HK1036650A - Firearm with a device for verifying the authorization of a person - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a firearm equipped with an authorization system, the weapon including a device capable of preventing the fire, while the authorization system includes a transmitter-receiver mounted on the weapon, a unit to be worn by the shooter including means of returning a signal from the transmitting part of the said transmitter-receiver to the receiving part of that transmitter-receiver and a control device controlling the signal received by the said receiving party and commanding the fire-preventing device, the latter effectively preventing the fire if the firing control does not recognize this signal as that of an authorized shooter.

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A weapon of this type is described in U.S. Patent No. 5.704.153. The transmitter-receiver mounted on the weapon is a radio transmitter-receiver that sends, for example, at the time the gun handle is taken, a coded radio signal of preference, of a specified frequency of the order of 900 MHz, for example, to a transponder embedded in a ring worn by the shooter which returns that signal to the first transmitter-receiver.

If the signal is correct and strong enough, the operator activates a solenoid that unlocks a lock in the firing mechanism, allowing the shooter to fire.

If in traditional encryption systems the distance between the transmitter of the encrypted signal and the receiver is not important, it is quite different with a weapon, because it is not uncommon for a criminal to steal the weapon from an authorized person, and then the criminal must be prevented from firing the weapon at the authorized person.

The principle of the above-mentioned known weapon and other similar weapons using electromagnetic waves as a means of identifying the authorized person in such situations is that if the weapon is far from that person carrying the means to return a signal, for example in a ring, the power of the signal returned to the receiving part of the transmitter-receiver mounted on the weapon becomes too low for the control device to take action.

However, the signal decay is not always solely influenced by the distance between the means of sending a signal back to the transmitter-receiver, but can be influenced by the direction of the antennas, the state of the battery supplying the power to the means and the transmitter-receiver, the presence of metal objects, etc.

Due to sudden influences from the direction of the antennas, electromagnetic disturbances, etc., it may happen that the authorized shooter is not identified when the identification means he is wearing is at the correct distance from the transmitter-receiver mounted on the weapon.

The purpose of the invention is to avoid this drawback and to provide a weapon with a very reliable authorization system.

This is achieved by the fact that the transceiver is a material wave transceiver and that the authorization system includes a timing device capable of counting the time elapsed between the emission of a signal by the transmitting part of the transceiver and its reception by the receiving part of that transceiver and a calculating device for determining the distance travelled by that signal from the time measured, the control device allowing the firing only when it has recognized the signal and the distance is below a specified threshold.

The distance traveled by the signal can therefore be determined with precision. This distance is twice the distance between the means of sending a signal from the unit to be worn by the shooter and the transmitter-receiver mounted on the weapon. The maximum distance the weapon can be from the unit for the firing to be authorized can therefore be used as an additional condition, increasing the security of the authorization system.

Material waves are for example sound waves, infrasound or ultrasound.

The means of returning a signal from the unit to be worn by the shooter are preferably mounted in an accessory worn by the shooter, in particular a bracelet, ring, pendant, belt buckle, etc.

The identification of the authorised shooter can be inferred from a specific frequency of the signal returned by the means described above, but the unit preferably includes coding means that can encode the returned signal.

The device that can prevent the fire may include an electrical control such as an electromagnet that can disconnect a part of the weapon's firing mechanism.

For clarity, an example of the implementation of the invention is described below for illustrative and non-restrictive purposes, referring to the attached drawing, which represents a cut of a part of a firearm equipped with an authorization system according to the invention.

The weapon, part of which is shown in the figure, comprises a carcass 1 in which a firing mechanism is mounted, of which only trigger 2 and a trigger 3 connected to trigger 2 are represented.

This weapon is equipped with a firing authorisation system comprising an electronic device 4 mounted on the weapon, e.g. in the carcass 1, and a unit 5 to be worn by the shooter.

The electronic device 4 comprises a transmitter-receiver 6 of material waves, i.e. ultrasonic waves e.g. of a frequency of 40 kHz, which is connected to a timing meter 7 capable of measuring the time between the emission of an ultrasonic signal by the transmitting part of this transmitter-receiver 6 and its reception by the receiving part of the transmitter-receiver 6.

This timer 7 is in turn connected to a calculating device 8 which can determine the distance travelled by the ultrasonic signal from the time measured by the timer 7.

Both transmitter 6 and calculating device 8 are connected to a control device 9 which controls a fire-prevention device 10 which in the example given is an electrical control element 10A which can disconnect the firing device, e.g. an electromagnet pulling on the control rod 3 to interrupt the mechanical transmission between trigger 2 and the impactor.

Instead of disconnecting the ignition device, the 10A control can block the ignition device. Thus, in one variant the 10A electrical control can operate a shutter preventing movement of a part of the ignition mechanism. This shutter can be formed by a core that is surrounded by a solenoid.

The electronic device 4 is supplied by a power source 11 via a micro-switch 12 controlled by the switch 2.

Unit 5 consists of means 13 returning an ultrasonic signal and associated coding means 14 to encode this returned signal.

This electronic unit 5 is incorporated into a clothing accessory to be worn by the shooter, preferably an accessory worn at a short distance from the gun in the shooter's hand, in the example given a bracelet 15. In variants, this unit 5 can be incorporated into a ring, a pendant or a belt buckle.

The authorisation system shall operate as follows:

Once the trigger 2 is pressed by the shooter, the micro-switch 12 is closed and the electronic device 4 is activated.

Transmitter 6 immediately emits an ultrasonic signal while timer 7 starts counting.

If the shooter wears the bracelet 15, the above signal is received by unit 5. The means 13 to return a signal shall return this signal in coded form, i.e. after coding by means of coding 14 depending on the identity of the shooter or shooters authorised to fire.

As soon as the receiving part of the transceiver 6 receives this coded signal, the time counter 7 stops and the calculating device 8 determines the distance travelled by the signal from the measured time, which can be done with great precision.

This distance measurement is sent to the control device 9 which checks that the distance does not exceed a certain threshold.

At the same time, the control device 9 shall check that the signal received back is correctly encoded.

If the distance is within the threshold and if in addition the control device 9 recognizes the code as that of an authorized person, the authorization system allows the fire, or in other words does not activate the device 10 which can prevent the fire.

If either condition is not met, the control 9 shall command the control 10 to effectively prevent the firing, e.g. power the electric control 10A which disconnects the ignition device.

For example, when an offender has stolen the authorized shooter's weapon and is aiming at it, the control device 9 will recognize the signal but the distance between that weapon and unit 5 in the bracelet 15 will be too large and the control device 9 will prevent the offender from firing.

It is obvious that the invention is by no means limited to the example of the above-described embodiment shown in the attached drawing, but that many modifications can be made to the firearm described above without going beyond the scope of the attached claims.

Claims (8)

1. Firearm with a clearance system, the weapon comprising a device (10) capable of preventing fire, while the clearance system comprises a transmitter-receiver (6) mounted on the weapon, a unit (5) to be worn by the shooter, comprising means (13) to return a signal from the transmitter part of the receiver part (6) to the receiver part of the receiver part (6) and a control device (9) controlling the signal received by the receiver part, the commander of the device (10) capable of preventing fire, the latter effectively preventing fire if the control device (9) does not recognize the latter signal as that of an authorised shooter,characterised by the transmitter-receiver (6) being a transmitter-receiver of physical waves, and the authorisation system comprising a timing device (7) capable of counting the time elapsed between the emission of a signal by the transmitting part of the transmitter-receiver (6) and its reception by the receiving part of that transmitter-receiver (6) and a calculating device (8) determining the distance travelled by that signal from the time measured, the control device (9) allowing the fire only when it has recognised the signal and the distance above being below a specified threshold.
2. Weapon according to claim 1, characterised by the transmitter-receiver (6) being a transmitter-receiver of sound, infrasound or ultrasound waves.
3. Weapon according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by means (13) to return a signal from the unit (5) to be worn by the shooter being fitted to an accessory to be worn by the shooter, e.g. a bracelet (15), ring, pendant or belt buckle.
4. Weapon according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised by the unit (5) to be worn by the shooter including coding means (14) capable of encoding the signal returned by the means (13) to return a signal.
5. Weapon according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised by the authorisation system being connected to a triggered element (12) so as to trigger the weapon when the trigger (2) is pressed.
6. Weapon according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised by the device (10) capable of preventing the fire including an electrical control element (10A) acting on the firing mechanism and controlled by the control device (9).
7. Weapon according to claim 6, characterised by the electrical control element (10A) being a device capable of disconnecting the firing device.
8. Weapon according to claim 7, characterised by the electrical control element (10A) being an electromagnet capable of disconnecting a part of the weapon firing mechanism.