Synchronous weapon firing system

Abstract

Control apparatus and method to coordinate the synchronous firing of two or more rifles with electronic firing systems.

1 . For a system for synchronizing a plurality of weapons to fire on a plurality of targets wherein each of said weapons is fired by activating an igniter, apparatus that is mounted on each weapon in the system, said apparatus comprising:
 a trigger switch that is closed at times when the weapon is commanded to discharge and that is open at times when the weapon is not commanded to discharge;   a mode selector switch that is electrically connected to the trigger switch, said mode selector switch having a selected position that enables the weapon to discharge in synchronization with other weapons in the system;   a weapon transmitter/receiver that is electrically connected to said mode selector switch, said weapon transmitter/receiver being responsive to the closure of said trigger switch to transmit signals at times when said mode selector switch is positioned to enable the weapon to discharge in synchronization with other weapons in the system; and   an activation switch that is operatively associated with said weapon transmitter/receiver, said activation switch opening and closing an electrical connection between the trigger switch and the igniter in response to input signals to said weapon transmitter/receiver.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the weapon transmitter/receiver is a wireless device. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said wireless device communicates by at least one of infrared signals, satellite signals, VHF signals or UHF signals. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said weapon transmitter/receiver transmits signals and receives signals through electrical conductors. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the synchronizing system includes two weapons, said apparatus further comprising:
 a signal confirmation LED that illuminates in response to a signal to the weapon transmitter/receiver that is located on the same weapon on which the signal confirmation LED is located, said signal to the weapon transmitter/receiver being from a second weapon transmitter/receiver that is located on the other weapon.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , said apparatus further comprising:
 a programmable controller that includes an operator interface, said programmable controller being responsive to command signals to the operator interface to define:   a. the weapons that are to be enabled in the system;   b. the minimum number of enabled weapons that can synchronously discharge; and   c. at least one weapon that is required to be included in the minimum number of enabled weapons that synchronously discharge; and   a controller transmitter/receiver that is associated with said programmable controller, said controller transmitter/receiver being responsive to signals from weapons transmitter/receivers of respective weapons in the system to identify when the trigger of said weapon is depressed, said controller transmitter/receiver also sending signals to a plurality of weapon transmitter/receivers that are enabled in the system.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said operator interface is a key pad and viewing screen. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the synchronizing system includes two or more weapons, said apparatus further comprising:
 a signal confirmation LCD that illuminates in response to a signal to the weapon transmitter/receiver on the same weapon on which the signal confirmation LCD is located.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the synchronizing system includes two or more weapons that have scopes, said apparatus further comprising:
 a signal confirmation LCD that illuminates in response to a signal from the controller transmitter/receiver, said signal indicating that the controller transmitter/receiver is receiving an input signal from the transmitter/receiver of at least one weapon, said signal confirmation LCD indicating the minimum number of weapons that are required to discharge synchronously minus the number of signals from weapon transmitter/receivers that the controller transmitter/receiver is receiving.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the signals from the weapon transmitter/receiver are encrypted. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the signals between the weapon transmitter/receiver are encrypted. 
   
   
       12 . A method for synchronizing a plurality of weapons to fire on a plurality of targets wherein each of said weapons has an igniter for discharging the weapon and also has a trigger switch that is closed in response to actuating a trigger, said method comprising the steps of;
 a. selecting a mode on each of the weapons that enables the weapon to discharge only in synchronization with at least one other weapon that is included in the plurality of weapons;   b. depressing a trigger on a first weapon to cause a signal to be transmitted to at least a second weapon to indicate that the trigger of the first weapon is depressed and to complete an electrical connection between the igniter and trigger switch in the second weapon;   c. depressing a trigger on the second weapon to cause a signal to be transmitted to at least the first weapon to indicate that the trigger on the second weapon is depressed and to complete an electrical connection between the igniter and trigger switch in the first weapon; and   d. discharging at least the first and second weapons in synchronization at times when both the trigger of the first weapon and the trigger of the second weapon are simultaneously depressed so that the trigger switch of the first weapon is closed while the electrical connection between the igniter and the trigger switch of the first weapon is completed, and the trigger of the second weapon is also closed while the electrical connection between the igniter and the trigger switch of the second weapon is completed.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein an LED on the second weapon indicates that the trigger on the first weapon is depressed and wherein an LED on the first weapon indicates that the trigger on the second weapon is depressed. 
   
   
       14 . A method for synchronizing a plurality of weapons to fire on a plurality of targets wherein each of said weapons has an igniter for discharging the weapon and also has a trigger switch that is closed in response to depressing a trigger, said method comprising the steps of;
 a. setting a programmable controller that transmits command signals to the plurality of weapons, said controller settings identifying the weapons that are to be enabled for synchronous firing and also identifying the minimum number of weapons that must be synchronously fired;   b. depressing the respective triggers on at least two weapons that are enabled to discharge in synchronization to cause respective signals to be transmitted to the programmable controller, said signals indicating that the respective triggers of the weapons are depressed; and   c. transmitting signals from the programmable controller to each of the enabled weapons at times when the triggers of said minimum number of weapons are simultaneously depressed to complete an electrical connection between the igniter and trigger switch in each of the weapons; and   d. synchronously discharging the weapons that are enabled and in which the triggers are depressed and in which the circuit is completed between the trigger switch and the igniter.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein an LCD on the weapons indicates the number of weapons among the minimum number of enabled weapons in which the trigger is not depressed.