Abstract:
A weapon simulator assembly for use by an operator in weapon simulation training includes a simulated weapon and a simulated magazine detachably connected to the simulated weapon at a magazine receiver. A weapon processor is housed in the simulated weapon to monitor the number of rounds of simulated ammunition fired in relation to the simulated magazine. When the simulated magazine, which is identifiable by the weapon processor, is connected to the simulated weapon, the weapon processor will recognize the magazine by connecting with a magazine circuit having updated operating information or by identifying the magazine according to a magnetic signature member. The weapon processor will thereby monitor the number of rounds of simulated ammunition fired by a particular magazine, and disable use of the specific magazine once the simulated magazine has used the predetermined number of simulated rounds of ammunition.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional patent application claims priority from provisional patent application 60/747,288, which is relied upon and incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a weapon simulation system having simulated weapons with simulated ammunition magazines, and, more particularly, to a weapon simulation system having a simulated weapon that will identify and remember a particular simulated magazine, and even more particularly, to a weapon simulation system that will keep track of the number of simulated rounds of ammunition that have been expended from a particular magazine when the simulated magazine has been detached and reattached to the simulated weapon. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    When military and/or police personnel are engaged in tactical training situations, they use simulated weapons that are designed to imitate actual firearms that are used in their field. Such firearms frequently use detachable magazines, which typically requires that the operator carry a number of magazines loaded with ammunition so that they can rapidly re-load their weapon as needed. 
         [0004]    To provide a realistic experience when training personnel using weapon simulator systems incorporating simulated weapons with simulated detachable magazines, weapon simulator systems have been designed so that the trainee is able to carry a number of simulated magazines to be used with the simulated weapon. By using various different magazines, the operator is able to change these magazines as required with actual firearms. However, while weapon simulator systems allow the trainee to exchange magazines during a simulation, the simulated weapons do not differentiate between individual magazines. Moreover, such designs do not provide a memory of the amount of ammunition used with a specific magazine. Consequently, when the simulated magazine is removed from the simulator, the parameters of the simulated magazine are reset, such that the same magazine can be removed from the simulated weapon and immediately re-inserted into the simulated weapon to cause the parameters of the simulated weapon to be re-loaded. As a result, the operator only needs one magazine for use with the simulated weapon, and the realism of using the simulated weapon is diminished. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a simulated weapon; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the simulated weapon illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the connections between the weapon processor and the simulated magazine circuit; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the simulated weapon; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the simulated weapon illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a chart illustrating the sensors used in the present invention to read magnetic identifiers; 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of the connections between the weapon processor and the simulated magazine of the second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , a weapon simulator assembly  8  is illustrated that includes a simulated weapon  10  in conjunction with a simulated detachable magazine  12 . In particular, the weapon simulator assembly  8  allows for the use of one or more simulated detachable magazines  12  with one or more simulated weapons  10 , with the number of rounds of ammunition used in each simulated magazine  12  being monitored by the weapon simulator assembly  8  for realistic use of the weapon simulator assembly  8  during a simulation. That is, the weapon simulator assembly  8  is able to monitor and track the number of rounds of ammunition fired and remaining in each simulated magazine  12  during a simulation to determine when all of the ammunition in the simulated magazine  12  has been fired. 
         [0013]    In a first embodiment of the weapon simulator assembly  8  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the number of rounds of ammunition used in the simulated magazine  12  are tracked within the simulated magazine  12  itself. In particular, this weapon simulator assembly  8  includes the simulated weapon  10  having a receiver  11  and associated receiver slot  11  s to engage and secure the simulated magazine  12  with the simulated weapon  10 . A magazine circuit  14  or similar processor is housed within the simulated magazine  12 , and connected to at least one magazine electrical contact  17   m  in the simulated magazine  12 . Similarly, the simulated weapon  10  includes a weapon processor  16  in communication with various switches and electronic equipment in the simulated weapon  10  to monitor and control operation of the simulated weapon  10 . For example, among other connections, the weapon processor  16  is in communication with the trigger  15  to determine when the operator has attempted to fire the simulated weapon  10 , as well as other electronics that may be used with the weapon simulator assembly  8 , such as a laser  19 . The weapon processor  16  is additionally connected with a weapon electrical contact  17   w  or sensor located at the base of the receiver  11  in the receiver slot  11   s,  as shown in the cutaway view of  FIG. 2 . As a result, when the simulated magazine  12  is inserted into the slot  11   s,  the magazine circuit  14  will be in electrical communication with the weapon processor  16  in the simulated weapon  12  via an electrical interface  17 . 
         [0014]    When the simulated magazine  12  engages the weapon simulator  10  in the receiver slot  11 , the magazine circuit  14  will communicate with the processor  16  to monitor operation of the simulated weapon  10  and identify when the simulated weapon  10  has been fired. That is, the processor  16  will transmit a signal to the magazine circuit  14  indicating that the simulated weapon  12  has been fired. The simulated magazine circuit  14  is preset with operational information, including the number of rounds of ammunition to be associated with the simulated magazine  12 . Thus, when the weapon processor  16  transmits a signal that the trigger  15  has been pulled and the simulated weapon  12  has been fired, the magazine circuit  14  will calculate and store information relevant to the particular magazine  12 ; namely, the magazine circuit  14  will calculate the number of rounds of ammunition that have been fired, and based on the predetermined number of rounds of ammunition associated with that magazine  12  prior to firing, the magazine circuit  14  will determine the number of rounds of ammunition that are available for the operator. Since the information is stored in the magazine circuit  14  in the simulated magazine  12 , it is portable with the simulated magazine  12  among various simulated weapons  10 . Thus, as the simulated magazine  12  is connected to a simulated weapon  10 , the magazine circuit  14  will transmit the information to the weapon processor  16  concerning how many rounds of ammunition remain available for a particular simulation scenario. 
         [0015]    An advantage of this embodiment of the simulated magazine  12  and method of use is the portability and fidelity of the simulated magazine  12 . That is, the simulated magazine  12  can be swapped and used in various independent simulated weapons  10 , and each magazine  12  will accurately track and report the number of rounds remaining from the information maintained in the simulated magazine  12  to the processor  16  in the simulated weapon  10  to which it is connected. If the magazine circuit  14  calculates that no ammunition is available, then the operator will be prohibited from firing the simulated weapon  10  during a simulation and be required to replace the simulated magazine  12  with one having ammunition available according to the magazine circuit  14  implemented in the corresponding simulated magazine  12 . 
         [0016]    In addition, a display  18  such as a liquid crystal display, may be incorporated into the side of the simulated magazine  12  and connected to the magazine circuit  14 . The display visually indicates information pertinent to the simulated magazine  12 , such as the number of rounds remaining within the simulated magazine  12 , so that the operator will be aware of the status of the simulated magazine  12 . 
         [0017]    A second embodiment of the weapon simulator assembly  8  is illustrated in  FIGS. 4-7 . In this embodiment, the weapon processor  16  of the simulated weapon  10  is able to differentiate between individual magazines  12  through the use of a unique identifier  20  or finger print associated with each magazine  12 , and the weapon processor  16  will administer the operating parameters of the weapon simulator assembly  8  accordingly. Initially, the weapon processor  16  of the simulated weapon  10  will create a file associated with each magazine  12  and assign a predetermined value associated with the number calculate the number of rounds of ammunition provided for the associated magazine  12 , and the processor  16  will keep track of the number of rounds of ammunition remaining in that particular magazine  12  according to the identifier of the particular magazine  12 . 
         [0018]    In particular, each magazine  12  includes an magnetic signature member or identifier  20 , which could be a series of magnets  20  or voids positioned in the simulated magazine  12 . Similarly, the simulated weapon  10  includes one or more sensors  22  corresponding to the magnets  20  or voids in the simulated magazine  12 , with the sensors  22  positioned in the simulated weapon  10  proximate the receiver  11 . When the simulated magazine  12  is inserted into and connected with the receiver  11 , the magnets  20  or voids will be substantially adjacent sensors  22  in the weapon simulator  10  when the simulated magazine  12  is attached to the receiver  11  of the simulated weapon  10 . The arrangement of magnets  20  (or the absence thereof in one of the voids) in different locations proximate the sensors  22  identifies the simulated magazine  12  to the processor  16  in the simulated weapon  10 . The weapon processor  16  is programmed to monitor and save firing information for each independent magazine  12  (that is, the number of times the simulated weapon  10  has been fired with the particular simulated magazine  14  attached thereto), and control operation once a predetermined value associated with the number of rounds of ammunition available has been exceeded for a particular simulated magazine  12 . 
         [0019]    More particularly, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , three magnets  20  are positioned in the simulated magazine  12  to provide one of seven different choices for the simulated weapon  10  to identify the simulated magazine  12  (see the simulated magazine Identification Table in  FIG. 6 ). Of course, the number of magnets  20  and sensors  22  incorporated into the simulated magazine  12  and simulated weapon  10 , respectively, could be varied according to the total number of magazines  12  to be used with the weapon simulator assembly  8  and to be identified by the processor  16 . Once the simulated magazine  12  is inserted into the slot  11   s  of the receiver  11 , the sensors  22  will generate a binary signal based on the position of the magnets  20 , or lack thereof. 
         [0020]    The weapon simulator  10  is able to specifically identify each magazine  12  according to the arrangement of magnets  20  in the simulated magazine  12 . The weapon processor  16  will maintain a record corresponding to each magazine  12  based on identifier  20  or fingerprint of the simulated magazine  12 , with the record identifying the number of rounds in the simulated magazine  12  according to a preset number of rounds minus the number of times the weapon simulator  10  had been fired with the particular magazine  12  connected to the weapon simulator  10 . Consequently, if one magazine  12  is replaced by a second magazine  12 , the processor  16  of the weapon simulator  10  will be able to maintain an ongoing correlation of the first magazine  12  with the number of rounds remaining in that magazine  12 . 
         [0021]    An advantage of this embodiment is the simplicity in identifying the simulated magazine  12 . A disadvantage of this embodiment, however, is that there is no portability among simulated weapons  10 . A magazine  12  could be expended (or partially expended) with one weapon simulator  12 , and the weapon processor  16  for that simulated weapon  10  would maintain the accurate number of rounds for the particular magazine  12 . However, when the simulated magazine  12  is connected with another simulated weapon  10 , that simulated weapon  10  would not have a record of the information from the simulated weapon  10  that previously used the simulated magazine  12 . In addition, the simulated magazines  12  would have to be marked on the outside with a visual indicator  22  (such as a magazine identification number) for the operator to identify the number of rounds remaining in the simulated magazine  12 . 
         [0022]    Having thus described exemplary embodiments, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of this disclosure as described herein and as described in the appended claims.