US5937557A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fingerprint-acquisition apparatus for access control; personal weapon and other systems controlled thereby
Assignee: Bioscrypt Inc Canada
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Filing: 1997-12-16
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Granted: 1999-08-17
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Expires: 2017-12-16
Abstract
Abstract At a first end of an optic-fiber prism assembly are fiber terminations to contact a relieved surface, e. g. finger (stabilized by a handgrip). In a region where fiber diameter is essentially constant with longitudinal position, light enters the prism, crosses the fibers and enters individual fibers through their sidewalls, lighting the terminations. To allow crosslighting of the assembly, the fiber-optic numerical aperture (NA) is small: preferably not exceeding one-half. Due to fingerprint etc. detail, fractions of light pass along the fibers; at the assembly second end a detector responds with an electrical-signal array based on the surface relief. The signals are processed to check finger etc. identity and applied to control access to a personal weapon, other equipment, facilities, data, or a money service. FTIR ("frustrated total internal reflection") bright- and dark-field versions have various benefits. For use of small, low-cost detectors-and/or internal-mirror versions that light the finger straight-on-the assembly has a separate element, e. g. a high-NA fiber-optic taper with extramural absorption or "EMA" material (no entry light crosses it). For a weapon, a unitary antibypassing module (which matches a weapon port, and must be present) holds part of the access-control and firing systems. Bullets etc. fire only on a special signal from the module.
Inventors
- 👤 J. Kent Bowker
- 👤 Stephen C. Lubard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:24
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41A; F41A17/00; F41A17/06; F41A17/066; G; G06; G06V; G06V20/00; G06V20/60; G06V20/66; G06V40/00; G06V40/10; G06V40/12; G06V40/13; G06V40/1324; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/30; G07C9/32; G07C9/37
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; and means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; at least a part of said discharging means and at least a part of said developing-and-applying means being physically formed together as a substantially unitary electronic module to deter unauthorized bypassing of said fingerprint-data access control.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; and means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; at least a part of said discharging means and at least a part of said developing-and-applying means being physically formed together as a substantially unitary electronic module to deter unauthorized bypassing of said fingerprint-data access control.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The weapon of claim 1, wherein: at least a part of said discharging means and at least a part of said developing-and-applying means are physically formed together as a substantially unitary electronic integrated circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The weapon of claim 1, wherein: the substantially unitary electronic module comprises a shape that matches and is required by an electronic-module receptacle of the weapon; said shape including electrodes for contacting elements of the weapon to effect said discharging.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The weapon of claim 3, wherein: said shape includes complicated contours.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The weapon of claim 1, wherein: said at least a part of said discharging means comprises means for providing a specifically controlled electrical impulse to effect said discharging; and the energy-discharging agency is manufactured to respond exclusively to said specifically controlled electrical impulse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The weapon of claim 5, wherein: the energy-discharging agency is a bullet having therein a charge of explosive powder and an electrical detonator to ignite the explosive charge; and the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to said specifically controlled electrical impulse.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The weapon of claim 6, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse whose duration is in a relatively narrow range.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The weapon of claim 6, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse whose voltage is in a relatively narrow range.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The weapon of claim 6, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse having a particular waveform.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The weapon of claim 1, wherein: the developing-and-applying means comprise a crosslit optic-fiber prism with numerical aperture not exceeding one-half, for collecting fingerprint data by frustrated total internal reflection.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
103 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means being manufactured to respond exclusively to a specifically controlled electrical impulse; and means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; said discharging means comprises means for providing a specifically controlled electrical impulse to actuate said energy-transmitting agency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
103 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means being manufactured to respond exclusively to a specifically controlled electrical impulse; and means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; said discharging means comprises means for providing a specifically controlled electrical impulse to actuate said energy-transmitting agency.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The weapon of claim 11, wherein: the energy-transmitting agency is a bullet having therein a charge of explosive powder and an electrical detonator to ignite the explosive charge; and the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to said specifically controlled electrical impulse.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The weapon of claim 12, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse whose duration is in a relatively narrow range.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The weapon of claim 12, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse whose voltage is in a relatively narrow range.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The weapon of claim 12, wherein: the detonator is manufactured to respond exclusively to an electrical impulse having a particular waveform.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The weapon of claim 11, wherein: the developing-and-applying means comprise a crosslit optic-fiber prism with numerical aperture not exceeding one-half, for collecting fingerprint data by frustrated total internal reflection.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
151 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; first means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; means for providing entry to working parts of the weapon; second means for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the entry-providing means; means for determining when entry to working parts of the weapon is gained without operation of the second means; means responsive to the entry-determining means for substantially permanently disabling the weapon when entry to working parts of the weapon is gained without operation of the second means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
151 words
A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising: means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; first means for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; means for providing entry to working parts of the weapon; second means for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the entry-providing means; means for determining when entry to working parts of the weapon is gained without operation of the second means; means responsive to the entry-determining means for substantially permanently disabling the weapon when entry to working parts of the weapon is gained without operation of the second means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-08-16 | 2003-02-15 | 2003-08-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-08-16 | 2007-02-15 | 2007-08-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-08-16 | 2011-02-15 | 2011-08-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |