Devices and methods for controlled manual and automatic firearm operation

• US 6,174,288 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark Alan Samuels
• Original Assignee: Mark Alan Samuels
• Inventors: Samuels, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/373,734
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 600/485, 600/300, 600/500-503
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• 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 19/58 Electric firing mechanisms F41A17/10, F41A17/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/12 with means for compensating for muzzle velocity or powder temperature with means for compensating for gun vibrations

Abstract

A heart beat cycle indicating device for indicating to a firearm operator a defined stage of the heart beat cycle of the firearm operator includes a heart beat cycle monitoring unit for monitoring the heart beat cycle of the firearm operator and a heart beat cycle indicating unit for indicating to the firearm operator a specific stage of the heart beat cycle. A heart beat cycle override unit may be used in combination with the heart beat cycle indicating device to prevent discharge of a firearm during a specified stage of the heart beat cycle of the firearm operator. An automatic firing assembly for automatically firing a firearm when the firearm is aligned with a target comprises a target detection unit in combination with a trigger actuation unit for actuating a firearm trigger. Methods for making a heart beat cycle indicating device and an automatic firing assembly are disclosed, together with methods for operating a firearm in combination with a heart beat cycle indicating device or an automatic firing assembly.

Claims

1. A heart beat cycle indicating device, to indicate to a firearm operator an appropriate point in time at which to fire a firearm, comprising:

a heart beat cycle monitoring unit to monitor a heart beat cycle of the firearm operator; and

a heart beat cycle indicating unit, coupled to said heart beat cycle monitoring unit, to determine and indicate to the firearm operator an optimum point in time at which to fire the firearm, the optimum point in time being temporally related to a defined stage of the heart beat cycle of the firearm operator.

2. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, further comprising a heart beat cycle signal unit to transfer a heart beat cycle-related signal from said heart beat cycle monitoring unit to said heart beat cycle indicating unit.

3. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, further comprising an override unit capable of preventing firing of the firearm during one or more defined stages of the heart beat cycle of the firearm operator.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said override unit is coupled to receive a heart beat cycle signal from said heart beat cycle monitoring unit, and disables a trigger of the firearm during one or more prescribed periods of the heart beat cycle.

5. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter unit to transmit electromagnetic radiation, and a receiver unit to receive electromagnetic radiation, wherein said transmitter unit is coupled to said heart beat cycle monitor unit, and said receiver unit is coupled to said heart beat cycle indicating unit.

6. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, wherein said heart beat cycle indicating unit comprises at least one of a video device and an audio device.

7. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, wherein said heart beat cycle monitoring unit comprises one of a photoplethysmographic device and an EKG-sensitive device.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a trigger actuation unit coupled to a trigger and to said heart beat monitoring unit to automatically fire the firearm in response to a signal monitoring unit in a mode selectable by the firearm operator.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle monitoring unit is capable of identifying each of the three stages of the heart beat cycle.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a heart beat cycle override unit coupled to said heart beat cycle indicating unit, wherein said heart beat cycle override unit is coupled to receive a heart beat cycle-related signal from said heart beat cycle indicating united related to the firearm operator'"'"'s heart beat cycle, and the heart beat cycle override unit is capable of preventing manual operation of the firearm by a firearm operator during one or more specified periods of the firearm operator'"'"'s heart beat cycle.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a trigger deactivation unit coupled to the heart beat cycle override unit and to a trigger of the firearm.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an automatic firing assembly capable of firing the firearm at the appropriate point in time during the heart beat cycle.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle indicating unit determines and signals the appropriate point in time based on a reaction time of the firearm operator and said heat beat cycle.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle indicating unit determines and signals the appropriate point in time based on a physiological state of the firearm operator.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle indicating unit generates an output signal to communicate to the firearm operator the appropriate point in time during the heart beat cycle for the firearm operator to fire the firearm.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a display unit responsive to the output signal from the heart beat cycle indicating unit to display an image indicating the point in time when the firearm operator should fire the firearm.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the display unit can be attached to a sighting device of the firearm.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the image displayed by the display begins at a point in time before the point in time when the firearm operator to fire a firearm, and changes in time until the point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein one of size and brightness of the image displayed increases such that the image achieves a maximum size or brightness at the appropriate point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising an audio unit responsive to the output signal from the heart beat cycle indicating unit.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the audio unit sounds a tone at the point in time when the firearm operator should fire the firearm.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the tone begins at a point in time before the appropriate point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm, and changes in time until the appropriate point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the audio unit provides at least one warning tone prior to the point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm.

24. The device of claim 15, further comprising an audio unit and a visual unit responsive to the output signal from the heart beat cycle indicating unit to inform the firearm operator of the point in time for the firearm operator to fire the firearm, wherein the firearm operator can selectively enable each of the audio and visual unit.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle monitoring unit comprises at least one electrode capable of contact with the firearm operator'"'"'s body.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the electrode is conformed to attach to one of the ear and the wrist of the firearm operator'"'"'s body.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle indicating unit further comprises a pulse oximeter.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the heart beat cycle monitoring unit comprises an EKG device.

29. The heart beat cycle indicating device of claim 1, further comprising a pulse monitoring device to monitor a pulse of an individual.

30. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sighting device for a firearm, wherein said heart beat cycle indicating unit is coupled to said sighting device, and said heart beat cycle indicating unit is capable of providing an image visible within said sighting device at prescribed times during the heart beat cycle of the operator.

33. The firearm combination of claim 14, wherein said heart beat cycle monitoring unit is conductively coupled to a firearm operator.

31. A firearm in combination with a heart beat cycle indicating device, comprising:

a firearm including a sighting device;

a heart beat cycle indicating unit coupled to said sighting device; and

a heart beat cycle monitoring unit coupled to said heart beat cycle indicating unit.

32. The firearm combination of claim 31, further comprising:

an automatic firing assembly, said automatic firing assembly comprising a target detection unit to detect a suitable target; and

a trigger actuation unit coupled to said target detection unit, said trigger actuation unit further coupled to a trigger, said trigger actuation unit to actuate said trigger and to fire said firearm upon receiving a signal from said automatic firing assembly.

34. The method of configuring a firearm with both a heart beat cycle indicating device and an automatic firing assembly, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a firearm including a trigger;

b) providing a heart beat cycle indicating device having a heart beat cycle indicating unit;

c) providing an automatic firing assembly having a trigger actuation unit;

d) coupling the heart beat cycle indicating device to the firearm; and

e) coupling the automatic firing assembly to the firearm.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said step d) comprises coupling the heart beat cycle indicating unit to a sighting device of the firearm.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein a mode of firing the firearm is selectable by the operator.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said step e) comprises coupling the trigger actuation unit to the trigger of the firearm.