Patent ID: 8542090

Claim:
An anti-theft system for a portable tool, comprising: a tool module disposed inside said portable tool for electronically locking the portable tool in a locked inoperable state and unlocking the portable tool from the locked inoperable state to an unlocked operable state, said tool module comprising a microcontroller for receiving an electronic unlocking key readable by said microcontroller, a manual controller, wherein said manual controller is directly connected to a microprocessor; a control station at a point-of-sale for said portable tool, said control station comprising a control module operably communicating with said tool module, wherein said control module automatically transmits said electronic unlocking key to said microcontroller when the sale of the portable tool is valid, wherein said microcontroller changes the locked inoperable state of a memory to the unlocked operable state, wherein said microcontroller reads said electronic unlocking key, and wherein said microcontroller sends a state signal to the microprocessor to switch a functional unit from the locked inoperable state to the unlocked operable state, thereby rendering said portable tool operable.