Firearm Sensing Device and Method

• US 20110162245A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi-Jen Wong, Ibrahim Kamal
• Original Assignee: Chi-Jen Wong, Ibrahim Kamal
• Inventors: Kamal, Ibrahim, Wong, Chi-Jen
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/1.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/01 Counting means indicating the number of shots fired
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/22 Stocks having space for the storage of objects

Abstract

A system for resolving at least one use parameter relating to a firing of a machinegun or of a semi-automatic firearm having a receiver, an action within the receiver and that includes a piston, and a buffer tube that receives at least a portion of the piston during a cycling of the action in response to a recoil. The system includes: a display configured to display at least an indication of at least one use parameter; a sensor disposed in the buffer tube, the sensor sensing a cycling of an action via movement of the piston in the buffer tube; a processor that receives sensed data from the sensor and, based on the received sensed data, calculates the at least one use parameter, the processor causing the display to display the at least an indication; and a power source disposed in the stock or the display and energizing the sensor, the processor, and the display.

Claims

1. A system for resolving at least one use parameter relating to a firing of a machinegun or of a semi-automatic firearm having a receiver, an action within the receiver and that includes a piston, and a buffer tube that receives at least a portion of the piston during a cycling of the action in response to a recoil, comprising:

a display configured to display at least an indication of at least one use parameter;

a sensor disposed in the buffer tube, the sensor sensing a cycling of an action via movement of the piston in the buffer tube;

a processor that receives sensed data from the sensor and, based on the received sensed data, calculates the at least one use parameter, the processor causing the display to display the at least an indication; and

a power source disposed in the stock or the display and energizing the sensor, the processor, and the display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic storage that stores information from, and under the control of, the processor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic storage that stores sensed data.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input section that receives user input usable to calculate the at least one use parameter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one use parameter is a total number of cyclings of the action and the system further comprises a reset section that resets a count of a number of cyclings of the action.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is a number of rounds in a magazine loaded in the firearm and the processor causes the display to display the number, unless the number is less than a specified threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a barrel sensor disposed in the barrel of the firearm, that senses the passing of a fired round, wherein the at least one parameter is stopping force, and wherein the stopping force is calculated by the processor based on sensed data from both sensors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is remote from the firearm and receives the sensed data via a wireless connection.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a piezoelectric sensor that senses movement based on spring compression.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a photoelectric sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor that senses movement of the piston based on changes in a magnetic field caused by the movement.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an infrared (IR) sensor including an IR-LED that transmits an IR signal and a phototransistor that receives a reflected IR signal, the sensor being (i) disposed in the buffer tube at an end distal to the piston, (ii) arranged to transmit the IR signal toward the piston, and (iii) receive the reflected IR signal from the piston.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sensor includes an embedded controller that converts data obtained from the phototransistor to a low resolution variable that indicates whether the piston is at TOP, MIDDLE or BOTTOM position.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the last three positions of the piston are encoded into a one byte variable and transmitted to the processor, the encoded variable containing enough information for the processor to resolve a history of movement of the piston rather than an instantaneous position.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the system takes a “

zeroing”

or “

blank”

measurement before each measurement of the piston location.

16. A stock for a firearm of an automatic or semi-automatic type, comprising:

a buffer tube that is removably attached to a receiver of the firearm and dimensioned to receive a piston that travels in the buffer tube during a recoil caused by a discharge of the firearm;

a sensor that is removably attached to the stock and that, when attached to the stock, extends into the baffle tube axially along a central axis thereof, the sensor sensing at least one parameter related to movement of the piston when the piston recoils into the buffer tube due to a discharge of the firearm;

a processor that receives sensing data from the sensor and, based on the received sensing data, calculates the at least one use parameter related to the at least one parameter, the processor causing a display to display at least an indication of the calculated at least one use parameter; and

a power source that is disposed in the stock and energizes the sensor and the processor.

17. The stock of claim 16, wherein the buffer tube further comprises a spring that is compressed by the piston during recoil, wherein the piston and the attached sensor share a same longitudinal axis, and wherein the sensor is configured and disposed so as to extend into the spring.

18. A method of using a sensor located in a buffer tube of a machinegun or of a semi-automatic firearm to measure various parameters relating to the discharge of the firearm, comprising:

sensing movement of a piston of the firearm in response to a cycling of the action of the firearm, via a sensor disposed along a central, longitudinal axis of the buffer tube and of travel of the piston during recoil;

transferring the sensed information to a processing module;

transforming, via the processing module, the transferred information into use information; and

displaying the use information to the user of the firearm.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving an input about the use and the transforming is based on the received input.