Apparatus for controlling use of a firearm

Abstract

A firearm security mechanism for use with a firearm to prevent unauthorized use of the firearm. The mechanism includes a scanning unit having a camera that obtains unique eye characteristics of a user's eye and sends that data to a central processing unit. The central processing unit compares the data to data representing the unique eye characteristics of an authorized users eye stored in a memory storage device. If the obtained data and the previously stored authorized user data match, a signal is transmitted to a latch mechanism that unlocks the trigger mechanism enabling discharge of the firearm.

I claim  
     
         1 . A firearm security mechanism for use with a firearm to prevent use of the firearm by an unauthorized user comprising: 
 a firing mechanism located on the firearm, said firing mechanism including a trigger that operates to discharge the firearm;    a latch mechanism located on the firearm, said latch mechanism including a locking member, said locking member movable between a first position wherein said firing mechanism is locked to prevent discharge of the firearm and a second position wherein said firing mechanism is unlocked such that the firearm can be discharged;    a scanning unit, said scanning unit located on the firearm and operable to scan a user's eye for unique characteristics used to identify the user, said scanning unit operative to generate an output signal based on data obtained by said scanning unit;    a memory storage device, said memory storage device capable of storing data relating to an authorized user's unique eye characteristics;    a central processing unit operative to receive said output signal and compare said output signal to said data stored in said memory storage device, said central processing unit operative to send a signal to said latch mechanism to urge said latch mechanism to said second, unlocked position enabling discharge of the firearm when said output signal from said scanning unit matches the data of an authorized user stored in said memory storage device.    
     
     
         2 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said scanning unit scans a user's eye to obtain data regarding unique characteristics of the iris of the user's eye.  
     
     
         3 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said scanning unit includes a camera, said camera secured to the firearm and operative to capture data regarding unique characteristics of the user's eye.  
     
     
         4 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said camera obtains images of the iris of the user's eye to obtain data regarding unique characteristics of the user's eye.  
     
     
         5 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said memory storage device includes a memory storage card and a card reader, said card reader secured to the firearm and said memory card having data relating to an authorized users unique eye characteristics contained thereon, said memory card being removable from said card reader.  
     
     
         6 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said firearm security mechanism further includes a power source electrically connected to and operative to power said scanning unit and said central processor unit.  
     
     
         7 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said locking member is electronically controlled by said central processing unit and engages said the trigger to prevent movement of said trigger.  
     
     
         8 . A firearm security mechanism as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said locking mechanism includes a solenoid, said solenoid operative to move said locking member from a first position wherein said trigger is prevented from movement and a second position wherein said trigger is movable to discharge the firearm.  
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling operation of a firearm comprising the steps of: 
 providing a firearm;    connecting a scanning unit to said firearm;    scanning a user's eye with said scanning unit for unique characteristics to identify a user;    generating output data based on said scan and sending said output data to a central processing unit;    storing data relating to an authorized user's unique eye characteristics;    comparing said output data with said stored data to determine if said output data matches said stored data;    generating a release signal when said output data matches said stored data; and    sending said release signal to a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism upon receiving said release signal moving a locking member to an unlocked position enabling discharge of said firearm.    
     
     
         10 . A method for controlling operation of a firearm as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the step of scanning the user's eye, includes the step of obtaining an image of the iris of the user's eye.  
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling operation of a firearm as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the step of storing data includes providing a memory card and a memory card reader; and 
 storing said authorized user data on said memory card and inserting said memory card into said card reader to allow access to said stored authorized user data.  
 
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling operation of a firearm as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the step of generating a release signal when said output data matches said stored data includes the step of continually sending said release signal to said latch mechanism; and 
 holding said locking member in said unlocked position as long as said release signal is continuously received by said latch mechanism.  
 
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling operation of a firearm as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the step of sending a release signal to said latch mechanism includes holding said locking member in said unlocked position for a predetermined period of time after said release signal is first received by said latch mechanism.