U.S. patent application number 10/928329 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-02 for gunshot detector and notification system.
Invention is credited to Kevin S. Sinha.
Application Number | 20060042142 10/928329 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35940998 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060042142 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sinha; Kevin S. |
March 2, 2006 |
Gunshot detector and notification system
Abstract
A gunshot detection system includes a firearm and a
communication device. The firearm includes a transceiver circuit
that detects the discharge of an ammunition round. Upon the
discharge occurring, the transceiver circuit emits an
electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal is received by
the communication device, which may be a cellular telephone or
two-way radio. The communication device is equipped with a
geographic location sensor, like a GPS receiver for example.
Software within the communication device then causes an
informational message that includes geographic information to be
transmitted to a remote device. For instance, when a police officer
discharges his firearm, an informational message stating "Officer
1234 has just fired 3 shots at the intersection of Cucumber and
Vine--please respond" may be transmitted. The informational message
may change as information like the geographic location change.
Inventors: |
Sinha; Kevin S.; (Athens,
GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOTOROLA INC
600 NORTH US HIGHWAY 45
ROOM AS437
LIBERTYVILLE
IL
60048-5343
US
|
Family ID: |
35940998 |
Appl. No.: |
10/928329 |
Filed: |
August 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/1.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C 27/00 20130101;
F41A 17/063 20130101; F41A 19/01 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
042/001.01 |
International
Class: |
F41A 9/53 20060101
F41A009/53 |
Claims
1. A system for transmitting firearm discharge information,
comprising: a. a firearm comprising: i. a barrel; ii. a chamber for
carrying ammunition; iii. a trigger; iv. a firing pin capable of
discharging the ammunition; and v. a transceiver circuit capable of
detecting an ammunition discharge; and b. a communications device
comprising a geographic location sensor; wherein the transceiver
circuit detects the ammunition discharge by detecting the actuation
of a firearm component selected from the group consisting of the
firing pin, a hammer, a slide, and a cylinder, wherein when the
transceiver circuit detects the ammunition discharge, a
transmission is sent from the transceiver circuit to the
communications device; further wherein when the transmission is
received by the communications device, an informational message
comprising geographic location in information is transmitted to a
remote device.
2. (canceled)
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the informational message
comprises information selected from the group consisting of firearm
identification information, ammunition identification information,
discharge quantity information, temporal discharge information,
firearm user identification information and prerecorded
announcement information.
4-5. (canceled)
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit
comprises: a. a transmission circuit; b. a transmission antenna; c.
a switch; and d. a battery.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit comprises
electronic circuitry that responds to interrogation signals from
the communications device, wherein when both the electronic
circuitry receives an interrogation signal from the external device
and the transceiver circuit detects an ammunition discharge, the
electronic circuitry causes the informational message to be emitted
from the firearm.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit is
actuated when the firearm is drawn from a holster.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the barrel comprises an antenna
for transmitting the informational message.
10. A gunshot detecting system, comprising: a. firearm comprising a
transceiver circuit, wherein the transceiver circuit is actuated
when an ammunition round is discharged by the firearm, wherein
discharge is detected by detecting the actuation of a firearm
component selected from the group consisting of the firing pin, a
hammer, a slide, and a cylinder; and b. a communications device
comprising at least a geographic location sensor; wherein when the
electromagnetic signal is emitted from the firearm, the
communication device causes an informational message comprising at
least geographical information to be broadcast.
11. (canceled)
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transceiver circuit
comprises an ammunition discharge detector and an RF
transmitter.
13. (canceled)
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the transceiver circuit
comprises a circuit that transmits upon receiving an interrogation
by an external device, further wherein the transceiver circuit
changes state when the discharge of the ammunition round is
detected.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the informational message
changes as the geographic location sensor detects changes in
geographic location.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the informational message
comprises firearm identification information.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] This invention relates generally to a system for detecting
the discharge of an ammunition round from a firearm, and more
particularly to a system including a firearm with an ammunition
discharge detector, the firearm having wireless communication
capabilities for actuating an external communication device.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] Policemen on the beat, needless to say, have very difficult
jobs. Our county, city and state law enforcement officers place
their lives on the line every day to protect and serve the
citizenry. With the emergence of new terrorism threats, the job
demanded of our brave police force is becoming ever more
difficult.
[0005] In this day and age, timely communication has become
increasingly important to the police department. When a policeman
on patrol encounters a problem, be it either a simple domestic
crime or a coordinated terrorist attack, it is imperative that he
communicate with both the central precinct and other officers as
soon as possible. Traditionally, this communication occurred via
two-way radios. When the officer needed to talk to others, he
simply took his trusty two-way radio off of his belt, pressed a
button to talk, and relayed his message.
[0006] The need to manually handle a radio to communicate becomes
problematic, however, when the officer has his weapon drawn.
Communication through a hand-held radio is virtually impossible
when the officer is firing his weapon. In such high stress
situations, adrenaline, the need for self preservation and the
officer's training all focus the officer's attention to the task at
hand. To further complicate matters, a law enforcement officer is
taught to bear his sidearm 2 with two hands 3,4 when firing a
weapon, as shown in FIG. 1. This stance is commonly referred to as
the "Weaver Stance". For the right handed officer 1, when the
firearm 2 is drawn, the right hand 3 is placed upon the grip of the
gun 2, while the left hand 4 is placed under the right 3. In this
position, the right hand 3 can pull the trigger and resist recoil,
while the left hand offers stabilization for aiming. Aiming
stability is critical because an errantly discharged bullet can
have harmful effects. For this reason, policemen always use two
hands when handling a firearm.
[0007] When the officer is in this "two-handed" firearm handling
position, it is impossible for him to manually "key" his radio to
call, for example, back-up assistance. Since both hands are
occupied in these situations, aside from the extremely high stress
factors, there is no free hand to depress the "talk" key on the
radio. Not surprisingly, the times at which the officer's gun is
drawn tend to be the times the officer most needs to communicate
with others, especially when back-up assistance is required.
[0008] Inventors have attempted to devise communication systems
that detect the presence of gunfire without a radio, so that law
enforcement personnel may be summoned. One such prior art solution
to this problem is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,792, which teaches
a plurality of acoustic sensors positioned on walls in a location
that has a high probability of becoming a crime scene, like a
convenience store or bank. When a weapon is discharged, acoustic
sensors filter the received sound and, upon identifying the noise
as a gunshot, notify the authorities.
[0009] There are several problems, however, associated with this
prior art solution. First, the overhead cost associated with such a
system is extremely high. Multiple detectors must be physically
mounted in multiple locations for the system to work. Aside from
the high cost, if the sensor mounting person fails to accurately
guess in which location a crime will occur, the system is
ineffective.
[0010] Second, the system is fixed in a single location. As such,
the system can not move with an officer pursuing a perpetrator who
may flee the location. What's more, if a crime takes place in a
rural area, it will be impossible to use the system, as there are
no walls upon which to mount the sensors.
[0011] Third, a base unit transmission system is required, further
adding to the cost. Finally, the system merely identifies gunshots.
No other information about what is happening is transmitted to the
authorities. For example, the system can not tell whether
authorities are already present, how many officers are on the
scene, etc.
[0012] There is thus a need for an improved gunshot detection
system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a person shooting a firearm.
[0014] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate front and rear views, respectively,
of a police officer wearing standard-issue equipment.
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a gunshot detection system in accordance
with the invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a wireless switch in
accordance with the invention.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a transceiver
circuit in accordance with the invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates an application of a system in accordance
with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in
detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts
throughout the views. As used in the description herein and
throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings
explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise: the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural
reference, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on."
[0020] This invention provides a system for detecting the discharge
of ammunition from a firearm. The system includes a firearm having
a firing sensor. The firing sensor is incorporated into a
transceiver circuit capable of emitting electromagnetic signals.
When the firearm is fired, the transceiver circuit, sensing the
ammunition discharge, causes the transceiver circuit to emit the
electromagnetic signal.
[0021] A communication device, like a cellular telephone or two-way
radio for example, receives the electromagnetic signal. The
communication device is equipped with a geographical location
sensor, like a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Upon
receiving the electromagnetic signal, the communications device
broadcasts an informational message that includes geographical
information.
[0022] For example, suppose an officer fires his firearm. The
transceiver circuit, which may be actuated by and number of sources
including the motion of the firing pin, the motion of the hammer,
trigger or other mechanisms, causes the transmitter to emit an
electromagnetic signal. When the communication device receives this
signal, it determines its geographical location and then transmits
an informational message to other officers or the precinct. The
informational message may read something like the following:
"Officer 13452 has fired 3 shots at the corner of Grant and Sydney
streets. Please send back-up. Officers in the area please respond."
The informational message, which may be audible or in text, may be
transmitted to the officer's vehicle and then relayed to the
precinct to take advantage of the strong signal strength of the
vehicle's radio.
[0023] Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, illustrated therein are the
front and rear views of a police officer wearing standard-issue
equipment. The officer 20 is wearing a belt 23, to which his
equipment is tethered. The officer 20 has a gun or firearm 21,
placed in a holster 22 that is coupled to the belt 23. The officer
20 also has handcuffs 26 and a two-way radio 24. Other equipment,
including a baton, pepper spray, extra ammunition and the like may
also be coupled to the belt.
[0024] The officer 20 communicates with the precinct and other
officers through his two-way radio 24. This can be done in a few
different ways. First, the officer 20 may decouple the radio 24
from the belt 23, raise the radio 24 towards his mouth and ear,
push the talk button on the radio 24 and talk. This is the standard
operating mode.
[0025] The more popular way for policemen to communicate is via the
wired, shoulder mounted audio device 25 clipped to the officer's
shoulder. This device 25 generally includes a speaker and
microphone, as well as a talk button, and is affectionately
referred to as a "potato". The device 25 may additionally include
volume controls.
[0026] When using the shoulder mounted audio device 25, rather than
having to disconnect the radio 24 from the belt 23, thereby
rendering at least one hand unavailable, the officer 20 simply
presses the button on the shoulder mounted audio device 25, and
talks. If the officer 20 is suddenly called into action, he simply
releases the button and starts to work. There is no need to
re-couple devices to his personage. Nonetheless, the use of a
shoulder mounted audio device 25 still requires a hand for
actuation. There are no hands available when the officer's weapon
21 is drawn from the holster 22 and is being fired. The present
invention can make use of the radio 24 as the communication device
portion of the system.
[0027] Turning now to FIG. 4, illustrated therein is a firearm
detection system, in accordance with the invention. The firearm 40
includes a transceiver circuit 46 capable of detecting ammunition
discharge. The transceiver circuit 46 includes transmission
circuitry 45 capable of emitting an electromagnetic signal 47, like
a radio frequency (RF) signal, when the firearm 40 is fired. The
electromagnetic signal 47 is then relayed to the two-way
communication device 48, which includes a geographic location
sensor like a GPS module 49. (Note that the term "global
positioning system" and the acronym "GPS" as used herein shall
refer to any type of satellite or terrestrial device capable of
transmitting geographical position coordinates to a portable
device. This includes traditional global positioning systems, as
well as new technologies like the Galileo system in the European
Union, LORAN, Glonass, and other equivalent systems.)
[0028] Upon receipt of the electromagnetic signal 47, the
communication device 48 determines its location from the GPS module
49. The communication device 48 then relays a predetermined message
to a remote device, like another officer's radio, a vehicle or the
central precinct. The informational message, the template of which
may be stored in the form of software code in the memory of the
communication device 48, will include geographical information, but
may also include other information like of firearm identification
information (including serial number, type of weapon, etc.),
ammunition identification information (including caliber,
projectile type, gunpowder grain, etc.), discharge quantity
information (like the number of shots), temporal discharge
information (how frequently the shots are being fired), firearm
user identification information (like who is shooting) and
prerecorded announcement information (e.g. "Please call for
backup"). The firearm 40 thus allows an officer to transmit
ammunition discharge information, via either a two-way radio 48 or
shoulder mounted audio device 52, without talking or taking his
hands off the firearm 40.
[0029] The firearm 40 has standard firearm components, including a
barrel 41, trigger 42, handle grip 43 and ammunition clip 44. As
noted above, when the discharge of ammunition is detected,
electronic circuitry disposed within the firearm 40 causes a radio
frequency, electromagnetic signal 47 to be emitted from the hand
gun 40. The detection of the discharge of ammunition may be done in
several ways, as will be described in the discussion of FIG. 5.
[0030] Turning now to FIG. 5, illustrated therein is one embodiment
of circuitry associated with a gunshot detection system in
accordance with the invention. The transceiver circuit includes a
transmission circuit 60, a transmission antenna 63, a switch 61 and
a battery 62. The transmission circuit 60 may be as simple as an
oscillator that is actuated when the switch 61 closes to complete
the circuit. Another suitable transceiver chip would be a
Bluetooth.TM. module like the BGB101 TrueBlue.TM. Bluetooth module
manufactured by Philips. Using the Bluetooth option, the
transmission circuit 60 may communicate information to the two-way
communication device via the Bluetooth, near-field protocol. Other
radio frequency transmitter devices may be substituted as well.
[0031] As stated above, when the switch 61 is actuated, the
transmission antenna 63 emits a radio frequency signal 64. The
actuation of the switch 61 occurs when ammunition discharge is
detected. As illustrated in FIG. 5, ammunition discharge
information can be gleaned from a variety of sources. For example,
the switch 61 may be actuated when any one component of the firearm
40 is actuated. The switch 61 may actuate when the firing pin moves
603. Likewise, the switch 61 may actuate when the trigger is pulled
602. Other actions that may actuate the switch include actuation of
the hammer 604, actuation of the slide 601 (for semi-automatic
handguns), actuation of the cylinder 607 (for revolvers), thermal
changes of the barrel 606, and changes in an amount of stored
ammunition 605.
[0032] The communications device receives the radio frequency
signal via an antenna 65 and receiving circuitry 66. Upon receipt
of this signal 65, the receiving circuit 66 actuates the GPS
receiver 69 and associated circuitry 67, so that the communications
device may begin transmitting. A transistor 68 is shown here as an
illustrative means of actuating the communication device circuitry
67. Prerecorded messages and alerts may be stored in memory devices
(not shown) in the communications device.
[0033] Note that it is desirable to keep the gunshot detector and
associated circuitry in the firearm 40 as small as possible, so as
to leave the original design of the firearm 40 undisturbed. It is
also desirable to make the battery 62 in the firearm 40 last as
long as possible to avoid the necessity of constantly replacing or
recharging the battery 62. The circuit of FIG. 6 illustrates one
preferred embodiment that accomplishes both these goals.
[0034] Turning now to FIG. 6, illustrated therein is an alternate
embodiment of a transceiver that serves as one component of the
gunshot detection system. In this embodiment, the switch is a Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) tag 70 having programmable state
information, as taught in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,112
B 1, entitled "Radio Frequency Identification Tag with a
Programmable Circuit State", issued to Vega, which is incorporated
herein by reference for all purposes.
[0035] In this embodiment the RFID tag 70 is essentially a passive
device until an exciter signal 72 is received. The exciter signal
72, emitted for example by an electrostatic exciter embedded in the
two-way communication device 74, causes the RFID tag 70 to become
energized. The RFID tag 70 then transmits a read signal 73 back to
the two-way communication device 74 indicating the state of the
switch 71. The read signal 73 includes a carrier signal that is
based upon the tag state. A reader in the communication device
detects the carrier signal and thus the stored tag information.
[0036] The state of the tag may be changed when the firearm 40 is
fired, thereby causing an ammunition discharge to be detected by
the transceiver circuit. As such, when the RFID tag 70 is queried
by the reader, the RFID tag 70 can tell the communication device 74
whether a shot has been fired, as the state changes when the
ammunition discharge is detected. The resulting read signal 73 will
cause the communication device to transmit only when both the
electronic circuitry receives an interrogation signal 72 from the
communication device 74, and the RFID tag 70 detects an ammunition
discharge and thus changes state.
[0037] The advantages of the embodiment of FIG. 6 include the fact
that no battery is needed in the firearm 40. All of the energy is
supplied by the battery 75 coupled to the communication device 74.
This allows for even more storage space in the firearm 40, perhaps
for extra ammunition. Where the user does not want the
communication device 74 to interrogate the firearm 40 with exciter
signals 72 continuously, an exciter switch may be used. For
example, a magnetic or mechanical switch may be added to the
holster such that the exciter signal 72 is only sent when the
firearm 40 is drawn from the holster.
[0038] Turning now to FIG. 7, illustrated therein is one
application for a system in accordance with the invention. When the
firearm 40 is fired, the transceiver circuit 76 emits an
electromagnetic signal 47 to a communication device 48 having
geographic location circuitry disposed therein. The communication
device 48 then transmits an informational message 77(a) that
includes geographical information. The informational message 77(a)
may optionally be "bounced" off of another transmitter 78 that is
used as a repeater to create an amplified informational message
77(b). The informational message is then sent to a remote device,
like the radio equipment disposed in a police precinct 79. The
precinct may then send a notification call 80 to other officers
81-83 for backup assistance.
[0039] This system offers numerous advantages over the prior art.
First, the system transmits geographic information pertaining to
the gunshot, thereby eliminating the need for an officer to speak
into a radio to describe location. Second, the system is capable of
providing identification information of the user of the firearm,
the firearm itself, the ammunition, or any combination of the
above. Third, the system is adaptable in that the informational
message may change as the geographic information changes. For
example, if the officer is running and shooting at the same time,
officers providing backup support will have up to date information
so as to more easily locate the officer in distress.
[0040] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it is clear that the invention is not so
limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations,
substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the
art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined by the following claims. For example, while
exemplary embodiments have been directed to a police officer's
handgun, it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art
that the invention could be applied to other devices, military
situations that require the user to use a two-handed weapon like a
rifle or rocket launcher.
* * * * *