Firearm shot detection system and method of using the same

• US 6,281,792 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Traptec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Traptec Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Randy E., Roberts, Donald L., Devine, Arthur J., Lerg, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/588,867
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/573.1, 340/541, 340/902, 340/904, 340/943, 340/442, 340/446, 340/539, 340/546, 340/545.2, 340/545.4, 340/566, 340/565, 340/571, 340/621, 340/683, 340/691.1, 340/692, 340/691.2
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/06 Signalling devices actuated by deformation of the tyre , e.g. tyre mounted deformation sensors or indirect determination of tyre deformation based on wheel speed, wheel-centre to ground distance or inclination of wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/063 Generating directly an audible signal by deformation of the tyre by touching the ground B60C23/085
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives

Abstract

The present invention involves a system and method for detecting a firearm shot. The system includes one or more sensors adapted to sense the firearm shot and transmit a signal representative of the firearm shot, and a base unit including electronics adapted to process the signal and determined whether the signal represents a firearm shot, and a communication device coupled to the electronics and adapted to communicate to one or more entities that a firearm shot has been detected. The method includes sonically detecting the firearm shot, and initiating an alarm indicating that the firearm shot took place.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a firearm shot, comprising:

providing a firearm shot detection system to detect a firearm shot, the firearm shot detection system including one or more sonic sensors to directly pick up sound having a characteristic frequency or frequencies representative of a firearm shot and transmit a signal or signals in response to the sound of the firearm shot; and

a base unit including electronics to process the signal or signals, at least one of the one or more sonic sensors and the electronics adapted to determine if the sound is a firearm shot of multiple different predetermined firearm shots; and

an alarm to indicate that a firearm shot of multiple different predetermined firearm shots has been detected;

sonically sensing with said one or more sonic sensors sound having a characteristic frequency or frequencies representative of a firearm shot and transmitting a signal or signals in response to the sound of the firearm shot to the electronics;

processing the signal or signals in response to the sound of the firearm shot with the electronics, the processing including amplifying a signal or signals from said at least one sonic sensor to a distinguishable level, combining the signal or signals with a predetermined signature signal, reducing signal noise, and determining whether the resulting signal or signals represent one or more predetermined types of firearm shots for a predetermined period of time;

determining at at least one of the one or more sonic sensors and the electronics if the sound is a firearm shot of multiple different predetermined firearm shots;

confirming that a fireman shot took place with at least one of a motion sensor and a heat sensor;

initiating an alarm indicating that the firearm shot took place if the signal or signals represent a sound of a firearm shot of multiple different predetermined firearm shots and the firearm shot is confirmed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sonically sensing the firearm shot includes sonically sensing the firearm shot with a sensor selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric sensor, a dynamic sensor, an electret sensor, a carbon sensor, a bolometer sensor, an optical reflection sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sound sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes determining at said electronics whether a sound spectrum pattern of the firearm shot matches the sound spectrum pattern of multiple different predetermined firearm shots.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sonically sensing the firearm shot includes sonically sensing the firearm shot with one or more sonic sensors mounted to a fixed object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sonically sensing the firearm shot includes sonically sensing the firearm shot with one or more sonic sensors mounted to a movable object.

6. The method of claim 1, further including determining the location of the firearm shot using an automatic location identification device and communicating the location of the firearm shot to the police.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing includes filtering sound spectral characteristics of sound from said firearm shot.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing includes filtering using a technique from the group consisting of duration and time coding of the sound, digital code quantitation, digitized algorithm analysis, and Fourier Transform analysis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm is a member from the group consisting of a bell, a light, a horn, a speaker, a marking means, a camera to record the activity, a camera to monitor the activity, a photo process, a phone device, a wireless communication device, a cage, a trap, an automatic locking door, and a disabling means.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating an alarm includes communicating to one or more entities that a firearm shot occurred.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating to one or more entities includes communicating to a police dispatcher.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating to one or more entities includes communicating to one or more police officers in an area near where the firearm shot occurred.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating to one or more entities includes communicating to a security system center.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating to one or more entities includes dialing one or more predetermined phone numbers.

15. The method of claim 10, further including communicating one or more of the following to the one or more entities:

a firearm shot has been detected, the location of the firearm shot, the type of firearm shot, the time of the firearm shot.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the base unit is powered by a battery, the method further including communicating to one or more entities that the battery is low and needs to be replaced.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors communicate wirelessly with a base unit, and detecting a firearm shot includes transmitting a signal representative of the firearm shot to the base unit for processing of the signal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes determining different types of firearm shots with different types of sonic sensors.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more ultrasonic sensors, and sensing includes sensing an ultrasonic sound having a characteristic frequency or frequencies representative of a firearm shot.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are integral with the base unit.

21. A firearm shot detection system for detecting a firearm shot, comprising:

one or more sonic sensors adapted to sonically sense the firearm shot and transmit a signal or signals in response to the firearm shot;

at least one of a motion detecting sensor and a heat detecting sensor to confirm that a firearm shot took place; and

a base unit including

electronics adapted to receive the signal or signals and process the signal or signals, said electronics including a pre-amplifier adapted to amplify the signal or signals from said one or more sensors to a distinguishable level, a mixer adapted to combine the signal or signals with a predetermined signature signal, a low-pass filter and a precision rectifier adapted to reduce signal noise, and a time domain characterization mechanism adapted to determine whether the resulting signal or signals represent one or more different types of firearm shots for a predetermined period of time; and

a communication device coupled to the electronics to communicate to one or more entities that a firearm shot has been detected,

wherein at least one of the one or more sonic sensors and the electronics adapted to determine if the sound is a firearm shot of multiple different predetermined firearm shots.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said time domain characterization mechanism includes a charge pump.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said time domain characterization mechanism includes a quantitative characterization device, quantitative characterization device including a microprocessor to determine whether the resulting signal includes a spectrum pattern matching a predetermined spectrum pattern of one multiple predetermined firearm shots for a predetermined period of time.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said communication device is adapted to communicate with a police dispatcher.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said communication device is adapted to communicate with one or more police officers near an area of said firearm fire shot.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said communication device is adapted to communicate with a security system center.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein said communication device is adapted to dial one or more predetermined phone numbers.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein said base unit is adapted to be powered by a battery, and said communication device is adapted to communicate to one or more entities that the battery is low and needs to be replaced.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors are adapted to communicate wirelessly with said base unit.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors are adapted to communicate with said base unit through wired means.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors are integral with said base unit.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors include one or more different types of sensors adapted to sense one or more different types of firearm shots.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors are one or more sonic sensors adapted to sense a broad range of sound frequencies.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors are one or more sonic sensors adapted to sense sound frequencies or a sound frequency that is the same as or similar to that of the sound of one or more specific of firearm shots.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors include a single sensor adapted to sense more than one different type of firearm shot.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors include one or more different types of sensors.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more sensors include one or more of the following types of sensors:

a piezoelectric sensor, a dynamic sensor, an electret sensor, a carbon sensor, a bolometer sensor, an optical reflection sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sound sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein said electronics are adapted to filter sound using a technique from the group consisting of duration and time coding of the sound, digital code quantitation, digitized algorithm analysis, and Fourier Transform analysis.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein said base unit includes an alarm selected from the group consisting of a bell, a light, a horn, a speaker, a marking means, a camera to record the activity, a camera to monitor the activity, a photo process, a cage, a trap, an automatic locking door and a disabling means.

40. The system of claim 21, wherein said system is adapted to be mounted to a movable object, said base unit includes an automatic location identification device for identifying the location of said system, and said communication device is adapted to communicate the location of the firearm shot to one or more entities.

41. The system of claim 21, wherein said communication device is adapted to communicate one or more of the following to one or more entities:

a firearm shot has been detected, the location of the firearm shot, the time of the firearm shot, and the type of the firearm shot.

42. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more ultrasonic sensors, and sensing includes sensing an ultrasonic sound having a characteristic frequency or frequencies representative of a firearm shot.