Claims
- 1. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism, said security apparatus comprising:a mode determination means for determining an operational mode of said firearm, said mode determining means including a sensor assembly for determining a status of an operational parameter of said firearm; an authorization sensor for detecting if an operator of said firearm is authorized to fire said firearm, wherein said security apparatus permits generation of a firing signal only if said operational mode is determined to be an intent to fire mode and said operator is detected to be an authorized operator; and said sensor assembly comprises a grip sensor for detecting said operator's grip on said firearm, wherein said grip sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensitive switches oriented adjacent a grip portion of said firearm, wherein actuation of any one of said plurality of pressure sensitive switches changes said operational mode of said. firearm from a sleep mode to an awake mode.
- 2. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:actuation of any two of said plurality of pressure sensitive switches changes said operational mode of said firearm from said awake mode to said intent to fire mode, provided said authorization sensor has determined said operator is an authorized operator.
- 3. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:said sensor assembly comprises an actuation sensor for detecting when said firing mechanism is actuated by said operator.
- 4. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 3, wherein:said actuation sensor comprises a hammer terminal, wherein actuation of a trigger member of said firearm causes said firing mechanism to contact said hammer terminal.
- 5. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:said authorization sensor includes a comparing means to compare a personalized sequential depression of said plurality of said pressure sensitive switches with a predetermined sequential depression of said plurality of said pressure sensitive switches, said authorization sensor operating to accept said personalized sequential depression only if said firearm is in said awake mode.
- 6. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising:a display screen observable to said operator, said display screen displaying an authorization signal when said personalized sequential depression of said plurality of said pressure sensitive switches matches said predetermined sequential depression.
- 7. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising:an illuminated sight assembly, said security apparatus causing said sight assembly to blink when said personalized sequential depression of said plurality of said pressure sensitive switches matches said predetermined sequential depression.
- 8. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising:said security apparatus causes said sight assembly to blink on and off for approximately 300 milliseconds when said personalized sequential depression of said plurality of said pressure sensitive switches matches said predetermined sequential depression.
- 9. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:said sensor assembly comprises a cartridge check sensor which generates an electrical check signal for detecting when an ammunition cartridge is properly loaded in said firearm.
- 10. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 9, wherein:said electrical check signal is a low voltage signal below a voltage required to discharge said ammunition cartridge.
- 11. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising:circuitry which does not permit a successive discharge of said firearm until said firing mechanism first disconnects from said hammer terminal.
- 12. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:said firearm is a revolver having a plurality of firing chambers capable of housing an equal plurality of non-impact ammunition cartridges.
- 13. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing apparatus, said security apparatus comprising:means for receiving a plurality of operational parameters of said firearm; means for determining if said operational parameters are consistent with an intent to discharge said firearm, said security apparatus authorizing said firing apparatus to produce and send a check signal to an ammunition cartridge only if said operational parameters are consistent with said intent to discharge said firearm; and wherein said firing apparatus generating a firing signal and providing said firing signal to said cartridge only if said check signal indicates that said cartridge is properly loaded in said firearm.
- 14. A security apparatus for use in authorizing the discharge of a firearm having a firing mechanism according to claim 13, wherein:said firearm is a revolver having a plurality of firing chambers capable of housing an equal plurality of said ammunition cartridges.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Some of the material disclosed herein is disclosed and claimed in the following pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/205,391, filed Dec. 4, 1998, entitled: “FIRING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR NON-IMPACT FIRED AMMUNITION”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/206,013, filed Dec. 4, 1998, entitled: “FIREARM HAVING AN INTELLIGENT CONTROLLER”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/629,745, filed Jul. 31, 2000, entitled: “A SECURITY APPARATUS FOR USE IN A FIREARM”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/642,753, filed Aug. 21, 2000, entitled “AN ELECTRIC FIRING PROBE FOR DETONATING ELECTRICALLY-FIRED AMMUNITION IN A FIREARM”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/642,269, filed Aug. 18, 2000, entitled “A SLIDE ASSEMBLY FOR A FIREARM”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/629,531, filed Jul. 31, 2000, entitled “A TRIGGER ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN A FIREARM HAVING A SECURITY APPARATUS”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/629,532, filed Jul. 31, 2000, entitled “A BACKSTRAP MODULE CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE COMPONENTS AND CIRCUITRY OF A FIREARM CAPABLE OF FIRING NON-IMPACT FIRED AMMUNITION”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/643,024, filed Aug. 21, 2000, entitled “A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A FIREARM HAVING A SECURITY APPARATUS”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/629,534, filed Jul. 31, 2000, entitled “AN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE FOR USE IN A FIREARM ADAPTED FOR FIRING NON-IMPACT DETONATED CARTRIDGES”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,722, filed Jul. 14, 2000, entitled “AN ELECTRONICALLY FIRED REVOLVER UTILIZING PERCUSSIVELY ACTUATED CARTRIDGES”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,696, filed Jul. 14, 2000, entitled “AN ELECTRONIC SIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A FIREARM”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,709, filed Jul. 14, 2000, entitled “A FIRING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A FIREARM HAVING AN ELECTRONIC FIRING PROBE FOR DISCHARGING NON-IMPACT FIRED AMMUNITION”; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,739, filed Jul. 14, 2000, entitled “A FIRING PROBE FOR USE IN A NON-IMPACT FIREARM”; and pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,697, filed Jul. 14, 2000, entitled “A BACKSTRAP MODULE FOR A FIREARM”, which are hereby incorporated by reference as part of the present disclosure.
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