CN114200975A - Wireless torque wrench with torque specification - Google Patents

Abstract

An interactive software application on a mobile computing device for configuring an electronic torque wrench via a wireless connection. The software application obtains torque specifications for the vehicle from a remote database. When the torque specification requires that the workpiece be twisted in an ordered sequence, the software application guides the technician through the sequence, but accommodates changes as the technician disengages the sequence.

Description

Wireless torque wrench with torque specification

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application is a partially-filed application, filed on 22/5/2017, U.S. patent application No. 15/601,361, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, and claims priority thereto.

Technical Field

A torque wrench with a wireless link to a software application on a mobile device is disclosed. The software application is used to find specifications and configure the wrench, and provides real-time interactive functionality.

Background

Electronic torque wrenches have gained popularity in automotive, fleet, aviation, and other assembly and repair applications. Such wrenches are used to apply torque to a rotatable "workpiece," such as a screw, nut, bolt, or other rotatable fastener, and measure the torque applied to the workpiece by the wrench. These wrenches may indicate to a technician (i.e., wrench user) when the workpiece is torqued to an appropriate torque value, such as 100 ft-lb. Some electronic torque wrenches also measure the angle as the workpiece rotates. The angle measurement can be used to determine which workpieces have been tightened, and/or to tighten a workpiece beyond a hug point or threshold torque by a certain angle.

Some tasks require a specific fastening procedure, such as applying a specific amount of torque to a series of workpieces in an ordered sequence. The tightening procedure may also require that a particular angular adjustment be applied to the workpieces in the sequence to ensure proper tightening. The program for a single workpiece in the sequence may also require applying torque and/or angle to the single workpiece in stages. For example, aviation fuel line nuts require a specific tightening angle, seating torque, and final torque and angle to determine whether the joint is properly seated.

Technicians may attempt to find the correct torque specifications and sequences in the literature, in Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) data, online, or via a unified information service, such as the "machine learning (Mitchell) 1" service for automotive industry repair information. However, the time lost to develop the specifications lengthens the time required to perform the twisting operation. Because finding the correct fastening value and procedure takes time, technicians instead often rely on inaccurate personal experience or resort to trial and error. Further, if a technician programs a wrench with a preset called "preset 1," its purpose may soon be forgotten (and completely secret if the wrench is shared with another technician) unless the preset is used periodically.

Disclosure of Invention

A system is disclosed that broadly includes an electronic torque wrench and a software application. The software application may be executed by a computing device, such as a cellular telephone or tablet computer, and connected to the electronic torque wrench via a wireless communication link. Using the software application, a technician can configure the torque wrench and obtain torque specifications from a remote service using the software application. If the torque specification includes an ordered sequence, the software application may direct the technician through the sequence, which configures the torque wrench accordingly. If the technician departs from the sequence, the software application adapts to the change, which provides the technician with advice on how to proceed in view of the change in the sequence. The processes performed by the software application may take the form of a method, computer-executable code stored on a computer-readable medium, or a computing device configured to perform the processes.

If implemented as a method, the method broadly comprises: the database is queried to determine at least one fastening task associated with the twisting operation. After receiving the results, the results are displayed for review by a technician so that the technician can select the fastening task for which the electronic wrench is to be configured. Upon receiving a selection of a fastening task from the displayed fastening tasks, a torque specification for the selected fastening task is determined. When the torque specification includes an ordered sequence of workpieces, an indication is provided to the technician as to which workpiece to twist. However, the technician may select a different workpiece than the indicated workpiece. When a workpiece is selected that does not conform to the ordered sequence, the electronic torque wrench is configured for the torque specification corresponding to the selected workpiece, and determines which workpiece should be torqued next in view of the selected workpiece exiting the ordered sequence. Based on this determination, the technician is provided with an indication as to which workpiece is suggested as the next workpiece to twist. This process of suggesting which workpiece should be torqued, accepting selection and configuration wrenches continues until all workpieces in the sequence have been torqued.

If implemented as a computing device, the device broadly includes a processor, a display, and memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor. The instructions configure the processor to query a database to determine at least one fastening task associated with the vehicle. The fastening task is output to a display. A selection of a fastening task is received from the fastening tasks output to the display. The processor determines a torque specification for the selected fastening task. When the torque specification includes an ordered sequence of workpieces, the processor indicates, via the display, the workpieces to be twisted according to the ordered sequence. After selecting a workpiece that does not conform to the ordered sequence (i.e., out-of-order selection), the processor configures the electronic torque wrench for the torque specification corresponding to the selected workpiece and determines the next workpiece to be torqued after the selected workpiece. The processor indicates the next workpiece to be torqued via the display. This process of suggesting which workpiece should be torqued, accepting selection and configuration wrenches continues until all workpieces in the sequence have been torqued.

Drawings

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from a perspective of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a system including an electronic torque wrench and a mobile computing device.

Fig. 2A and 2B illustrate different views of the electronic torque wrench of fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating example electronic components of the torque wrench of FIG. 1.

Figure 4 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating example electronic components of the mobile computing device of figure 1.

Fig. 5A-5L illustrate examples of user interfaces provided by software applications executing on the mobile computing devices of fig. 1 and 4 that configure and interact with the electronic torque wrench of fig. 1-3 and provide additional functionality.

Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating example operations of a software application executed by the mobile computing device of fig. 1 and 4.

Fig. 7A-7E illustrate examples of user interfaces provided by software applications in connection with the process flow in fig. 6, the user interfaces configuring a wrench having a fastening specification.

Fig. 8A-8D illustrate examples of interactive user interfaces provided by software applications that guide a technician through an ordered fastening sequence in conjunction with the process flow of fig. 6.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary batch operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a process flow diagram illustrating example operations of a wrench locking operation based on a connection between the wrench and a computing device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram illustrating example operations of another wrench locking operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a process flow diagram illustrating example operations for a batch operation based wrench locking operation in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a process flow diagram illustrating an example operation of a wrench locking operation based on a twisting operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail embodiments of the invention, including preferred embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to any embodiment or embodiments illustrated or disclosed. As used herein, the term "present invention" is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather is used merely for explanatory purposes to discuss exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Many technicians use mobile computing devices with them, such as tablet computers or "smart" phones. The technician may use these devices to, among other things, find the fastening values and procedures. The User interfaces for applications on these devices often use a standardized Graphical User Interface (GUI) so that operating new applications is often intuitive and requires little training. The almost ubiquity of these devices and the existing familiarity of users with interfaces can be leveraged to simplify and expand access to the full range of features offered by electronic torque wrenches, and to add new features and services.

This approach avoids the substantial cost and complexity associated with tethered base station solutions designed primarily for the industrial market. Tool sharing is also simplified because presets and wrench settings can be seamlessly reconfigured against the preferences of the technician currently using the wrench, while preserving the presets and preferences of other technicians, based on which technician is associated with and/or logged into the mobile computing device. Since presets and preferences can be transferred from the device to the tool at the beginning of a session, the electronic wrench can provide a full suite of services with less storage on the tool than an equivalent stand-alone wrench.

Referring to fig. 1, an example of a system includes an electronic torque wrench 100 and a mobile computing device 160. The wrench 100 communicates with the device 160 via a wireless communication link 170 using a protocol such as bluetooth, bluetooth smart (also known as bluetooth low energy), Wi-Fi direct, or any other wireless protocol. In an embodiment, device 160 includes a touch-sensitive display 165 via which a technician interacts with a user interface provided by a software application on device 160. Among other things, a software application may be used to configure the wrench to look up the tightening value and program, and to review the wrench log. The software application also provides on-site real-time feedback and interactive functionality to the technician to assist the technician in performing the fastening procedure.

Device 160 provides access to torque value and program database 195 via wireless communication link 175 to data communication network 180, such as the internet. The wireless Communication link 175 may be, for example, a Wi-Fi link between the device 160 and a local wireless router using a cellular protocol (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc.), or a cellular data link between the device 160 and a nearby cell tower.

One or more servers 190 are connected to network 180 via communication link(s) 185. Based on the query received from the software application on device 160, server 190 retrieves the fastening values and program data from database 195, sending the query results to device 160 via network 180. Among other system arrangements, server(s) 190 and database(s) 195 may be associated with a software service provider, a manufacturing company, or a company that provides repair services. In one example, database 195 may be a "machine learning 1" database/service for automotive industry repair information.

Fig. 2A and 2B illustrate different views of an example of the electronic torque wrench 100. The wrench 100 is adapted to apply torque to a workpiece via an adapter or socket coupled to a driver 240 (e.g., a two-way ratchet square or hexagonal driver). Conventionally, the driver 240 is a "male" connector designed to fit to or penetrate a female counterpart (as illustrated), but the driver may be a "female" connector designed to receive the male counterpart. The driver may also be structured to directly engage the workpiece without being coupled to the adapter or socket.

As will be described in further detail below, in an embodiment, the wrench 100 may measure, record, and display torque and angle data in real time during a twisting operation, and send the data to the device 160 in real time. In the context of the system in fig. 1, "real-time" means "without significant delay" (e.g., measurement and processing delays of no more than one second per data sample). The torque application and angle data may be recorded by the wrench 100 and/or software application on the device 160 and stored with the time index.

The torque wrench 100 broadly includes a shaft 201 connected to a head 210 that houses a driver 240. When ratcheted and twisted, the head 210 rotates about a central axis 241 of the driver 240, wherein the central axis 241 is transverse to the head 210. The shaft 201 includes a handle 205, a control unit 245, and a neck 250. The neck 250 is coupled to the head 210 at an end of the shaft 201 opposite the handle 205. As illustrated, the male driver 240 extends perpendicularly from the head 210 relative to the plane of rotation of the head 240 about the axis 241. A force is applied to the handle 205 to rotationally pivot the wrench 100 about the axis 241 to transfer torque to a workpiece (not illustrated) coupled to the driver 240.

The handle 205 may include a textured grip 215 to improve the technician's grip on the wrench 100 during the torquing operation. The control unit 245 may include a user interface 220, such as a tactile user interface including at least one button 225 and a display screen 230. The display screen 230 may optionally be touch sensitive, with virtual on-screen control provided by software or firmware executed by a processor or controller of the control unit 245.

Instructions and other information may be entered directly into the wrench 100 via the user interface 220. During a twisting operation, the display 230 may display information, such as torque and/or angle information. The head 210 may include a reversing lever 235 for reversing the drive direction of the ratchet mechanism. As will be discussed further below, the head 210 also houses one or more sensors for sensing the torque applied to the workpiece via the drive 240, and the angle of rotation of the head 210 and shaft 201 about the axis 241. Head 210 may also include an orientation sensor to determine the angle of axis 241 relative to "down" (i.e., relative to gravity).

Fig. 3 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the electronic components of the electronic torque wrench 100 of fig. 1. The wrench 100 may include one or more controllers/processors 302, memory 306, non-volatile storage 308, and a wireless communication transceiver 310. Each controller/processor 302 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for Processing data and computer-readable instructions. Processor/controller 302 retrieves instructions from data storage 308 via bus 304, which uses memory 306 for runtime temporary storage of instructions and data. The Memory 306 may include volatile and/or nonvolatile Random Access Memory (RAM). Although the components are illustrated in fig. 3 as being connected via the bus 304, the components may be connected to other components in addition to (or instead of) being connected to other components via the bus 304.

The data storage 308 stores instructions, including instructions to manage communications with software applications on the mobile computing device 160. The data storage component 308 may include one or more types of non-volatile solid-state Memory, such as flash Memory, Read-Only Memory (ROM), Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), phase change Memory, and the like. The wrench 100 may also include an input/output interface that connects to removable or external non-volatile memory and/or storage (e.g., removable memory cards, memory key drives, networked storage, etc.). Such input/output interfaces may be wired or embedded interfaces (not illustrated) and/or may include a wireless communication transceiver 310.

Computer instructions for operating the wrench 100 and its various components may be executed by the controller/processor 302, which uses the memory 306 as temporary "working" storage when running. The computer instructions may be stored in non-volatile memory 306, storage 308, or an external device in a non-transitory manner. Alternatively, some or all of the executable instructions may be embedded in hardware or firmware, in addition to or in place of software.

The wrench 100 may include a multiple input output interface. These interfaces include a radio transceiver 310, one or more buttons 225a/225b, one or more Light-Emitting diodes (LEDs) 330a/330b, a speaker or audio transducer 335, a tactile vibrator 340, one or more torque sensors 320, one or more angle sensors 324, and an orientation sensor 328. The torque sensor 320 may include, for example, one or more of a torque transducer, a strain gauge, a magnetoelastic torque sensor, and a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensor. Angle sensor 324 may include, for example, one or more of a rotational angle sensor and an electronic gyroscope (e.g., a two-axis or three-axis gyroscope). The orientation sensor 328 may include a three-axis electronic accelerometer or a gravity sensor to determine the orientation of the head 210 relative to "down".

Depending on the type of torque sensor 320 used, an Analog-to-Digital (a/D) converter 321 may receive an Analog signal from the torque sensor 320, which outputs a Digital signal to the processor/controller 302. Likewise, A/D converter 325 may receive analog signals from angle sensor 324, and A/D converter 329 may receive analog signals from orientation sensor 328, which outputs digital signals to processor/controller 302. The a/D converters 321/325/329 may be discrete, integrated with/in the processor/controller 302, or integrated with/in their respective sensors 320/324/328.

The number and need of a/D converters 321/325/329 depends on the technology used for each sensor 320/324/328. Multiple A/D converters may be provided to accommodate a desired number of signals, such as when angle sensor 324 provides analog output for multiple gyroscope axes or when orientation sensor 328 provides analog output for multiple accelerometer axes. Signal conditioning electronics (not illustrated) may also be included as a separate circuit, integrated with/in the processor/controller 302, or integrated with/in the respective sensor 320/324/328, to convert the nonlinear output generated by the components of the sensor 320/324/328 into a linear signal.

The instructions executed by the processor/controller 302 receive data, such as torque and angle values, from the sensor 320/324/328. From this data, the processor/controller 302 can determine various information, such as the duration of time that torque has been or should be applied to the workpiece. For some job tasks where the workpieces have different orientations, the processor/controller 302 may determine which workpiece is twisted based on the orientation of the head 210.

Sensor data and information may be recorded in real-time or at a predetermined sampling rate and stored in memory 306 and/or storage 308. Sensor data and information may also be sent to device 160 via communication link 170 for further analysis and review. A software application on device 160 may, for example, graphically render the sensor data and/or information. As other examples, the software application may determine an optimal twist profile to apply to future twisting operations of the workpiece or job task, or determine that a correct twist profile was applied during the twisting operation.

"data" are values that are processed to make them meaningful or useful "information". However, as used herein, the terms data and information should be construed as interchangeable, wherein data comprises information and information comprises data. For example, data is stored, transmitted, received, or output, which may include data, information, or a combination thereof.

The radio transceiver 310 includes a transmitter, a receiver and associated encoder, modulator, demodulator and decoder. The transceiver 310 manages the radio communication link, which establishes the communication link 170 with the mobile device 160 via one or more antennas 312 embedded in the wrench, enabling two-way communication between the processor/controller 302 and software applications executed by the mobile device 160. The communication link 170 may be a direct link between the wrench 100 and the computing device 160 (as illustrated), or may be an indirect link through one or more intermediate components (e.g., via a Wi-Fi router or mesh connection) (not illustrated).

The wrench 100 also includes a power supply 390 that provides power to the processor/controller 302, bus 304, and other electronic components. For example, the power source 390 may be one or more batteries disposed in the handle 205. However, the power source 390 is not limited to a battery, and other technologies such as a fuel cell may be used. The wrench 100 may further include: an assembly that recharges the power source 390, such as an organic or polymer photovoltaic cell disposed along the neck 250; and/or an interface that receives external charge, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or inductive pickup, and associated charge control electronics.

The display 230 may be used by software/firmware executed by the processor/controller 302 to display information for viewing and interpretation by a technician. Such information may be formatted as text, graphics, or a combination thereof. The display 230 may also be used to provide feedback when information is input into the wrench 100 (e.g., via the buttons 225 and/or a touch-sensitive interface integrated with the display 230 itself). The Display 230 may be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Display, an electronic paper Display, or any kind of black and white or color Display with appropriate power consumption requirements and volume for integration into the control unit 245.

Figure 4 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating example components of the mobile computing device of figure 1. In a typical implementation, the computing device 160 is a smartphone or tablet computer with a touch-sensitive display 165.

Device 160 may include one or more controllers/processors 402, each of which may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for Processing data and computer-readable instructions; and a memory 406 for storing data and instructions. The memory 406 may include volatile Random Access Memory (RAM), non-volatile read-only memory (ROM), and/or other types of memory. The device 160 may also include a data storage component 408 for storing data and controller/processor executable instructions (e.g., instructions for a software application that performs a process and generates the user interfaces illustrated in fig. 5-8). The data storage component 408 may include one or more types of non-volatile solid-state memory, such as flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), phase-change memory, and the like. The device 160 may also be connected to removable or external non-volatile memory and/or storage (e.g., removable memory cards, memory key drives, networked storage, etc.) through the input/output device interface 410.

Computer instructions for operating the device 160 and its various components may be executed by the controller (s)/processor(s) 402, which uses the memory 406 as temporary "working" storage at runtime. The computer instructions may be stored in non-volatile memory 406, storage 408, or an external device in a non-transitory manner. Alternatively, some executable instructions may be embedded in hardware or firmware, in addition to or in place of software.

Input/Output (I/O) interface 410 provides connectivity and protocol support for device 160. Various input and output connections may be made through input/output interface 410. For example, a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna 470 may be used to provide a connection to the wrench 100 via the communication link 170. The same RF antenna 470 or another antenna 475 may be used to provide connectivity to network 180 via communication link 175.

The I/O device interface 410 may support various protocols to support the link 170/175. The protocols/radio access technologies used for the various links 170/175 may differ. For example, the communication link 170 may use a protocol, such as Wi-Fi direct or Personal Area Network (PAN) protocol, such as bluetooth, bluetooth smart (also known as bluetooth low energy), wireless USB, or ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4). The communication link 175 may be a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) link such as Wi-Fi, or a style of cellular communication data protocol associated with Mobile broadband, LTE, GSM, CDMA, WiMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), or the like.

Input/output interface 410 may support Audio/Video (a/V) user interfaces such as touch-sensitive display 165, microphone 430, speaker 435, haptic vibrator 440, and camera 445. Input/output interface 410 may also support other types of connections and communication protocols. For example, device 160 may also include a wired interface, such as a USB port (not illustrated).

Device 160 may include an address/data bus 404 for communicating data between components of device 160. Various components within device 160 may be directly connected to other components in addition to (or instead of) being connected to other components across bus 404. Device 160 also includes a power source 490 (e.g., a battery or fuel cell) and associated charging circuitry (not illustrated).

A software application stored in the storage 408 and executed by the controller (s)/processor(s) 402 of the mobile computing device 160 provides a user interface that allows a technician to configure and interact with the electronic torque wrench 100 and provide additional functionality. While some functionality may be directly available via the user interface 220 of the torque wrench, the added capability of the device 160 provides additional processing capability and utilizes the connection(s) 175 to the network(s) 180, such as to the external database 195.

Via the wireless link 170, a technician may use a software application on the device 160 to configure the wrench 100, for example, to configure how the wrench 100 uses the tactile vibrator 340 to provide feedback to the technician, for example, to indicate when a target torque or target angle is achieved.

A technician may also use a software application on device 160 to set or configure preset values and set preset numbers and names for certain operations. The preset values may include user defined torque and/or angle settings and units of measurement, such as torque and angle target values and/or batch counters with minimum and maximum tolerances. Preset values and names may be set for custom operations as well as augmenting or replacing values and names provided by database(s) 195. Preset values may be set for non-database aftermarket parts and the values received from the database(s) 195 are replaced with custom values, among others. As used herein, "name" refers to a text string. The preset values, as well as the preset numbers and names of the settings, may be sent to the wrench 100 and displayed to the user on the wrench to identify the fastening operation to be performed.

A software application on the apparatus 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to set a preset type of fastener to be torqued, such as torque, angle, torque then angle, or torque and angle measurement modes. A software application on the apparatus 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 with allowable measurement directions for measuring torque and rotation/angle application. Software applications on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to prevent torque from being measured in an incorrect or wrong direction, to prevent a fastening task or operation from being measured before a target value has been configured, and/or to prevent a technician/operator from changing and wrench use when the wrench 100 should be calibrated or another error detected.

A software application on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to use an offset or adapter in measuring torque. Such as by configuring the wrench 100 to have an offset or adapter length. For example, an adapter may be coupled to the wrench 100 that changes the length of the torque wrench and changes the measured torque reading. The wrench 100 receives the offset or adapter length and the wrench 100 automatically compensates for the change in length to allow the wrench 100 to display the compensated measured torque value.

A software application on the apparatus 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 with an automatic sequencing by preset operations to prevent any operation other than using a preset target fastener operation, prevent further use after completion of a preset torque sequence, prevent further use after excessive torque or rotation, and/or resume preset torque or angle operations.

A software application on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to determine the elapsed time since the last calibration date to inform the operator the number of days before calibration is required. A software application on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to determine the number of torque cycles since the last calibration date and inform the operator of the number of cycles remaining before calibration is required. A software application on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to indicate that the wrench 100 needs calibration after the expiration of a calibration interval or the number of torque cycles since the last calibration. A software application on the device 160 may also be used to configure the wrench 100 to prevent use of the wrench 100 once calibration is required.

The wrench 100 may send batch, torque, angle, and/or orientation information to the device 160 in real time based on data from the sensor 320/324/328. Software applications on device 160 may record data and information in one or more log files for storage in storage 408, forwarding via communication connection 175, and/or uploading to external storage. The software application may use the log information to generate and send reports for auditing purposes and to determine whether the force application rate, torque value, and angle value are consistent with customer and/or regulatory compliance requirements.

For example, fastener operation or presetting may include applying a minimum target torque and/or a rotational angle value. In this example, the wrench 100 receives preset information from the device 160 and indicates that the target value(s) have been reached. If the applied torque and/or angle continues to increase, the wrench 100 may provide a warning indication, such as an audible sound, light, etc., to indicate that the upper limit has been exceeded. The results of the operation may also be wirelessly transmitted by the wrench 100 to the device 160 for processing and data logging.

The software application may also generate and output graphical plots, such as graphs illustrating torque versus time, torque versus angle, etc., in real time via the display 165. The application may compare fastener orientation information from the database 195 with data received from the orientation sensor 328 to automatically track which workpieces have been completed.

The software application may obtain the torque and angle settings from the database 195 and replace or augment these settings with preset values stored on the device 160. The wrench 100 may also be configured to output to the display 230 a preset name of the workpiece rather than a name assigned to an operation by the database 195. For tasks where the software application downloads torque and/or angle values for multiple tasks to the wrench 100 in batches, the technician may select which workpiece to operate on via the user interface 220 on the wrench 100 itself or via an interface provided by the software application on the device 160. In the alternative to batch downloading, the software application may download torque and/or angle values to the wrench for one workpiece at a time.

The technician may interactively select which workpieces comprised by the fastening program are to be worked on, or in a slave mode, the software application may control the sequence of automatically selecting workpieces, which indicates to the technician the sequence in which the fastening program comprising a plurality of workpieces is to be performed. After selection, the wrench 100 is configured to have torque and/or angle values for the workpiece. The automatic selection in the slave mode may be used for error checking where customer or regulatory requirements require a sequence of steps.

For many jobs, technicians require the flexibility to perform the fastening procedure based on their own preferences and experience, which is preferably not locked into the fixation procedure. The inability to provide such flexibility to technicians increases the likelihood that they will ignore or otherwise ignore manufacturer specifications. In addition, finding the manufacturer specifications typically adds a quarter hour to the time required to complete the task, which further prevents the use of such specifications. To meet these needs, software applications on the device 160 enable technicians to quickly and easily obtain the correct specifications while providing them with increased flexibility as to how to perform the fastening procedure.

Fig. 5A-5H illustrate examples of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) provided by software applications executed by the mobile computing device 160 that configure and interact with the electronic torque wrench 100 and provide additional functionality. In the GUI graphics, editable text fields are boxed to indicate that these fields are editable via the GUI. It is to be understood that any GUI, user interface, and/or menu operation may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a launch "power on" screen of the software application after establishing the communication link 170 with the torque wrench. The screen includes navigation icons 502. Activation of the icon opens a menu of options (menu 512 in fig. 5B). There is a mode indicator 504a that identifies that the current operating mode of the application is "measurement," which will typically be used as the default mode. The screen also identifies (506) the wrench 100 to which the software application has been configured to connect and the current state of the connection 170 (508). The "ready" message (510) indicates that the software application is connected and ready to interact with the wrench 100.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example of features of a software application accessible via options menu 512. As illustrated, the features include "measure" 514a, "preset" 514b, "log" 514c, "wrench settings" 514d, "wrench" 516, and "database lookup" 518.

Fig. 5C illustrates an example of a "preset" feature 514 b. Mode indicator 504b identifies that the current mode of operation is "preset". Selecting the preset feature causes the software application to upload any presets that have been stored on the wrench 100 and display those presets. As illustrated, there are no presets stored on the wrench 100 for the software application to upload, so the user is presented with an interface including a "new" field 520, a "target torque" field 522, and a "target angle" field 524. Selecting any of these fields initiates the interface to define the new preset. If existing presets are uploaded and displayed, the user can select and edit the settings of the respective presets in addition to creating new presets. For example, the presets may be custom presets, such as may be a fastening program for aftermarket parts.

FIG. 5D illustrates an example of an "edit presets" feature that can be used to edit existing presets or to customize new presets. The mode indicator 504c identifies that the current operation mode is "edit preset". The editable fields allow the technician to change any settings associated with the preset, including the preset name 528, the minimum torque 530 for proper tightening torque, the maximum torque 532 for indicating excessive torque, the unit 534 for the preset torque, and the angle 536 (which may include a minimum target value for proper fastener rotation and a maximum target value for indicating excessive rotation). Once changes are made, the changes can be saved using the "Save" button 538 or discarded using the "Cancel" button 540.

In an example, the device 160 can send or transmit a wireless message to the wrench 100 to set a preset minimum target torque value for a fastener. The message may also contain a torque maximum. An optional message may be sent to set the target torque value. The wrench receives the selectable target torque value and displays that value on the wrench 100 when set, otherwise displays the minimum target torque value. When the minimum target torque value is applied to the fastener or the maximum torque is exceeded, the wrench 100 wirelessly transmits the torque results to the device 160.

Fig. 5E illustrates an example of a "wrench set" feature 514 d. Mode indicator 504d identifies that the current operating mode is "wrench set". The software application uploads the current wrench settings from the wrench 100 and displays the current values. As illustrated, the editable settings include the name 544 of the wrench, a sleep timer 546 that the processor/controller 302 of the wrench uses to determine when to enter a low power state after a period of inactivity, and whether the haptic vibrator 340 of the wrench generates vibration feedback. As illustrated, the vibration setting interface is a slider bar 548 with a textual indication 550 that indicates whether the vibration is enabled or disabled 550. When a change is made to any wrench setting, the software application downloads the change to the wrench 100. The "synchronize" indicator 552 activates when a software application is uploaded or downloaded from the wrench 100 to the wrench. The illustrated wrench settings are examples, and depending on the capabilities of the wrench 100 (among others), other or different settings may be included, such as settings regarding the brightness of a backlight included with the display 230, whether to provide acoustic feedback via the speaker/transducer 335, tones for the acoustic feedback, and so forth.

FIG. 5F illustrates an example of a turn-back in "measure" mode. The software application receives torque, angle and/or orientation data from the wrench 100 via the communication link 170. Various types of data may be received in software, firmware, or hardware at a sample rate specified for the respective data type. The sampled data is processed by processor/controller 302 and provided to a software application on device 160 in real-time, with successive updates (e.g., several times per second) being sent via communication link 170. Alternatively, instead of sending continuous updates to the device 160, the wrench 100 may send updates each time the torque, angle, and/or orientation values change by a threshold amount (e.g., 0.1ft-lbs, 0.1 degrees, etc.). For either update method, depending on the fastening program being executed, the software application outputs the current peak fastening value (556) to display 165. As illustrated, the current peak pinch value (556) is "101.2 ft-lb". The screen is continuously updated to show the peak torque for each wrench cycle when the wrench 100 is in use. The peaks will also be saved to a log file on the device 160. If the tightening procedure includes rotating the workpiece by a certain angle after the specified torque is reached, the display may switch to displaying angle information, or both torque and angle information.

FIG. 5G illustrates an example of a "journal" feature 514 d. Mode indicator 504e identifies that the current mode of operation is "logged". The log screen shows the current log file content 560 stored on the device 160. All log files may be transferred to other devices. The device user can select the log file 560 (e.g., by touching the record name via the touch-sensitive display 165 to select), delete any unwanted records (e.g., using the delete button 562), and share the selected log content (e.g., using the share button 564) using any sharing applications available on the device 160 (e.g., email, Dropbox, etc.).

FIG. 5H illustrates an example of a selected log file 574 via email sharing. The software application or email application may automatically populate the "from" field 568 and the software application may automatically populate the subject field 572. The user fills the "to" field 570 in the normal manner used by email applications and selects the "send" button 576 to send or the "cancel" button 578 to cancel.

Fig. 5I shows an example of a calibration option that the apparatus 160 may use to configure for the wrench 100. The editable fields include a calibration interval field 580, where a desired number of months may be set, a calibration cycle field 581, where a number of cycles may be set, a warning field 582, where whether to provide a warning may be selected, a calibration warning cycle field 583, where a number of cycles may be set for the purpose of a warning, and a calibration warning days field 584, where a number of days may be set for the purpose of a warning. A notification field 585 may also exist where it may be selected whether to send the notification to the email address provided in the email field 586. This allows the wrench and software application running on the device 160 to determine the elapsed time since the last calibration date to inform the operator of the number of days before calibration is required, thereby configuring the wrench 100 to determine the number of torque cycles since the last calibration date and to inform the operator of the number of cycles remaining before calibration is required. A software application on the device 160 may be used to configure the wrench 100 to indicate that the wrench 100 needs calibration after the expiration of a calibration interval or the number of torque cycles since the last calibration. A software application on the device 160 may also be used to configure the wrench 100 to prevent use of the wrench 100 once calibration is required.

FIG. 5J illustrates another example of an "edit presets" feature that may be used to edit existing presets or to customize new presets. The editable fields allow the technician to change any setting associated with the preset, including a preset type 587 (e.g., torque, angle, torque, and angle-torque then angle, etc.), a preset name 528, a unit 534 for the preset torque, a measurement direction 588, a target torque value 589, a minimum torque 530 for the proper tightening torque, a maximum torque 532 for indicating excessive torque, a batch size 590, an offset length 591, and an angle 536 (which may include a minimum target value for proper fastener rotation and a maximum target value for indicating excessive rotation). Once changes are made, the changes can be saved using the "Save" button 538 or discarded using the "Cancel" button 540. With respect to the offset length 591, an adapter may be coupled to the wrench 100, which changes the length of the torque wrench and changes the measured torque reading. The wrench 100 receives the offset or adapter length 591 and the wrench 100 automatically compensates for the change in length to allow the wrench 100 to display the compensated measured torque value.

Fig. 5K and 5L illustrate examples of job features. The device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 may be used to set and enable a "job" mode on the wrench 100. The work mode is advantageous when the supervisor wishes the operator/technician to perform the twist sequence in a particular order. The operational mode may require an operator or technician to sequentially perform one or more configured preset operations. In the working mode, the wrench 100 is locked and only the preset modes/operations can be performed in their numbered sequence. When the operation mode is enabled, a first configuration preset is displayed. When the first configuration preset is completed, the wrench 100 automatically switches to the next configuration preset.

The editable fields allow the technician to change any settings associated with the job, including selecting the job 592, editing the job name 593, and viewing one or more presets 594 assigned to the job. Once a job is selected, the job may be edited or deleted using an "edit" button 597, or deleted using a "delete" button 598. A new job may also be created using a "New" button 596. A new job may be created or an existing job may be edited in the edit job feature illustrated in fig. 5L. Referring to fig. 5L, the editable fields allow the technician to change any settings associated with the job or create a new job, including job name 593, wrench type 599, library 571. The presets 573 can also be added to or removed from the assigned presets 594 using an add or remove button. Once changes are made, the changes can be saved using the "Save" button 538 or discarded using the "Cancel" button 540.

The user interface associated with the "wrench" option 516 in the options menu 512 of fig. 5B is not illustrated and depends in part on the communication protocol used to connect the wrench 100 and the device 160. For example, if a variation of bluetooth is used for the communication link 170, the wrench options 516 would include a list of wrenches previously paired with the device 160, indicating which wrench on the list the software application is currently configured to use, allowing the user to select a wrench from the list to which the software application should connect, and providing an interface to pair the device 160 with a new wrench. Such an interface may be part of a software application, part of the operating system of device 160, part of a separate wireless configuration tool on device 160, or some combination thereof.

Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating example operations of a software application executed by the controller (s)/processor(s) 402 of the mobile computing device 160 as an example of the database lookup 518. The illustrated process may be initiated, for example, by receiving a selection of the database lookup option 518 from the options menu 512 in FIG. 5B. Background operations such as data recording are omitted from fig. 6 for the sake of brevity. Fig. 7A-7E illustrate examples of interactive user interfaces provided by software applications in connection with the process flow of fig. 6, the user interfaces configuring a wrench having a fastening specification.

For example, an application receives (602) a vehicle identification. For example, vehicle Identification information may be received by scanning a barcode or matrix code on the vehicle using camera 445, by scanning a part or Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on the vehicle, by input to mobile computing device 160 using a virtual keyboard provided via touch-sensitive display 165, by input to a physical keyboard attached to device 160 via I/O interface 410, by navigating through a nested list of vehicles by brand, model, and year, and/or by voice-to-text processing using microphone 430. Speech-to-text processing may be implemented by device 160 or using speech-to-text processing provided by one or more servers 190.

Fig. 7A illustrates a software application that performs a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) scan as an example of a process of receiving (602) Vehicle information. The displayed operational mode 704a is set to "VIN scan" and the device captures an image using the camera 445. The software application or the helper application performs image processing to identify the VIN in the captured image(s). The software interface may include a bounding box 706a to assist a user in positioning the device 160 relative to the VIN. The bounding box may be static or may be dynamically resized when the image processing software locks onto the features of the VIN (as illustrated by the resized bounding box 706B in fig. 7B).

Based on the vehicle identification information received by the mobile device 160, the mobile device 160 determines what vehicle to work on. Depending on how the vehicle identification information is captured, the mobile device 160 may work with the server(s) 190 to identify the vehicle. As illustrated in fig. 7B, the software application may output a progress message 708 to indicate that a scanned VIN has been captured and looked up to identify the vehicle.

Mobile device 160 sends (604) a query to server 190 for database information about the vehicle. Based on the query, server 190 generates a list of fastening tasks for the identified vehicle from database 195 and sends the list to the software application on device 160 in response to the query. The contents of the list may be anything from a message that no information is available for the identified vehicle to one or more fastening categories (i.e., tasks) that the database has with respect to the information for the identified vehicle.

In response to receiving (606) the list of fastening tasks for the vehicle, the software application may output (608) a prompt via display 165, which enables the user/technician to select a fastening task from the displayed list. An example is illustrated in fig. 7C, in which the displayed operation mode 704b is changed to "vehicle information". The output 608 includes an identifier 712 (e.g., year, make, and model) of the vehicle and a list of fastening tasks/categories 714. The user selects the fastening task 714 from the list and presses "submit" 716 to select the task. If the technician is not satisfied with the received (606) list of fastening tasks, the process may also provide the technician with the ability to change the search (not illustrated), which generates another query (604).

After receiving (610) a selection of a fastening task in response to the prompt, the software application sends (612) a request back to the server(s) 190 for a torque specification for the selected task. As illustrated in FIG. 7D, the software application may output a progress message 720 to indicate that the torque specification for the selected task is to be looked up.

The server 190 that generates the list of fastening tasks 714 may be the same as or different from the server 190 that looks up the torque specification for the selected fastening task. After looking up the torque specification in database 195, server 190 sends the torque specification back to the software application on device 160 as a response to the request (612).

After the software application receives (614) the torque specification, it is determined (616) whether any presets corresponding to the specification are stored on the device 160. The software application may make this determination 616 based on a comparison of the text string or other embedded code received 614 in the response for the fastening task with text string or code data stored on device 160 and associated with at least one preset name or value.

If a preset name for the received specification is stored on device 160, the software application will supplement (618) the list of fastened specifications with the stored preset name. The software application may associate presets with specific manufacturers and tasks rather than specific vehicle models and years, which automatically applies the preferred nomenclature of the technician without requiring separate programming for each event. For example, a technician performing "front wheel alignment" (fastening task) on the taylon, tornado, 2003, may set the nickname of the lower shock absorber nut (workpiece) to "shock absorber nut". Thereafter, whenever the application receives a "front wheel alignment" specification that includes the value of the lower shock absorber nut for any Toyota, the software application may automatically supplement the information received from database 195 with a pre-set nickname "shock absorber nut". After the specifications are downloaded to the wrench 100, the wrench 100 may display the preset name on the display 230 instead of the name of the fastening specification received from the database 195.

The software application also determines whether any preset values have been set in the past to override the received torque specification. In the past, technicians may have decided that the torque values received from database 195 were not they intended, and manually entered different torque values. If so, the software application may replace (620) the specification values from database 195 with preset values. Both the wrench 100 and the software application on the device 160 may annotate the displayed torque value to indicate that the value is based on preset rather than database information, e.g., the preset value is displayed in a different color than the database value. The interface may also provide the technician with the option of selecting between a previous preset value and the value received from the database.

After utilizing the preset adjustment torque specification, the software application outputs (622) a list of workpieces for the selected fastening task on display 165. The torque and angle values may be downloaded to the wrench 100 in bulk or individually by a software application. As illustrated in fig. 6, the workpiece torque values are separately downloaded 632 to facilitate some interactive features of the software application. However, FIG. 7E illustrates an interface that allows a technician to control which values are included in the batch download.

In fig. 7E, the operating mode 704c is shown as "fastening specification". The displayed list includes the titles 724a through 724c of the respective workpieces received from the database 195, the torque values 726a through 726c as values received 614 from the database 195 and/or the preset values when the preset values have been replaced 620 by the software application, and any preset names 728a through 728c that supplement 618 the titles 724a through 724c received from the database 195. By selecting the corresponding field, the preset value and/or the name can be set or adjusted. The technician may select which specifications to download to the wrench 100 by selecting the corresponding specifications using selection boxes 730 a-730 c and then selecting "sync" 732. The interface may also provide (not illustrated) input and upload of temporary torque values that will not be saved and applied to future tasks, which may be convenient when working with a mix of original and aftermarket equipment.

Returning to FIG. 6, the software application may provide an interactive interface to facilitate completion of the selected task. The software application determines (624) whether the torque should be applied to the workpiece in a particular sequence based on information received from the database 195. For example, the received 614 torque specification may indicate that the workpiece list is an ordered list. In addition to the ordered list, the software application can receive a graphical representation of the part on which work is being performed, wherein the torque values in the list are associated with the workpiece represented in the graph. The mapping data may be included with a graphical representation that identifies where within the graph the workpiece is located. For example, the list may include absolute or relative cartesian coordinates, vector coordinates, or distances from edges of the image that identify the location of the corresponding workpiece in the pattern. Based on such mapping data, the software application may determine the location of the workpiece in the pattern.

If the workpiece list is ordered (624 "yes"), the received graphic may have been annotated with a suggested order in which torque should be applied to the plurality of workpieces. Alternatively, a software application on the device 160 may annotate the graphic by adding or overlaying the sequence numbers adjacent to the respective artifacts as output to the display 165.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example of a simplified graph 810 of a bolt torque sequence for a head bolt mode. The torque and angle values for each bolt in the sequence are independent of the other bolts in the sequence, such that each bolt may have different torque and angle values. The received graphic may be a pictorial representation, abstract, schematic diagram, photograph, etc. The operational mode 804 displays a "fastening sequence" and the counter 816 displays how many bolts (i.e., workpieces) remain to be torqued.

The software application may add or overlay a visual highlight to identify each workpiece 812 a-812 h on the display 165 and add or overlay a serial number 814 a-814 h adjacent each workpiece. The serial number may be included in the workpiece list or the software application may generate the number based on the order of each workpiece in the ordered list. The screen may also include a graphic component to assist the technician in determining the orientation of the displayed graphic relative to the vehicle. In the example of FIG. 8A, the displayed orientation indication is an arrow 818 pointing to the front of the vehicle.

The software application determines (626) a artifact recommendation to guide the technician. If the technician follows the sequence as illustrated in FIG. 8A, the suggestion will correspond to the order of the sequence numbers. In the first pass, the recommendation would correspond to the first workpiece in the sequence (corresponding to workpiece 812b in fig. 8A). However, if the technician does not follow the recommended order, an algorithm or alternative order may be used to determine subsequent suggestions, as will be described further below. The software application may also provide alerts to the user/technician if the technician does not follow the suggested sequence, and may record such alerts.

The software application may output (628) the suggestion by distinctively highlighting the artifact in the graphic. One example of this is illustrated in fig. 8B, where a circle 820 is graphically superimposed around the suggested artifact 812B. The circle 820 highlights the workpiece and may be uniquely colored, blinking, animated to change shape (e.g., pulsing), etc. Although circles are illustrated as added highlights, any kind of highlighting may be used as the purpose is to visually distinguish the suggested workpiece from other workpieces in the graph.

Thereafter, the software application receives (630) a selection of an artifact input by the user. The device 160 may receive (630) a selection based on the technician touching one of the workpieces displayed by the touch-sensitive display 165, based on the technician using the user interface 220 on the wrench 100 to select a workpiece, based on speech-to-text processing, or based on orientation data from the wrench's orientation sensor 328 when the workpiece list includes unique orientation information for the workpiece. Fig. 8C illustrates an example of a technician selecting a different artifact in the graph than the suggested artifact 820 in the sequence. The software application may highlight 822 the selected artifact to provide feedback to the technician indicating that the technician's selection has been received.

If the workpiece specifications are downloaded to the wrench in batches and the user's selections are entered via the user interface 220 on the wrench 100 or determined based on the wrench head orientation, the software application may highlight (822) the selected workpiece on the display 165 and proceed directly to output (634) the values received from the wrench to the display 165, as previously illustrated in fig. 5F.

If the workpiece specification is downloaded in batches and the selection is received via the touch interface 165, the software application signals to the processor/controller 302 on the wrench which workpiece is to be worked on. Otherwise, if the workpiece specification is downloaded to the wrench on demand, the software application downloads (632) the value of the selected workpiece to the wrench 100. The peak value of each sensor data sample is output (634) from the display 165 as the torque is applied, as previously illustrated in fig. 5F.

The software application continues (636 "no") to output (634) the value until the specified torque and/or angle value is reached. When the target value(s) are achieved (636 "yes"), the wrench 100 and/or software application 160 will output feedback (e.g., audio feedback, vibration, etc.) to indicate that the target is achieved. The software application will also update 638 the workpiece counter 816 and update the list to indicate that the particular workpiece has been torqued.

The process determines (640) whether there are any more workpieces to twist. If not (640 "no"), the process returns to outputting (608) a prompt to select a fastening task from the list, as previously discussed in connection with FIG. 7C. The list may be updated to indicate which tasks have been performed. Otherwise (640 "yes"), if there are remaining artifacts, the process loops back to step 624 to determine if the artifacts are sorted, and if they are (624 "yes"), then the next artifact recommendation is determined (626).

As described above, if the technician follows the suggested order, the next artifact suggestion will simply be the next artifact in the ordered list/sequence. However, if the technician chooses not to follow the suggested order, choosing an out-of-order workpiece that does not conform to the ordered sequence, there are several ways that the software application can employ to determine which workpiece should be twisted next.

The first method is to use alternative order data included in the table in the received (614) torque specification that indicates the use of an alternative proposed order based on which workpieces have been torqued. This approach requires minimal computation by the device 160, but increases the amount of data that must be communicated with the torque specification and may inflate the data stored in the database 195 if the table data is not computed on demand by the server 190.

The second method is for the software application to query the server 190, including a list of what artifacts have been twisted in the query, where the server 190 responds in an alternate suggested order. This reduces the amount of data that must be communicated with the torque specification, but if the technician continuously ignores the recommendation, the need to repeat communication with the server 190 during the process risks delays in updating the recommendation after each selection.

A third method is for the software application to apply an algorithm to determine the next artifact recommendation. The algorithms may be provided by the server 190, may be stored on the device 160, with the server 190 specifying which algorithm to use, or the software application 160 may independently apply the algorithms stored on the device. The algorithm applied by the device 160 for the method may also be used by the server 190 for generating an alternative list provided with the first method and the second method.

Examples of algorithms that may be used to select the next workpiece to be suggested include selecting the highest priority workpiece remaining for work on from the original list, selecting among the remaining workpieces based on the magnitude of the torque specified for the remaining workpieces (e.g., in order of smallest magnitude torque to largest magnitude torque, or in order of largest magnitude torque to smallest magnitude torque), or geometry-based selections determined based on mapping data included in the graphical representation, such as outside-in, middle-out, and/or alternating edges. The geometric selection may be relative to the workpiece that has been torqued and/or relative to the last workpiece that was torqued (e.g., selecting a workpiece that is diagonally opposite the last workpiece that was torqued).

More than one of these algorithms may be used to make the suggestions. For example, when two or more algorithms select the same artifact to suggest as the next artifact, that artifact may be selected (e.g., the artifact that receives the most votes). Different algorithms may be assigned different priorities or "weights" to break ties as to which artifact should follow.

As another approach, if a final angular rotation is applied to the workpiece after the workpiece is seated, the software application may retain the angle until after all of the workpieces are seated, and then repeat the original ordered list in the original order, which indicates the angle of the workpiece that retained the angular data using the original order.

FIG. 8D illustrates an updated fastening sequence graphical representation in which the workpiece counter 816 has been updated and a previously selected workpiece is marked 824 as completed (using different highlighting than for marking suggestions 820 and selections 822). The software application outputs 820 the next artifact recommendation, as determined using one of the methods described above (626).

Referring to FIG. 9, in another example, the apparatus 160 may be used to wirelessly transmit a message to set the number of fastener cycles (i.e., a batch count) to be performed. Such a configuration is useful for determining, for example, whether a user has properly sequenced torqued all of the fasteners/workpieces in the batch. For example, if the batch includes 3 bolts, then a typical mistake is for the user to consider that all 3 bolts have been properly torqued, but one or more bolts are mistakenly torqued more than once, and one or more bolts therefore remain loose or have not been properly torqued. Once configured, the wrench 100 displays the number and total number of cycles to be performed. For example, the display 230 of the wrench 100 may display a preset name 902 and number 904, a target torque value 906, a unit of measure 908, a batch count 910, and a current cycle count 912 associated with a batch count operation.

The display 230 may also show a lock or unlock icon to indicate whether the wrench 100 is in either of the locked or unlocked selection states. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a lock icon 914 is displayed, indicating that the batch operation must be completed before moving to another operation. The apparatus 160 may also configure the wrench 100 to resume the torquing operation if the torquing operation is performed or measured incorrectly. In this case, the cycle count for the rerun is displayed on the wrench 100.

In another embodiment, the apparatus 160 may be used to set and configure the locking operation of the wrench 100. Referring to fig. 10, the wrench 100 may be configured to enter a locked state when the wireless link between the wrench 100 and the device 160 is disabled or fails. For example, the wrench 100 receives a message from the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to configure the locking operation (1002). The wrench 100 configures itself via the processor/controller 302 to have a locking operation (1004). The wrench 100 and/or the processor/controller 302 checks the status of the wireless communication link between the wrench 100 and the device 160 (1006). If the state of the wireless communication link (1008) is connected, the wrench 100 remains in the unlocked state (1010) and may be used to perform a torquing operation. However, if the state of the wireless communication link (1008) is not connected, the wrench 100 enters a locked state (1012) and the measurement operation is disabled. A lock message is displayed (1014), for example, on display 230, and an indication may be activated. For example, the indication may be an activated vibration (e.g., the tactile vibrator 340), and illumination of a red LED (e.g., the LEDs 330a and/or 330b) until the torque is released. When the link is reconnected, the measurement may be re-enabled.

Referring to fig. 11, the wrench 100 may be configured to enter a locked state by the apparatus 160. For example, a technician may use the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to place the wrench 100 in a locked state at any time. In this example, the wrench 100 receives a message from the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to configure a locking operation (1102). The wrench 100 configures itself via the processor/controller 302 to have a locking operation (1104). The wrench 100 enters a locked state (1106) and the measurement operation is disabled. For example, a lock message is displayed (1108) on the display 230 and an indication may be activated. For example, the indication may be an activated vibration (e.g., the tactile vibrator 340), and illumination of a red LED (e.g., the LEDs 330a and/or 330b) until the torque is released. This may be useful when an incorrect preset is used or for any other reason. Power cycling or resending of preset parameters can be used to restart wrench 100 for fastener operation.

Referring to fig. 12, the wrench 100 may be configured by the apparatus 160 to enter a locked state to prevent further fastener operations by enabling locking at the end of a batch operation. This may be used as a further indication to the user or technician that the batch operation has been completed. For example, a technician may use the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to send a locking operation or configuration to the wrench 100. In this example, the wrench 100 receives a message from the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to configure a locking operation (1202). The wrench 100 configures itself via the processor/controller 302 to have a locking operation (1204). The wrench 100 is used to perform a batch operation and determine whether the cycle count reaches the batch count (1206/1208). If the cycle count does not match the batch count, the wrench remains in the unlocked state (1210) and may be used to perform a torquing operation. However, if the cycle count matches the batch count, the wrench 100 enters a locked state (1212) and further measurement operations are disabled. The lock message is displayed (1214), for example, on display 230, and the indication may be activated. For example, the indication may be an activated vibration (e.g., the tactile vibrator 340), and illumination of a red LED (e.g., the LEDs 330a and/or 330 b). Resending preset parameters or redo messages may be used to re-enable the wrench 100 for fastener operations.

Referring to fig. 13, the wrench 100 may be configured by the apparatus 160 to enter a locked state to prevent further fastener operation by enabling locking when excessive torque or rotation. For example, a technician may use the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to send a locking operation or configuration to the wrench 100. In this example, the wrench 100 receives a message from the device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 to configure the locking operation (1302). The wrench 100 configures itself via the processor/controller 302 to have a locking operation (1304). The wrench 100 is used to perform a twisting operation and measure applied torque and/or angle values (1306). The wrench 100 also determines if the measured applied torque and/or angle values exceed a maximum preset torque and/or angle value (1308). If the measured applied torque and/or angle value does not exceed the maximum preset torque and/or angle value, the wrench remains in the unlocked state (1310) and may be used to perform a torquing operation. However, if the measured applied torque and/or angle values exceed the maximum preset torque and/or angle values, the wrench 100 enters a locked state (1312) and the measuring operation is disabled. A lock message is displayed (1314) on display 230, for example, and an indication may be activated. For example, the indication may be an activated vibration (e.g., the tactile vibrator 340), and illumination of a red LED (e.g., the LEDs 330a and/or 330 b). Resending preset parameters or redo messages may be used to re-enable the wrench 100 for fastener operations.

Device 160 and/or an application running on device 160 may also be used to lock presets. For example, the wrench 100 may be locked to use only preset torque/angle measurements and disable the manual torque and angle modes. In this example, when locked, a lock icon (e.g., lock icon 914) is displayed on the preset target screen of the display 230. The user/technician can only select from a number of preset on the wrench or applications running on the device 160. A password may be required to make any configuration changes to the wrench 100.

The device 160 and/or an application running on the device 160 may also be used to lock menu access to the wrench 100. For example, menu access on the wrench 100 may be locked and the manual torque and angle modes disabled. In this example, when locked, a lock icon (e.g., lock icon 914) is displayed on the preset target screen of the display 230. A password may be required to enable access to the menu on the wrench 100.

It should be understood that any number of the locking operations illustrated and described above may be used in combination with each other. The locking operation may also be used in conjunction with any other configuration, operation, presets, fastening tasks, etc., described herein.

The concepts disclosed herein may be applied within a number of different devices and computer systems. Although device 160 is depicted as a mobile device, any computer may be used. Likewise, server(s) 190 may be any kind of computer.

The specific examples discussed above are illustrative. They are chosen to explain the principles and applications of the disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive. One of ordinary skill in the computer art will recognize that components and process steps described herein can be interchanged with other components or steps, or combinations of components or steps, and still achieve the benefits and advantages of the present invention.

The processes performed by the wrench 100, the device 160, and the server 190 may be implemented as a computer method or article of manufacture, such as a storage device or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be read by a computer and may include instructions for causing a computer or other device to perform the described processes. The computer-readable storage medium may be implemented by non-volatile computer memory, storage, or media. Additionally, some of the processing operations attributed to wrench 100 may be implemented as a state machine in firmware or hardware, e.g., implementing some or all of the operations performed by processor/controller 302 as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or some combination thereof.

As used in this disclosure, the terms "a" or "an" may include one or more items, unless specifically stated otherwise. Further, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based, at least in part, on" unless specifically stated otherwise.

As used herein, the term "coupled" and its functional equivalents are not intended to be necessarily limited to a direct mechanical coupling of two or more components. Rather, the term "coupled" and its functional equivalents are intended to mean any direct or indirect mechanical, electrical, or chemical connection between two or more objects, features, workpieces, and/or environmental substances. In some examples, "coupled" is also intended to mean that one object is integrated with another object.

The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of the inventors' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined by the claims appended hereto, when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.

Claims (13)

1. A method of configuring an electronic torque wrench, comprising:

receiving a preset fastening task and a locking operation from an external device;

determining a torque specification associated with the preset tightening task, wherein the torque specification comprises a target torque value;

configuring the electronic torque wrench to have the torque specification and the locking operation; and

entering a locked state based on the locking operation, wherein the locked state disables torque measurement by the electronic torque wrench.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a communication connection between the electronic torque wrench and an external device is broken; and

wherein the electronic torque wrench is brought into the locked state if the communication connection between the electronic torque wrench and an external device is disconnected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the torque specification further comprises a batch count, and the method further comprises:

determining whether a loop count matches the batch count; and

wherein if the cycle count matches the batch count, the electronic torque wrench is brought into the locked state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a measure of torque applied to the fastener;

determining whether the measured amount of torque exceeds the target torque value; and

wherein the electronic torque wrench is caused to enter the locked state if the measured amount of torque exceeds the target torque value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a lock screen on the electronic torque wrench in response to the electronic torque wrench entering the locked state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: activating a tactile vibrator on the electronic torque wrench in response to the electronic torque wrench entering the locked state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: illuminating a light emitting diode on the electronic torque wrench in response to the electronic torque wrench entering the locked state.

8. A method of configuring an electronic torque wrench, comprising:

providing, via an external device, an editable calibration field for an electronic torque wrench, the editable calibration field comprising: calibration interval, calibration cycle, calibration warning cycle, and calibration warning days; and

sending, by the external device, a notification based on the editable calibration field and a status of the electronic torque wrench.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending the notification comprises: a notification is sent of the number of days before calibration is needed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein sending the notification comprises: a notification of the number of torque cycles since the last calibration date is sent.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein sending the notification comprises: a notification is sent of the number of cycles remaining before calibration is required.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining an expiration of a calibration interval, and wherein sending the notification comprises: sending a notification indicating that the electronic torque wrench requires calibration.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: sending a command to the electronic torque wrench to enter a locked state when calibration is required.

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