Location-based firearm discharge prevention
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsCary Lee Bates, Eric John Nelson, John Matthew Santosuosso
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A firearm, program product and method collectively utilize an on-board location sensor (e.g., a GPS receiver) and stored location information to selectively inhibit discharge of a firearm based on the current location of the firearm. Location information identifying one or more prohibited locations is stored in the firearm (typically in an on-board memory). A controller on-board the firearm then accesses the location sensor to determine a current location for the firearm, and selectively inhibits the discharge of the firearm if the current location is proximate any prohibited location.
Claims28
A firearm, comprising:
- (a) a memory configured to store location information identifying at least one prohibited location proximate which discharge of the firearm is to be inhibited;
- (b) a location sensor configured to determine a current location of the firearm;
- and
- (c) a controller coupled to the memory and the location sensor, the controller configured to inhibit discharge of the firearm if the current location of the firearm determined by the location sensor is proximate a prohibited location stored in the memory.
A method of inhibiting discharge of a firearm, the method comprising:
- (a) determining a current location of the firearm using a location sensor coupled to the firearm;
- and
- (b) inhibiting discharge of the firearm if the current location of the firearm is proximate a prohibited location identified in a memory coupled to the firearm.
A program product, comprising:
- (a) a program configured to be executed by a controller disposed within a firearm, the program configured to determine a current location of the firearm by accessing a location sensor coupled to the firearm, to access a memory coupled to the firearm to obtain location information identifying at least one prohibited location, and to inhibit discharge of the firearm if the current location of the firearm is proximate a prohibited location identified in the memory;
- and
- (b) a signal bearing medium bearing the program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.