PERSONAL UNDER FIRE TRAINER FOR SECURITY AND MILITARY PERSONNEL

• US 20120064492A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timothy Andrew Pearce
• Original Assignee: Timothy Andrew Pearce
• Inventors: Vasquez, Jeffrey Frank, Pearce, Timothy Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/26 Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying shooting games A63F9/02; light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; targets therefor F41J; responders, transponders for radar, sonar, lidar G01S13/767, G01S15/74, G01S17/74
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

A personal under fire trainer includes a harness holding a wireless receiver and plural electrode leads. The harness can be donned by a trainee and the leads connected to electrodes attached to the trainee'"'"'s body. A trainer can operate a remote transmitter to send a signal to the receiver, activating one or more electrodes which contract the trainee'"'"'s muscles, forcing the trainee to react under simulated gun fight conditions while receiving simulated gunshot wounds.

Claims

1. Training apparatus comprising:

plural electrodes attachable to respective locations of a body of a patient;

a harness wearable by the trainee and enveloping at least portions of the trainee'"'"'s torso, shoulders, and upper thighs;

at least one battery supported by the harness;

at least one wireless receiver assembly supported by the harness;

at least one hand-held controller wirelessly communicating with the wireless receiver assembly and bearing plural keys manipulable by a trainer to send activation signals to the wireless receiver assembly, the wireless receiver assembly responsive to the activation signals causing the battery to activate one or more of the electrodes and thereby cause contraction of at least one muscle of the trainee that is closely juxtaposed with the electrode activated by the battery to simulate a gunshot wound at the site of the electrode activated by the battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver assembly communicates with the electrodes through respective wires connected to respective electrodes, the wires being supported on the harness.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver assembly wirelessly activates the electrodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electrode has a conductive gel center supported in a cloth body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one trainee-actuated switch electrically disposed between the battery and at least one electrode and operable by the trainee to open an electrical circuit between the battery and electrode to deactivate the electrode in the presence of an activation signal from the controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one switch electrically disposed between the battery and at least one electrode and operable automatically to open an electrical circuit between the battery and electrode to deactivate the electrode responsive to a determination that the controller is deenergized or malfunctioning.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switch opens responsive to a determination that the controller is deenergized.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein responsive to the wireless receiver assembly not receiving any signals from the controller for a period of time, a determination that the controller is deenergized is made.

9. Method comprising:

receiving, at a controller, trainer input of an activate command;

responsive to the trainer input, wirelessly sending an activate signal to a wireless receiver;

responsive to receiving the activate signal, causing the receiver to energize at least one electrode contacting a trainee'"'"'s skin above a muscle to cause the muscle to contract; and

responsive to receiving an emergency stop signal input by the trainee, deenergizing the electrode in the presence of the activate signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless receiver is supported on a harness worn by the trainee.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the trainer input is received at a handheld controller bearing plural keys each corresponding to a respective electrode on the trainee.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiver energizes an electrode through a wire supported in the harness.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiver wirelessly energizes an electrode.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the harness envelopes at least portions of the trainee'"'"'s torso, shoulders, and upper thighs.

15. The method of claim 9, comprising automatically opening an electrical circuit between a source of electrode energy and an electrode to deactivate the electrode responsive to a determination that the controller is deenergized.

16. A personal under fire trainer;

comprising;

a harness holding a wireless receiver assembly and plural electrode leads;

the harness be wearable by a trainee with the leads connected to electrodes attached to the trainee'"'"'s body; and

a controller operable by a trainer to send a wireless signal to the receiver assembly, activating one or more electrodes which contract the trainee'"'"'s muscles, forcing the trainee to react under simulated gun fight conditions while receiving simulated gunshot wounds.

17. The trainer of claim 16, comprising at least one battery supported by the harness.

18. The trainer of claim 17, further comprising at least one trainee-actuated switch electrically disposed between the battery and at least one electrode and operable by the trainee to open an electrical circuit between the battery and electrode to deactivate the electrode in the presence of an activation signal from the controller.

19. The trainer of claim 17, further comprising at least one switch electrically disposed between the battery and at least one electrode and operable automatically to open an electrical circuit between the battery and electrode to deactivate the electrode responsive to a determination that the controller is deenergized.

20. The trainer of claim 19, wherein responsive to the receiver assembly not receiving any signals from the controller for a period of time, a determination that the controller is deenergized is made, responsive to which the electrical circuit is opened between the battery and electrode to deactivate the electrode.