Methods and Systems for Enhancing Firearm Safety Through Wireless Network Monitoring

• US 20140290110A1
• Filed: 06/09/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yardarm Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gunnegate, LLC
• Inventors: Stewart, Robert J., Menezes, Joaquim
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/70.11
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/005 Chain-locks, cable-locks or padlocks with alarms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/06 Electric alarm locks E05B45/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/08 for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area F41A27/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/46 Trigger safeties, i.e. means for preventing trigger movement F41A17/02 - F41A17/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A firearm includes a firing mechanism and a sensor device. The sensor device includes a subscriber identity module configured to communicate with a server over a signaling channel of a wireless communications network. The Sensor device is configured to enable/disable the firing mechanism in accordance with instructions received by the SIM from the server. Movements and/or attempted operations of the firearm may be monitored using an application running on a mobile device, which application receives information concerning the firearm over the signaling channel of the wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A firearm, comprising a firing mechanism and a sensor device, the sensor device including a subscriber identity module (SIM) configured to communicate with a server using common channel signaling over a signaling channel of a wireless communications network.

2. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to enable or disable the firing mechanism of the firearm in accordance with instructions received by the SIM from the server.

3. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the SIM comprises a SIM configured to communicate over a Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

4. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the signaling channel is a signaling systems 7 (SS-7) signaling channel of a mobile telecommunications network.

5. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the sensor device includes a motion sensor.

6. The firearm of claim 5, wherein the SIM is configured to send information to the server upon the motion sensor detecting movement of the firearm.

7. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the SIM is configured to respond to attempted voice communications from the server by returning information stored in a dial buffer of the SIM.

8. The firearm of claim 1 wherein the SIM is configured to transmit information to the server upon one or more of:

movement of the firearm, an attempted operation of the firearm, disabling of a safety of the firearm, and a change in mode of the firearm.

19. The firearm of claim 1, further comprising a solenoid coupled to receive signals from the sensor device and responsive to said signals to cause a blocking or gating means of the firearm to move from a first position to a second position or vice-versa.

9. A system, comprising a sensor device of a firearm including a subscriber identity module (SIM), and a home location register (HLR) storing information concerning the SIM, the SIM being configured to be in periodic communication with the HLR using common channel signaling over a signaling channel of a wireless communications network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the HLR stores some or all of:

information concerning permitted times and/or days for operation of the firearm, and geo-fence information for the firearm.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an application running on a mobile device, the application configured to communicate with the SIM over the signaling channel of the wireless communications network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor device is configured to inform the HLR upon one or more of:

movement of the firearm, an attempted operation of the firearm, disabling of a safety of the firearm, and a change in mode of the firearm

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor device further includes a motion sensor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor device is configured to enable/disable operation of the firearm in accordance with instructions received by the SIM from the HLR.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor device is configured to enable/disable operation of the firearm in accordance with instructions received by the SIM from the application.

20. The system of claim 9 wherein the firearm further includes a solenoid coupled to be responsive to signals received by the SIM from the HLR, and to cause a blocking or gating means of the firearm to move from a first position to a second position or vice-versa.

16. A firearm, comprising a subscriber identity module (SIM) configured to communicate with a home location register (HLR) storing information concerning the SIM, the SIM being configured to be in periodic communication with the HLR using common channel signaling over a signaling channel of a wireless communications network, a controller coupled to receive signals from the SIM, and a solenoid coupled to receive signals from the controller and responsive to said signals to cause a blocking or gating means of the firearm to move from a first position to a second position or vice-versa.

17. The firearm of claim 16, further comprising a rechargeable power source.

18. The firearm of claim 17 further configured to receive a charging clip.