A patent to disable guns within gun free zones
TrackingPoint has apparently filed for one:
TrackingPoint’s chairman John McHale applied for a patent (#20140182179) which describes an invention that can disable the trigger of guns, such as TrackingPoint’s smart rifles, if they are within school zones (1,000 ft. of a school), on the grounds of a federal facility or on the grounds of private business that bans private firearms.
July 9th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Looks like tracking point just lost a lot of business
July 9th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Yet more false sense of security to be derived from magical thinking, unless this guy is actually delusional enough to think his company will get the benefit from all the manufacturers being forced to license the tech. That just leaves the other 300 million or so without it, plus it neglects the ingenuity of hackers to fix things. That, and tracking is built in.
July 9th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Improved Criminal Safety
1. Purchase gun disabler for your business
2. Add Battery
3. Carry in backpack
4. Commit criminal activity without those meddlesome gun owners being able to defend themselves
Oppressive Government Version
1. Convince NJ to mandate the use of the technology
2. Rewire and boost range to 50-100miles
3. Disable the firearms of entire regions at the whim of a bureaucrat
July 9th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
One other thought, if the patent filer is actually pro gun, he could enforce the patent against anyone who tries to make a gun that does this, shut them down, and make sure no guns enter the market for the life of the patent… Someone should patent a bunch of other bad ideas like this, and make sure they are held in gun friendly hands…
July 9th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
Quislings. The lot of them.
July 9th, 2014 at 7:16 pm
Hmmm. I think I could make good use of this. Develop my own tracking point jammer and sell it as a “novelty” on fleabay.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Problem: if the tracking point software is controlling the actuation of the switch, then they are probably going to have to dance with ATF about if it is really an automatic weapon. Nothing is ever solid with the ATF, but they have told me (in person) that they evaluate the mechanism only, not firmware (because they are not qualified and because it can change as fast as a usb cable can get attached). So if the mechanism allows an actuator to shoot the round, then they assume the fire control group to be what the actuator and machinery can do in the most pernicious case – which in most cases approximates full auto.
If the actuator only causes a physical safety to get into place, then not such a problem with atf.
But unless they come out and say, “we did this to lock down the idea”, then I want no part of their plans.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Edit: the above assumes semi-auto. Bolt would not be an issue.
I suspect their patent would not be that narrow, and would cover semi-auto as well as bolt.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:44 pm
I think Monty has hit it on the head. This can quite easily be a defensive patent. Remember that the history of the design of firearms is the history of firearm patents and making new designs to get around a patent someone else held. Hell, the introduction of the moveable aileron on aircraft was because the Wright Brothers had a ‘wing warping’ patent that twisted the wings to change their lift.
If you have the patent, you’re the only one that can sell products made with that technology… if you want to.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
If Software controls the trigger actuation couldn’t the fire control system be remotely fired by a third party with no evidence it ever happened???
July 9th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
The funniest part is that Tracking Point is for long-range shooting, so a foe could still fire from outside the actual school zone.
July 9th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Any disabler would have to work only on those guns having the electronic activation chip. And if all guns had such a chip… then any would-be terrorist or thug who had such a disabling device could then cripple EVERYONE at ANYTIME.
July 10th, 2014 at 9:54 am
What about blackpowder guns? No fancy gizmos or electronic triggers (though you can get one setup with an electronic trigger) and no NICS check..
July 10th, 2014 at 10:17 am
What about all the people who live within 1000′ of a school? Do they get an “un-jammer” so they can use their guns in self-defense inside their homes? Or do they just lose their Right to self-defense because a school got built near their house?
July 10th, 2014 at 10:31 am
11.Oleg
14.Jake
Good cases for this being a defensive patent, as 4.Monty suggests.
Let me remove the tricorner hat of liberty for a moment and muse out loud: in an ideal “constitutional carry nation with no NFA”, how could such a device be useful? Maybe at a range when ‘cold’ is called, jammer engages and everyone can go downrange with peace of mind? Maybe?
Problem with safety gizmos like that is it breeds complacency with REAL safety. Kinda like those choke-you-when-the-car-starts seatbelts of the 90s.
July 10th, 2014 at 10:54 am
Assume this is implemented, it works 100% effectively, is not used for government abuse, there are work arounds for defensive use of homeowners’ guns within the gunfree zones, etc., so that it is absolutely perfect at disabling all firearms within gun free zones.
I walk into the school, business, government office with a 5 gallon plastic can full of gasoline and a match.
How does this expensive system stop me from burning the place to the ground?
July 10th, 2014 at 11:04 am
That can’t be patented. We already have technology to disable guns within gun free zones: more laws and more signs. Just put up [another] sign telling people they can’t shoot their guns within gun free zones. Problem solved.
July 10th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Ahh, The Emperor’s New Clothes!
July 10th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
The NRA ( or the JPFO, or SAF, or someone … )should take up patent trolling.
Patent every last retarded gun control tech imaginable, and then refuse to license the patents.
July 10th, 2014 at 3:58 pm
“The invention uses a GPS or mobile phone towers to determine location…”
So…its an automatic electronic registry AND locator.
Nice. And the government would never…ever….mandate this.