User identification for weapons and site sensing fire control

Abstract

Firearms or other projectile weapons include a GPS sensor, World Time RF sensor, orientation sensor for detecting the angle, acceleration (launch velocity), and direction in which the projectile will be launched along with a stored updatable list of times, GPS coordinates, distances from the GPS coordinates such that the weapon is disabled for use in these restricted areas if the projectile shall enter the restricted area. In addition, acceleration is used to detect a dropped or potentially damaged weapon such that the weapon is disabled and an emergency RF beacon is enabled (alternatively selected by the user).

Claims

1. A weapon comprising: a firing mechanism that, when activated, causes launching of a projectile or energy beam to follow a predictable path; a piezoelectric structure to detect pressure applied by a trigger finger of an operator; and an electronic logic circuit that controls the firing mechanism, wherein the electronic logic circuit is coupled to the piezoelectric structure and configured to: sense a particular time series of pressures using the piezoelectric structure; determine, based at least in part on the sensed time series of pressures, whether the operator is authorized to fire the weapon; and activate the firing mechanism only if the operator is authorized to fire the weapon.

2. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is further configured to cause tactile feedback confirming authorization to be made to the trigger finger by vibrating a trigger.

3. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is further configured to perform one or more of the following actions in response to an input from the operator, wherein the input from the operator includes one or both of pressure detected by the piezoelectric structure or a voice command detected using a microphone: setting the trigger pressure; setting any other parameters; determining the GPS location and Greenwich Mean Time of the weapon; or displaying the GPS location and Greenwich Mean Time on an attached digital display.

4. A weapon for launching a projectile or energy beam to follow a predictable path, the weapon comprising: a firing mechanism that, when activated, causes launching of the projectile or energy beam; a force-sensing trigger; a storage medium for storing a representation of restricted areas; a location-sensing element for determining a current location of the weapon; a direction-sensing element for determining a current direction in which the weapon is pointed; and control and sensing logic that is configured to: compare the current location with the stored restricted areas, in response to the current location falling within one of the restricted areas, prevent activation of the firing mechanism, prevent activation of the firing mechanism when the weapon is not within a given restricted area, but the current direction and the distance from the given restricted area are such that a launched projectile or energy beam would enter the given restricted area; and prevent activation of the firing mechanism unless an operator establishes authorization using one or both of an applied pressure on the force-sensing trigger or voice input.

5. The weapon of claim 4 wherein the control and sensing logic is also configured to: maintain the non-activation for an extended time.

6. The weapon of claim 4 wherein the control and sensing logic is also configured to: prevent any activation of the firing mechanism when the weapon is deactivated and there is a sustained loss of GPS signal.

7. The weapon of claim 4 wherein the control and sensing logic is also configured to: detect a fall or being dropped and disable any firing while setting an emergency radio beacon to operate until such time as the user reenters an enabling code outside a restricted area plus an additional range.

8. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is also configured to maintain the non-activation for an extended time if the operator is not authorized to fire the weapon.

9. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is also configured to prevent any activation of the firing mechanism when the weapon is deactivated and there is a sustained loss of GPS signal.

10. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is also configured to detect a fall or being dropped and disable any firing while setting an emergency radio beacon to operate until such time as the user reenters an enabling code outside a restricted area plus an additional range.

11. The weapon of claim 1 wherein the electronic logic circuit is further configured to receive voice information from the operator and wherein determining whether the operator is authorized to fire the weapon is based in part on the voice information and in part on the sensed pressure.

12. The weapon of claim 11 wherein the electronic logic circuit is further configured such that determining whether the operator is authorized to fire the weapon is based on sensing a particular time series of pressures on the piezoelectric structure and the voice information.

13. The weapon of claim 2 wherein the electronic logic circuit is further configured to cause auditory confirmation confirming authorization to be made via speaker.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a view of a pressure sensitive electronic trigger with vibration feedback according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a view of a process flow of the electronic trigger with vibration feedback, microphones, global positioning sensor, radio frequency clock sensor, emergency transmitter, temperature and wind speed and direction sensor, and safety according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a view of a microcontroller, main memory with information including restricted no fire areas and times, optional data display, sound input and output and fire control hardware according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

(4) The related patent applications incorporated by reference above describe, inter alia: various techniques and apparatus for a pressure sensitive trigger (U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,362). In embodiments of the present invention, such techniques can be used.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic and flow chart of the trigger with a stainless steel boss 100 and the piezoelectric sensor/transducer 110 proceeding through a logic that culminates in permitting the safety to be placed in the off state and firing the weapon through electromechanical fire mechanism or in an alternative embodiment an electrically ignited cartridge.

(6) FIG. 2 shows the process logic as a classic process flow chart which includes most of the embodiments in the invention.

(7) FIG. 3 shows the operational logic blocks used in the preferred embodiment. The microcontroller 310 and User Interface 300 which includes tactile feedback, sound in and out and an optional data display both interact with the main memory 330 to record each shot with a time and pointing direction and full GPS location. The fire and safety control circuitry 320 is where the microcontroller 310 sends control information to fire or go to safe mode.

(8) Embodiments of the present invention can utilize details of complementary laws or governmental regulations at the state, national, and international levels providing greater freedom of operation for defense, and other legitimate uses of the weapon because of the unique safety qualities of the weapon. Such laws permit action ready weapons to be kept ready for authorized users close at hand in homes, small and large businesses, and vehicles. The users of these operational weapons can be secure in the knowledge that such weapons cannot be used by children, thieves, or any agent other then the authorized users for which the weapon has trained recognition systems.

(9) In operation, a force sensing trigger 100, which may include a piezoelectric 110 or piezoresistive element is pressed and changes output voltage or resistance as a function of the applied pressure, one or more times in an activation sequence. The activation sequence includes a specific pattern of pressures or pulses on the trigger 100, and the pattern may be defined by reference to a relative duration of the pulses and/or relative force on the trigger as a function of time. In addition in the preferred embodiment one or more voice commands can be sensed by one or more microphones 186. The activation sequence or owners recognition code is advantageously preprogrammed by the user, e.g., upon purchasing the firearm, and stored in memory in control logic 120-180.

(10) When trigger 100 is operated, signals representing the force as a function of time are transmitted to control logic section 120, and thence to 130 which compares them to the activation sequence, with the firearm becoming usable only when the trigger operations match the preprogrammed activation sequence and is sent to logic in 140 and 150. Finally the arm is fired, after a second check of owner recognition at 160, by the action of electromechanical elements at 190 which release a spring loaded firing pin, or hammer.

(11) Alternatively, the firing pin may be part of a solenoid and be electrically actuated. In yet another embodiment the ignition may be initiated by an electrical current for example causing thin magnesium wire to vaporize thus setting off the primer material or with sufficient flash magnesium wire the gunpowder directly. One or more program controlled safeties are turned to on or Safe position if the arm is not fired and a preset time has elapsed 170. 170 also treats the use of the GPS sensor to determine the position and orientation of the firearm along with the time and compare that time and location to a table of restricted GPS locations. In addition as shown in 230 FIG. 2 actual Global Positioning (GPS) coordinates and World time is compared to one or more tables of locations stored in memory 240, each coordinate has one or more parameters indicating the area around the stored table coordinate which is restricted and the Greenwich Mean time range if any when the restriction is lifted.

(12) In addition to the restricted areas (if any) there are also owner defined locations which are entirely unrestricted. As an example one table of GPS coordinates parameters and times in one embodiment will be all the schools, malls, hospitals, doctors offices, clinics, all sites where large crowds gather together, ballparks, museums, music halls, playgrounds, and theatres in North America. Based on the 2010 school count in the U.S. of 98,817 public schools the total estimate for North America is 950,000 such sites. Each site will require 200 bytes of information including the site location, time of restriction, a described polygon which includes any legally required distance for firearms creating the need for 190 megabytes of memory space for such or far less memory then is commonly used in most low cost electronic devices today. In one embodiment the arm will also note when the weapon is pointed at a restricted region and prevent firing if the range to the restricted area is smaller than the range for the cartridge used in the firearm.

(13) The activation sequence acts as a password with both or either voice and trigger pressure to prevent the firearm from being used by anyone other than an authorized user. After the owner is recognized the trigger pull and one or more stages of pull may be set 180 by putting in the trigger set sequence, followed by the number of stages (1 to 4) the trigger will then vibrate to indicate the stage and the owner then simply presses the trigger to set the force to fire (last stage) or to move to the next stage, note that when in these setting sequences the safety is always on and firing is fully inhibited. If the activation sequence is not recognized then logic in 140 commands the drivers in 150 to flash the safety LED, if recognized the LED is steady but in both cases the safety is set and must be release by the shooter.

(14) In an additional embodiment programmable logic in 180 in conjunction with sensors in the magazine or on the frame of a revolver looking in the chambers not in battery permits the arm to notice ammo out, remaining ammo or last round as trigger back pressure giving notice to the shooter. Also LED flash and LED steady may be replaced by a vibration or series of vibrations indicating that the safety is on, that is fed back to the trigger finger. Thus if password enabled every time the trigger is pressed when the safety is on, the signal of safety on is sent to the finger.

(15) In a further embodiment the mechanical safety which blocks the firing pin of the weapon must be cycled on and then off (ready to fire) before the weapon will fire for the first time after the owners code is entered. The position of the mechanical safety is detected optically or electronically and the resultant electronic signal is sent to the logic of the electronic recognition trigger. In an additional embodiment the trigger is vibrated to indicate a safe state (safety on firing disabled) for an preset (but programmable) time after the arm is enabled and in the dark (as sensed by a phototransistor). In yet another embodiment, the safety display may be any combination of passive mechanical, electrophoretic, liquid crystal, OLED, electroluminescent and LED displays. In an alternate embodiment displays and/or speaker 184 are used to report the GPS position and with the display the nearest known roads. In an alternative embodiment microphones and trigger can be used to select the emergency beacon 184 or transmitter 280 function in those firearms, typically rifles, where antenna and adequate power is available from batteries, supercaps, and small stock mounted solar panels.

(16) In operation then in FIG. 3 the system uses logic provided by a programmed microcontroller 310, initiated and reporting through a User Interface 300 which makes commands through trigger pressure and voice to the controller 310 and based on the proper activation sequence the controller enables firing of the weapon. The controller uses information provided by the sensors including GPS, World time, and can bidirectionally communicate via RF or Optical links to nearby devices and networks. Information about settings and nearby GPS and Time restrictions are loaded from 330 by the controller 310. When all conditions are met the controller 310 can command the Fire control hardware to permit the safety to be set to off and can, when the trigger is pressed to the preset force for the final stage (there will be at least 1 stage for firing the gun), fire a round from the firearm.

(17) While the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. One skilled in the art will also recognize that the present invention provides a number of advantageous techniques, tools, and products, usable individually or in various combinations. These techniques, tools, and products include but are not limited to: a weapon controlled by a pressure or force sensitive trigger; and/or a weapon in which a particular time series of pressures on the trigger (which may be varying or non-varying pressures) and/or voice commands causes a particular action including but not limited to making the weapon operational for firing; and/or a weapon in which a particular time series of pressures on the trigger (which may be varying or non-varying pressures) and/or voice commands causes a particular action, including but not limited to setting the trigger pressure and/or setting any other parameters and/or determining the GPS location and Greenwich Mean Time of the weapon, and wherein the trigger pressure and/or other parameters and/or the GPS location and/or the Greenwich Mean Time is spoken and/or displayed on an attached digital display; and/or a weapon in which the actual GPS location and time are compared to a database of such locations and proscribed distances, time and the operational range of the weapon at the location including altitude is made and firing is disabled until such time as the weapon is outside the latter calculated area or turned away from the proscribed area, time of allowed firing is found to correspond to the actual time or a location is reached in which operation of the weapon is enabled; and/or a weapon in which each shot includes a captured shot sound which is recorded with time stamp, and firearm direction and location; and/or a weapon in which an emergency beacon is built in and can be turned on by trigger pressure sequence and/or by voice command; and/or a weapon in which bidirectional links permit the status and location of the arm to be set and queried over Radio Frequency and Optical links including WiFi, cell phone systems, Bluetooth and Wide Area Networks; and/or a weapon in which the trigger pressure and number of stages of trigger can be set via trigger sequence, voice or communication input; and/or a weapon that measures temperature and wind (direction and force) and displays them or says them to the user, and uses this information in calculating the threat to proscribed areas.

(18) While the above is a complete description of specific embodiments of the invention, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.