Secure smartphone-operated gun lock with means for overriding release of the lock

• US 9,303,935 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr
• Original Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr
• Inventors: Milde, Karl F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): FREEMAN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US14/562,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20150184964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 42/701.1, 42/700.1, 42/700.7, 42/700.6, 42/66, 42/84
• 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

Abstract

A gun locking and unlocking device, which may be configured to be disposed on or in a gun to alternatively prevent or enable firing, includes a data receiver, a data memory and a logic device for determining whether security data received by the receiver is the same, or substantially the same, as data stored in the data memory. One or more separate electronic gun key devices are provided to transmit security data and gun control signals to the data receiver of the gun lock device. The logic device responds to the gun control signals transmitted by one of the gun key devices to lock or unlock the gun, respectively, when the received security data and the security data stored in memory are substantially similar. The logic device also automatically locks the gun when the gun is located more than a prescribed distance from the gun key device. In case of emergency the gun security feature can be bypassed (overridden) by transmitting a gun control command to either lock or unlock the gun.

Claims

1. Apparatus for locking or unlocking a gun in certain emergency circumstances, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) a gun having a first source of electrical power and comprising the following components coupled to said first source of power;

(1) a gun lock mechanism, responsive to a gun command signal, for preventing firing of the gun when in a locked state and enabling firing of the gun when in an unlocked state;

(2) a wireless receiving (“

R”

) device for receiving a gun information signal from a wireless transmitting (“

T”

) device;

(3) a digital data memory for storing first gun security data representing biologic data identifying a person authorized to use the gun; and

(4) a first digital logic device, coupled to said gun lock mechanism, to said R device and to said data memory, for receiving said gun information signal and for producing said gun command signal to set said gun lock mechanism in either said locked state or said unlocked state; and

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

(1) a wireless transmitting (“

T”

) device for transmitting said gun information signal to said R device;

(2) a first input device for inputting personal information from a putative authorized person who wishes to use the gun, said personal information including biologic data identifying a bodily aspect of said putative authorized person;

(3) a second input device for inputting an emergency message to either lock or unlock the gun;

(4) a second digital logic device, coupled to said T device and to said first and second input devices, for producing said gun information signal;

wherein said smartphone further includes a phone app operative to cause said second digital logic device to generate second gun security data from said personal information and to generate an emergency gun control command from said emergency message, thereby to produce said gun information signal including at least one (i) said second security data and (ii) said emergency gun control command, if any, for transmission by said T device to said R device;

wherein said first logic device is operative to produce said gun command signal to set said gun lock mechanism in the unlocked state and enable the gun to be fired when the second gun security data received by said R device are substantially the same as the first gun security data stored in said data memory, thereby evidencing that the putative authorized person is authorized to control the gun; and

wherein said first logic device is further operative to produce said gun command signal to set the gun lock mechanism in either the locked or unlocked state, respectively, in dependence upon said emergency gun control command, when received, whether or not a putative authorized person has been authorized to control the gun.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said emergency message is a voice command, and wherein said second input device includes a microphone.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said emergency message includes a command for locking the gun.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said emergency message includes a command for unlocking the gun.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said first input device is operative to sense a bodily aspect of said putative authorized person which is selected from the group consisting of:

a facial image;

an image of an iris;

a retinal image;

a fingerprint image;

a palm print image; and

an image of veins of a hand;

and wherein said second logic device is operative to process said image and to generate said second gun security data therefrom.

6. The gun lock apparatus if claim 1, wherein said first input device includes a camera for producing a biologic identifying image of said bodily aspect of said putative authorized person.

7. The gun lock apparatus of claim 1, wherein said phone app is operative to cause said second digital logic device to generate said emergency gun control command from said emergency message, thereby to produce said emergency gun control command, when said digital logic device recognizes a code in said emergency message.