US 12,068,622 B2
Universal wireless charging of power tool battery packs
Douglas R. Fieldbinder, Greendale, WI (US); and Catherine K. Semon, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Assigned to Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed by MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/488,551.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/176,923, filed on Apr. 20, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/084,906, filed on Sep. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0102995 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 50/12 (2016.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.01); H02J 50/40 (2016.01); H02J 50/80 (2016.01); H02J 50/90 (2016.01)
CPC H02J 7/00045 (2020.01) [H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H02J 7/0048 (2020.01); H02J 50/12 (2016.02); H02J 50/20 (2016.02); H02J 50/402 (2020.01); H02J 50/80 (2016.02); H02J 50/90 (2016.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communication system comprising:
a wireless charging device including
a plurality of charging stations including
a first charging station including a first type of wireless charging circuitry and a first battery pack detection sensor, and
a second charging station including a second battery pack detection sensor and a second type of wireless charging circuitry different than the first type of wireless charging circuitry,
a wireless communication device,
a charger electronic processor coupled to the plurality of charging stations and to the wireless communication device, wherein the charger electronic processor is configured to
communicate with a first battery pack via at least one of the wireless communication device and the first battery pack detection sensor,
communicate with a second battery pack via at least one of the wireless communication device and the second battery pack detection sensor,
determine, based on communicating with the first battery pack and the second battery pack, that the first battery pack was manufactured by a different manufacturer than the second battery pack, and
communicate first status information of the first charging station and second status information of the second charging station to an external device via the wireless communication device, wherein the first status information includes a first manufacturer of the first battery pack and wherein the second status information includes a second manufacturer of the second battery pack that is different than the first manufacturer;
the external device including
a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device of the wireless charging device,
a display,
an external device electronic processor coupled to the transceiver and the display, the external device electronic processor configured to
receive the first status information and the second status information from the wireless charging device via the transceiver, and
control the display to display the first status information and the second status information.