# US 11,998,164 B2 · System formed of suction device and hand-held power tool, and method for operating the system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,164 B2 - Document ID: US11998164B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/255,135 - Filed: 2019-06-17 - Published: 2021-11-18 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Matthias Christian Schwille; Christian Pieper; Jana Bieser; Ruggero Indino; Philippe Van Den Bogaert; Holger Alexander Doeppner; Nils Donath; Michael Wall; Christopher Michael Barker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998164B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/2894: {Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners} - A47L 7/0095: {Suction cleaners or attachments adapted to collect dust or waste from power tools} - A47L 9/246: {with electrical connectors} - A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed} - A47L 9/2842: {Suction motors or blowers} - A47L 9/2857: {User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays} - B23Q 11/0046: {by sucking} - B23Q 11/0071: {dust collectors for hand tools} - B25F 5/00: Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - B25F: COMBINATION OR MULTI-PURPOSE TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DETAILS OR COMPONENTS OF PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS NOT PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE OPERATIONS PERFORMED AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR {(machines or arrangements of machines for performing specified combinations of different metal-working operations not covered by a single other subclass B23P23/00 and subgroups)} ## Abstract The disclosure relates to a method for operating a system that includes at least one suction device and at least one hand-held power tool. The method includes establishing a communications link between the suction device and the hand-held power tool by means of at least one suction device communication unit and at least one hand-held power tool communication unit, and transmitting at least one communication signal by means of the communications link from the hand-held power tool, in particular the hand-held power tool communication unit, to the suction device, in particular the suction device communication unit. When the suction device is switched on, at least one start signal is sent to the hand-held power tool, the hand-held power tool being activatable only if the start signal is received by the hand-held power tool. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a system having at least one suction device and at least one hand-held power tool, the method comprising: establishing a communication link between the suction device and the hand-held power tool with at least one suction-device communication unit and at least one hand-held power tool communication unit; transmitting at least one communication signal via the communication link from the hand-held power tool to the suction device; in response to the suction device being switched on, sending at least one start signal to the hand-held power tool; and activating the hand-held power tool only if the start signal is received by the hand-held power tool. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: generating at least one actuation signal with a manual switch of a signal generator unit of the hand-held power tool; transmitting the at least one actuation signal to a signal processing unit of the hand-held power tool; and transmitting the at least one actuation signal, as a first signal of the at least one communication signal, to the suction device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: acquiring at least one connection signal from the hand-held power tool and the suction device via a signal generator element of the signal generator unit; transmitting the at least one connection signal to the signal processing unit; and transmitting the at least one connection signal, as a second signal of the at least one communication signal, to the suction device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: receiving the at least one communication signal with the suction device; switching a suction-device drive unit on if the at least one communication signal includes the at least one actuation signal and the at least one connection signal; and after switching the suction-device drive unit on, converting the at least one communication signal into the start signal with the at least one suction-device communication unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: generating at least one test signal for testing a connection of the suction device to the hand-held power tool with a sensor element of a sensor unit of the suction device; and converting the at least one test signal into at least one control signal for controlling at least one of the suction device and the hand-held power tool. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: transmitting the control signal from the suction device to the hand-held power tool; with the signal processing unit, at least one of (i) receiving and processing the control signal, and (ii) forwarding the control signal to a control unit of the hand-held power tool; and controlling the hand-held power tool with the control unit using open-loop control or closed-loop control. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: stopping the suction device and the hand-held power tool if the control signal is a stop signal; and enabling operation of the suction device and the hand-held power tool if the control signal is an active signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stopping of the suction device and the hand-held power tool includes stopping a drive unit of the hand-held power tool, and the enabling operation of the suction device and the hand-held power tool includes enabling operation of the drive unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one test signal is for testing a mechanical connection of the suction device to the hand-held power tool. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the at least one communication signal includes transmitting the at least one communication signal from the hand-held power tool communication unit to the at least one suction-device communication unit. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: at least one suction device comprising at least one suction-device communication unit; and a hand-held power tool comprising at least one hand-held power tool communication unit, wherein the at least one suction-device communication unit and the hand-held power tool communication unit are configured to establish a communication link and to transmit at least one communication signal via the communication link from the hand-held power tool to the suction device, and wherein, in response to the suction device being switched on, the suction device is configured to send at least one start signal to the hand-held power tool and the hand-held power tool is configured to activate only if the start signal is received by the hand-held power tool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, the hand-held power tool further comprising: a signal generator unit having at least one signal generator element and at least one manual switch configured to generate an actuation signal; and a signal processing unit configured to at least one of receive, process, and forward signals from at least the signal generator unit. ### Claim 13 The system as claimed in 12, the hand-held power tool further comprising at least one suction-device connection element, and the signal generator element is arranged on the at least one suction-device connection element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal generator element is arranged on an accessory of the hand-held power tool that is configured to be at least one of mechanically and electrically connected to the hand-held power tool. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the signal generator element is arranged on a suction device connection element of the accessory. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal generator element is a mechanical signal generator element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal generator element is an electrical signal generator element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal generator element is an optical signal generator element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, the suction device further comprising a sensor unit having at least one sensor element configured to generate a test signal.