Smart Ammunition

Abstract

A smart round of ammunition includes a casing, a primer disposed at a bottom portion of the casing, a projectile mounted at a top portion of the casing and a propellant disposed within an interior portion of the casing between the projectile and primer. The primer includes a piezo generator transducing a mechanical force received at a firing pin portion of the primer into a stored charge, a switch coupling and decoupling a spark gap between the stored charge and the propellant, and a wireless sensor activating the switch responsive to a digital signal received from a component external to the casing. The activation permits a discharge of the stored charge into the spark gap and therefore detonates the propellant.

1 . A round of ammunition comprising:
 a casing;   a primer cap;   a projectile; and   a propellant disposed within an interior portion of the casing between the projectile and primer cap;   the primer cap comprising:
 a piezo generator configured to generate an electrical charge in response to a mechanical force received at the primer cap; 
 a switch configured to couple or decouple a spark gap or hot wire; and 
 a wireless sensor configured to communicate with the switch, the communication instructing the switch to activate or deactivate flow of the electrical charge to the spark gap or the hot wire, wherein 
 the switch and the wireless sensor are powered by the electrical charge. 
   
     
     
         2 . The round of ammunition of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless sensor comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) receiver. 
     
     
         3 . The round of ammunition of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a measuring instrument located on the projectile, the measuring instrument configured to wirelessly transmit inertial measurements of the projectile.   
     
     
         4 . The round of ammunition of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the inertial measurements are wirelessly transmitted after the switch is activated.   
     
     
         5 . The round of ammunition of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a subsequent communication changes a state of said ammunition,   wherein the state is either an active state or an inactivate state,   wherein the active state permits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire, and   wherein the inactive state prohibits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire.   
     
     
         6 . The round of ammunition of  claim 2 , wherein non-receipt of the communication places said ammunition into an inactive state, wherein the inactive state prohibits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire. 
     
     
         7 . The round of ammunition of  claim 2 , wherein receipt of the communication places said ammunition into an active state, wherein the active state permits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire. 
     
     
         8 . A magazine comprising:
 a plurality of rounds of ammunition, each of the rounds of ammunition comprising:   a casing;   a primer cap;   a projectile; and   a propellant disposed within an interior portion of the casing between the projectile and the primer cap;   the primer cap comprising:
 a piezo generator configured to generate an electrical charge in response to a mechanical force received at the primer cap; 
 a switch configured to couple or decouple a spark gap or hot wire; and 
 a wireless sensor configured to communicate with the switch, the communication instructing the switch to activate or deactivate flow of the electrical charge to the spark gap or the hot wire, wherein 
 the switch and the wireless sensor are powered by the electrical charge. 
   
     
     
         9 . The magazine of  claim 8 , wherein said magazine comprises a memory, the memory receiving and storing data from at least one of the plurality of rounds of ammunition, wherein
 the data relates to whether the at least one of the plurality of rounds of ammunition has been discharged.   
     
     
         10 . The magazine of  claim 9 , further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the data to a network or device. 
     
     
         11 . The magazine of  claim 10 , wherein the switch is biased in a closed position rendering the ammunition active, the magazine further comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, respond to a receipt of a communication by biasing the switch to an open position.   
     
     
         12 . A round of ammunition comprising:
 a casing;   a primer cap;   a projectile; and   a propellant disposed within an interior portion of the casing between the projectile and primer cap;   the primer cap comprising:
 a piezo generator configured to generate an electrical charge in response to a mechanical force received at the primer cap; 
 a switch configured to couple or decouple a spark gap or hot wire; and 
 a wireless receiver configured to communicate with the switch, the communication instructing the switch to activate or deactivate flow of the electrical charge to the spark gap or the hot wire, wherein 
 the switch and the wireless receiver are powered by harvesting energy from a wireless signal. 
   
     
     
         13 . The round of ammunition of  claim 12 , wherein the wireless receiver comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) receiver. 
     
     
         14 . The round of ammunition of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a measuring instrument located on the projectile, the measuring instrument configured to wirelessly transmit inertial measurements of the projectile.   
     
     
         15 . The round of ammunition of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the inertial measurements are wirelessly transmitted after the switch is activated.   
     
     
         16 . The round of ammunition of  claim 12 , wherein a subsequent communication changes a state of said ammunition,
 wherein the state is either an active state or an inactivate state,   wherein the active state permits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire, and   wherein the inactive state prohibits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire.   
     
     
         17 . The round of ammunition of  claim 13 , wherein non-receipt of the communication places said ammunition into an inactive state, wherein the inactive state prohibits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire. 
     
     
         18 . The round of ammunition of  claim 13 , wherein receipt of the communication places said ammunition into an active state, wherein the active state permits the flow of the electrical charge into the spark gap or the hot wire.