Apparatus and method for detecting a firearm in a communication system
First Claim
1. A wearable firearm detection system, comprising:
- a first body area network (BAN) node coupled to a firearm;
a second BAN node coupled to a body wearable apparatus;
a third BAN node coupled to a portable radio;
the first BAN node detecting a presence or absence of the firearm in and out of the body wearable apparatus, and the first BAN node communicating the presence or absence of the firearm to the third BAN node coupled to the portable radio; and
a capacitive isolator having predetermined permittivity sufficiently low for capacitively isolating the second BAN node from a user'"'"'s skin.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system (100) provides a wearable firearm detection system comprising a first body area network (BAN) node (120) coupled to the firearm, a second BAN node (122) coupled to a body wearable apparatus, such as a holster, and a third BAN node (124) coupled to a portable radio (150). The first BAN node detects the presence or absence of the firearm in and out of the holster and communicates the presence or absence of the firearm to the third BAN node coupled to the radio. In response to the firearm being withdrawn from the holster, the radio can enable one or more actions such as an alert to the user, an alert to a dispatch center (170), or enabling a recording (140) of firearm movement.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wearable firearm detection system, comprising:
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a first body area network (BAN) node coupled to a firearm; a second BAN node coupled to a body wearable apparatus; a third BAN node coupled to a portable radio; the first BAN node detecting a presence or absence of the firearm in and out of the body wearable apparatus, and the first BAN node communicating the presence or absence of the firearm to the third BAN node coupled to the portable radio; and a capacitive isolator having predetermined permittivity sufficiently low for capacitively isolating the second BAN node from a user'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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4. A wearable firearm detection system, comprising:
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a first body area network (BAN) node coupled to a firearm; a second BAN node coupled to a body wearable apparatus; a third BAN node coupled to a portable radio; the first BAN node detecting a presence or absence of the firearm in and out of the body wearable apparatus, and the first BAN node communicating the presence or absence of the firearm to the third BAN node coupled to the portable radio;
wherein the first BAN node further comprises a capacitive touch plate; andwherein the first, second and third BAN nodes are in sleep mode while the firearm is in the body wearable apparatus, and the first BAN node enters into a periodic communications loop with the second BAN node in response to activation of the capacitive touch plate; and wherein withdrawal of the firearm interrupts the periodic loop communications and causes the first BAN node to send an alert to the third BAN node.
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10. A wearable firearm detection system, comprising:
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a first body area network (BAN) node coupled to a firearm; a second BAN node coupled to a body wearable apparatus; a third BAN node coupled to a portable radio; the first BAN node detecting a presence or absence of the firearm in and out of the body wearable apparatus, and the first BAN node communicating the presence or absence of the firearm to the third BAN node coupled to the portable radio; and wherein the first and second BAN nodes communicate via periodic loop communications when the firearm is in the body wearable apparatus, the periodic loop communications being interrupted when the firearm is withdrawn from the body wearable apparatus, the communications being interrupted by the isolator thereby preventing coupling from the first BAN node to the second BAN node when the firearm is withdrawn from the body wearable apparatus.
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11. A communication system, comprising:
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a portable radio; a radio body area network (BAN) node coupled to the portable radio; a holster for carrying a firearm, the firearm having a firearm BAN node coupled thereto; a holster BAN node coupled to the holster; and the firearm BAN node for detecting withdrawal of the firearm from the holster and capacitively coupling an alert to the radio BAN node indicating withdrawal of the firearm from the holster; and a capacitive isolator coupled to the holster for isolating the holster BAN node from a wearer of the holster, wherein the capacitive isolator has predetermined permittivity sufficiently low for capacitively isolating the holster BAN node from a user'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of detecting a gun in a communication system, comprising:
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monitoring, by a gun body area network (BAN) node, communications between the gun BAN node and a holster BAN node; interrupting the communications between the gun BAN node and a holster BAN node when a gun is withdrawn from a body worn holster, the communications being interrupted by an isolator that prevents coupling from the gun BAN node to the holster BAN node when a gun is withdrawn from the body worn holster; detecting, by the gun BAN node, that the communications have been interrupted; and generating an alert signal by the gun BAN node to a radio BAN node indicating that a gun has been withdrawn from the body worn holster. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification