WO1999060324A2 - Audio device to secure hand-held firearms - Google Patents

Abstract

Mechanical gun lock (12) with electronic voice word reognition and microphone (26) having a mechanical two part sections (11, 16) with a lockable body fastened in place around the trigger (7) of a hand held firearm (1). Electronic switch (20, 25) is designed for the release of the two parts (11, 16), and to loosen the locking mechanism by use of electronic voice proccessors (21, 22) recognizing a prior safety code word, or certain sound. The gun lock works with a low voltage as in a battery (14).

Description

 Device for securing handguns

The invention relates to a device for securing handguns.

Possession and use of handguns are subject to strict regulations, so in many countries a permit to purchase a handgun and to possess and use it is required. Unauthorized persons, especially children, should be prevented from owning and using small arms, since unauthorized use can lead to considerable damage or loss of life for those affected. Therefore, owners of handguns are required by law to keep them safe and unauthorized use This is where the invention comes in, which is based on the task of specifying a locking device of the aforementioned type, in which the unlocking of the lock is simplified. does not require a special key or a combination of numbers, and it should also be effective, simple and inexpensive.

In order to effectively prevent unauthorized use of the handgun, the trigger itself is blocked with the device, which consists of two interconnectable halves which, over the trigger guard, are arranged on the outside of the handgun. When these two halves are folded together, the trigger guard is covered with the trigger lever. In addition, the trigger lever itself is blocked by a bolt which extends between the two halves and which - adapted to the shape of the trigger lever - bears against it with a certain form fit so that the trigger lever cannot be pulled through. The closure holding the two halves of the locking device together is provided between these two halves and interacts with the two halves in such a way that they cannot be removed after the lock device has been locked in place without unlocking it. It is also possible to lock the trigger guard in the pulled position, so that manipulations that trigger a shot are also impossible. The bolt can be formed by the lock device itself.

To prevent the laying of one of the two halves, both halves are hinged together. After the lock device has been unlocked, the locking device is removed as a whole, put away as a whole and put back on the handgun as a whole to secure it again.

In the simplest case, the lock device is a lock with a key or a lock with a combination of numbers. To remove it, the lock must be opened. Even if the key is not available or the combination of numbers is not remembered, the handgun can be used as a "dummy" and can be used as a psychological weapon. Advantageously, the lock device has electronics. which is provided with a microprocessor and a program and data memory and which is programmed for detection. Speech recognition is proposed as the recognition means. For this purpose, a key word is entered by the authorized person, which is digitized by a processor with speech recognition and stored in the data memory. If the locking device of the closure is to be released during use, the code word (corresponding to the key word) is entered. Does this code-processed and digitized code word match the stored key word. opens the lock so that the lock can be removed and the handgun can be used.

Because of the characteristics of speech recognition, this ensures that only the. whose code word corresponds to the key word stored in the memory, is recognized as an authorized person and has been released by the handgun, especially since all people have a characteristic speech rhythm that enables an assignment.

For speech analysis, the key word spoken by the authorized person as a default is advantageously recorded, divided several times (for example 5 times) per second. Each of these parts of the word is checked for amplitude and the greatest amplitude is recorded. For testing purposes, the code word entered to open the closure is divided in the same way into parts of the same size, the largest amplitude occurring in this part of the word is then compared with the corresponding amplitude of the stored specification, relative values being advantageously used for comparison, for example the differences the highest amplitudes of one part of the word from the following part of the word. This relativization makes the specification independent of the absolute volume of the spoken code word, and also largely independent of the speaking speed, which is usually spoken very quietly and also quite quickly in critical situations, while the key word specification is regular with normal volume and normal speaking speed. When comparing the code word with the entered key word, the highest amplitudes of the first word part with that of the second word part, that of the second word part with that of the third word part etc. are determined. These differences are already saved for the key word specification; they can therefore be compared easily. Do these relationships - within predefined limits - match? the code word entry is recognized as matching the key word and thus as correct. If they match, the lock opens and thus the lock; if there is no match, the lock remains closed and the handgun cannot be used.

The lock itself has a locking bracket. which interacts with an electromagnetically actuated locking bolt. If a match is found, a magnetic switch pulls this locking bolt back, whereby the locking bracket is released and the two halves of the locking device can be separated or opened and removed.

The essence of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7; show

Fig. 01: Hand gun with locking device

(partially cut);

Fig. 02 locking device, perspective diagram;

03 details locking device,

Fig. 3a locking device opened (view).

Fig. 3b locking device opened (section).

Fig. 3c locking device. Side view (partially cut);

Fig. 04 wiring diagram electronic lock;

Fig. 05 Examples of speech analysis of a code word.

5a spectrum key word,

Fig. 5b spectrum code word.

Fig. 5c compressed to word length "key word"

Spectrum code word,

Fig. 5d: amplitude comparison. FIG. 1 shows a pistol 1 as a handgun with a handle 2 and barrel 3. A magazine 4 containing the cartridges is inserted in the handle 2. The barrel 3 is retractable in the usual way for tensioning and loading. it is guided in a run guide 5. The trigger 6 has a trigger guard 7 and a trigger lever 8 arranged therein. A locking device 10 is placed over the trigger 6, so that the trigger lever 8 cannot be operated. This locking device, shown in perspective in FIG. 2, consists, as can be seen in FIGS. 3, of a first shell part 11 and a second shell part 16, which can be joined together in the selected illustration. Both adjoining shells 11 and 16 grip the trigger 6. So that the trigger lever 8 is not accessible per se and actuation of the trigger 6 is prevented.

The first shell part 11 contains the lock device 12 with a locking bolt 12.1. with a lock arm 17 of the second shell 16 of the Sperrvorπ ^'rect 10 cooperates and both shell parts 11 and 16 together holds. This lock device 12 is designed in such a way that it engages approximately positively in the shape of the trigger lever and blocks the actuation of the trigger lever. This also effectively prevents "pressing" with the locking device 10 attached.

The lock device is advantageously designed as a lock with a release magnet 13 which interacts directly with the locking bolt 12.1. In order to be able to operate these trigger magnets 13, batteries 14 are provided, which are likewise accommodated in the first shell 11. Furthermore, the first shell 11 contains the electronics 20 (a schematic circuit diagram is shown in FIG. 4) with a processor 21 for speech recognition and a comparison processor 22 as well as a data memory 24. A microphone 26 permits the entry of a code word, the switches 26.1 is pressed.

This code word is sent to the speech recognition processor 24 as an electronic signal and is stored in the data memory 24 in the form of a file and treated by speech analysis. This is also via this microphone 26 Key word entered; In order to store the key word, the switch 26.2 (for this purpose the switch 25.1 can also be equipped with two switching stages) is pressed, so that the key word treated by spray analysis in the speech recognition processor 21 is sent to another part of the data memory 24. Both language spectra are stored in the data memory, where the length of the code word is first compared with that of the keyword. Deviations are overcome by compressing or stretching the code word to the length of the key word. The two signals which have been compared in terms of the time duration are then compared in the comparison processor 22 which, if they match, activates the control switch 25 so that the electromagnet 13 of the lock device 12 is energized, the locking bolt 12.1 is withdrawn and the locking bracket 17 is released, as a result of which the two halves 11 and 16 of the locking device 10 can be removed. A program memory 23 contains the program lines necessary for this sequence, which - as is customary in data processing - are processed one after the other.

For the speech-analytical treatment of the speech input, the signal picked up by the microphone is divided into time segments, the maxima in each of the intervals are compared with the maxima of the subsequent interval and the comparison value is stored in the data memory. A typical example of such a comparative analysis is shown in FIG. 5: The (normal spoken) key word provided the spectrum shown in FIG. 5a in the speech analysis, the time length of the spectrum being 1.8 s. The code word (spoken quieter and slower in the example) results in a spectrum after the speech analysis preparation - FIG. 5b -. that is 2.2 s long. For comparison, this spectrum is brought to the same duration of 1.8 s - FIG. Sc. The amplitude ratios of successive parts of the word are now calculated and compared; by comparing the absolute height of the amplitude heights, the comparison becomes independent of the volume. The result of the deviations of corresponding relationships - FIG. 5d - shows that - apart from the beginning and end of the word - there is sufficient agreement and agreement can be assumed.

Claims

 Protection claims 01. Device for securing handguns, characterized by a double-shell. the trigger guard (7) of a handgun (1) overlapping design, both shells (11, 16) being connectable to one another, and by means of a locking device (12) which fixes the two shells in a connected state. one of the shells (11; 16) having a locking bar (12.1) which can be actuated by means of a lock and the other of the shells (16; 11) having a locking bar (17) which interacts with the locking bar (12.1). 02. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that both shells (11, 16) are hinged to one another. 03. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lock device (12) is shaped such that it can be applied to the trigger lever (8) with a certain positive fit to block the actuation of the trigger lever (8). 04. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lock device has electronics programmed for speech recognition, which is provided with at least one microprocessor and a program and data memory. 05. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that in one of the shells (11; 16) a microphone (26) is used to enter the code word. 06. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a switch (26.1) is provided on one of the shells (11; 16) for entering the key word via the microphone (26).