1. A tool device comprising:
a detachable tool member having a tool head and an attachment shaft with a locking engagement portion;
a handle; and
a coupler device fixedly attached to the handle and having a locking structure selectively moveable between locking and release conditions and being carried by a coupler body having an inner wall defining a cavity that is accessible via a cavity aperture and terminating with a terminal wall opposite the cavity aperture, the cavity being dimensioned and shaped to receive the attachment shaft, a first locking member carried by the inner wall for cooperative engagement with the attachment shaft to temporarily move the locking structure to its release condition when the attachment shaft is inserted into the cavity, and a second locking member carried by the inner wall for cooperative engagement with the locking engagement portion and the locking structure when the attachment shaft is inserted substantially into the cavity to accommodate movement of the locking structure to its locking condition to inhibit removal of the shaft from the cavity.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a bias structure resiliently urging the locking structure to its locking position.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coupler body includes first and second radial bores disposed in the internal wall, the first and second radial bores being rotationally and axially spaced apart relative to each other.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first locking member includes a first detent ball disposed within the first radial bore.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second locking member includes a second detent ball disposed within the second radial bore, the first detent ball having a diameter less than the second detent ball.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the engagement shaft includes an end having a chamfered edge adapted to abut the first detent ball prior to abutment with the second detent ball when the engagement shaft is inserted into the cavity.
7. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the coupler body includes first and second exterior surfaces having respective first and second outer diameters, the first and second exterior surfaces being integrally connected with a substantially frustoconical shoulder portion.
8. The device as claim in claim 7 wherein the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter.
9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the locking structure includes a coupler sleeve disposed around the coupler body and being longitudinally movable relative thereto and having an internally disposed sleeve ramp inclined at an angle approximating that of the frustoconical shoulder portion and inwardly terminating at a base portion thereby defining an annular backstop between the base portion and the coupler sleeve being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupler body.
10. The device as claimed in claim 9 further comprising an annular sleeve guide circumferentially disposed around the coupler body adjacent to the handle and adapted to slideably support the coupler sleeve.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the bias structure includes a compression spring circumferentially disposed around the coupler body between the sleeve guide and the backstop.
12. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavity includes a key disposed on the inner wall adjacent to the cavity aperture.
13. The device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the attachment shaft includes a keyway for cooperative engagement with the key to axially guide the attachment shaft into the cavity.
14. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking engagement portion includes a circumferential channel disposed on the engagement shaft.
15. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the circumferential channel has a substantially arcuate cross-sectional shape.
16. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coupler body includes a circumferential channel disposed on the inner wall adjacent to the cavity aperture.
17. The device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the circumferential channel includes an annular seal disposed therein and adapted to be in substantial seal-like engagement with the engagement shaft when the engagement shaft is inserted substantially into the cavity.
18. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavity includes a compression spring disposed adjacent to the terminal wall and adapted to compress when the engagement shaft is inserted substantially into the cavity.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A communication method comprising:
establishing a wideband communication link between a first device and a second device,
receiving a first set of consecutive data bits from said first device at said second device by means of a first set of pulses,
transmitting a second set of bits from said second device to said first device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with said first set of bits characterized by:
negotiating a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
negotiating on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulses are narrow pulses.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulses are spaced apart in time domain by a certain guard time and said second set of bits is transmitted by means of a second set of pulses sent during said guard times.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
negotiating on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said guard times are used for sending said second set of bits.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a separate radio is used for transmitting said second set of bits.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said separate radio is a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) radio.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said second set of bits is transmitted as payload in a data channel of the separate radio.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second set of bits comprises control data.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said wideband communication link is an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication link.
10. A system comprising
a first device and a second device configured to establish a wideband communication link between said first and second devices, said first device comprising a first transmitter configured to send a first set of consecutive data bits to said second device and said second device comprising a first receiver configured to receive said first set of consecutive data bits from said first device, said first set of bits being sent by means of a first set of pulses,
said second device further comprises a second transmitter configured to send a second set of bits to said first device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with receiving said first set of bits from said first device, and
said first device further comprises a second receiver configured to receive said second set of bits from said second device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with sending said first set of bits to said second device, characterized in that the first device and the second device are further configured:
to negotiate a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
to negotiate on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.
11. A device comprising
a receiver configured to receive a first set of consecutive data bits from another device, said first set of bits being sent by means of a first set of pulses, and
a transmitter configured to send a second set of bits to said another device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with receiving said first set of bits from said another device, characterized in that said device further comprises:
means for negotiating a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
means for negotiating on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein said pulses are narrow pulses.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein
said receiver is configured to receive said first set of pulses so that there is a certain guard time between the pulses, and
said transmitter is configured to send a second set of pulses forming said second set of bits during said guard times.
14. The device of claim 13 further comprising:
means for negotiating with said another device the PRF for said first set of pulses, at least when said PRF is not already known, and
means for negotiating on the basis of said PRF, whether said guard times are used for sending said second set of bits.
15. The device of claim 11, wherein said transmitter and said receiver employ different radio technologies.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein said transmitter is a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) radio transmitter.
17. The device of claim 11, wherein said receiver is an ultrawideband (UWB) receiver.
18. The device of claim 11, wherein said second set of bits comprises control data.
19. The device of claim 11, wherein said device is one of the following: a communication device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a digital camera.
20. A device comprising
a transmitter configured to send a first set of consecutive data bits to another device by means of a first set of pulses, and
a receiver configured to receive a second set of bits from said another device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with sending said first set of bits to said another device, characterized in that said device further comprises:
means for negotiating a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
means for negotiating on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.
21. The device of claim 20, wherein said pulses are narrow pulses.
22. The device of claim 20, wherein
said transmitter is configured to send said first set of pulses so that there is a certain guard time between the pulses, and
said receiver is configured to receive a second set of pulses forming said second set of bits during said guard times.
23. The device of claim 22 further comprising:
means for negotiating with said another device the PRF for said first set of pulses, at least when said PRF is not already known, and
means for negotiating on the basis of said PRF, whether said guard times are used for receiving said second set of bits.
24. The device of claim 20, wherein said transmitter and said receiver employ different radio technologies.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein said receiver is a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) radio receiver.
26. The device of claim 20, wherein said transmitter is an ultrawideband (UWB) transmitter.
27. The device of claim 20, wherein said second set of bits comprises control data.
28. The device of claim 20, wherein said device is one of the following: a communication device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a digital camera.
29. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer program executable in a communication device, the communication device being configured to receive a first set of consecutive data bits from another device, said first set of bits being sent by means of pulses, said computer program controlling said communication device to
send a second set of bits to said another device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with receiving said first set of bits from said another device, characterized by said computer program further controlling said communication device
to negotiate a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
to negotiate on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.
30. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer program executable in a communication device, the communication device being configured to send a first set of consecutive data bits to another device by means of pulses, said computer program controlling said communication device to
receive a second set of bits from said another device at least partially simultaneously or at least partially interlaced with sending said first set of bits to said another device, characterized by said computer program further controlling said communication device:
to negotiate a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for said communication link, at least when the PRF for the communication link is not already known, and
to negotiate on the basis of the PRF of said communication link, whether said second set of bits is sent interlaced with the first set of bits.