Smart-gun enablement device systems and methods

Abstract

A smart-gun enablement device that is configured to: communicate with a plurality of smart-guns via a network; configure each of the smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns from a checked-in state to a checked-out state; and configure each of the smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns with a set of functionality parameters while the smart-gun is in the checked-out state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smart-gun system for checking out and controlling a plurality of smart-guns, the smart-gun system comprising:
 a smart-gun enablement device; and   a plurality of smart-guns that communicate with the smart-gun enablement device via a wireless network, with each of the smart-guns:
 configured by the smart-gun enablement device from a checked-in state to a checked-out state; 
 configured with a set of functionality parameters while the smart-gun is in the checked-out state, the set of functionality parameters defined by a user profile and the set of functionality parameters different from each of the sets of functionality parameters of other smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns; 
 configured by the smart-gun enablement device from a locked configuration where the smart-gun is inoperable to fire, to an unlocked configuration where the smart-gun is operable to fire, the configuring to the unlocked configuration in response to an unlocking signal; and 
 configured by the smart-gun enablement device from the unlocked configuration where the smart-gun is operable to fire, to the locked configuration where the smart-gun is inoperable to fire, the configuring to the locked configuration in response to a locking signal, 
 wherein the locked configuration where the smart-gun is inoperable to fire is generated by two or more of: 
   selective disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         2 . The smart-gun system of  claim 1 , wherein different user profiles define different sets of functionalities associated with firing of a smart-gun based at least in part on one or more of user age and user firearm proficiency, the different sets of functionalities including two or more of:
 selective enabling and disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective enabling and disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         3 . The smart-gun system of  claim 2 , wherein different user profiles define different sets of functionalities associated with firing of a smart-gun based at least in part on one or more of user age and user firearm proficiency, the different sets of functionalities including three or more of:
 selective enabling and disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective enabling and disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         4 . The smart-gun system of  claim 1 , wherein the smart-guns are automatically configured with the set of functionality parameters when the smart-guns are checked out to a user. 
     
     
         5 . A smart-gun system comprising:
 a smart-gun enablement device; and   a plurality of smart-guns that communicate with the smart-gun enablement device via a network, with each of the smart-guns:   configured by the smart-gun enablement device from a checked-in state to a checked-out state; and   configured with a set of functionality parameters while the smart-gun is in the checked-out state, the set of functionality parameters defined by a user profile and the set of functionality parameters different from one or more sets of functionality parameters of other smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns, the set of functionality parameters including one or more of:   selective enabling and disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective enabling and disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         6 . The smart-gun enablement system of  claim 5 , wherein the smart-gun enablement device is further configured to:
 configure each smart-gun of the plurality of smart-guns from a locked configuration where the smart-gun is inoperable to fire, to an unlocked configuration where the smart-gun is operable to fire; and   configure each smart-gun of the plurality of smart-guns from the unlocked configuration where the smart-gun is inoperable to fire, to the locked configuration where the smart-gun is operable to fire.   
     
     
         7 . The smart-gun enablement system of  claim 6 , wherein configuring a smart gun from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration and configuring the smart-gun from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration comprises one or more of:
 selective enabling and disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective enabling and disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         8 . The smart-gun enablement system of  claim 7 , wherein configuring a smart gun from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration and configuring the smart-gun from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration comprises two or more of:
 selective enabling and disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of release of the cylinder of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun,   selective enabling and disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun, and   selective enabling and disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.   
     
     
         9 . A smart-gun enablement device, the smart-gun enablement device configured to:
 communicate with a plurality of smart-guns via a network;   configure each of the smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns from a checked-in state to a checked-out state; and   configure each of the smart-guns of the plurality of smart-guns with a set of functionality parameters while the smart-gun is in the checked-out state.   
     
     
         10 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of loading a round into a chamber of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         11 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of movement of a slide of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         12 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of movement of a trigger of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         13 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of cocking of a hammer of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         14 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of rotation of a cylinder of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         15 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of release of a cylinder of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         16 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of movement of a bolt assembly of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         17 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of functioning of a gas system of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         18 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of actuation of a selector switch of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         19 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of movement of a charging handle of the smart-gun. 
     
     
         20 . The smart-gun enablement device of  claim 9 , wherein the set of functionality parameters includes selective enabling or disabling of use of sights of the smart-gun.