Patent ID: 8776422

Claim:
A weapon accessory control system comprising: at least one Powered Rail extending along at least a portion of a length of a barrel of a weapon and electrically connected to a source of electrical power, for providing a source of electrical power to at least one power-consuming accessory that is mechanically and electrically attached to the Powered Rail, comprising: a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact for providing a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection to said power source, respectively, via a first power conductor and a second power conductor, and wherein mechanical mounting of a power-consuming accessory on the Powered Rail electrically connects said power-consuming accessory via said first and second electrical contacts to said first and second power conductors; an accessory control apparatus for enabling a user to select command and control functions for each power-consuming accessory connected to the Powered Rail; a powered control module located in said power consuming accessory, responsive to electrically connecting said power-consuming accessory via said first and second electrical contacts to said first and second power conductors, for transmitting device-specific data to said accessory control apparatus to define the power consuming accessory; and wherein the accessory control apparatus includes a powered control module, electrically connected to the Powered Rail and responsive to the user selecting a command and control function for a particular power-consuming accessory, for transmitting control signals indicative of the user selecting a command and control function for a particular power-consuming accessory to the powered control module located in the particular power-consuming accessory via the first and second power conductors of the Powered Rail, which are shared by all of the power-consuming accessories that are mounted on the Powered Rail, to control the operation of the particular power-consuming accessory.