Method and apparatus for monitoring handling of a firearm
First Claim
1. A monitoring system to monitor user handling of a weapon, wherein said weapon is operated in response to actuation of a trigger and said monitoring system indicates placement relative to said trigger of a user body portion for actuating said trigger, said monitoring system comprising:
- a sensing unit mountable to said weapon proximate said trigger to sense the presence of a user body portion for actuating said trigger in a vicinity of said trigger;
an indicator unit to provide an indication of placement of said user body portion relative to said trigger in response to detection of said user body portion by said sensing unit; and
a control unit to generate control signals for said indicator unit in accordance with said sensing of said user body portion by said sensing unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A firearm monitoring system according to the present invention senses the position of a user hand or trigger finger on a weapon and generates a warning, notification, status or control signal when the user finger position is proximate the trigger. One embodiment generates and conditions an excitation stimulus (e.g., interrupted by the presence of a trigger actuator), drives a sensor with that stimulus, detects the user finger position through a change in the sensor output, and generates an appropriate signal for a downstream warning or other device (e.g., alarm, radio unit, laser sighting system, etc.). In this embodiment, the sensor may detect the presence of an object or finger penetrating a trigger guard plane. Another embodiment utilizes a set of sensors to detect the placement of a user trigger finger relative to the trigger. In addition, various types of output alarms may be utilized (e.g., visual and audio alarms, etc.).
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A monitoring system to monitor user handling of a weapon, wherein said weapon is operated in response to actuation of a trigger and said monitoring system indicates placement relative to said trigger of a user body portion for actuating said trigger, said monitoring system comprising:
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a sensing unit mountable to said weapon proximate said trigger to sense the presence of a user body portion for actuating said trigger in a vicinity of said trigger; an indicator unit to provide an indication of placement of said user body portion relative to said trigger in response to detection of said user body portion by said sensing unit; and a control unit to generate control signals for said indicator unit in accordance with said sensing of said user body portion by said sensing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24)
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15. A weapon to monitor user handling of said weapon, wherein said weapon indicates placement of a user body portion for actuating said weapon, said weapon comprising:
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a frame including a trigger; a sensing unit disposed proximate said trigger to sense the presence of a user body portion for actuating said trigger in a vicinity of said trigger; an indicator unit to provide an indication of placement of said user body portion relative to said trigger in response to detection of said user body portion by said sensing unit; and a control unit to generate control signals for said indicator unit in accordance with said sensing of said user body portion by said sensing unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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25. A method of monitoring user handling of a weapon and indicating placement relative to a weapon trigger of a user body portion for actuating said trigger, said method comprising:
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(a) sensing the presence of a user body portion for actuating said trigger in a vicinity of said trigger of said weapon; and (b) indicating placement of said user body portion relative to said trigger in response to detection of said user body portion. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification