Apparatus and method for user control of appliances

• US 20020021206A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John R. Wootton, Matthews F. Maury, Muller J. Joseph
• Original Assignee: John R. Wootton, Matthews F. Maury, Muller J. Joseph
• Inventors: Muller, J. Joseph, Matthews, F. Maury, Wootton, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,856,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder

Abstract

Apparatus (10) and a method for rendering a weapon (12) incapable of use unless authorized by a specified individual. More than one person may be authorized to use the weapon, however only one person may be authorized to use it at any one time. Each authorized person carries a badge (14) or other device which includes an rf transmitter (TAU) capable of transmitting a coded signal to a receiver (REU) installed in the weapon in response to a coded query from a unit (EU) installed in the weapon. If a properly coded transmission is received by the weapon, it becomes capable of being fired by the person who authorized its use. However, the weapon will not fire unless the person using the weapon is also standing behind the weapon. This prevents the weapon from being turned on the person authorized to use it. The apparatus stores details of the weapon'"'"'s use (e.g., who, when, and where). This information is released upon receipt of an authorized code.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with an appliance to enable usage of the appliance only by one authorized to do so comprising:

an interrogation means and an authorizing means, one of which is associated with the appliance to be used and the other of which with a person authorized to use the appliance, the interrogation means providing an interrogation signal to the authorizing means and the authorizing means providing a response signal in reply to the interrogation signal, the interrogation means enabling the appliance for use by the person only if the response signal is an appropriate response.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interrogation means continues to supply interrogation signals to the authorizing means on a periodic basis and enables continued usage of the appliance only if the response signal provided by the authorizing means in response to each interrogation signal is an appropriate response.

3. Apparatus for use with an appliance to enable usage of the appliance only by one authorized to do so comprising:

an interrogation means and an authorizing means, one of which is associated with the appliance to be used and the other of which with a person authorized to use the appliance, the interrogation means providing an interrogation signal to the authorizing means, the authorizing means providing a response signal in reply to the interrogation signal, and the interrogation means enabling the appliance for use by the person only if the response signal is an appropriate response and if the response signal is directed to the interrogation means from a predetermined direction relative to the appliance, the interrogation means otherwise not enabling the appliance even though the response signal is an appropriate response.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the interrogation means continues to supply interrogation signals to the authorizing means on a periodic basis and enables continued usage of the appliance only if the response signal provided by the authorizing means in response to each interrogation signal is an appropriate response.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the interrogation means is carried on the appliance and the authorizing means is carried by the person authorized to use the appliance.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the appliance is usable by a plurality of authorized users each of which has an authorizing means, and the appliance is enabled for use if the interrogation means receives an appropriate response signal from any one of the authorizing means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each authorizing means includes a transmitter for transmitting the response signal to the interrogation unit and the interrogation means includes a receiver for receiving the transmitted response signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the interrogation means includes a first antenna by which the interrogation signal is transmitted and a second antenna through which the response signal is received.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first antenna is an omni-directional antenna and the second antenna is a directional antenna, the response signal having to be received by the second antenna for the appliance to be authorized for use.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second antenna has a gain of at least 3 dB in the horizontal plane, thereby to provide only a 180°

range of coverage in the horizontal plane.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further including a third antenna which is also a directional antenna but which is pointed in a different direction than the second antenna.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the third antenna has a range of coverage in the horizontal plane narrower than that of the second antenna.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the range of coverage of the third antenna is approximately 5°

.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the interrogation means will disable the appliance even though an appropriate response signal directed to the interrogation means is received by from the second antenna, if another appropriate response signal directed to the interrogation means is received by the third antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the interrogation means will enable the appliance when an appropriate response signal is no longer received by the third antenna but an appropriate response signal continues to be received by the second antenna.

16. The apparatus of claim 3 further including recording means recording information concerning usage of the appliance including who used the appliance and when it was used.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the recording means further records the place of usage of the appliance.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the interrogation means continues to supply interrogation signals to the authorizing means on a periodic basis and enables continued usage of the appliance only if the response signal provided by the authorizing means in response to each interrogation signal is an appropriate response.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the interrogation means includes a first and omni-directional antenna by which the interrogation signal is transmitted and a second and directional antenna through which the response signal is received.

22. The method of claim 19 in which the appliance is usable by a plurality of authorized users each of which has an authorizing means, and the appliance is enabled for use if the interrogation means receives an appropriate response signal from any one of the authorizing means.

23. The method of claim 19 further including receiving a second appropriate response signal from a different direction than that from which the first said appropriate response signal is received, and disabling the appliance for so long as the second response signal is received.

18. Apparatus for use with an appliance to enable usage of the appliance only by one authorized to do so comprising:

an interrogation means and an authorizing means, one of which is associated with the appliance to be used and the other of which with a person authorized to use the appliance, the interrogation means providing an interrogation signal to the authorizing means, the authorizing means providing a response signal in reply to the interrogation signal, and the interrogation means enabling the appliance for use by the person only if the response signal is an appropriate response and if the response signal is directed to the interrogation means from a predetermined direction relative to the appliance, the interrogation means otherwise not enabling the appliance even though the response signal is an appropriate response;

the interrogation means including a first and omni-directional antenna by which the interrogation signal is transmitted, a second and directional antenna through which the response signal is received, the interrogation means enabling the appliance when an appropriate response is received by the second antenna; and

,

a third antenna which is also a directional antenna but which is pointed in a different direction than the second antenna, the authorizing means disabling operation of the appliance for so long as a response signal which is an appropriate response is received from the third antenna, even though an appropriate response is and continues to be received by the second antenna.

19. A method of enabling usage of an appliance only by one authorized to do so comprising:

providing an interrogation signal by an interrogation means to an authorizing means, the interrogation means being associated with the appliance to be used and the authorizing means with a person authorized to use the appliance;

providing a response signal to the interrogation means by the authorizing means in response to the interrogation signal; and

,

the interrogation means enabling the appliance for use by the person only if the response signal is an appropriate response and if the response signal is directed to the interrogation means from a predetermined direction, the interrogation means otherwise not enabling the appliance even though the response signal is an appropriate response.