information. In this embodiment, the notification unit 516 includes two LEDs, one green and one red, and is configured to notify various information by the driving state (lighting, blinking, off) of each LED. The notification unit 516 is disposed at one end of the main body 51 so that the user 7 can visually confirm the notification unit 516 when wearing the neck speaker 50.

[0057] The speaker 53 is an audio output device that outputs audio. In this embodiment, two speakers 53 are provided on two sides (portions that are located relatively close to the ears) of the main body 51. However, the number of speakers 53 may be one.

[0058] The communication unit 58 is configured to be wirelessly connectable to the voice control device 3. As with the communication unit 18 of the device 100, the communication unit 58 may have any known configuration as long as it can wirelessly transmit and receive information (data, signals) to and from the communication unit 38 of the voice control device 3 in accordance with a predetermined standard.

[0059] The control unit 56 is a control unit that controls the operation of the neck speaker 50. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 56 is electrically connected to the above-mentioned power switch 501, pairing button 502, wearing detection unit 55, notification unit 516, microphone 52, speaker 53, and communication unit 58. The control unit 56 includes at least one processor / processing circuit (e.g., a CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and at least one memory. In this embodiment, the control unit 56 employs a microcomputer including a CPU 561, a ROM 562, a RAM 563, a non-volatile memory 564, etc.

[0060] The control unit 56 transmits the voice data generated by the microphone 52 to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 58. In addition, the voice control device 3 transmits control information to the neck speaker 50 as necessary. In response to this control information, the control unit 56 requests the user 7 to speak or drives the LED of the notification unit 516, for example, by outputting a voice from the speaker 53.

[0061] The voice control device 3 will be described below.

[0062] 1, the voice control device 3 includes a housing 31, a battery mounting section 311 provided in the housing 31, a power switch 313, a pairing button 314, a user registration button 315, a microphone 34, an operation section 316, and an alarm section 317. The housing 31 accommodates a speaker 37, a control section 33, a communication section 38, and a storage section 35.

[0063] The battery mounting section 311 is provided at the lower end of the housing 31. The battery mounting section 311 has substantially the same configuration as the battery mounting section 111 of the device 100, and is configured to removably receive the battery 93. The voice control device 3 is designed so that the battery 93 can be stably maintained in its position when it is mounted on the battery mounting section 311 and placed on the floor or ground. As described above, the battery 93 can be commonly used for power tools such as the impact driver 101 and the grinder 102, and for specific electrical appliances (for example, the lighting device 103). Therefore, for example, the battery 93 of a power tool not being used at a work site can be used to supply power to the voice control device 3.

[0064] The power switch 313, the pairing button 314, and the user registration button 315 are arranged on the surface of the housing 31 so as to be manually operable. The power switch 313 is turned on and off in response to pressing. When the power switch 313 is turned on, power is supplied to each unit of the voice control device 3. The pairing button 314 is a manual operation unit for starting pairing with the device 100 and the neck speaker 50. The user registration button 315 is a manual operation unit for starting a user registration process. When the user registration button 315 is turned on, power is supplied to each unit of the voice control device 3 other than the communication unit 38. Although details will be described later, in the user registration process, information on a person who can operate the device 100 by voice instructions via the voice control device 3 is stored in the voice control device 3.

[0065] The microphone 34 converts the input voice into voice data (voice signal) and outputs it. Although details will be described later, the voice data generated by the microphone 34 is stored in the voice control device 3 in a user registration process.

[0066] The speaker 37 is an audio output device that outputs audio. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the notification unit 317 is used, for example, to present information to a person who is about to register information in a user registration process.

[0067] The operation unit 316 is provided on the surface of the housing 31 so as to be manually operable for inputting various information. The operation unit 316 is configured as, for example, a push button switch, a touch screen, etc. The operation unit 316 is used, for example, to input a PIN number in a user registration process.

[0068] The notification unit 317 is provided on the surface of the housing 31 and configured to notify information. The notification unit 317 may be any device that notifies information by display, light, sound, or the like. In this embodiment, the notification unit 317 includes red and green LEDs, but instead of this, for example, a display capable of displaying text information may be adopted. The notification unit 317 is used, for example, to visually present information to a person who is about to register information in a user registration process or the like.

[0069] 2, the control unit 33 includes the power switch 313, the pairing button 314, the user registration button 315, the microphone 34, the speaker 37, and the notification unit 317, which are electrically connected to each of the above-mentioned components. The control unit 33 is further electrically connected to the communication unit 38 and the storage unit 35.

[0070] The control unit 33 controls the operation of the audio control device 3. The control unit 33 also controls the operation of the device 100 and the neck speaker 50 by transmitting various control information to the device 100 and the neck speaker 50. The control unit 33 includes at least one processor / processing circuit (e.g., a CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and at least one memory. In this embodiment, the control unit 33 employs a microcomputer including a CPU 331, a ROM 332, a RAM 333, a non-volatile memory 334, etc.

[0071] The communication unit 38 is configured to be capable of wirelessly connecting to the device 100 and the neck speaker 50. The communication unit 38 may have any known configuration as long as it can wirelessly transmit and receive information (data, signals) between the communication unit 18 of the device 100 and the communication unit 58 of the neck speaker 50 in accordance with a predetermined standard.

[0072] The storage unit 35 is a storage device separate from the memory 334 of the control unit 33. The storage unit 35 includes a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory device and a magnetic disk device. The storage unit 35 stores information obtained in the user registration process, information for outputting a voice for presenting information from the speaker 37, setting information of the device 100 that has been previously paired, information for controlling the operation of the device 100, and the like. In addition, although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the voice control device 3 performs voice recognition based on the voice data acquired from the neck speaker 50. The storage unit 35 stores a voice recognition model for use in this process.

[0073] The processes performed by the power tool system 1 will be described below.

[0074] First, referring to Fig. 3, a general flow of processing performed in the entire power tool system 1 when the voice control device 3 controls the device 100 based on a voice instruction from the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 will be described. In the following description and drawings, each "step" in the processing will be abbreviated as "S".

[0075] 3, voice data of the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is registered in the voice control device 3 (S101, user registration process). Specific information is transmitted and received between the voice control device 3 and the device 100, and between the voice control device 3 and the neck speaker, and pairing is performed (S103 and S105). Furthermore, specific information is transmitted and received between the neck speaker 50 and the voice control device 3, and a user authentication process is performed to confirm that the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is a registered user who is able to operate the device 100 by voice instructions (S107).

[0076] A voice instruction regarding the operation of the device 100 issued by the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is input to the neck speaker 50 (S109), and the wearing state of the neck speaker 50 is detected (S111). The voice data and the detection result are transmitted to the voice control device 3 (S113). If the neck speaker 50 is being worn, the voice control device 3 performs voice recognition based on the voice data acquired from the neck speaker 50 and identifies the instruction (S115). The voice control device 3 determines whether the identified instruction can be executed (S117), and if it can be executed, requests the neck speaker 50 to confirm whether it is OK to execute it (S119).

[0077] A voice confirming the execution of an instruction by the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is input to the neck speaker 50 (S121), and the wearing status of the neck speaker 50 is detected (S123). The voice data and the detection result are transmitted to the voice control device 3 (S125). If the neck speaker 50 is being worn, the voice control device 3 transmits control information for causing the device 100 to execute the instructed operation (S127). The device 100 executes the instructed operation according to the received control information (S129).

[0078] Thereafter, the processes of S109 to S129 are appropriately repeated. In this example, only one device 100 is illustrated, but when the voice control device 3 is paired with multiple devices 100, the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 can selectively issue voice instructions to the multiple devices 100. The voice control device 3 transmits control information to an appropriate device 100 based on the voice data, and controls the operation.

[0079] The processes performed by the voice control device 3, the neck speaker 50, and the device 100 will be described in detail below in order.

[0080] First, a user registration process executed by the control unit 33 (specifically, the CPU 331) in the voice control device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The user registration process is started in response to the user registration button 315 being turned on. This process is realized by the CPU 331 reading a program stored in the ROM 332, the memory 334, or the storage unit 35 into the RAM 333 and executing the program.

[0081] 4, the CPU 331 first outputs a voice requesting the user to input a PIN number from the speaker 37 (S301). The CPU 331 acquires appropriate voice data from the storage unit 35 and uses the data for voice output, and this also applies to the following processes.

[0082] The CPU 331 determines whether the PIN entered via the operation unit 316 is correct or not by comparing the PIN entered through the operation unit 316 with a PIN that has been set in advance and stored in the storage unit 35 (S302). If the PIN is incorrect (S302: NO), the CPU 331 causes the speaker 37 to output a voice informing the user that the PIN is incorrect and a voice requesting the user to redo the process, in that order (S303, S316), turns off the power (S319), and ends the user registration process.

[0083] If the input PIN is correct (S302: YES), CPU 331 outputs a voice requesting the user to speak the activation word (wake word) from speaker 37 (S305). Voice data of the voice input from microphone 34 is acquired and temporarily stored in RAM 333 (S306). If the number of acquired voice data is less than three (S307: NO), CPU 331 returns to S305 and prompts the user to speak again.

[0084] When the number of acquired voice data reaches 3 (S307: YES), the CPU causes the speaker 37 to output a voice requesting an instruction as to whether or not to register the voice data (S311). When voice data of a voice input from the microphone 34 is acquired (S312), the CPU 331 converts the voice data into text data by voice recognition (S313), and determines whether or not an instruction for registration has been issued based on the acquired text data (S314).

[0085] Any known method may be used for the voice recognition process in S313, but in this embodiment, at least one voice recognition model obtained by learning a large amount of data in advance by machine learning (e.g., deep learning using a neural network) is used. For example, an acoustic model and a language model used separately in some steps of the voice recognition process, or a single model (end-to-end model) used uniformly in the voice recognition process may be adopted. In this embodiment, machine learning for generating the voice recognition model is performed in advance in an information processing device (not shown) different from the voice control device 3, and the generated voice recognition model is stored in the storage unit 35.

[0086] In this embodiment, the determination in S314 is made by comparing the text data obtained by the voice recognition process with text data previously stored in the storage unit 35 in association with the registered instruction. Alternatively, in S313 to S314, the instruction may be determined by analyzing the meaning of the input voice using natural language processing technology together with voice recognition. The same can be said about the voice recognition and instruction identification (S474 to S475) in the instruction identification process (see FIG. 9) described later.

[0087] If the CPU 331 determines that the registration has been rejected (S314: NO), it causes the speaker 37 to output a sound requesting the user to redo the process (S316), turns off the power (S319), and ends the user registration process.

[0088] When the CPU 331 determines that registration has been instructed (S314: YES), it generates a user ID, associates the user ID with the voice data (voice waveform data), and stores (registers) the user ID in the storage unit 35 (S315). Hereinafter, a person whose voice data is stored in the storage unit 35 is referred to as a registered user, and the stored voice data is referred to as registered voice data. Note that all three acquired voice data may be stored, or one piece of data generated from the three voice data and indicating the characteristics of a voice waveform when a registered user utters an activation word may be stored. When registration is completed, the CPU 331 outputs a voice informing the completion of registration from the speaker 37 (S317), turns off the power (S319), and ends the user registration process.

[0089] Next, main processing executed by the control unit 33 (specifically, the CPU 331) in the voice control device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 12. The main processing is started in response to the power switch 313 being turned on, and is ended in response to the power switch 313 being turned off during the processing. This processing is realized by the CPU 331 reading and executing a program stored in any one of the ROM 332, the memory 334, or the storage unit 35.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 5, when the main process is started, the CPU 331 waits until the pairing button 314 is pressed (S400: NO, S400). When the pairing button 314 is pressed (S400: YES), the CPU 331 executes the pairing process (S410). The pairing process will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. As described above, pairing refers to registering setting information of a partner device so that two devices can communicate wirelessly one-to-one.

[0091] 6, the CPU 331 first determines whether the pairing button 314 has been pressed for longer than a predetermined time (long press) (S411). In this embodiment, setting information of an external device that has been paired with the voice control device 3 in the past (hereinafter referred to as registered setting information) is stored in the storage unit 35. The long press is an operation that instructs new registration of setting information of the neck speaker 50 and / or the device 100 that has not been paired in the past.

[0092] When the pairing button 314 is pressed and held (S411: YES) and the CPU 331 receives the setting information of the pairing partner (S412: YES), the CPU 331 registers the received setting information in the storage unit 35 (S413). The CPU 331 turns on the green LED of the notification unit 317 and causes the speaker 37 to output a sound notifying the user that the setting information has been registered (S414). The CPU 331 acquires the setting information of the voice control device 3 and transmits it to the pairing partner (S415). The setting information of the voice control device 3 may be stored in the ROM 332, for example. The CPU 331 waits until it receives a registration completion signal from the pairing partner (S416: NO, S416), and when it receives the registration completion signal (S416: YES), it turns off the green LED to notify the user of the completion of registration (S417), and returns to S412. Through the above processing, one-to-one wireless communication is possible between the pairing partner and the voice control device 3.

[0093] When the pairing button 314 is pressed again before receiving the setting information of the pairing partner or after registering the setting information (S421: YES), the CPU 331 recognizes that an instruction to end the pairing process has been given. Then, the CPU 331 transmits information about the device 100 in a state in which a wireless connection has been established by pairing (connected) to the neck speaker 50 (hereinafter referred to as connected device information) (S423), ends the pairing process, and returns to the main process (see FIG. 5). Note that in the voice control device 3, the connected device information is stored in the RAM 333 at all times. The connected device information includes at least information (device ID) indicating the type (name) of the device 100.

[0094] While the predetermined time has not elapsed (S425: NO), the CPU 331 monitors reception of setting information and whether the pairing button 314 is pressed again (S412, S421). If the predetermined time has elapsed without the pairing button 314 being pressed again (S425: YES), the CPU 331 blinks the red LED of the notification unit 317 and outputs a sound from the speaker 37 notifying the end of processing (S426), and then proceeds to S423, where the pairing processing is terminated and the processing returns to the main processing (see FIG. 5).

[0095] When the pairing button 314 is not pressed long (S411: NO), the CPU 331 acquires the registration setting information stored in the storage unit 35 (S431), as shown in Fig. 7. When the CPU 331 receives the setting information of the pairing partner (S432: YES), the CPU 331 judges whether or not the setting information of the pairing partner is registered in the storage unit 35 (i.e., whether or not it is included in the registration setting information) (S433). When the setting information of the pairing partner is not registered (S433: NO), the CPU 331 turns on the red LED of the notification unit 317, and outputs a sound from the speaker 37 notifying that the pairing partner is not registered in the storage unit 35 (S439), and then returns to S432.

[0096] On the other hand, if the setting information of the pairing partner is registered (S433: YES), the CPU 331 turns on the green LED of the notification unit 317 and outputs a sound from the speaker 37 notifying that the pairing partner has been registered in the storage unit 35 (S435). The CPU 331 acquires the setting information of the voice control device 3 and transmits it to the pairing partner (S436). The CPU 331 waits until it receives a registration completion signal from the pairing partner (S437: NO, S437), and upon receiving the registration completion signal (S437: YES), it turns off the green LED to notify the completion of registration (S438) and returns to S432.

[0097] While the pairing button 314 is not pressed again (S441: NO), the CPU 331 performs the above-mentioned processes of S433 to S439 every time it receives setting information of a pairing partner. Thus, the voice control device 3 can establish wireless connections with multiple external devices (for example, the neck speaker 50 and multiple devices 100) during this time. When the pairing button 314 is pressed again (S441: YES), the CPU 331 transmits connected device information to the neck speaker 50 (S442), ends the pairing process, and returns to the main process (see FIG. 5). Note that if a predetermined time has elapsed without the pairing button 314 being pressed again, the CPU 331 may end the pairing process and return to the main process.

[0098] As shown in Fig. 5, in the main processing, a pairing process (S410) is followed by a user authentication process (S450). The user authentication process is a process for confirming whether or not the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 giving a voice instruction is a registered user. The user authentication process will be described below with reference to Fig. 8.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 8, the CPU 331 first waits until it acquires voice data transmitted from the neck speaker 50 and received by the communication unit 38 (S451: NO, S451). When the voice data is acquired (S451: YES), the CPU 331 performs voiceprint authentication using the registered voice data stored in the storage unit 35 (S452). Note that the voiceprint authentication may be performed by any known method. When the CPU 331 determines as a result of the voiceprint authentication that the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is a registered user (S453: YES), it transmits a success code to the neck speaker 50 (S454), ends the user authentication process, and returns to the main process (see Fig. 5).

[0100] If CPU 331 determines as a result of voiceprint authentication that user 7 of neck speaker 50 is not a registered user (S453: NO), it transmits a failure code to neck speaker 50 (S456). If the number of voiceprint authentication failures has not reached a predetermined number (S457: NO), CPU 331 returns to S451 and waits for acquisition of voice data.

[0101] When the number of voiceprint authentication failures reaches a predetermined number (S457: YES), CPU 331 judges whether or not the correct PIN number has been input via operation unit 316 (S461). Note that, as will be described in detail later, when the number of voiceprint authentication failures reaches a predetermined number, a voice prompting the user to input a PIN number is output from speaker 53 of neck speaker 50. This is because there is a possibility that user 7 may be erroneously determined to be a non-registered user based on voiceprint authentication alone due to surrounding noise, etc.

[0102] If an incorrect PIN is entered (S461: NO), and the number of failed PIN entry attempts has not reached a predetermined number (S462: NO), a failure code is sent to the neck speaker 50 (S463), and the process returns to S461 to wait for PIN entry. If the number of failed attempts reaches a predetermined number (S462: YES), the CPU 331 sends an end code to the neck speaker 50 (S465), turns off the power (S466), and ends the main processing. This is to prevent the operation of the device 100 from being controlled by voice instructions from a person not recognized as a registered user.

[0103] The user authentication process described above makes it possible, for example, to allow only those who meet certain conditions (e.g., experienced workers or site supervisors) to give a PIN number to become registered users, and by further performing voiceprint authentication, the possibility of inappropriate voice instructions being executed can be reduced.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 5, in the main process, after the user authentication process (S450) ends with the transmission of a success code (S454), an instruction identification process (S470) is performed. The instruction identification process is a process for performing voice recognition and specifically identifying the content of a voice instruction. The instruction identification process will be described below with reference to Fig. 9.

[0105] 9, the CPU 331 first waits until it acquires the audio data and detection code transmitted from the neck speaker 50 and received by the communication unit 38 (S471: NO, S471). The detection code is a signal indicating the detection result of the wearing detection unit 55 of the neck speaker 50, and indicates whether or not the neck speaker 50 is being worn. When the CPU 331 acquires the audio data and detection code (S471: YES), it determines whether or not the neck speaker 50 is being worn based on the detection code (S472).

[0106] If it is determined that the neck speaker 50 is not being worn, this means that a person recognized as a registered user by voiceprint authentication has removed the neck speaker 50. Therefore, when the CPU 331 determines that the neck speaker 50 is not being worn (S472: NO), it transmits a re-authentication request code to the neck speaker 50 (S479) and returns to S451 of the user authentication processing (see FIG. 8). This is to reduce the possibility that inappropriate voice instructions will be given by another person after a person recognized as a registered user by voiceprint authentication removes the neck speaker 50.

[0107] When the CPU 331 determines that the neck speaker 50 is being worn (S472: YES), it performs voice recognition (S474) and identifies the instruction (S475).

[0108] The voice recognition performed in S474 is substantially the same as the voice recognition in the user registration process (S313 in FIG. 4), and at least one voice recognition model is used. In this embodiment, the instruction is specified in S475 by comparing the text data obtained by the voice recognition process with the text data previously stored in the storage unit 35 in association with various instructions.

[0109] Here, with reference to FIG. 10, an example of information (hereinafter, referred to as instruction identification information) stored in the storage unit 35 for identifying an instruction in this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the instruction identification information includes, for example, instruction text data, an instruction ID, a restriction discrimination code, device text data, and a device ID, which are associated with each other. The instruction text data is text data of an instruction regarding an executable operation of the device 100. The instruction ID is information for identifying an instruction. The restriction discrimination code is information indicating whether or not there is a restriction on the execution of an instruction, and "0" is used when there is no restriction, and "1" is used when there is a restriction. The device text data is text data indicating the type (name) of the device 100 that can handle the instruction. The device ID is information for identifying the type of device.

[0110] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the text data "set the rotation speed to N" is associated with an instruction ID "0001" indicating that the instruction is related to rotation speed control, a restriction discrimination code "1" indicating that there is a restriction, text data "grinder" and "polisher" indicating the type of compatible device 100, and the corresponding device codes "102" and "108". Also, the text data "make the light brighter" and "turn on only the light" are associated with an instruction ID "0002" indicating that the instruction is related to light amount control, a restriction discrimination code "0" indicating that there is no restriction, text data "impact driver" indicating that the compatible device 100 is a "lighting device" and various power tools equipped with an LED light 115 such as an impact driver, and the corresponding device IDs "103", "101", and so on. Similarly, information for executing the instruction is associated with instruction text data corresponding to various instructions.

[0111] When at least a part of the text data obtained by the voice recognition substantially includes instruction text data, the CPU 331 identifies an instruction ID associated with the instruction text data. When at least a part of the text data obtained by the voice recognition substantially includes device text data, the CPU 331 identifies a device ID associated with the device text data.

[0112] 9, CPU 331 determines whether the instruction has been identified depending on whether text data has been obtained by voice recognition (S476). More specifically, if the voice recognition is successful (S476: YES), CPU 331 ends the instruction identification process and returns to the main process (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, if the voice recognition is unsuccessful (S476: NO), CPU 331 transmits an identification failure code to neck speaker 50 and returns to S471 to wait for acquisition of voice data.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 5, in the main process, after the instruction specification process (S470), an instruction execution process (S500) is performed. The instruction execution process is a process for operating the device according to an instruction. The instruction execution process will be described below with reference to Figs. 11 and 12.

[0114] As shown in Fig. 11, the CPU 331 first determines whether the instruction is executable (S501). More specifically, if at least one of the instruction ID and the device ID cannot be identified in S475 of the instruction identification process, if the identified instruction ID and the device ID are not associated with each other, or if the identified device ID is not included in the connected device information, the CPU 331 determines that the instruction is not executable (S501: NO). In this case, the CPU 331 transmits an execution-impossible code to the neck speaker 50 (S511), returns to S471 of the instruction identification process (see Fig. 9), and waits for acquisition of voice data of the instruction again.

[0115] In S475 of the instruction identification process, if the instruction ID and device ID associated with each other are identified and the identified device ID is included in the connected device information, the CPU 331 determines that the instruction is executable (S501: YES). In this case, the CPU 331 transmits the instruction ID and the restriction discrimination code to the device 100 that executes the instruction (S502). If the CPU 331 does not receive a confirmation code from the device 100 within a predetermined time (S505: NO), it considers the instruction execution to have failed. The CPU 331 transmits an execution failure code to the neck speaker 50 (S512), returns to S471 of the instruction identification process, and waits for acquisition of voice data of a new instruction.

[0116] If the CPU 331 receives the confirmation code from the device 100 within the predetermined time (S505: YES), it transmits a confirmation request code to the neck speaker 50 to prompt a final confirmation (S506). If the CPU 331 cannot acquire the voice data and detection code from the neck speaker 50 within the predetermined time (S507: NO), it transmits an execution failure code to the neck speaker 50 (S512) and returns to S471 of the instruction identification process to wait for acquisition of voice data of a second instruction. If the CPU 331 acquires the voice data and detection code from the neck speaker 50 within the predetermined time (S507: YES), it determines whether or not the neck speaker 50 is being worn based on the detection code (S508). If the neck speaker 50 is not being worn (S508: NO), it transmits a re-authentication request code to the neck speaker 50 (S513) and returns to S451 of the user authentication process (see FIG. 8).

[0117] When the CPU 331 determines that the neck speaker 50 is being worn (S508: YES), it performs voice recognition (S515) and identifies the instruction (S516) as shown in Fig. 12. The processes of S515 and S516 are similar to S312 and S313 of the above-mentioned user registration process. The CPU 331 determines whether the identified instruction is an execution instruction (S517). If the identified instruction is an instruction requesting cancellation of execution (S517: NO), the CPU 331 transmits a cancellation code to the neck speaker 50 and the device 100 (S518, S519), and returns to S471 of the instruction identification process to wait for acquisition of voice data of a new instruction.

[0118] If the identified instruction is an execution instruction (S517: YES), the CPU 331 transmits an execution confirmation code to the device 100 that executes the instruction (S521). The CPU 331 monitors the signal transmitted from the device 100 until a predetermined time has elapsed (S522: NO, S523: NO, S524: NO). If the predetermined time has elapsed without receiving anything from the device 100 (S522: YES), the CPU 331 transmits an execution failure code to the neck speaker 50 (S527), and returns to S471 of the instruction identification process to wait for acquisition of voice data of a new instruction.

[0119] After acquiring a standby code transmitted from the device 100 and received by the communication unit 38 within a predetermined time (S522: NO, S523: YES), if the predetermined time has elapsed without receiving an execution completion code (S524: NO, S522: YES), the CPU 331 transmits an execution failure code to the neck speaker 50 (S527) and returns to S471 of the instruction identification process to wait for acquisition of voice data of a new instruction. Note that, although details will be described later, the standby code is a signal transmitted from the device 100 to the voice control device 3 when an instruction is given to the device 100 to perform an operation with execution restrictions, in order to notify the voice control device 3 that it will wait until the restrictions are cleared.

[0120] If the CPU 331 acquires an execution completion code transmitted from the device 100 and received by the communication unit 38 within a predetermined time (S522: NO, S523: NO, S524: YES), the CPU 331 transmits the execution completion code to the neck speaker 50 (S525), terminates the instruction execution processing, and returns to the main processing.

[0121] 5, in the main processing, after instruction execution processing (S500), CPU 331 waits for pressing of pairing button 314 or acquisition of voice data and detection code (S551: NO, S552: NO). If pairing button 314 is pressed (S551: YES), CPU 331 proceeds to pairing processing (S410), and if voice data and detection code are acquired (S552: YES), CPU 331 proceeds to instruction identification processing (S470).

[0122] 13 to 16, a main process executed by the control unit 56 (more specifically, the CPU 561) in the neck speaker 50 will be described below. The main process is started when the power switch 501 is turned on, and is ended when the power switch 501 is turned off during the process. This process is realized by the CPU 561 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 562 or memory 564.

[0123] 13, the CPU 561 first checks whether the neck speaker 50 has a communication history with the voice control device 3 (S601). The communication history with the voice control device 3 is stored, for example, in the memory 564. If there is no communication history with the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 waits until the pairing button 502 is pressed (S601: NO, S602). If a predetermined time has passed without the pairing button 502 being pressed (S602: NO, S603: YES), the CPU 561 turns off the power (S605) and ends the main processing.

[0124] The CPU 561 performs pairing processing (S610) when the communication history with the voice control device 3 is confirmed (S601: YES) or when the pairing button 502 is pressed within a predetermined time (S603: NO, S602: YES). In this embodiment, if there is a communication history with the voice control device 3, the pairing processing starts even if the pairing button 502 is not pressed, thereby improving convenience. On the other hand, in the above-mentioned voice control device 3, the pairing processing is not performed unless the pairing button 314 is pressed every time the power is turned on. This is to avoid inadvertent connection, taking into consideration that the voice control device 3 may be connected to multiple various types of external devices.

[0125] 14, in the pairing process, the CPU 561 first obtains setting information of the neck speaker 50 and transmits it to the voice control device 3 (S611). The setting information of the neck speaker 50 may be stored in the ROM 562, for example. If the CPU 561 cannot receive the setting information of the voice control device 3 within a predetermined time (S613: NO), the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying that the pairing has failed and the process is to be terminated (S618). Note that information for outputting a sound for presenting information from the speaker 53 may be stored in the ROM 562 or the memory 564, for example. The CPU 561 turns off the power (S619) and terminates the main process.

[0126] When the CPU 561 receives the setting information of the voice control device 3 within a predetermined time (S613: YES), the CPU 561 outputs a sound from the speaker 53 notifying that pairing has been successful (S614). The acquired setting information is stored in the RAM 563. The CPU 561 transmits a registration completion signal to the voice control device 3 (S615). After that, the CPU 561 receives the connection destination device information transmitted from the voice control device 3 in response to receiving the registration completion signal, stores the information in the RAM 563 (S616), and returns to the main processing (see FIG. 13).

[0127] 13, after the pairing process (S610), the CPU 561 outputs a voice announcing the type of device 100 that the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 can operate by voice instruction based on the connection destination device information (S622). Then, a user authentication process (S630) is performed. The user authentication process is a process for having the voice control device 3 confirm whether or not the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 is a registered user through communication with the voice control device 3. The user authentication process will be described below with reference to FIG. 15.

[0128] 15, in the user authentication process, the CPU 561 outputs a voice requesting the user to speak an activation word (S631), and waits until it acquires voice data generated by the microphone 52 (S632: NO, S632). When the CPU 561 acquires the voice data (S632: YES), it transmits the voice data to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 58 (S633).

[0129] As described above, when a success code is transmitted as a result of voiceprint authentication in the user authentication process of the voice control device 3 (see FIG. 8), the CPU 561 acquires this via the communication unit 58 and determines that the authentication has been successful (S635: YES). In this case, the CPU 561 blinks the green LED of the notification unit 516 and outputs a sound announcing the successful authentication from the speaker 53 (S636). After a predetermined time has elapsed, the CPU 561 lights the green LED to notify that the device is in a standby state (S637), and returns to the main process (see FIG. 13).

[0130] When the CPU 561 receives a failure code transmitted from the voice control device 3 (S635: NO), if the number of times the failure code has been received has not reached a predetermined number (S641: NO), the CPU 561 outputs a voice from the speaker 53 requesting the user to re-speak the activation word (S642) and returns to S632 to wait for the reception of voice data. When the number of times the failure code has been received reaches a predetermined number (S641: YES), the CPU 561 outputs a voice from the speaker 53 requesting the user to enter a PIN number using the voice control device 3 (S643).

[0131] When the input PIN is confirmed in the user authentication process of the voice control device 3 (see FIG. 8) and a success code is transmitted, the CPU 561 acquires the success code via the communication unit 58 and determines that the authentication has been successful (S645: YES). The CPU 561 performs the processes of S636 and S637 as described above and returns to the main process (see FIG. 13).

[0132] When the CPU 561 receives a failure code transmitted from the voice control device 3 (S645: NO), it determines whether the number of times the failure code received after S643 has reached a predetermined number (S646). If the number of failures has not reached the predetermined number (S646: NO), it outputs a sound from the speaker 53 requesting the user to re-enter the PIN number using the voice control device 3 (S647), and returns to S645 to wait for the authentication result. When the number of failures reaches the predetermined number (S646: YES), the CPU 561 outputs a sound from the speaker 53 notifying the user that the authentication has failed and that the process is to be terminated (S648). The CPU 561 turns off the power (S649) and terminates the main process.

[0133] As shown in Fig. 13, after the user authentication process (S630), a voice instruction process (S660) is performed. The voice instruction process is a process in which the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 gives a voice instruction via communication with the voice control device 3 to cause the voice control device 3 to control the operation of the device 100. Hereinafter, the voice instruction process will be described with reference to Fig. 16.

[0134] 16, the CPU 561 waits until it acquires voice data generated by the microphone 52 (S661: NO, S661). When the CPU 561 acquires the voice data (S661: YES), it acquires the detection result of the wearing detection unit (S662) and transmits the voice data and a detection code indicating the detection result to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 58 (S663).

[0135] If there is no reply from the voice control device 3 within a predetermined time (S665: NO), the CPU 561 turns off the green LED of the notification unit 516, blinks the red LED (S666), and outputs a sound from the speaker 53 notifying that the communication has failed (S667). After that, the CPU 561 turns on the green LED and turns off the red LED to notify that the device has returned to the standby state (S668), and returns to the main processing (see FIG. 13).

[0136] As described above, when it is determined that the neck speaker 50 is not being worn based on the detection code in the instruction identification process (see FIG. 9) or instruction execution process (see FIGS. 11 and 12) of the voice control device 3, a re-authentication request code is transmitted to the neck speaker 50. When the CPU 561 acquires the re-authentication request code via the communication unit 58 within a predetermined time (S665: YES, S671: YES), it causes the speaker 53 to output a voice requesting that the user authentication process be performed again (S672), and returns to S631 of the user authentication process (see FIG. 15).

[0137] Furthermore, as described above, when it is determined in the instruction execution process (see FIG. 11) of the voice control device 3 that an instruction can be executed, a confirmation request code for final confirmation is transmitted to the neck speaker 50. When the CPU 561 acquires the confirmation request code via the communication unit 58 within a predetermined time (S665: YES, S671: NO, S674: YES), it causes the speaker 53 to output a voice requesting an utterance indicating whether or not the instruction may be executed (S675), and returns to S661 to wait for acquisition of voice data.

[0138] Furthermore, in the instruction identification process (see FIG. 9) or the instruction execution process (see FIGS. 11 and 12) of the voice control device 3, various other codes may be transmitted to the neck speaker 50. When the CPU 561 acquires a code different from the re-authentication request code and the confirmation request code via the communication unit 58 within a predetermined time (S665: YES, S671: NO, S674: NO), it causes the speaker 53 to output a sound corresponding to the received code (S677).

[0139] Specifically, when the CPU 561 acquires a specific failure code transmitted from the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying the user that the instruction could not be voice-recognized. When the CPU 561 acquires an execution failure code transmitted from the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying the user that the instruction cannot be executed. When the CPU 561 acquires an execution failure code transmitted from the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying the user that the execution of the instruction by the device 100 has failed. When the CPU 561 acquires a cancel code transmitted from the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying the user that the instruction has been canceled. In these cases, the CPU 561 may turn off the green LED of the notification unit 516 and blink the red LED in addition to the sound output, as in S666. Furthermore, when the CPU 561 acquires an execution completion code transmitted from the voice control device 3, the CPU 561 causes the speaker 53 to output a sound notifying the user that the execution of the instruction has been completed.

[0140] After outputting a sound corresponding to the code received in S677, the CPU 561 turns on the green LED and turns off the red LED to notify that the device has returned to the standby state (S668), and then returns to the main processing (see FIG. 13).

[0141] 13, in the main processing, after the voice instruction processing (S660), the CPU 561 waits for the pairing button 502 to be pressed or for voice data to be acquired (S681: NO, S682: NO). When the pairing button 502 is pressed (S681: YES), the CPU 561 transitions to the pairing processing (S610), and when voice data is acquired (S682: YES), the CPU 561 transitions to the voice instruction processing (S660).

[0142] Hereinafter, the audio control process executed by the control unit 16 (specifically, the CPU 161) in the device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. The audio control process is started in response to the pairing button 118 being pressed and turned on. The audio control process is realized by the CPU 161 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 162 or the memory 164.

[0143] 17, in the voice control process, the CPU 161 starts the power supply to the communication unit 18 (S701). After that, the CPU 161 performs the pairing process (S702). Note that the pairing process performed by the device 100 is substantially the same as the pairing process (see FIG. 14) performed by the neck speaker 50 described above, except that the connection destination device information from the voice control device 3 is not received. Therefore, a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0144] When a wireless connection with the voice control device 3 is established in the pairing process, the CPU 161 waits to acquire an instruction ID and a restriction discrimination code (S705: NO, S705). As described above, when the instruction execution process of the voice control device 3 (see FIG. 11) determines that an instruction by the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 can be executed by the device 100, the instruction ID and the restriction discrimination code are transmitted to the device 100. When the CPU 161 acquires the instruction ID and the restriction discrimination code received from the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S705: YES), the CPU 161 lights up the green LED of the notification unit 117 to notify that an instruction has been received from the voice control device 3 (S706). The CPU 161 transmits a confirmation code to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S707).

[0145] As described above, in the instruction execution process (see FIG. 11), the voice control device 3 performs a final confirmation of whether or not to execute the instruction with the user 7 of the neck speaker 50, and transmits a code indicating the result to the device 100. When the CPU 161 receives a cancel code transmitted from the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S708: NO), the CPU 161 notifies the user that the instruction has been canceled by turning on the red LED of the notification unit 117 (S731). The CPU 161 transmits a cancellation completion code to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S732), and returns to S705 to wait for the acquisition of an instruction ID and a restriction discrimination code. On the other hand, when the CPU 161 receives an execution confirmation code transmitted from the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S708: YES), the CPU 161 determines whether or not there is a restriction on the execution of the instruction based on the restriction discrimination code acquired in S705 (S711).

[0146] Here, a specific example of an instruction execution restriction will be described. For example, when the device 100 is an impact driver 101, as shown in FIG. 10, an instruction ID "0002" related to light amount control and an instruction ID "0003" related to mode change can be received. The restriction discrimination code corresponding to the instruction ID "0002" is "0" indicating that the instruction is an unrestricted instruction, and the restriction discrimination code corresponding to the instruction ID "0003" is "1" indicating that the instruction is a restricted instruction. The restriction discrimination code "1" is assigned to an instruction that may cause inconvenience if the instructed operation is immediately executed.

[0147] For example, a restriction discrimination code "0" is assigned to an instruction for an operation that is unlikely to have a negative effect on an inexperienced worker even if the instruction is executed while the worker is working, such as the above-mentioned light amount change (e.g., increasing the light amount), and the instruction is permitted to be executed immediately. Therefore, when the restriction discrimination code is "0" (S711: NO), the CPU 161 executes an operation according to the instruction (e.g., increasing the light amount of the LED light 115 of the impact driver 101) (S712). After executing the instruction, the CPU 161 transmits an execution completion code to the voice control device 3 (S713). Furthermore, the CPU 161 turns off the green LED of the notification unit 117 to notify that the execution of the instruction from the voice control device 3 has been completed (S714), and the process returns to S705 to wait for acquisition of the instruction ID and the restriction discrimination code.

[0148] On the other hand, the above-mentioned mode change is accompanied by a change in the rotation speed of the motor 12. For example, when an inexperienced operator uses the impact driver 101, if a mode change is performed while the motor 12 is being driven, the operator is unable to appropriately respond to the change in the rotation speed of the motor 12, which is not preferable. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the restriction discrimination code is "1", the driving of the motor 12 is temporarily stopped, and then the instructed operation is executed.

[0149] Specifically, when the restriction discrimination code is "1" (S711: YES), the CPU 161 judges whether the switch 13 for starting the motor 12 is on or not (i.e., whether the motor 12 is being driven or not) (S721). If the switch 13 is on (S721: YES), the CPU 161 transmits a standby code to the voice control device 3 via the communication unit 18 (S722). When the switch 13 is subsequently turned off (S721: NO), the CPU 161 proceeds to S712 and performs an operation according to the instruction. Thereafter, the CPU 161 performs the processes of S713 to S715 described above and ends the voice control process.

[0150] In addition, as in the example of FIG. 1, when a plurality of devices 100 are connected to the voice control device 3, the above-mentioned processing is performed in each device 100 according to the control information from the voice control device 3.

[0151] As described above, in the power tool system 1 of the present embodiment, the voice control device 3 acquires voice data of voice, and controls the operation of the device 100 (power tool) by wireless communication according to an instruction related to the operation of the device 100 specified based on the voice data. Therefore, as long as the voice control device 3 can acquire the voice data of the instruction and can wirelessly communicate with the device 100, it is possible to give voice instructions at a location far from the device 100, as compared with the conventional configuration in which a voice instruction device is provided on the power tool. Therefore, for example, the voice control device 3 can be installed separately from the power tool in a location that is less susceptible to the influence of dust generated during processing work. In addition, a person (for example, a site supervisor) different from the person who actually works with the power tool can give appropriate instructions by voice. Furthermore, it is possible to control multiple power tools based on voice instructions using one voice control device 3. In addition, not only power tools but also other electrical appliances can be controlled by voice instructions, so that a highly convenient power tool system 1 is realized.

[0152] Moreover, in this embodiment, the voice control device 3 acquires voice data by receiving voice data generated from a voice input by the user device 5. In particular, since the neck speaker 50 is adopted as the user device 5, the voice input is less susceptible to the influence of noise, which is preferable.

[0153] Furthermore, the CPU 161 of the device 100 controls the operation of the device 100 according to the instruction ID and the restriction discrimination code transmitted from the voice control device 3. Therefore, when a new device 100 that can be wirelessly connected to the voice control device 3 is commercialized, an operation corresponding to the instruction ID is set in the new device 100, so that the new device 100 can operate according to the instruction ID transmitted from the voice control device 3. Therefore, even if the instruction specification information (see FIG. 10) stored in the voice control device 3 is not changed, it is possible to increase the number of devices 100 that can be controlled by the voice control device 3 with voice instructions.

[0154] The correspondence between each component (feature) of the above embodiment and each component (feature) of the present disclosure or invention is shown below. However, each component of the embodiment is merely an example and does not limit each component of the present disclosure or invention.

[0155] The power tool system 1 is an example of a "power tool system." Each of the devices 100 is an example of a "controlled device." Each of the impact driver 101 and the grinder 102 is an example of a "power tool." The voice control device 3 is an example of a "voice control device." The control unit 33 is an example of a "system control unit." The neck speaker 50 is an example of a "user device," a "wearable device," and a "neck speaker." The microphone 52 is an example of an "voice input unit." The control unit 56 is an example of a "device control unit." The speaker 53 is an example of an "voice output unit." The wearing detection unit 55 is an example of a "detection unit." The battery mounting unit 311 is an example of a "battery mounting unit." The battery 93 is an example of a "battery." The motor 12 is an example of a "motor." The control unit 16 is an example of a "tool control unit."

[0156] The power tool system according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, at least one of the non-limiting modifications described below may be adopted in combination with the power tool system 1, the voice control device 3, the device 100, and at least one of the features described in the claims.

[0157] For example, the power tool system according to the present disclosure may include a voice control device 3, at least one device 100, and a server (information processing device) connectable to the voice control device 3 via a network (e.g., a mobile phone communication network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or the Internet). In this modification, the voice control device 3 may be configured to connect to the network wirelessly or wired and communicate with the server via the network. Note that the power tool system according to this modification may selectively include a user device 5.

[0158] In this modification, the control unit 33 (CPU 331) of the voice control device 3 converts the voice input from the microphone 34 into voice data, or receives voice data from the user device 5, and transmits the acquired voice data to the server. In the server, a control unit including at least one processor and a memory performs voice recognition using a voice recognition model to identify an instruction, as described in the above embodiment, and transmits the identified instruction to the voice control device 3. Alternatively, the control unit of the server may transmit text data obtained by voice recognition to the voice control device 3, and the control unit 33 of the voice control device 3 may only identify the instruction. Furthermore, when the voice control device 3 receives an instruction regarding the operation of the device 100 that is not stored in the storage unit 35, the voice control device 3 may communicate with the server and acquire information regarding the device 100. Furthermore, the voice control device 3 may communicate with the server as appropriate, acquire the latest voice recognition model updated by the server, and perform voice recognition and instruction identification.

[0159] As in the power tool system of the above modified example, the user device 5 may be omitted from the power tool system 1 of the above embodiment, and the control unit 33 (CPU 331) of the voice control device 3 may acquire voice data generated by the microphone 34. In addition, the user device 5 may be another type of wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0160] The user registration process (registration of voice data) in the above embodiment may be performed by transmitting voice data of voice input from the microphone 52 of the neck speaker 50 to the voice control device 3 after pairing with the voice control device 3. If voice input or voice output is not required in the voice control device 3, the microphone 52 and the speaker 53 may be omitted. The same applies to the operation unit 316 and the notification unit 317.

[0161] The voice control device 3 may be of an adapter type, and may have a fastener (e.g., a hook) that can be attached to the clothing or belt of the user 7 or the worker who uses the power tool. The voice control device 3 may also have a USB terminal and may receive power from, for example, a mobile battery, or may receive power from an external AC power source connected via a power cord. When the voice control device 3 can be connected to an AC power source, the voice control device 3 may have a charging function for the battery 93. Alternatively, the voice control device 3 may be integrated with an electrical product / electronic device (e.g., a lighting device 103, a radio, etc.) used at the work site.

[0162] In the above embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, an example has been described in which the voice control device 3 receives one instruction for one device 100 and causes the corresponding device 100 to execute the instruction. However, the voice control device 3 may be configured to process multiple instructions for multiple devices 100 and / or instructions with time specifications, as in the modified examples described below.

[0163] In a first modified example, the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 may input instructions to the multiple devices 100 by voice at one time. In this case, the control unit 33 (CU 331) of the voice control device 3 may specify instructions corresponding to each of the multiple devices 100 based on the acquired voice data in S474 and S475 of the instruction specification process (see FIG. 9), and control the multiple devices 100 by transmitting appropriate control information (instruction ID, restriction discrimination code) to each of the multiple devices 100 in S502 of the instruction execution process (see FIG. 11). Furthermore, the execution confirmation request to the neck speaker 50 in S506 may be made for each instruction, or one execution confirmation request for multiple instructions. Correspondingly, the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 may input voice confirming execution for each instruction, or may input voice confirming execution of multiple instructions collectively, in response to being asked to speak in S675 of the voice instruction process (see FIG. 16).

[0164] In a second modified example, the user 7 of the neck speaker 50 may input, by voice, an instruction related to the operation of the device 100, with a scheduled execution time specified. In this case, the control unit 33 (CU 331) of the voice control device 3 may perform different processing depending on whether the target device 100 supports timer setting or not, after identifying the instruction in S474 and S475 of the instruction identification process (see FIG. 9). Specifically, for example, if the target device 100 does not support timer setting, the control unit 33 may wait until the specified time using the timer provided in the voice control device 3, and transmit control information to the device 100 when the specified time is reached. On the other hand, if the target device 100 supports timer setting, the control unit 33 may transmit information on the specified time to the device 100 together with the control information without waiting, after identifying the instruction in S474 and S475. The control unit 16 (CPU 161) of the device 100 may wait until the specified time, and execute the instruction based on the control information when the specified time is reached. If the control unit 16 receives control information corresponding to another instruction before the specified time, the control unit 16 may execute the other instruction.

[0165] The third modified example can be realized as a combination of the first modified example and the second modified example. That is, the voice control device 3 may acquire voice data corresponding to a plurality of instructions, each of which has a scheduled execution time specified, from the neck speaker 50, and control the plurality of devices 100 to execute the instructions at the specified time according to the identified instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 1: power tool system, 100: controlled device (device), 101: impact driver, 102: grinder, 103: lighting device, 11: housing, 111: battery mounting section, 115: LED light, 116: operation section, 117: notification section, 118: pairing button, 12: motor, 121: motor drive circuit, 13: switch, 141: light source, 16: control section, 161: CPU, 162: ROM, 163: RAM, 164: memory, 18: communication section, 3: voice control device, 31: housing, 311: battery mounting section, 313: power switch, 314: pairing Button, 315: user registration button, 316: operation unit, 317: notification unit, 33: control unit, 331: CPU, 332: ROM, 333: RAM, 334: memory, 34: microphone, 35: storage unit, 37: speaker, 38: communication unit, 5: user device, 50: neck speaker, 501: power switch, 502: pairing button, 51: main body, 516: notification unit, 52: microphone, 53: speaker, 55: wearing detection unit, 56: control unit, 561: CPU, 562: ROM, 563: RAM, 564: memory, 58: communication unit, 7: user, 91: tip tool, 93: battery

Claims

1. It is a power tool system, A controlled device including a power tool, The system comprises at least one controlled device and an audio control device configured to be wirelessly connected to it. The voice control device includes a system control unit configured to control the operation of the at least one controlled device, The aforementioned system control unit, Acquire audio data, A power tool system characterized by being configured to control the operation of the power tool in accordance with instructions related to the operation of the power tool, which are identified based on the voice data.

2. The power tool system according to claim 1, The system further includes a user device configured to be wirelessly connected to the aforementioned voice control device, The user device is A voice input unit configured to receive voice input and convert it into voice data, The system includes a device control unit configured to control the operation of the user device, The power tool system is characterized in that the device control unit is configured to transmit the audio data generated by the audio input unit to the audio control unit.

3. The power tool system according to claim 2, The user device further comprises an audio output unit configured to output sound, The power tool system is characterized in that the system control unit is configured to control the output of the audio output unit.

4. The power tool system according to claim 2 or 3, The power tool system is characterized in that the user device is a wearable device.

5. The power tool system according to claim 4, The wearable device is a neck speaker that can be worn around a person's neck, and is part of a power tool system.

6. The power tool system according to claim 4, The wearable device further includes a detection unit that detects whether or not the wearable device is being worn. The device control unit is configured to transmit information to the voice control device indicating whether or not the wearable device is being worn, in accordance with the detection result from the detection unit. The power tool system is characterized in that the system control unit is configured to perform a different process when it receives information indicating that the wearable device is not being worn, compared to when it receives information indicating that the wearable device is being worn.

7. An electric power tool system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned voice control device includes a battery mounting section and is configured to operate on power supplied from a rechargeable battery detachably mounted in the battery mounting section. The aforementioned battery is characterized by being selectively attachable to multiple types of power tools, forming a power tool system.

8. An electric power tool system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The power tool system is characterized in that the system control unit is configured to perform at least one of the following: speech recognition of the voice data and identification of the instructions, using a machine learning-trained model.

9. An electric power tool system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The system control unit is configured to perform voiceprint authentication using the voice data and matching data of at least one registered user, and to determine whether the voice indicated by the voice data belongs to at least one registered user. The power tool system is characterized in that the system control unit is configured to cause the power tool to perform an action in accordance with the instruction only when it determines that the voice indicated by the voice data is the voice of at least one registered user.

10. The power tool system according to claim 6, The system control unit is configured to perform voiceprint authentication using the voice data and matching data of at least one registered user, and to determine whether the voice indicated by the voice data belongs to at least one registered user. The system control unit is configured to cause the power tool to perform the action in accordance with the instruction only when it determines that the voice indicated in the voice data is the voice of at least one registered user. The wearable device further comprises one of the at least one controlled device, which is configured to output sound, The power tool system is characterized in that, when the system control unit receives information from the wearable device indicating that the wearable device is not being worn, it causes the voice output unit to output a voice prompting the user to speak again for voiceprint authentication.

11. An electric power tool system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The power tool system is characterized in that the system control unit is configured to confirm with the user whether or not it is acceptable to perform the instruction before having the power tool perform the operation in accordance with the instruction.

12. An electric power tool system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned system control unit, Based on the aforementioned audio data, it is determined whether the instruction identified is an instruction that can be executed without restriction in the power tool. A power tool system characterized in that, if it is determined that the instruction is not an instruction that can be executed without restriction, it is configured to perform a different process than when it is determined that the instruction is an instruction that can be executed without restriction.

13. The power tool system according to claim 12, The aforementioned power tool is Motor and, It includes a tool control unit, The power tool system is characterized in that, when the tool control unit receives control information for executing the instructions from the voice control unit while the motor is being driven, it stops the motor and then operates the power tool according to the control information.

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