Safety device for weapons and method for securing weapons provided with a safety device

• US 7,703,229 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Armatix GmbH
• Original Assignee: Armatix GmbH
• Inventors: Meyerle, Herbert, Parhofer, Stefan, Dietel, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US10/579,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 42/700.1, 42/700.4, 42/700.5, 42/700.6, 42/700.8, 42/701.1, 891/48, 891/50, 891/54
• US Class Current: 42/70.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder

Abstract

Safety device for a hand-held weapon comprising a transponder for authenticating at least one authorized weapon user carrying or wearing the Transponder or for authenticating an allowed area for using the weapon. The transponder is adapted to emit a wireless preferably cryptified authenticating signal. The safety device further comprises a safety component for a grip of the weapon which is adapted to be necessarily activated by a hand of the user when the hand is holding the grip of the weapon and which upon activation emits a wireless request signal. The transponder is adapted to emit the authenticating signal upon receipt of the request signal from the safety component. The safety means receives and processes the authenticating signal from the transponder and permits firing of the weapon by the user upon receipt of an authenticating signal from the transponder authenticating an authorized user.

Claims

1. Safety device for a hand-held weapon comprising:

(a) a transponder for authenticating at least one authorized weapon user carrying or wearing the transponder or for authenticating an allowed area for using the weapon,

(b) wherein the transponder is formed as a relatively small device to be constantly carried or worn by the user and is configured to emit a wirelessly cryptified authenticating signal;

(c) wherein the transponder further comprises a switch for activating the transponder for a given period of time for emitting the authenticating signal and comprises a biometric sensor, for identifying an authorized user before activating the transponder,

(d) a safety means for a grip of the weapon which is configured to be necessarily activated by a hand of the user when the hand is holding the grip of the weapon and which upon activation emits a wireless request signal,

(e) wherein the transponder is configured to emit the authenticating signal upon receipt of the request signal from the safety means,

(f) wherein the safety means is further configured to receive and process the authenticating signal from the transponder; and

(g) wherein the safety means is configured to only permit firing of the weapon by the user upon receipt of an authenticating signal from the transponder authenticating an authorized user, wherein the safety device is configured to permit firing of the weapon for a given number of shots or for a given period of time once the safety means has received an authenticating signal from an authorized user.

2. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety means and the transponder communicate with each other wirelessly, by a bidirectional wireless signal transmission.

3. Safety device according to claim 2, wherein the signal transmission is based on a Challenge response algorithm, with a magnetic frequency of approximately 25 kHz or via Bluetooth®

wireless communication technology interfaces.

4. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety means comprises a switch which is located on the weapon so that the safety means can be actuated by a hand of the user when the hand is holding the grip of the weapon.

5. Safety device according to claim 4, wherein the switch is situated to be essentially actuated by the wearer'"'"'s eminences of hand.

6. Safety device according to claim 4, wherein the safety means is actuated when the switch is actuated and deactivated when the switch is deactivated.

7. Safety device according to claim 4, wherein the device is regularly interrogated or inquired in case the switch is actuated.

8. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety means comprises at least one sensor, of the group consisting of an optical sensor, a pressure sensitive sensor, a capacitive sensor and a resistance sensor, which is located on the weapon so that the sensor can be actuated by a hand of the user when the hand is holding the grip of the weapon.

9. Safety device according to claim 8, wherein the safety means is actuated when the sensor is actuated and deactivated when the sensor is deactivated.

10. Safety device according to claim 8, wherein the device is regularly interrogated or inquired in case the sensor is actuated by a hand of the user when the hand of the user is holding the grip of the weapon.

11. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises keys for entering a personal code for identifying an authorized user before activating the transponder a given period of time for emitting the authentication signal.

12. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the transponder can be configured to provide an authenticating signal within a range of approximately 20 cm to 1.5 m.

13. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein a different transponder can be used for a different user of the safety device.

14. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the period of time can be varied for a different transponder of different a user of the safety device.

15. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is configured to also communicate with a compartment for weapons, in order to give an authorized person access to the compartment.

16. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the transponder and/or the safety means is programmable in order to authorize a user or a group of users.

17. Safety device according to claim 16, wherein the safety means is programmable wirelessly.

18. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the request signal and/or the authenticating signal are communicated wirelessly.

19. Safety device according to claim 1, comprising a safety disconnector which is configured to deactivate the transponder and/or the safety means in case of an emergency, so that a user cannot fire the weapon.

20. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein activities of the transponder and/or the safety means is logged and readable by a computer.

21. Method for securing a hand-held weapon, particularly for operating a safety device according to claim 1 comprising:

(a) providing a transponder which is configured to be constantly carried or worn by a user and which is a configured to emit a wirelessly cryptified authenticating signal which authenticates at least one authorized weapon user or authenticates an allowed area for using the weapon, wherein the transponder is further configured to be activated for a given period of time for emitting the authenticating signal and wherein the transponder is configured to identify an authorized user before being activated,

(b) activating a safety means for a grip of the weapon by a hand of the user when the hand is holding the grip of the weapon and emitting upon activation a wireless request signal by the safety means,

(c) emitting the authenticating signal by the transponder upon receipt of the request signal from the safety means,

(d) wherein the safety means is further configured to receive and process the authenticating signal from the transponder; and

(e) wherein the safety means is configured to only permit firing of the weapon by the user upon receipt of an authenticating signal from the transponder authenticating an authorized user, wherein the safety device is configured to permit firing of the weapon for a given number of shots or for a given period of time once the safety means has received the authenticating signal from the authorized user.

22. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint sensor.