# US 11,441,862 B2 · Firearm monitoring and energy harvesting from a local electromagnetic signal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,862 B2 - Document ID: US11441862B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/021,020 - Filed: 2020-09-15 - Published: 2021-07-08 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-27 - Assignees: Armaments Research Company, Inc. - Applicants: Armaments Research Company Inc. - Inventors: William Deng; Michael Canty - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441862B2 ## CPC - F41A 17/06: Electric or electromechanical safeties (F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence) - F41A 17/063: {comprising a transponder} - G01S 5/0009: {Transmission of position information to remote stations (involving assistance data G01S5/0236)} - G01S 19/18: Military applications - G01S 19/34: Power consumption - H04N 5/28: Mobile studios - H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices - F41A 19/01: Counting means indicating the number of shots fired - G01S 19/13: Receivers - F41A: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided for firearm usage monitoring, including a battery configured to power components of the firearm, a communication interface and a controller running application software configured to: power, via the battery, the components of the firearm in a first sensing mode; monitor, via the communication interface, density of electromagnetic radiation proximate the firearm; harvest, in response to the electromagnetic radiation density exceeding, power from the electromagnetic radiation via a wireless-energy harvesting mechanism having a receiving antenna configured to receive a local electromagnetic signal, a rectifier configured to convert the received signal to direct current, and a DC-DC converter configured to alter voltage of the direct current to a desired voltage; and operate, via the battery and the harvested power, the components of the firearm in a second sensing mode, the second sensing mode expending more energy than the first sensing mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A firearm for firearm usage monitoring, the firearm comprising: a battery configured to power components of the firearm; a communication interface configured to transmit data wirelessly to a connected device; and a controller operatively coupled to a communication interface, the controller running application software configured to: power, via the battery, the components of the firearm in a first sensing mode; monitor, via the communication interface, density of electromagnetic radiation proximate the firearm; harvest, in response to the electromagnetic radiation density exceeding a predetermined threshold, power from the electromagnetic radiation via a wireless-energy harvesting mechanism having a receiving antenna configured to receive a local electromagnetic signal, a rectifier configured to convert the received signal to direct current, and a DC-DC converter configured to alter voltage of the direct current to a desired voltage; and operate, via the harvested power, the components of the firearm in a second sensing mode, the second sensing mode expending more energy than the first sensing mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the application software is further configured to increase, in response to harvesting power from the local electromagnetic signal, a data collection rate for at least one sensor coupled to the firearm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the data collection rate is adjusted based on the amount of energy being harvested. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from a motion of the firearm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the energy harvested from the motion of the firearm derives at least in part from a recoil of the firearm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from a wearable device in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is used to charge a battery in proximity to a user of the firearm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from local energy in a second radio frequency in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with locally stored energy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy from electromagnetic frequencies transmitted by other devices in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless-energy harvesting mechanism includes a circuit for harvesting electromagnetic radiation. ### Claim 12 A method for operating a firearm, the method comprising: powering, via a battery, components of the firearm in a first sensing mode; monitoring, via a communication interface of the firearm, density of electromagnetic radiation proximate the firearm; harvesting, in response to the electromagnetic radiation density exceeding a predetermined threshold, power from the electromagnetic radiation via a wireless-energy harvesting mechanism having a receiving antenna configured to receive a local electromagnetic signal, a rectifier configured to convert the received signal to direct current, and a DC-DC converter configured to alter voltage of the direct current to a desired voltage; and operating, via the battery and the harvested power, the components of the firearm in a second sensing mode, the second sensing mode expending more energy than the first sensing mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The firearm of claim 12, wherein the firearm includes a controller running application software configured to increase, in response to harvesting power from the local electromagnetic signal, a data collection rate for at least one sensor coupled to the firearm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from a motion of the firearm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from a wearable device in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is used to charge a battery in proximity to a user of the firearm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy harvested from local energy in a second radio frequency in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with locally stored energy. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the power harvested from the local electromagnetic signal is combined with energy from electromagnetic frequencies transmitted by other devices in proximity to the firearm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless-energy harvesting mechanism includes a circuit for harvesting electromagnetic radiation.