Patent ID: 9435597
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: F41A,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling use of firearms, the method comprising: pairing a firearm with a local wireless network device associated with a registered owner of the firearm, wherein circuitry in the firearm performs the pairing with the local wireless network device associated with the registered owner of the firearm, wherein when the local wireless network device loses contact with the circuitry in the firearm, the circuitry is configured to disable the firearm; receiving at the circuitry in the firearm, one or more messages from remote emitters placed in one or more of a plurality of locations, wherein the remote emitters transmit one or more disable messages that direct the circuitry to disable the firearm, wherein the remote emitters are placed in public locations, and wherein disabling the firearm with the disable messages from the remote emitters is in addition to disabling the firearm when the local wireless network device associated with the registered owner loses contact with the circuitry in the firearm; sending location information with the circuitry in the firearm to a remote server, wherein the remote server stores a plurality of coordinates that form electronic fences that define perimeters around one or more of the plurality of locations at which the firearm should be disabled, and wherein sending the location information is in addition to receiving messages from the remote emitters and in addition to losing contact with the paired local wireless network device; determining with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit associated with the firearm, coordinates of a current location of the firearm, wherein the GPS unit in communication with the circuitry located in the firearm; sending to the remote server with the circuitry in the firearm the coordinates of the current location of the firearm; comparing at the remote server, the current location of the firearm with the electronic fences stored in the remote server to determine whether the firearm has entered one of the perimeters in which the firearm should be disabled; sending from the remote server to the circuitry in the firearm a disable indication that directs the circuitry to disable the firearm when the firearm has entered one of the electronic fences in which the firearm should be disabled, or an enable indication that directs the circuitry to enable the firearm when the firearm has exited one of the electronic fences in which the firearm should be disabled; wherein prior to disabling the firearm, the circuitry in the remote server sends a notification to an owner of the firearm about the location of the firearm when the firearm leaves one of the electronic fences; sending from the remote server to the circuitry in the firearm, a disable indication that directs the circuitry to disable the firearm when the firearm is reported lost or stolen; wherein the circuitry in the firearm mechanically disables the firearm in response to: wherein the circuitry in the firearm mechanically re-enables the firearm when the local wireless network device is in contact with the circuitry in the firearm, when the one or more disable messages are not received at the circuitry in the firearm from the remote emitters, when the circuitry in the firearm is connected with the remote server, and when the enable indication from the remote server is sent to the circuitry in the firearm.