Self calibrating weapon shot counter

• US 8,826,575 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Select Engineering Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Select Engineering Services LLC
• Inventors: Ufer, Robert, Brinkley, Kenneth Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEMENT, MICHELLE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/066,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 42/10.3, 42/10.1, 42/84, 89/11
• US Class Current: 42/1.03
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/01 Counting means indicating the number of shots fired

Abstract

A microcontroller operated module is affixed to a firearm. The module includes an accelerometer for measuring the G force of each round fired by the firearm, a flash memory (non-volatile memory) for storing the shot profile data that includes shot count and recoil data and transmitting it to a remote location such as a remote computer via a serial communication device pursuant to RS232 standard, Bluetooth, a wave or other low power RF transmitter. The module including a wake up circuit adapted to switch upon detection of a fired shot to signal said microcontroller to initialize a low power mode to activate said MEMS accelerometer faster than said accelerometer would activate by itself.

Claims

1. A shot counter for recording and transmitting shot profile data of shots fired from a firearm, comprising:

A microcontroller operated module affixed to a firearm;

said module comprising a MEMS accelerometer and at least one normally closed G switch for mechanically detecting the firing of each round from the weapon;

said mechanically activated, normally closed G switch upon detection of firing from said weapon activating a power circuit to said microcontroller module, which was previously unpowered, thereby extending a battery life of said shot counter,

a non volatile memory for storing the shot profile data that includes shot count and recoil data,

a serial communication device for transmitting said stored shot profile data to a remote location via an RF signal;

and a mechanically activated, power conservation wake up circuit wherein said normally closed mechanically activated G switch reacts faster than said MEMS accelerometer would activate itself thereby avoiding missing a capture of a first series of impulses generated by a shot being fired due to a delay of the MEMS accelerometer activating itself,

in order for said normally closed mechanically activated G switch to permit the capture by said microcontroller of MEMS supplied information to determine if a shot was fired, if it was a single shot or multiple shots such as when fired in automatic mode, and determining from energy generated if the shot was a live round or a blank and any under pressure/overpressure in the round.

2. The counter according to claim 1, wherein said wake up circuit is a normally closed g switch.

3. The shot counter according to claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensing device for measuring device for measuring the present temperature of said firearm wherein the temperature sensing device is in electrical communication with the shot counter;

a device for measuring an amount of twist induced in the firearm, and partitioned among progressive thresholds in increasing the order of magnitude, namely;

low, meaning pintle-mounted;

medium, meaning tripod mounted; and

high, meaning hand-carried.

4. The shot counter according to claim 3 wherein the temperature is partitioned into one of three contiguous bins:

cold;

neutral; and

hot.

5. The shot counter according to claim 3 wherein said device for measuring an amount of twist induced in the firearm, and partitioned among progressive thresholds is in increasing order of magnitude, namely:

low, meaning pintle-mounted;

medium, meaning tripod mounted; and

high, meaning hand-carried.

6. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter transmits a message to a supply depot providing a total number of rounds fired by said firearm and requests additional ammunition.

7. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter stores a maintenance log in memory for said firearm.

8. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter records time and date of each round being fired by said firearm.

9. The shot counter according to claim 8 wherein said recordal of time and date of each round being fired provides for documentation for use by law enforcement officers to recreate an incident when an officer discharges his or her firearm.

10. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter records the time and date of each round fired by said firearm and differentiates between actual rounds fired and blanks.

11. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said memory is partitioned to permit for additional storage,

transmits data utilizing various communications protocol.

12. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter transmits data utilizing various communications protocol.

13. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter has a two way communications link that includes error checking of data through said communications.

14. The shot counter according to claim 13 wherein said communications link is wireless.

15. The shot counter according to claim 13 wherein said communications link is wired.

16. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter transmits an audible or visual alert to a user of unsafe conditions.

17. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter includes a detection device for detecting jamming of said firearm and alerts a user that said firearm is unsafe to use.

18. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter is capable of configuration control and stores information on interchangeable parts.

19. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter processes the data to derive certain higher level metrics and stores said higher level metrics in said memory, said higher level metrics includes data as to whether shot was fired;

if a round was a blank or a bullet;

a maximum amplitude of a shot signal;

accumulative sum of the shot signal;

duration of a bullet traversing the barrel of said firearm; and

/or an indication of a strength of a round.

20. A shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter detects a round being fired from the firearm and notifies a central command that one or more shots have been fired.

21. A shot counter according to claim 20 wherein said shot counter has a communications link to transmit data to said central command that a shot was fired.

22. A shot counter according to claim 21 wherein said communications link is a one way wireless link.

23. A shot counter according to claim 21 wherein said communications link is a two way wireless link.

24. A shot counter according to claim 21 wherein said communications link has a minimal bandwidth, a minimal message, but of sufficient security to prevent a false alarm, delivered to a nearby device capable of delivering the information to said central command.

25. A shot counter according to claim 19 wherein said data from the shot counter unit includes time, cadence, and number of shots fired.

26. A shot counter according to claim 24 wherein said nearby device is a phone or PDA.

27. A shot counter according to claim 26 wherein said cell phone or PDA, is adapted to be carried by an officer, establishing a link between the shot counter unit and the cell phone or the PDA so that when the PDA receives indication of a shot having been fired, it automatically sends either a phone message, text message, e-mail, or other known electronic communications transmissions indicating time and position where the shot was fired to provide assistance at a location where said shot was fired for the officer.

28. A shot counter according to claim 27 wherein position is obtained by the PDA through either global positioning satellite (GPS) system, or through location determined by the cell phone in which the PDA resides, or through dead reckoning through inertia sensors within the PDA, or other known electronic devices for identifying location.

29. A shot counter according to claim 28 wherein the shot counter unit on the firearm of an officer sends a message to an iPad in a squad car through an established Bluetooth connection and the iPad sends an e-mail through a 4G wireless communication link into which is inserted a present time and date, plus the global coordinates of the iPad, to Central Command so that the officer can be sent assistance without needing to request back up.

30. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said remote device is a PC.

31. A shot counter according to claim 18 wherein said interchangeable parts includes a barrel.

32. A shot counter according to claim 24 wherein said minimal message is a simple digital pulse on a specified frequency.

33. The shot counter according to claim 1 wherein said shot counter gathers shot data including full shot acceleration profile data along the weapons barrel axis;

angular rate about the barrel axis during a shot;

duration of the shot related to barrel length and strength of the round, wherein the x-axis acceleration profile of the most recent shot is subtracted from the pre-characterized profile to obtain a difference plot and compared to pre-established thresholds, or more sophisticated techniques or means of evaluating the magnitude of deviation from the pre-characterized profile to determine if this an under pressure event, an over pressure event or a normal shot and if a normal shot it is recorded for shot strength and a velocity (V) from the memory, as indicated by a caliber and a powder charge of a most recently- fired round, a length of a barrel of said firearm is determined as;

L=V*D and said shot counter is self calibrating through an active two-way communication between a remote device and said shot counter unit.