Systems and methods for firearms monitoring and awareness using highly dynamic wireless ad-hoc networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and accessing the status of a firearm that are adapted to communicate via a mesh network are disclosed. In embodiments, a method for monitoring unauthorized access of a firearm includes receiving an electronic key that is input to request access to the firearm, determining whether a request to access the firearm is granted based on whether the electronic key that is input authorizes access, and, if access is not authorized, transmitting a notification to a destination device, such as, for example, a destination device associated with a user of the firearm or law enforcement, using a direct gateway connection if available, or transmitting the notification via a mesh network if no direct gateway connection is available.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for monitoring for an unauthorized access of a firearm, wherein the firearm includes a transceiver, one or more processors, and a discriminator that limits activation of the firearm to one or more authorized users,
 the method comprising the steps of:   (a) receiving, by the one or more processors from a user interface that is in communication with the firearm, a request to access the firearm based on an input of an electronic key;   (b) determining, by the discriminator, whether or not the received request to access the firearm is authorized based at least on whether the electronic key that is input is authorized to access the firearm; and   (c) transmitting, by the firearm to a destination device upon a determination by the one or more processors that an attempt to access the firearm is not authorized, a notification via at least one of a direct gateway or a mesh network comprising neighboring devices or nodes to alert the destination device of the unauthorized attempt to access the firearm;   wherein the step of transmitting the notification comprises:
 (i) determining, by the one or more processors, whether the direct gateway connection is available, 
 (ii) transmitting, from the firearm to the destination device via the direct gateway connection, the notification related to the attempt for unauthorized access of the firearm when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is available; and 
 (iii) transmitting, from the firearm to one or more of the neighboring devices or nodes of the mesh network, the notification related to the attempt for unauthorized access of the firearm when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is unavailable. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the notification that is transmitted to the destination device is transmitted via the direct gateway connection as one of a voice call, a text message, or an electronic fax. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the neighboring devices or nodes of the mesh network is any of a mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant, wearable electronic device, music player device, calculator device, gaming console, wall-charging unit, DC power node, light bulb, laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet device, interactive appliance, navigation device, drone, and/or interactive billboard. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface that is in communication with the firearm is implemented in or on a firearm carrying case, a magazine clip usable with the firearm, or a firearm accessory; and
 wherein the step of receiving, by the one or more processors from the user interface that is in communication with the firearm, a request to access the firearm based on the input of the electronic key comprises receiving the request that is entered at the user interface.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the user interface comprises a biometric scanner, and the step of receiving the request to access the firearm comprises receiving biometric data entered at the biometric scanner. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the firearm to the destination device, a second notification regarding at least one of an authorized access of the firearm, a movement of the firearm, a loading of the firearm, and a firing of the firearm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (d) receiving, at the first firearm, a second notification regarding a status change comprising at least one of an authorized access of a second firearm, a removal of the second firearm from a carrying case without authorization, a loading of the second firearm, and a firing of the second firearm; and   (e) transmitting, by the first firearm to a destination device, a third notification via at least one of the direct gateway or the mesh network to alert the destination device of the status change.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination device is associated with an entity that monitors unauthorized access of firearms. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination device is associated with an authorized user of the firearm of which unauthorized access has been requested. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic key comprises at least one of a fingerprint, a voice print, a code, and an electronic tag. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authorized user of the firearm comprises a single authorized user or a group of authorized users. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic key uses at least one of a fingerprint, a voice print, a code, and an electronic tag. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the firearm is one of a hand gun, a rifle, a shotgun, and a machine gun. 
     
     
         14 . A method for monitoring for an unauthorized access of a firearm, wherein the firearm includes a first transceiver, and a first set of one or more processors, and wherein the firearm is associated with a second device in communication with the firearm, wherein the second device includes a second transceiver, and a second set of one or more processors: the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving, by the second set of one or more processors at the second device from the firearm, a first notification that the firearm has been accessed and an indication as to whether the access was authorized or not authorized, wherein the first notification is based at least on a determination, by the first set of one or more processors at the firearm, as to whether an electronic key of an authorized user was input for accessing the firearm; and   (c) transmitting, by the second device to a destination device upon a determination by the one or more processors that the access the firearm was not authorized, a second notification via at least one of a direct gateway or a mesh network comprising neighboring devices or nodes to alert the destination device of the unauthorized access to the firearm;   wherein the step of transmitting the second notification comprises:
 (i) determining, by the second set of one or more processors, whether the direct gateway connection is available, 
 (ii) transmitting, from the second device to the destination device via the direct gateway connection, the second notification related to the unauthorized access of the firearm when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is available; and 
 (iii) transmitting, from the second device to one or more of the neighboring devices or nodes of the mesh network, the second notification related to the unauthorized access of the firearm when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is unavailable. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second device is a firearm carrying case for the firearm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second device is a magazine clip. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second device is a firearm accessory. 
     
     
         18 . A method for monitoring a firearm status change of a first firearm in a firearm network that comprises a plurality of firearms, including at least the first firearm and a second firearm, that communicate via a mesh network, wherein each of the plurality of firearms in the firearm network includes a transceiver, and one or more processors,
 the method comprising the steps of:   (a) receiving, at the first firearm via the mesh network, a first notification regarding a firearm status change at the second firearm; and   (b) transmitting, by the first firearm to a destination device, a second notification via at least one of a direct gateway or the mesh network to alert the destination device of the firearm status change;   wherein the step of transmitting the second notification comprises:
 (i) determining, by the respective one or more processors at the first firearm, whether the direct gateway connection is available, 
 (ii) transmitting, from the first firearm to the destination device via the direct gateway connection, the second notification related to the firearm status change when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is available; and 
 (iii) transmitting, from the first firearm to one or more of the neighboring devices or nodes of the mesh network, the second notification related to the firearm status change when it is determined that the direct gateway connection is unavailable. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the firearm status change comprises an unauthorized access of a second firearm. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the firearm status change comprises an authorized access of the second firearm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the firearm status change comprises a removal of the second firearm from a carrying case without authorization. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the firearm status change comprises a loading of the second firearm. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the firearm status change comprises a firing of the second firearm in proximity to the first firearm.