Power tool system having in-station verification utilizing radio frequency signal strength

A method of operating an industrial power tool system for use on a production line having plural work stations, comprising

• deploying a controller at a predefined physical location within one of said work stations, the controller having a first radio frequency transceiver configured to propagate a digital communication signal at a predefined power;
• providing a human operable portable power tool having a second radio frequency transceiver configured to communicate with the first radio frequency transceiver and providing a signal strength datum indicative of the received signal strength of the propagated digital communication signal of the first radio frequency transceiver;
• using a programmed processor circuit with the portable power tool to cause the tool to perform a sequence of predefined assembly job steps that are mediated by the processor circuit according to an event-driven control loop running on the processor circuit;
• using the programmed processor circuit to interrogate, as part of the event-driven control loop, the signal strength datum and to compare the signal strength datum to a predefined signal strength threshold to thereby determine if the distance between the first and second radio frequency transceivers is less than a predefined distance that defines a home area proximate the controller;
• and
• using the programmed processor circuit to test, as part of the event-driven control loop, whether the tool is within the home area using said signal strength comparison and to use said test as at least one operative step in the control loop that mediates the sequence of predefined assembly job steps.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program which when operated upon by a processor circuit causes the processor circuit to perform the following:

• causing a portable power tool associated with said processor circuit to perform a sequence of predefined assembly job steps that are mediated by the processor circuit according to an event-driven control loop running on the processor circuit;
• processing a radio frequency signal from a signal source to obtain a signal strength datum reflecting the strength of the radio frequency signal and comparing the signal strength datum to a predefined signal strength threshold;
• and
• using the signal strength comparison as at least one operative step in the event-driven control loop that mediates the sequence of predefined assembly job steps.