Sight post camera for a firearm

A firearm front sight post that is comprised of a camera assembly which captures an image or video, or a series of images or videos of what is in front of the firearm at the instant that the firearm is first fired, and at the instant that each and every subsequent shot is fired. The camera assembly is actuated by a actuation mechanism in communication with the trigger assembly of the firearm, and is activated when the trigger wall is met in the act of pulling the trigger of a firearm. The system is also comprised of a wireless transmitter that automatically sends the image/video from the camera assembly to a mobile application on a smartphone or other smart device, wherein the images/videos are encrypted, time-stamped and dated.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a new and improved firearm front sight post camera system. More specifically, the invention relates to a firearm front sight post that is comprised of a camera assembly or mechanism which captures an image or video, or a series of images or videos of what is in front of the firearm (e.g., a suspect in a police chase) at the instant (and just before the instant) that the firearm is first fired, and at the instant that each and every subsequent shot is fired. The camera mechanism is actuated by a mechanical or electrical connection to the trigger assembly of the firearm, and is activated when the trigger wall is met in the act of pulling the trigger of a firearm. The firearm/camera system is also comprised of a wireless transmitter, such as a Bluetooth transmitter, that automatically sends the image/video from the camera assembly to a mobile application on a smartphone or other smart device, wherein the images/videos are encrypted, time-stamped and dated, and a global positioning system (GPS) for identifying the location of the firearm at the time of its discharge. Accordingly, the present specification makes specific reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally amenable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.

Officer involved shootings have become common place in today's society, with many instances of the former making national headlines. During media coverage, many members of the media and/or society oftentimes cast doubt on the motives or thought process of the officer involved in the shooting incident, particularly if reports indicate that the suspect who was shot was, or appeared to be, unarmed, a minority, or not resisting arrest. To help mitigate these doubts and resolve such questions, as well as being used as a tool to ensure accountability of every officer and/or first responder, many law enforcement agencies have mandated the use of body worn cameras by their members. Such body cameras are typically worn by officers at all times while on duty, and may be attached to their uniform (e.g., in the chest or shoulder area) or worn while integrated into a pair of eyeglasses. Such body cameras are typically required by each agency to be turned on at all times in an effort to show with fully transparency the entire timeline of events that led up to the point of an officer involved shooting, as well as the actions of the officer(s) during and after the shooting.

Although body cameras are effective in providing a broader context of all factors/conditions that may have been present in a situation which ultimately resulted in an officer involved shooting, such body cameras have a plurality of inherent limitations. For example, the body camera may be turned off by the officer (intentionally or inadvertently), or may otherwise be incapable of precisely pinpointing the exact instant in which an officer elected to fire his or her weapon. In order to justify the use of deadly force, an officer may have to subsequently prove in a court of law that his or her actions were justified because, for example, the suspect behaved in a certain manner (e.g., the suspect reaching into his or her pocket while being told by the officer to put his or her hands up).

In a situation like the one described above, the precise timing of the events that occur in a deadly force encounter are of utmost importance, and it is in such an event where the limitations of a body worn camera can become fully apparent. For example, an officer involved in a deadly force encounter may state that he or she began to fire the weapon on a suspect when the suspect began to reach into his or her pocket, and that the officer believed that the suspect had a weapon or that the officer's life (or the life of another) was in imminent danger. In order to prove or disprove whether this was in fact the case, body camera footage may be admitted into evidence to justify or refute the officer's actions. However, body camera footage lacks the ability to consistently and precisely pinpoint the exact instant in which the officer began to fire his or her weapon on a suspect. Although body camera footage can be reviewed and a general consensus may be formed as to at what point in the encounter the officer fired upon the suspect (e.g., when the suspect began to reach for their pocket), the same cannot be determined with absolute certainty. This is due to the fact that any attempt to pinpoint the specific instant and conditions in which the shots were fired are based on an individual's subjective ability to visual estimate the precise instant in which the first bullet is discharged from the firearm of the officer on body camera video, and what the situational circumstances were at that instant.

Additionally, because most firearm rounds move at or above the speed of sound, it may be exceptionally difficult to discern from body cam footage the precise instant in which a bullet leaves the firearm of the officer. This task can be further hindered by the potentially low resolution of body cameras, which could make discerning the instant the bullet leaves the firearm infinitely more difficult in a trial setting. In addition to factors that include the speed of the bullet and camera quality of the body camera, the position of the body camera on the officer (e.g., on the chest or head area) may also hinder the ability to pinpoint the precise instant in which the firearm was discharged. This is due to the fact that the body camera may be fully or partially obstructed by a portion of the officer's body (e.g., the officer's arms while the firearm is drawn on the suspect) or the presence of cover that the officer may be behind when a shooting occurs, such as the door of a police vehicle, a rock, a tree, etc. When this occurs, the surrounding environment, including the suspect, may not be entirely visible in the body camera footage. Additionally, an officer's body camera could become dislodged or be aimed or directed at a different location than the suspect if the officer is required to, for example, give chase after the suspect, or is involved in a physical altercation with the same. The lack of clear and unobstructed body cam footage could significantly hinder any attempts to prove the guilt or innocence of an officer and whether the officer was justified in using deadly force in a given scenario.

Furthermore, any consensus that may be reached regarding the specific instant in which the firearm of an officer was discharged can ultimately be classified as subjective at best. This is true because the determination would likely only be made based on a visual estimation of when the bullet left the firearm and the subsequent situational conditions present during this instant, which may or may not be visible on the body cam footage for the reasons previously stated. Since the duration of an officer involved shooting is generally extremely short, potentially fatal decisions (e.g., the decision by the officer to discharge his or her weapon) must be made in a fraction of a second, with said decision being based on a situational condition that the officer believes that he or she is observing at the time (e.g., when the suspect began to reach for their pocket, possibly to produce a weapon). In order to fully justify the actions of an officer, these conditions must be adequately documented and readily available in an unaltered state for the potential viewing of a jury in a criminal or civil proceeding.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that allows the full situational conditions/context of a deadly force encounter to be fully and objectively documented at the exact instant that the firearm is discharged, and for every instant that the firearm is subsequently discharged, via high quality photographs/film. There also exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that requires no input from the user in order to be actuated, and that documents each instance in which the firearm is discharged on photograph/film. Finally, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that allows the documented photographs/film and related date (e.g., the location of the firearm at the time of its discharge) to be automatically and securely transferred to a mobile application on a smartphone or other smart device for record keeping or evidentiary purposes, preferably in an encrypted and unaltered manner.

The present invention in one exemplary embodiment, discloses an improved firearm front sight post camera system. More specifically, the firearm camera system is comprised of a front sight post having an integrated camera assembly that is in mechanical or electrical communication with the trigger mechanism of the firearm. The camera is aimed in the exact same direction as the bullet to be discharged from the firearm, and is automatically and simultaneously activated when the user engages the firearm trigger and it reaches the wall of the firearm trigger. The present invention is further comprised of a Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter that may be housed within the frame of the firearm, and that is also in electrical communication with the camera. The transmitter allows any video and/or photographic images recorded by the camera assembly and related data (e.g., GPS data about the location of the firearm) to be wirelessly transferred in an encrypted and time-stamped manner to an accompanying mobile application on a mobile phone or other smart device.

In this manner, the improved firearm front sight post camera system of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, thereby providing a consistently objective and unobstructed means to observe and discern nearly the precise instant that a firearm is discharged in a deadly force encounter, as well as the exact situational conditions/factors also present in said instant. In addition, the present invention will not interfere with the operation of the firearm, and requires no additional training/interaction from an officer/citizen to actuate and use. The sight post camera of the present invention provides a convenient and secured means for transferring captured images and/or video upon discharge of a firearm to a mobile phone or other smart device for record keeping purposes.

SUMMARY

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a firearm front sight post camera system. More specifically, the firearm camera system is comprised of a traditional front sight post on a firearm, such as a handgun, pistol, shotgun, rifle, etc., and an integrated camera assembly. The camera assembly is connected via a mechanical or electrical connection to the trigger assembly of the firearm and an actuation mechanism, such that the camera is automatically actuated when a user pulls the trigger and the trigger reaches the trigger wall of the firearm, and just before the trigger breaks and the shot is fired from the firearm. In this instant, the camera may take a single photograph, a rapid burst of photographs, or a video, as specified by the user via a mobile application on a smartphone or other smart device.

More specifically, the camera assembly is also in electrical communication with a Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter that may be mounted within the frame of the firearm, for example, behind the recoil spring or at another suitable location. The wireless transmitter allows any images and/or video taken by the camera assembly and related data (e.g., GPS data about the location of the firearm) to be automatically transferred via, for example, an encrypted Bluetooth connection, to a mobile application on a mobile phone or other smart device for record keeping purposes. Each image/video is also automatically dated and timestamped when captured, up to the millisecond. While this application makes specific reference to a handgun throughout, it is also contemplated that the sight post camera system of the present invention can be applied to other types of firearms, such as rifles/carbines or shotguns in differing embodiments of the device, while maintaining the same general functional concept and architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that allows the full situational conditions/context of a deadly force encounter to be fully and objectively documented and realized at the instant in which the firearm is discharged, and for every instant that the firearm is subsequently discharged thereafter via high quality photographs/film. There also exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that requires no input from the user in order to be actuated, and that documents each instance in which the firearm is discharged. Finally, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camera system that allows the photographs/film/data documented to easily be transferred to a mobile phone or other smart device for record keeping or evidence purposes, preferably in an encrypted manner.

The present invention in one embodiment can take the form of a standard front sight post of a pistol or handgun and having a camera assembly integrated therein. The camera assembly is automatically activated via an actuation mechanism in mechanical or electrical connection with the trigger of the firearm. More specifically, the camera assembly is only activated during the pulling of the trigger of the firearm, and specifically when the trigger wall has been reached just prior to discharge of the firearm. By way of background, the trigger wall is defined within the firearm industry as the point where the trigger action first engages the resistance of the sear. At this point, the trigger has been squeezed and has moved, but the firearm has not yet been fired. Once the trigger wall has been reached, a user must increase the amount of pulling force on the trigger via the user's trigger finger to overcome the resistance and fire the weapon. Between the trigger wall being met and the trigger being fully pulled, the camera is activated via a mechanical connection between the camera and trigger assembly and begins to take, for example, a rapid burst of images, a single image, or a video, with all options being configurable by the user in the settings of the mobile application that is in communication with the camera assembly. Additionally, the camera assembly is further comprised of a Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter and GPS unit that is mounted within the frame of the pistol. or handgun. The transmitter is preferably in electrical communication with the camera assembly, and allows the images/videos from the camera and GPS data to be automatically transmitted in a secure, encrypted, and time-stamped manner to the mobile application, which can run on a mobile phone or other smart device.

Referring initially to the drawings,FIG.1illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of the firearm front sight post camera system100of the present invention mounted to a firearm10. By way of background, and as best illustrated inFIGS.3B and4, firearm10may be any type of firearm currently known in the art such as a handgun, pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc., but is preferably a handgun, such as the type typically issued to law enforcement officers. Generally stated, handgun10is comprised of a frame12, a slide assembly14having a top surface140, a trigger assembly15, a barrel16, a spring loaded ammunition clip17, a recoil spring18and a hammer19, all of which function as is known in the art.

The sight post camera system100of the present invention is preferably comprised of a front sight post110, a camera assembly130, and a transmitter170. Front sight post110is preferably identical in form and dimensions to traditional front sight posts, and is generally cylindrical is shape and comprised of a top surface111, a bottom surface113, opposing sides surfaces115, a front117and rear119. Front sight post110may be mounted to the top surface140of the slide assembly14of handgun10in a similar fashion as those front sight posts of the prior art, provided that both the front sight post and the top surface140of slide assembly have openings therein (not shown) to accommodate the mechanical or electrical interaction (e.g., wiring150) between trigger assembly15and camera assembly130, as explained more fully below. Further, the rear119of the front sight post110is preferably identical in appearance to a traditional front sight post, thereby not eliminating the ability for the front sight post110to function as intended, and allowing a user to more successfully aim and fire the handgun10.

As best shown inFIG.2, the front surface117of the front sight post110is further comprised of an opening therein to accommodate camera assembly or system130. The camera system130is preferably comprised of a protective bezel132, a protective outer lens134, and a camera lens136, but may also be comprised of a memory137and a processor138. Camera system130is preferably secured to, and may extend slightly beyond, the front surface117via protective bezel132, which is also integrally comprised of protective outer lens134. More specifically, the protective bezel132protects the camera system130from becoming dislodged from the front sight post110during firing of the handgun10and the recoil associated therewith, and the protective outer lens134protects the camera130from being covered with gunshot powder and/or residue. It is further contemplated that the protective outer lens134may be further comprised of a gunshot powder/residue resistant coating that is integrally formed to the lens134during the manufacturing process, with said coating inhibiting any and all potential build-up of gun powder residue on the surface of the protective outer lens134, thereby ensuring that the camera system130has an unobstructed view of the events unfolding before it, particularly at the moment of firearm discharge.

The inner camera lens136functions as the main lens for the camera130, and is similar to those camera lens of the prior art. Further, camera system130, once activated, is capable of capturing photos and/or video, as preselected by the user via a mobile application32on a smart phone or other device, as is described more fully below. Memory137may be any form of memory device known in the art for receiving and storing data such as, but not limited to, the photos and/or video captured by the camera system130, time and date information, the identity of the user of the handgun10, etc. Likewise, processor138may be any known processor for processing data and/or instructions including, for example and without limitation, those commands that may be received from the mobile application32on smart device30.

FIG.3Aillustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of a smart device30having a mobile application32for displaying a photograph, video and/or data taken or gathered by the firearm front sight post camera system100of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. More specifically, the mobile application32may be comprised of a plurality of features that includes, without limitation, the ability to allow the user to change the specific type of recording that takes place by camera system130. For example, the user (not shown) may select between a singular photo, a rapid burst of photos, or a video, all of which are actuated by each pull of the trigger assembly15of handgun10, as will be explained in greater detail below. The mobile application32may also provide a means to transfer images/video/data from the camera assembly130or the memory137to the smart device30, which may be a smart phone, a computer, or any smart device of the like, by, for example a wireless Bluetooth connection. More specifically, the mobile application32may connect to a Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter170having an antenna172that may be stored in the frame12of the handgun10, wherein the transmitter170is further connected to the camera130. Once connected via Bluetooth or other wireless technology to the transmitter170, the mobile application32of smart device30will be able to receive the images/videos/data from the sight post camera system100, preferably in an encrypted and secure connection and with each image/video being time-stamped with the date and time (in hours/minutes/seconds/milliseconds). This secure and encrypted connection ensures that the images/videos from the sight post camera system100cannot be hacked and/or sub sequentially altered by the user or a third party. It is also contemplated that the captured images/videos/data could be transferred elsewhere, such as to law enforcement, internal affairs, the FBI, etc.

FIG.3Billustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of the firearm front sight post camera system100of the present invention integrated into a handgun in accordance with the disclosed architecture, wherein the sight camera system100is integrated into a front sight post110of a handgun10. As described above, handgun10is comprised of frame12, slide assembly14, trigger assembly15for actuating camera system130via actuation mechanism142, barrel16, spring loaded ammunition clip17, recoil spring18and hammer19.

FIG.4illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the front sight post camera system100of the present invention mounted to a handgun10while also displaying how the camera assembly130of the sight post system100interacts with the trigger assembly16of the handgun10. More specifically, the camera assembly130is automatically actuated by the pulling of the trigger15, when said trigger15reaches the point of the trigger wall. Once the trigger wall has been reached, the actuation mechanism142, which may be in the form of a sensor, a mechanical connection or electrical connection (e.g., via wiring150), activates the camera130which will, in turn, automatically capture whatever form of images/video the user has selected via the mobile application32in the instant before the handgun10is fired. The actuation mechanism142thereby provides an accurate and objective image/video of what was observed by the user of the handgun10as he or she begins to fire the weapon. In addition, the actuation mechanism142repeatedly activates the camera assembly130for every trigger pull thereafter, thereby allowing for the conditions/factors present before/during each shot to be accounted for and documented in memory137and/or smart device30.

FIG.4also displays the path of the electrical connection150that connects the camera130to the Bluetooth transmitter170, which is preferably positioned behind/near the recoil spring18of the handgun10, or at another convenient location. More specifically, it is contemplated that wiring150may run from the trigger15to the actuation mechanism142to the camera130(and its processor) and then to the transmitter170, all of which may be powered by a micro-battery (e.g., watch, cell-phone or hearing aid battery) that may be wired or wirelessly rechargeable. The Bluetooth transmitter170may also double as a GPS unit that is capable of recording the location of firearm10at the moment of its discharge, and transmitting such data along with the photos or videos captured by the camera130to the mobile application32on smart device30, or to a third party such as law enforcement, internal affairs, the FBI, etc.

FIG.5illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the firearm front sight post camera system100of the present invention in the form of a rifle/carbine style sight in accordance with the disclosed architecture. More specifically, it is contemplated that the front sight post camera system100may be adapted in differing embodiments to be used in conjunction with other firearm front sight posts. Said front sight posts may include, without limitation, the A2 front sight post40of an AR-15, which is the typical duty rifle used by a wide variety of law enforcement agencies. In this embodiment, all aspects of the sight post camera system100and its function are the same as described above, with the camera130being mounted in the front surface42of the A2 front sight post40. More specifically, this embodiment of the sight post camera system100is comprised of all elements of the former embodiment, namely: (a) a camera130that is further comprised of protective bezel132, protective outer lens134, and camera lens136; (b) a mechanical camera actuation mechanism142that is connected to both the camera130of the A2 front sight post40, as well as the trigger of the rifle/carbine (not shown) and is activated once the trigger reaches the trigger wall each and every time that the trigger is pulled; and (c) an electrical communication150between the Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter170and camera130(not shown).

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the improved firearm front sight post system100can be any suitable size, shape, and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and size of the system100and its various components, as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other shapes and sizes of the system100are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although dimensions of the system100and its components (i.e., length, width, and height) are important design parameters for good performance, the system100and may be any shape or size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits user need and/or preference. This includes the shape/type of front sight post110, which may differ in differing embodiments of the system100as required by the firearm that the system100is being used in conjunction with.