Weapon usage monitoring system having discharge event monitoring directed toward quick change barrel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487044-B2
Application number	US-202318195060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2023
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A system for providing discharge monitoring of a firearm includes an event detection module, an event detection module housing, and a signal processing module. The event detection module has a sensor that senses an acceleration and generates an acceleration signal. The event detection module housing houses the event detection module. The signal processing module receives the acceleration signal and determines whether the acceleration signal is a discharge event and generates an event detection signal based on the determination, the signal processing module is further configured to maintain a shot count of the firearm based on the determination that the event detection signal is a discharge event. The event detection module is coupled to a quick change barrel of the firearm. The event detection module generates the event detection signal specific to the quick change barrel of the firearm; and determines a shot count of the quick change barrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for providing discharge monitoring of a firearm, the system comprising:
an event detection module having at least one sensor that senses an acceleration and generates an acceleration signal; an event detection module housing that houses the event detection module; and a signal processing module that receives the acceleration signal, the signal processing module configured to determine whether the acceleration signal is a discharge event and generate an event detection signal based on the determination, the signal processing module further configured to maintain a shot count of the firearm based on the determination that the event detection signal is a discharge event; and wherein the event detection module is coupled to a quick change barrel of the firearm, wherein the event detection module (i) generates the event detection signal specific to the quick change barrel of the firearm; (ii) determines a shot count of the quick change barrel; (iii) determines whether a shot count threshold has been reached specific to the quick change barrel; and (iv) sends a signal indicative of the shot count threshold specific to the quick change barrel being reached.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a grip housing selectively coupled to the firearm and including an outer contoured body configured for receiving a hand of a user of the firearm, wherein the event detection module housing is received by the grip housing.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor includes a thermal sensor and wherein the event detection signal is generated based on a temperature sensed at the thermal sensor indicative of a temperature of the quick change barrel of the firearm.

4 . The system of claim 3 wherein the event detection module is further configured to determine whether a temperature threshold has been exceeded based on the event detection signal and generate an alert indicative of the temperature threshold being exceeded.

5 . The system of claim 4 wherein the event detection module housing includes a USB interface configured to selectively couple with a device that (i) charges a battery of the event detection module and (ii) one of sends and receives data between the event detection module and the device.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the event detection module is configured to communicate wirelessly to a server device, the event detection module further comprising a user-operated switch that selectively disables the wireless communication to the server device.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the event detection module housing further comprises an illumination member that selectively illuminates based on a position of the user-operated switch to convey a wireless communication status.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the event detection module housing includes a cover configured to move between an open position wherein access to the USB interface and user-operated switch is permitted and a closed position wherein access to the USB interface and the user-operated switch is inhibited.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a geolocation sensor, a moisture sensor, a pressure sensor, shock sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a resistivity sensor and an audio sensor.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one sensor is an audio sensor and wherein the event detection signal is generated based on an audible input received by the audio sensor.

11 . A method of determining an operational status of a firearm based on a discharge event, the method comprising:
sensing, by at least one sensor of an event detection module coupled to a quick change barrel of a firearm, an acceleration signal; receiving, by a signal processing module, the acceleration signal; determining, at the event detection module, whether the acceleration signal satisfies a discharge event; maintaining a shot count of the quick change barrel of the firearm based on the determination; determining whether a shot count threshold has been reached specific to the quick change barrel; and sending a signal indicative of the shot count threshold being reached.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor includes a thermal sensor, the method further comprising:
generating an event detection signal based on a temperature sensed at the thermal sensor indicative of a temperature of the quick change barrel of the firearm.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining whether a temperature threshold has been exceeded based on the event detection signal; and generating an alert indicative of the temperature threshold being exceeded.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the event the event detection module is housed in an event detection module housing having a USB interface configured to selectively couple with a device that (i) charges a battery of the event detection module and (ii) one of sends and receives data between the event detection module and the device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
wirelessly communicating to a server device, the event detection module further comprising a user-operated switch that selectively disables the wireless communication to the server device.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
a grip housing selectively coupled to the firearm and including an outer contoured body configured for receiving a hand of a user of the firearm, wherein the event detection module housing is received by the grip housing.

17 . A system for providing discharge monitoring of a firearm, the system comprising:
an event detection module having at least one sensor that senses an acceleration and generates an acceleration signal; an event detection module housing that houses the event detection module; a signal processing module that receives the acceleration signal, the signal processing module configured to determine whether the acceleration signal is a discharge event and generate an event detection signal based on the determination, the signal processing module further configured to maintain a shot count of the firearm based on the determination that the event detection signal is a discharge event; and a grip housing selectively coupled to the firearm and including an outer contoured body configured for receiving a hand of a user of the firearm, wherein the event detection module housing is received by the grip housing; wherein the event detection module is coupled to a quick change barrel of the firearm, wherein the event detection module (i) generates the event detection signal specific to the quick change barrel of the firearm; and (ii) determines a shot count of the quick change barrel.

18 . A system for providing discharge monitoring of a firearm, the system comprising:
an event detection module having at least one sensor that senses an acceleration and generates an acceleration signal; an event detection module housing that houses the event detection module; and a signal processing module that receives the acceleration signal, the signal processing module configured to determine whether the acceleration signal is a discharge event and generate an event detection signal based on the determination, the signal processing module further configured to maintain a shot count of the firearm based on the determination that the event detection signal is a discharge event; wherein the event detection module is coupled to a quick change barrel of the firearm

Assignees

• Armaments Res Company Inc

Inventors

• O'Dell Jeff
• Canty Michael

Classifications

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• F41A19/01

  Counting means indicating the number of shots fired · CPC title

• H04N5/28

  Mobile studios · CPC title

• G01S19/13

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title