Smart firearm safety device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11846477-B2
Application number	US-202117509441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for implementing a smart firearm safety device. The safety device attaches to a firearm having a trigger and a slot for receiving a magazine. The safety device includes a locking mechanism that attaches to the trigger to preclude depressing a trigger of the firearm and a sensor that determines an orientation of the firearm or a relative motion of the firearm to indicate detected movement of the firearm. The safety device also includes a radio device that receives parameter signals from the sensor indicating movement of the firearm. The radio device communicates with a component of a property monitoring system to receive a command to engage the locking mechanism to preclude depressing the trigger of the firearm based on parameter signals indicating a particular type of detected movement of the firearm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented using a safety device that attaches to a firearm, the method comprising:
determining that a locking mechanism of the safety device is engaged to preclude depressing a trigger of the firearm;
detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at a property that includes the safety device; and
based on the parameter signal, automatically disengaging the locking mechanism when a registered owner of the firearm is within a threshold proximity of the firearm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that a locking mechanism of the safety device is engaged comprises:
determining, at the safety device, that the locking mechanism is engaged, wherein the determining is performed at the safety device using a radio device integrated in the safety device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at the property comprises:
detecting, at the radio device, the parameter signal, wherein the detecting is performed using a transceiver integrated in the radio device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at the property comprises:
detecting the parameter signal at a monitoring server of a property monitoring system configured to monitor the property.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
generating a command to disengage the locking mechanism in response to detecting the parameter signal; and
automatically disengaging the locking mechanism in response to processing the command, wherein automatically disengaging the locking mechanism permits an authorized user of the firearm to discharge the firearm when the registered owner or the authorized user is within the threshold proximity of the firearm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the command is generated by the monitoring server and processed by the radio device.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the command is generated and processed at the safety device by the radio device.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the command comprises:
detecting a Bluetooth connection between the safety device and a client device of the registered owner of the firearm; and
transmitting the command to the safety device using the Bluetooth connection.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the command comprises:
detecting, by a biometric scanning device, a biometric attribute of an individual;
determining, by the radio device, that the individual is authorized to discharge the firearm based on the biometric attribute; and
generating the command in response to determining that the individual is authorized to discharge the firearm.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the biometric scanning device is integrated at the safety device as a sensor of the radio device.

11. A system for operating a safety device that attaches to a firearm, the system comprising a processor and a non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that are executable by the processor to cause performance of operations comprising:
determining that a locking mechanism of the safety device is engaged to preclude depressing a trigger of the firearm;
detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at a property that includes the safety device; and
based on the parameter signal, automatically disengaging the locking mechanism when a registered owner of the firearm is within a threshold proximity of the firearm.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining that a locking mechanism of the safety device is engaged comprises:
determining, at the safety device, that the locking mechanism is engaged, wherein the determining is performed at the safety device using a radio device integrated in the safety device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at the property comprises:
detecting, at the radio device, the parameter signal, wherein the detecting is performed using a transceiver integrated in the radio device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein detecting a parameter signal indicating an alarm condition at the property comprises:
detecting the parameter signal at a monitoring server of a property monitoring system configured to monitor the property.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations comprise:
generating a command to disengage the locking mechanism in response to detecting the parameter signal; and
automatically disengaging the locking mechanism in response to processing the command, wherein automatically disengaging the locking mechanism permits an authorized user of the firearm to discharge the firearm when the registered owner or the authorized user is within the threshold proximity of the firearm.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the command is generated by the monitoring server and processed by the radio device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the command is generated and processed by the radio device.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein generating the command comprises:
detecting a Bluetooth connection between the safety device and a client device of the registered owner of the firearm; and
transmitting the command to the safety device using the Bluetooth connection.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein generating the command comprises:
detecting, by a biometric scanning device, a biometric attribute of an individual;
determining, by the radio device, that the individual is the registered owner or is authorized to discharge the firearm based on the biometric attribute; and
generating the command in response to determining that the individual is authorized to discharge the firearm.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the biometric scanning device is integrated at the safety device as a sensor of the radio device.

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Clark Colby Kevin
• Picardi Robert Nathan
• Correnti Matthew Daniel
• Kelly Michael
• Trundle Stephen Scott

Classifications

• F41A17/063 Primary

  comprising a transponder · CPC title

• F41A17/066

  having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control · CPC title

• F41A17/54

  Protecting-caps for trigger guards; Trigger locking pieces mounted on, or within, the trigger guard · CPC title

• F41C23/18

  characterised by the material used (F41C23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41C23/16

  Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards (pump-action guns F41C7/02) · CPC title