Evidence collecting and recording apparatus for a gun

• US 9,140,509 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr, Kevin Michael Sullivan
• Original Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr
• Inventors: Sullivan, Kevin Michael, Milde, Karl F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLMAN, JR, REGINALD S
• Application Number:
  US13/855,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 42/84, 42/10.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• 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 35/00 Accessories or details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00325 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A battery-powered electronic evidence-collecting device on the gun that transmits to a smartphone or other device carried by the peace officer for recording and forwarding the evidence to a central station. The evidence collecting and recording apparatus is activated by the removal of the gun from its holster.

Claims

1. A firearm system with anevidence collecting and recording apparatus for collecting and preserving evidence of an event relating to the use of a hand gun when it is removed from a holster, said evidence collecting and recording apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) a gun having a muzzle and including an electronic evidence collecting device with a first source of electrical power, said evidence collecting device comprising the following components coupled to said first source of power;

(1) a video camera, mounted on the muzzle of the gun, for producing a video signal representing video information obtained from the location of the gun;

(2) a first digital logic device, coupled to said video camera, for enabling the transmission of said video information to a receiving device;

(3) a wireless transmitting (“

T”

) device, coupled to said first logic device, for transmitting said video information to a wireless receiving (“

R”

) device; and

(4) a sensor, coupled to said first logic device, for determining when the gun is removed from the holster, wherein said first logic device is operative activate the video camera and to cause said T device to transmit said video information to the R device when said sensor determines that the gun is removed from the holster; and

(b) a portable smartphone including a second source of electrical power and comprising the following components coupled to said second source of power;

(1) an R device for receiving said video information from said T device;

(2) a digital data memory for storing said video information received by said R device;

(3) a wireless telephone device connectable to a telephone network for transmitting information to a central station at a remote location via said network; and

(4) a second digital logic device, coupled to said R device, to said data memory and to said telephone device;

wherein said smartphone further includes a phone app operative to control said second logic device to store said video information in said data memory and to cause said telephone device to forward said video information to said central station at said remote location via said telephone network.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said evidence collecting device further for producing a sound signal representing sound information obtained from the location of the gun, wherein said sound information is transmitted by said T device to said R device in addition to said video information for forwarding to said central station.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone further includes a clock for determining the time that the gun is used and wherein said phone app is operative to cause said second logic device to store said time in the data memory along with the video information.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said phone app is further operative to cause said second logic device to automatically initiate a call for assistance when the gun is removed from the holster.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone further includes location finding means for determining its global position and wherein the phone app is operative to cause said second logic device to store digital location information in the data memory along with the video information.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone further includes a microphone for transducing sounds and wherein the phone app is operative to cause said second logic device to store digital sound information in the data memory along with the video information.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone further includes a second video camera for recording a scene wherein said phone app is operative to cause said second logic device to store digital scene information captured by said second video camera in the data memory along with the video information received from the evidence collecting device.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said evidence collecting device further comprises a direction finder for determining the direction of aim of the gun and producing a direction signal representing said direction information, wherein said direction information is transmitted by said T device to said R device in addition to said video information for forwarding to said central station.