Weapon tag

• US 6,226,913 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Capital Bank, NA, Hi-G-Tek, Inc. (Eagle Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hi-G-Tek, Ltd.
• Inventors: Auerbach, Michael, Haimovich, Yosef, Armoni, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US09/305,488
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 42/1.01, 42/1.02, 42/1.03, 42/1.04, 42/1.05, 42/70.01, 42/70.02, 42/70.04, 42/70.08
• US Class Current: 42/1.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging

Abstract

A weapon including a housing, a firing mechanism, and an electronic tag providing at least a unique identification of the weapon. The electronic tag may be located within the housing in a location normally physically inaccessible to users of the weapon.

Claims

1. A weapon comprising:

a housing including a firing mechanism; and

an electronic tag mounted in said housing providing at least a unique identification of the weapon, wherein said tag comprises a monitored attachment mechanism which comprises a frangible element, wherein breaking said frangible element provides an output indication of tampering with said attachment mechanism, which is transmitted to a detection system.

2. The weapon according to claim 1 wherein said tag is embedded in a recess formed in said weapon, and encased in said recess with a protective material.

3. The weapon according to claim 1 wherein said frangible element comprises a resistive element wherein removal of said tag from said weapon causes a deformation of said resistive element and thereby alters an electrical resistance of said resistive element.

4. The weapon according to claim 3 herein said resistive element comprises a statistically random electrical resistance.

5. The weapon according to claim 3 wherein an alteration of the electrical resistance of said resistive element is transmitted to said detection system.

6. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag also provides an output indication of at least one aspect of the operational history of the weapon.

7. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag provides an output indication of a number of firings carried out by said firing mechanism.

8. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag provides an output indication of tampering therewith and attempted removal thereof.

9. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag is interrogatable from outside the weapon, without requiring removal of the electronic tag from the weapon.

10. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag provides an output indication to a location outside the weapon.

11. A weapon according to claim 10 and wherein said electronic tag wirelessly transmits said output indication.

12. A weapon according to claim 1 wherein said electronic tag communicates in an encrypted manner.