Dischargeable hand weapons having reduced criminal usefulness

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon in locations where it is not permitted by determining the location of the weapon and receiving a signal for allowing discharging from a permitting agency only when the weapon is at a location where its discharging can be permitted.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a dischargeable hand weapon;    means for transmitting a certain signal to an agency for permitting the discharging of said weapon;    means, in contact with said transmitting means, for receiving in response to said signal, a signal for permitting the discharging of said weapon based on said transmitting means being at a geodetic location where the discharging of said weapon can be permitted; and    means, in contact with said receiving means and said weapon, for preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said receiving means not receiving said permitting signal.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said certain signal comprises information of the identity of said weapon, and wherein said permitting signal is further based on there being no illegalities relating to said weapon found by said agency.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said preventing is further based on said permitting signal not being received within an immediately preceding certain period of time.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said preventing means comprises: 
 means, in contact with and at the same location as said receiving means, for providing an allowing signal based on said receiving means receiving said permitting signal;  
 means, in contact with said providing means, for transmitting said allowing signal;  
 means, for receiving said allowing signal when within a certain distance of said allowing signal transmitting means; and  
 a preventing part, in contact with and at the same location as said allowing signal receiving means and said weapon, for preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said allowing signal receiving means not receiving said allowing signal.  
 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  further comprising human operated means, in contact with said providing means, for controlling the functioning of said providing means so that said providing means can be allowed to function or prevented from functioning.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  further comprising means, in contact with said providing means, for transmitting a certain signal to an emergency agency based on said providing means functioning after not having been functioning.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  further comprising: 
 means for determining that the location of said determining means has changed; and  
 means, in contact with and at the location of said determining means and said providing means, for preventing the functioning of said providing means based on said determining means determining that said location has changed.  
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means, in contact with and at the same location as said transmitting means, for determining the geodetic location of said determining means and said transmitting means, and wherein said certain signal comprises information of said location.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said weapon and all means are part of one assembly, and further comprising means, in contact with said determining means, for preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said determining means determining that the location of said assembly has changed by more than a certain distance after said transmitting means has transmitted said certain signal.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said preventing means comprises: 
 means, in contact with and at the same location as said receiving means, for providing an allowing signal based on said receiving means receiving said permitting signal;  
 means, in contact with and at the location of said determining means, said transmitting means, and said providing means, for preventing the functioning of said providing means based on said determining means determining that the location of said determining means is more than a certain distance from the location where said determining means was when said transmitting means transmitted said certain signal;  
 means, in contact with said providing means, for transmitting said allowing signal;  
 means, for receiving said allowing signal when within a certain distance of said allowing signal transmitting means; and  
 a preventing part, in contact with and at the same location as said allowing signal receiving means and said weapon, for preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said allowing signal receiving means not receiving said allowing signal.  
 
     
     
         11 . A method for reducing the criminal usefulness of a hand weapon comprising a communicating part and a discharging part comprising the steps of: 
 preventing the discharging of said weapon;    transmitting a certain signal from said communicating part to an agency for permitting the discharging of said weapon;    receiving from said agency by said communicating part a signal for permitting the discharging of said weapon based on said communicating part being at a geodetic location where the discharging of said weapon can be permitted; and    allowing the discharging of said weapon.    
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said certain signal comprises information of the identity of said weapon, and wherein said permitting signal is further based on there being no illegalities relating to said weapon found by said agency.  
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the locations of said communicating part and said discharging part can be changed independently of each other, wherein said allowing step comprises the step of transmitting an allowing signal from the location of said communicating part to the location of said discharging part, and further comprising after said allowing step, the steps of: 
 increasing the distance between said communicating part and said discharging part so that said communicating part and said discharging part are more than a certain distance apart; and  
 preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said discharging part not receiving said allowing signal because of said increasing of distance.  
 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said allowing step further comprises the step of transmitting a certain signal to an emergency agency based on said transmitting of said allowing signal.  
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising after said preventing step and before said transmitting step, the step of determining the geodetic location of said communicating part, and wherein said certain signal comprises information of said location.  
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  further comprising after said allowing step, the steps of: 
 changing the location of said weapon by more than a certain distance; and  
 preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said changing.  
 
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the locations of said communicating part and said discharging part can be changed independently of each other, and further comprising after said allowing step, the steps of: 
 changing the location of said communicating part by more than a certain distance; and  
 preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said changing.  
 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising after said transmitting step and before said receiving step, the step of determining the location of said communicating part.  
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  further comprising after said allowing step, the steps of: 
 changing the location of said communicating part so that said communicating part is not a geodetic location where the discharging of said weapon can be permitted; and  
 preventing the discharging of said weapon after a certain period of time after receiving said permitting signal.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the locations of said communicating part and said discharging part can be changed independently of each other, and further comprising after said allowing step, the steps of: 
 changing the location of said communicating part; and  
 preventing the discharging of said weapon based on said changing.