Auto on gun accessory

• US 10,060,701 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laser Aiming Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Laser Aiming Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Hedeen, Brian, Otteson, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US15/600,596
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0254 with accommodation for auxiliary devices mounted on the small arm, e.g. telescopic sights, flashlights or laser-devices
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0263 having a locking system for preventing unauthorized or accidental removal of the small arm from the holster F41C33/0227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/35 for illuminating the target , e.g. flash lights

Abstract

An electronic accessory for a firearm comprising: a housing including an attachment mechanism for securing the electronic accessory to the firearm, the housing containing components of the electronic accessory. The components of the electronic accessory comprising: an electronic component, a sensor, a circuit board, and a power source. The sensor senses a magnetic field. The circuit board is coupled to the electronic component and the sensor. The circuit board controls the electronic component and suspends power to the electronic component when the sensor senses a magnetic field above a threshold strength. The power source is coupled to the circuit board and provides power to at least one of: the electronic component, the sensor and the circuit board.

Claims

1. An electronic accessory for a firearm comprising:

a housing including an attachment mechanism for securing the electronic accessory to the firearm, the housing containing components of the electronic accessory, the components of the electronic accessory comprising;

an electronic component;

a sensor sensing a magnetic field;

a circuit board coupled to the electronic component and the sensor, the circuit board controlling the electronic component and suspending power to the electronic component when the sensor senses a magnetic field above a threshold strength, and the circuit board suspending the power to the electronic component after a predetermined amount of time; and

a power source coupled to the circuit board, the power source providing the power to the electronic component.

2. The electronic accessory of claim 1, the housing acting as a heat sink for heat generated by at least one of:

the electronic component, the circuit board, and the power source.

3. The electronic accessory of claim 2, the housing not protruding past an end of a barrel of the firearm.

4. The electronic accessory of claim 1, the electronic component comprising a laser module.

5. The electronic accessory of claim 4, the laser module comprising at least one of:

a green laser module, a red laser module, a blue laser module and an infrared laser module.

6. The electronic accessory of claim 5, the laser module being the green laser module, and the green laser module comprising:

a semiconductor chip emitting radiation;

a lasing medium receiving the emitted radiation from the semiconductor chip and emitting light having a wavelength between about 980 nm to 1140 nm in response to receiving the emitted radiation; and

a frequency modulator receiving the emitted light and converting the received emitted light to light having a wavelength between about 490 nm to 570 nm in response to receiving the emitted light.

7. The electronic assembly of claim 6, the lasing medium and the frequency modulator being crystals.

8. The electronic assembly of claim 4, the laser module comprising an infrared blocking filter.

9. The electronic accessory of claim 1, the sensor comprising a Hall-effect sensor.

10. The electronic accessory of claim 1, the housing comprising at least one switch located on a left side of the housing, a right side of the housing, or both sides of the housing, the at least one switch controlling an operation of the electronic component, via the circuit board, in response to the switch being placed in different positions.

11. The electronic accessory of claim 10, the electronic component comprising a laser module and a visible light module, the operation of electronic component being at least one of:

a pulse rate for the laser module and a strobe rate for the visible light module.

12. The electronic accessory of claim 11, the at least one switch controlling, via the circuit board, the pulse rate of the laser module, the strobe rate of the visible light or both.

13. A method of operating an electronic accessory for a firearm, the method comprising:

sensing, by a sensing circuit, a magnetic field having a magnitude above a threshold;

outputting, by the sensing circuit, a voltage in response to the sensed magnetic field;

determining, by a processor coupled to the sensing circuit and an electronic component, the outputted voltage of the sensing circuit;

suspending, by the processor, power being transmitted to the electronic component in response to determining the outputted voltage; and

suspending, by the processor, power being transmitted to the electronic component after a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 13, the electronic component comprising a laser module, the method further comprising:

receiving, via a switch, a signal indicating the switch has been moved from a first position to a second position; and

changing, by the processor, an operation of the laser module in response to the switch being moved from the first position to the second position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the operation is a pulse rate of the laser module.

16. The method of claim 13, the electronic component comprising a visible light module, the method further comprising:

receiving, via a switch, a signal indicating the switch has been moved from a first position to a second position; and

changing, by the processor, an operation of the visible light module in response to the switch being moved from the first position to the second position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the operation is a strobe rate of the visible light module.