WEAPON LOCK CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20190310042A1
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sed C. Himmich
• Original Assignee: Sed C. Himmich
• Inventors: HIMMICH, Sed C.
• Application Number:
  US16/116,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20190310042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: F41A 17/48 Automatically operated trigger safeties, i.e. operated by breech opening or closing movement

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a trigger mechanism of a weapon includes a locking device configured to disable the trigger mechanism in an engaged state and a lock controller. The lock controller includes a location sensor, a processing device, and a memory device. The memory device stores one or more fire control rules and instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger mechanism based on the one or more fire control rules, data from the location sensor, and a type of the weapon.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a trigger mechanism of a weapon, the apparatus comprising:

a locking device configured to disable the trigger mechanism in a default engaged state; and

a lock controller, the lock controller comprising;

a location sensor configured to provide current location data of the weapon;

a processing device; and

a memory device storing;

one or more fire control rules; and

instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger mechanism based on the one or more fire control rules, the current location data from the location sensor, and a type of the weapon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking device includes a pin configured to prevent actuation of the trigger mechanism while in a locked position and to move.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the locking device includes a set of coils configured to generate a magnetic field to move the pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device are further executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device based further on a user identifier stored in the memory device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lock controller further comprises a time sensor, wherein the instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger mechanism based on the one or more fire control rules, the current location data from the location sensor, and the type of the weapon are further executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device based further on a date received from the time sensor and an authorized period indicated by the one or more fire control rules.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger mechanism are further executable to determine not to disengage the locking device in response to determining that the one or more fire control rules have expired.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger mechanism are executable to determine whether to make the determination responsive to input from the user interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processing device to determine whether to disengage the locking device are executable to initiate disengagement of the locking device responsive to the current location data from the location sensor indicating that the weapon is outside of a threshold radius around a restricted location identified by the one or more fire control rules.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the threshold radius is specific to the type of the weapon.

10. A computer readable storage device storing instructions executable by one or more processing devices to:

receive location data from a location sensor of a firearm; and

determine whether to disengage a locking device to enable a trigger of the firearm based on one or more fire control rules, data from the location sensor, and a type of the firearm.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by one or more processing devices to initiate, in response to a determination to disengage the locking device, initiate movement of a pin of the locking device to an unlocked position, the pin configured to prevent actuation of the trigger while in a locked position.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device are further executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device based further on a user identifier associated with the firearm.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger are further executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device based further on an authorized period indicated by the one or more fire control rules and a current time.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device to enable the trigger are further executable to determine not to disengage the locking device in response to determining that the one or more fire control rules have expired.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processing devices to determine whether to disengage the locking device are executable to initiate disengagement of the locking device responsive to the data from the location sensor indicating that the firearm is outside of a threshold radius around a restricted location identified by the one or more fire control rules.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the threshold radius is specific to the type of the firearm.

17. A method comprising:

receiving location data from a location sensor of a firearm; and

determining whether to disengage a locking device to enable a trigger of the firearm based on one or more fire control rules, data from the location sensor, and a type of the firearm.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in response to a determination to disengage the locking device, initiating movement of a pin of the locking device to an unlocked position, the pin configured to prevent actuation of the trigger while in a locked position.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether to disengage the locking device is based further on a user identifier associated with the firearm.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether to disengage the locking device is based further on an authorized period indicated by the one or more fire control rules and a current time.