Method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm

1. A method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method comprises the steps of:

(A) providing a firearm, wherein the firearm includes a chipset, a wireless communication module, a plurality of environmental sensors, at least one biometric scanner, and a trigger-locking mechanism;

(B) providing at least one authorized user signature, wherein the authorized user signature is stored on the chipset;

(C) receiving an at least one unidentified biometric reading through the biometric scanner and recording the unidentified biometric reading with the chipset;

(D) actuating the trigger-locking mechanism for the firearm, if the unidentified biometric reading does not match the authorized user signature, and if the trigger-locking mechanism is initially in an unlocked configuration;

(E) generating an unauthorized-use notification with the chipset and broadcasting the unauthorized-use notification with the wireless communication module, if the unidentified biometric reading does not match the authorized user signature;

(F) releasing the trigger-locking mechanism for the firearm, if the unidentified biometric reading does match the authorized user signature, and if the trigger-locking mechanism is initially in a locked configuration; and

(G) collecting situational data from the environmental sensors and recording the situational data with the chipset, if the firearm discharges a round.

2. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a palm-print reader as the at least one biometric scanner during step (A), wherein the palm-print reader is integrated onto a grip of the firearm;

providing an authorized palm-print as the at least one authorized user signature during step (B); and

receiving an unidentified palm-print as the unidentified biometric reading during step (C).

3. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a fingerprint reader as the at least one biometric scanner during step (A), wherein the fingerprint reader is integrated onto a trigger of the firearm;

providing an authorized fingerprint as the at least one authorized user signature during step (B); and

receiving an unidentified fingerprint as the unidentified biometric reading during step (C).

4. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a palm-print reader and a fingerprint reader as the at least one biometric scanner during step (A), wherein the palm-print reader is integrated onto a grip of the firearm, and wherein the fingerprint reader is integrated onto a trigger of the firearm;

providing an authorized palm-print and an authorized fingerprint as the at least one authorized user signature during step (B);

receiving an unidentified palm-print through the palm-print reader during step (C);

comparing the unidentified palm-print to the authorized palm-print with the chipset in order to generate a palm-print matching score;

receiving an unidentified fingerprint through the fingerprint reader during step (C); and

comparing the unidentified fingerprint to the authorized fingerprint with the chipset in order to generate a fingerprint matching score.

5. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 4 comprises the steps of:

providing a palm-matching threshold and a finger-matching threshold, wherein the palm-matching threshold and the finger-matching threshold are stored on the chipset; and

actuating the trigger-locking mechanism for the firearm, if the palm-print matching score is lower than the palm-matching threshold, if the fingerprint matching score is lower than the finger-matching threshold, and if the trigger-locking mechanism is initially in an unlocked configuration.

6. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 4 comprises the steps of:

providing a palm-matching threshold and a finger-matching threshold, wherein the palm-matching threshold and the finger-matching threshold are stored on the chipset; and

releasing the trigger-locking mechanism for the firearm, if the palm-print matching score is higher than the palm-matching threshold, if the fingerprint matching score is higher than the finger-matching threshold, and if the trigger-locking mechanism is initially in a locked configuration.

7. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the unidentified biometric reading does not match the authorized user signature;

providing a global positioning system (GPS) module as one of the plurality of environmental sensors;

receiving a current location of the firearm from the GPS module; and

adding the unidentified biometric reading and the current location of the firearm into the unauthorized-use notification with the chipset.

8. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing contact information stored on the chipset, wherein the contact information is associated to the authorized user signature; and

sending the unauthorized-use notification to the contact information with the wireless communication module, if the unidentified biometric reading does not match the authorized user signature.

9. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the unidentified biometric reading does not match the authorized user signature; and

repeating steps (C) through (E), until the unidentified biometric reading does match the authorized user signature.

10. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the firearm discharges the round;

recording a calendar date and a discharged time for the round with the chipset; and

adding the calendar date and the discharged time for the round into the situational data with the chipset.

11. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the firearm discharges the round;

providing a GPS module as one of the plurality of environmental sensors;

receiving a current location of the firearm from the GPS module; and

adding the current location of the firearm into the situational data with the chipset.

12. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the firearm discharges the round;

providing at least two gyroscopes as one of the plurality of environmental sensors, wherein the at least two gyroscopes are distributed along a barrel of the firearm;

receiving barrel orientation data of the firearm from the at least two gyroscopes;

extrapolating trajectory data for the round from the barrel orientation data with the chipset; and

adding the trajectory data for the round into the situational data with chipset.

13. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

wherein the firearm discharges the round;

providing an accelerometer as one of the plurality of environmental sensors;

deriving spatial positioning data of the firearm through the accelerometer;

converting the spatial positioning data into recoil tracking data for the firearm with the chipset; and

adding the recoil tracking data for the firearm to the situational data with the chipset.

14. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing contact information stored on the chipset, wherein the contact information is associated to the authorized user signature; and

sending the situational data to the contact information with the wireless communication module.

15. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a personal computing (PC) device;

providing a data-transferring port for the firearm, wherein the data-transferring port is electronically connected to the chipset;

sending the situational data to the PC device through a hardwire connection from the data-transferring port; and

displaying the situational data through the PC device.

16. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing an external computing device, wherein the external computing device is associated to the firearm and manages a firing history for the firearm;

sending the situational data to the external computing device with the wireless communication module; and

storing that situational data as a log entry in the firing history of the firearm with the external computing device.

17. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a GPS module as one of the plurality of environmental sensors, wherein the GPS module is integrated into a primary functional component of the firearm; and

disabling the firearm, if the primary functional component is physically separated from the firearm.

18. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a portable power source for the firearm; and

powering the chipset, the wireless communication module, the plurality of environmental sensors, the at least one biometric scanner, and the trigger-locking mechanism with the portable power source.

19. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 18 comprises the steps of:

providing a vibration motor and a voltmeter for the firearm;

providing a low voltage threshold stored on the chipset;

monitoring a voltage across the portable power source with the voltmeter; and

actuating the vibration motor, if the voltage across the portable power source is less than the low voltage threshold.

20. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 18 comprises the steps of:

providing a photovoltaic module for the firearm, wherein the photovoltaic module is electrically connected to the portable power source; and

recharging the portable power source by capturing light with the photovoltaic module.

21. The method of monitoring and trigger-locking a firearm, the method as claimed in claim 18 comprises the steps of:

providing an inductive charging base; and

recharging the portable power source by placing the firearm onto the inductive charging base.