Electronic Firearm Control System for Target Recognition Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing concern about minimizing casualties from intentional and accidental firearm discharges, particularly involving innocent people and children, due to the tension between the Second Amendment right to bear arms and the need for safety protection.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control system is integrated into firearms that monitors and controls the discharge mechanism, using sensors to detect image data and system status, and provides control signals to subsystems to either allow or disallow operation based on predefined conditions, such as target recognition and biometric authentication, through an arm/disarm control interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional firearm safety features are provided, then safety against accidental discharge is improved, but the firearm cannot prevent intentional shootings of innocent people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical safety features with an electronic control system that uses sensors, processors, and control circuits to monitor firearm conditions and prevent discharge based on detected parameters such as target type, location, and user authentication. This electronic substitution enables more sophisticated safety monitoring beyond mechanical capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors firearm status and environmental conditions through sensors, processes this information, and provides feedback control signals to the discharge mechanism. The feedback loop includes detecting conditions (such as target identification), processing the data, and controlling the firearm's discharge capability based on the analysis, thereby preventing harmful discharges.
2Reliability
If an electronic control system with sensors and processing is integrated into the firearm, then control and safety monitoring are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic control system is divided into distinct functional modules: sensors for detecting conditions, a processor for analyzing data, control circuits for managing the discharge mechanism, and power sources. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control system performs multiple functions including monitoring firearm status, detecting target conditions, authenticating users, controlling discharge, and providing safety monitoring. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single integrated system, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby managing complexity while enhancing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm is provided with an electronic control system which monitors and controls the firearm. The electronic control system is coupled to a lower level system which may be one or more parts employed in the discharge of a firearm; or an assemblage of parts that configure the firearm into an armed or disarmed state of operation. Image data on a target, firearm system status data, and/or other data may be detected by sensors or collected, under the direction of and processed by the electronic control system. The electronic control system provides control signals to a firearm subsystem adapted to the lower level system to in response to a detected condition to allow operation of the lower level system to operate the firearm. A touch-sensitive screen may allow a firearm operator and an arm/disarm control interface may allow a remote operator or service to monitor and control the firearm.