Systems And Methods For Spraying An Aerosol
Contents
1. A transceiver includes any circuitry for sending and receiving wireless communication Communication includes any conventional circuitry for suitable carriers modulations demodulation packetization and protocols 0030 According to various aspects of the present inven tion system 100 performs a method for linking in advance of communicating notice as discussed above By linking in advance notice is more timely transmitted In one implemen tation the method begins when power switch 104 enables power supply 106 to energize processor 136 memory 138 and transceiver 134 The method performed by processor 136 in response to reading indicia of instructions from memory 138 includes in any practical order a detecting operation of push to talk switch 116 b establishing a communication link via transceiver 134 c reducing power consumption of the system and d transmitting via the link in response to push to talk switch 116 For example push to talk switch 116 may be operated or held in position by the user when power switch 104 is set to the on position or within a pre defined period thereafter In one implementation the link supports Bluetooth protocol a trademark of Telefonaktie bolaget LM Ericsson Establishing the link comprises dis covering and or responding so as to be paired with another Bluetooth capable device e g a cell phone tablet laptop hotspot Reducing power consumption may include entering convent2. anda second deterrent range of positions that facilitate proportional release of aerosol spray Trigger Sep 11 2014 switch 112 is biased to the rest position Arm switch 110 in its safety position mechanically holds trigger switch 112 in the rest position to reduce the possibility of unintended operation of trigger switch 112 Trigger switch 112 cooper ates with position sensor 114 so that a signal of position sensor 114 in accordance with obtaining the first deterrent position effects circuitry of system 100 0023 A push to talk switch a record switch and a play back switch include electrical switches implemented with or without latches that maintain an output signal or mode For example a user s manual momentary press and release of the respective switch may initiate a talk function a record func tion or a playback function until the user s manual second press and release of the respective switch Latching may be accomplished with circuitry and or software using conven tional technologies Push to talk switch 116 record switch 118 and playback switch 120 may be implemented as mon etary electrical switches that are biased into a rest position and require action by the user to set each into a respective active position Without a latch function the user obtains the indicated function only while holding the momentary electri cal switch in its active position 0024 System
3. first deterrent position 0042 A shuttle includes any mechanism that locates a canister for proper initiation of aerosol output from the can ister in response to e g directly indirectly in accordance with position of a trigger switch A shuttle may retain a canister A shuttle may locate and or retain more than one canister A canister may comprise a valve operated in response to movement of the shuttle A canister may comprise a vent opened in response to movement of the shuttle A shuttle may seal a canister and operate to open the seal in response to movement of the shuttle A vent valve or seal may be re closeable or non recloseable 0043 For example shuttle 130 retains canister 132 and moves canister 132 so as to open a valve that may be integral to canister 132 Movement is against spring bias in the valve so that when shuttle 130 returns to a rest position the valve recloses Movement ina range of positions of shuttle 130 may facilitate proportionally opening the valve for proportionally more or less volume and or velocity of output spray 0044 The functions discussed herein for a canister may be integrated into an aerosol containing shuttle for an imple mentation that omits a separable canister 0045 System 100 in one implementation is a weapon designed to be hand held battery operated and used for self defense Weapon 200 is not a firearm and is unlikely to be a sole cause of death or serious injury of hum
4. shuttle and a trigger switch The shuttle and the trigger switch cooperate with discontinuous mechanical coupling The trig ger switch provides a discontinuity in bias against operation of the trigger switch by the user 0086 As a sixth example a spray subsystem includes a shuttle and a trigger switch The trigger switch moves in a first range of positions before abutting the shuttle The trigger switch moves in a second range of positions while abutting Sep 11 2014 the shuttle to move the shuttle Movement of the trigger switch is opposed by a first spring Movement of the shuttle is opposed by a second spring 0087 Ina variation of the sixth example a portion of the trigger switch passes through an opening of the shuttle before the trigger switch abuts the shuttle 0088 As a seventh example a trigger switch for operation in a spray subsystem includes a portion of a position sensor e g a sensor a characteristic capable of being sensed a mount and a surface The position sensor senses the position of the trigger switch as operated by a user of the spray sub system The mount accepts a spring to oppose movement of the trigger by the user of the trigger switch The surface mechanically cooperates with a provided canister to release a spray from the canister 0089 Ina variation of the seventh example the portion of the position sensor includes a magnet 0090 As an eighth example a system for spraying for self defen
5. sumption comprises reducing the sensitivity of receiving by the transceiver 7 A method performed by a processor that reads indicia of instructions for the method from a memory the processor and memory being part of a system for spraying the system operated by a user the method comprising initializing a communication capability of the system in response to operation by the user of a first switch of the system operating a communication capability in response to operation by the user of a second switch operating an incident recording capability in response to operation by the user of a third switch and releasing aerosol spray in response to operation by the user of a fourth switch 8 A system for spraying for self defense against an attacker the system comprising a a power switch b an arm switch c a trigger switch d circuitry for providing a notice via a wireless link and for recording audio and video of the attacker and e a canister containing aerosol wherein f the circuitry in response to operation of the power switch enables operation of the system as a node of a wireless network g the circuitry in response to operation of the arm switch records audio and video of the attacker h the notice is provided via the wireless link in response to operation of the trigger switch and i the aerosol is released toward the attacker in response to operation of the trigger switch
6. 100 may be constructed of conven tional materials using conventional technologies including conventional computer programming technologies in light of the disclosure herein 0017 A user interface includes switches and may further include displays A switch includes any mechanical and or electrical apparatus of a user interface that has than one posi tion or state Movement from one state to another is generally responsive to action by the user For example system 100 may include conventional switches e g slide toggle push on push off normally open momentary normally closed momentary magnetic proximity optical capacitive 0018 A display provides an indication to the user The indication may describe a configuration a capability a con dition a status an operating mode a result of an operation and or a warning For example displays of system 100 may include conventional indicators e g lamps light emitting diodes liquid crystal displays field emission displays dis plays comprising selectively excited phosphor surfaces 0019 System 100 comprises a user interface that includes power switch 104 arm switch 110 trigger switch 112 posi tion sensor 114 push to talk switch 116 record switch 118 playback switch 120 and displays 142 Trigger switch 112 performs mechanical functions with respect to shuttle 130 Trigger switch 112 and position sensor 114 cooperate to perform electrical functions Arm switch 110 perform
7. is a functional block diagram of a system for spraying according to various aspects of the present inven tion 0003 FIG 2A is a perspective plan view of a system for spraying in one implementation according to various aspects of the present invention showing the left side and front 0004 FIG 2B is a perspective plan view of a system for spraying in one implementation according to various aspects of the present invention showing the right side and rear 0005 FIG 3A is a plan view of the interior of the left half of the housing of the system of FIGS 2A and 2B 0006 FIGS 3B 3E are partial cross section views of a spray subsystem of the system for spraying of FIGS 2A and 2B with the trigger switch at rest the trigger switch at a first position the trigger switch at a second position and the trigger switch at a third position respectively 0007 FIG 4 is a front plan view of a shuttle of the spray subsystem of FIGS 3B 3E 0008 FIG 5 is a left side view of a trigger switch of the spray subsystem of FIGS 3B 3E and 0009 FIG 6 is a graph of force vs position of a trigger switch of the system for spraying of FIG 1 and the imple mentation of a system for spraying of FIGS 2A 2B 3A 3E 4 and 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 0010 A system for spraying includes any apparatus that dispenses aerosol and comprises a user interface A user may include a human operator A user may include a robotic a
8. steel 0055 Withreference to FIGS 3B E when the user applies pressure to trigger switch 212 trigger switch 212 pivots into abutting contact with shuttle 320 After contact occurs con tinued pressure by the user on trigger switch 212 causes trigger switch 212 to urge shuttle 320 upward As shuttle 320 moves upward shuttle 320 lifts canister 318 As canister 318 is lifted canister 318 compresses canister outlet valve 316 against entry valve 314 and thereby opens canister outlet valve 316 Pressure of the aerosol opens entry valve 314 and exit valve 302 When canister outlet valve 316 is open aerosol spray travels through canister outlet valve 316 entry valve 314 tube 304 exit valve 302 and spray outlet 211 of front face 208 0056 Operation of spray subsystem 300 will now be fur ther described with reference to FIGS 3B 3E and FIG 6 In FIG 3B trigger switch 212 is at the rest position indicated as X0 in graph 600 In FIG 3C trigger switch 212 is at a first deterrent position indicated as X1 in graph 600 In FIG 3D trigger switch 212 is at a beginning of a range of positions indicated as X2 X3 in graph 600 In FIG 3E trigger switch 212 is at an end position X4 of a second deterrent range of positions indicated as X3 X4 in graph 600 0057 Spray system 300 further includes trigger bias spring 312 Trigger bias spring 312 provides a trigger bias spring bias force that maintains trigger switch 212 in re
9. trigger switch to a rest position The second spring is biased to return the canister to a rest position Movement of the trigger by a user of the system when opposed by only the first spring does not open the outlet valve Movement of the trigger by a user of the system when opposed by only the first spring and the second spring does not open the outlet valve Movement of the trigger by a user of the system when opposed by the first spring the second spring and the bias of the outlet valve opens the outlet valve to form a spray comprising contents of the canister 0084 Asa fourth example a system for spraying includes a canister of aerosol a circuit and a trigger switch The trigger switch provides a force as a function of position the force opposing operation of the trigger switch by a user The force increases at a first average rate in a first range from a rest position of the trigger switch to a tactile feedback position of the trigger switch The force increases at a second average rate greater than the first average rate in a second range from the tactile feedback position to a maximum position of the trigger switch The circuit is enabled to output an audio deter rent at a position within the first range spaced respectively from each extreme of the first range The canister is opened to release aerosol in a portion of the second range that is less than the entire second range 0085 As a fifth example a spray subsystem comprises a
10. 0 transmits audio over a link in response to arm switch 110 trigger switch 112 and or push to talk switch 116 In one implementation processor 136 performs a method in accordance with instructions stored in Sep 11 2014 memory 138 after power is being supplied by power supply 106 Processor 136 monitors the position of arm switch 110 When arm switch 110 is no longer in the safety position processor 136 records sound from microphone 122 as data stored in an audio circular buffer in memory 138 that keeps about 30 seconds of recorded sound If trigger switch 112 is moved against spring bias out of a rest position to a first deterrent position processor 136 in any practical order acti vates audio deterrent 144 activates visual deterrent 146 acti vates visual warning 148 activates video camera 124 and records video into a video circular buffer in memory 138 that keeps about 15 minutes of video issues instructions over the link established as discussed above to a cellular phone to place a call to an emergency assistance service e g a 9 1 1 service and performs playback of the recorded notice cre ated as discussed above to inform the emergency assistance service If a cellular phone call has been established then processor 136 may facilitate transmitting over the cellular phone call audio from any one e g alternatingly of the following sources recorded sound from the audio circular buffer in memory 138 the r
11. 100 can operate without current from bat tery 102 as follows Arm switch 110 in safety position mechanically blocks effective movement of trigger switch 112 A user may at any time move arm switch 110 out of the safety position After arm switch 110 is no longer in the safety position a user may at any time operate trigger switch 112 away from the rest position to one or more other posi tions When not in the rest position trigger switch 112 may mechanically urge shuttle 130 against force e g one or more springs biased against trigger switch 112 one or more springs biased against shuttle 130 one or more springs biased against canister 132 one or more springs biased against valves nor mally closed to retain aerosol within canister 132 As shuttle 130 moves in response to movement of trigger switch 112 valves ina spray subsystem an example of which is discussed below open to release aerosol from canister 132 as a spray output of system 100 If the user does not overcome spring biasing that biasing returns valves in spray subsystem closed to stop the release of aerosol 0025 System 100 is designed for battery powered opera tion so that it can be carried and used apart from other sources of electricity If desired battery power may be replaced with a wired source of electricity for example with a sufficiently long and flexible cord to permit release of aerosol from suit able locations and in suitable d
12. 112 in addition to the rest position As discussed above trigger switch 112 may have a first deter rent position and a second deterrent range of positions Functions of system 100 initiated by trigger switch 112 enter ing the first deterrent position regardless of how long trig ger switch 112 remains in the first deterrent position may be as discussed above Aerosol spray may be initiated and con tinued while trigger switch 112 remains in the second deter rent range of positions 0040 A position sensor detects and reports indicia of posi tion of an object in any conventional manner of detecting and reporting Position may be determined directly or determined from velocity or acceleration of the object and reported directly as position or as velocity or acceleration according to conventional position sensor technologies A position sensor may include conventional magnetic e g proximity ofa mag net or magnetically permeable material and or optical tech nologies e g intensity of a light source or reflection beam break 0041 For example position sensor 114 detects magnetic flux associated with a portion of trigger switch 112 When magnetic flux intensity or a rate of change thereof crosses a predetermined limit value then position sensor 114 informs e g writes or makes data available e g awaits being read to inform processor 136 to the effect that trigger switch 112 has entered the
13. RY 104 POWER SWITCH POWER SUPPLY 5V 142V 12V 126 128 140 410 130 142 ARM SWITCH SHUTTLE 132 DISPLAY 112 TRIGGER SWITCH CANISTER m i i 134 AUDIO 114 7 135 DETERRENT POSITION SENSOR TRANSCEIVER 146 116 PUSH TO TALK SWITCH 136 VISUAL 418 DETERRENT RECORD SWITCH __ PROCESSOR 148 120 138 PLAYBACK SWITCH VISUAL WARNING AND 122 MEMORY MICROPHONE LASER SIGHT 124 VIDEO CAMERA FIG 1 Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 2 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 200 US 2014 0252028 A1 Sep 11 2014 Sheet 3 of 8 Patent Application Publication FIG 2B Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 4 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 FIG 3A Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 5 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 FIG 3C Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 6 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 FIG 3E Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 7 of 8 320 404 408 US 2014 0252028 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 8 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 212 TRIGGER POSITION X FIG 6 US 2014 0252028 Al SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SPRAYING AN AEROSOL BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 0001 Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawing wherein like desig nations denote like elements the terms left and right are from the perspective ofa user looking in the direction of spray and 0002 FIG 1
14. US 20140252028A1 as United States a2 Patent Application Publication o Pub No US 2014 0252028 A1 Lord 43 Pub Date Sep 11 2014 54 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SPRAYING Publication Classification AN AEROSOL 51 Int Cl 71 Applicant Charles Scott Lord Scottsdale AZ GO8B 21 02 2006 01 US F41H 9 10 2006 01 52 U S CI 72 Inventor Charles Scott Lord Scottsdale AZ CPC GO8B 21 02 2013 01 F41H 9 10 2013 01 US USPC fesse 222 79 222 192 340 539 11 222 162 57 ABSTRACT 73 Assignee Guardian 8 Corporation Scottsdale 67 AZ US A system for spraying according to various aspects of the present invention includes a a power switch an arm switch a trigger switch and a communication switch The system 21 Appl No 13 830 645 establishes a communication link in response to power being applied through the power switch Before operation of the 22 Filed Mar 14 2013 arm switch the system establishes a communication link After operation of the arm switch the trigger switch activates oer release of spray In further response to the trigger switch the Related U S Application Data system transmits a notice via the communication link Such a 63 Continuation of application No 13 791 582 filed on system when equipped with pepper spray aerosol is advanta Mar 8 2013 geous for self defense Patent Application Publication Sep 11 2014 Sheet 1 of 8 US 2014 0252028 A1 100 102 BATTE
15. What is claimed is 1 A method performed by a processor that reads indicia of instructions for the method from a memory the processor and memory being part of a system for spraying for self defense operated by a user the system further comprising a power switch a second switch and a transceiver the method being performed when the power switch couples power to the pro cessor and the memory the method comprising a detecting before lapse ofa period a first operation by the user of a second switch b in response to detecting 1 establishing a communication link via the trans ceiver and 2 reducing power consumption of the system and c transmitting a notice related to self defense via the link in response to a second operation by the user of the second switch Sep 11 2014 2 The method of claim 1 wherein the first operation of the second switch is detected if the second switch is held in position by the user within a predefined period after power is coupled to the processor 3 The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the link comprises responding so as to be paired with a node of a network 4 The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power con sumption comprises entering a sleep mode of at least one of the processor and the memory 5 The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power con sumption comprises reducing a recurring rate of transmitting by the transceiver 6 The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power con
16. act with a feature near the top at a neck and or of a wall of the canister 0066 A spring as used herein includes any device that provides a mechanical force in response to a position or change of position Spring includes any conventional spring e g coil leaf torsion spring flat wound strip cord opera tive by extension compression bending or twisting A spring includes devices of conventional materials e g solids liq uids gels gases having resilient and or elastic characteris tics 0067 A shuttle bias spring includes any device coupled to a shuttle and or any integral portion of a shuttle that provides a force to close a canister exit valve and or return the shuttle to a rest position 0068 For example shuttle 320 includes base 406 post 408 top 412 and arm 402 Base 406 and top 412 define the vertical extent of interior space 404 sized for retaining a conventional canister containing under pressure an aerosol e g oleoresin capsicum pepper spray Arm 402 comprises opening 410 A top portion of opening 410 is defined by surface 313 of arm 402 In operation canister 318 abuts base 406 at all times When shuttle 320 is lifted by trigger switch 212 shuttle 320 lifts canister 318 by force applied from base 406 to a lower extremity of canister 318 Pressure of surface 234 of trigger switch 212 is communicated through arm 402 to lift base 406 and canister 318 Post 408 confines shuttle bias spring 322 duri
17. ans For example as shown in FIGS 2 6 weapon 200 includes fea tures corresponding generally to the functional blocks dis cussed above Functional blocks are indicated parenthetically for reference Weapon 200 includes enclosure 202 handle 204 e g an integral portion of enclosure 202 base 206 and Sep 11 2014 front face 208 e g an integral portion of enclosure 202 Weapon 200 encloses spray subsystem 300 see FIG 3A On front face 208 are located lens 207 for a visual deterrent 146 and a video camera 124 a radiator 209 for an audio deterrent 144 visual warning 148 205 laser sight 148 210 and spray outlet 211 A user interface of weapon 200 includes trigger switch 112 212 arm switch 110 213 power switch 104 218 record switch 118 222 playback switch 120 220 push to talk 116 switches 214 and 216 and displays 142 224 For ambidextrous operation arm switch 213 and push to talk switches 214 and 216 have mechanical and or electrical equivalents positioned equivalently on both sides of weapon 200 A circuit board omitted for clarity of descrip tion of spray subsystem 300 includes circuitry for all func tions discussed with reference to FIG 1 namely a power supply 106 microcontroller 136 138 transceiver 134 antenna 135 circuitry for audio and visual deterrents 144 146 microphone 122 and video camera 124 0046 A user may perform a method of operating the sys tem including
18. coupling to a trigger switch The base and operative surface may be in fixed relationship For example the base and operative surface may be features of a rigid structure that forms the shuttle In one implementation shuttle 320 is rigid formed of conventional plastic 0064 The operative surface of the shuttle comprises any portion of the shuttle that cooperates e g abuts impinges with a portion of a trigger switch The operative surface may bean inside surface ofa feature e g aperture hook L shape box cup loop The trigger switch may after coming into contact with the operative surface of the shuttle form a cou pling e g hinge joint ball and socket Mechanical cou pling of the operative surface and the trigger switch may include abutting sliding and or impinging The operative surface may be located on the shuttle at a distance away from the canister The operative surface may be located beside the canister The operative surface may be located on the shuttle at a distance above or below the canister 0065 The base of a shuttle includes an surface capable of urging open the canister outlet valve The base may abut a lower extremity ofa canister e g lift the canister by a surface of the canister abutting the shuttle when the shuttle is in a rest position A base may abut grasp and or impinge a portion of a canister above the lower extremity e g urge the canister to open the canister outlet valve by cont
19. ecorded notice live ambient sound responsive to microphone 122 and live speech or sound responsive to microphone 122 further in response to push to talk switch 116 being held at the talk position Pro cessor 136 may silence audio deterrent 144 in response to push to talk switch 116 being held at the talk position 0033 Inputs to processor 136 may be coupled to processor 136 in any conventional manner represented generally by bus 126 Various additional circuitry not shown may be used e g discrete circuitry for each input de bounce circuits sampling circuits multiplexers addressed I O logic analog to digital conversion circuitry comparators amplifiers digi tizers 0034 Conventional digital communication is supported by bus 128 and any conventional protocols Video camera 124 transceiver 134 processor 136 and memory 138 may read and or write data from and to any suitable combination of these devices Data may include status commands responses acknowledgements packets and information to facilitate any function of system 100 as discussed herein 0035 Outputs from processor 136 may be coupled to pro cessor 136 in any conventional manner represented generally by bus 140 Various additional circuitry not shown may be used e g discrete circuitry for each output latching circuits multiplexers addressed I O logic digital to analog conver sion circuitry amplifiers 0036 An audio deterrent prod
20. ected if the second switch is held in position by the user within a predefined period after power is coupled to the processor 0093 In another variation of the ninth example establish ing the link comprises responding so as to be paired with a node of a network 0094 In another variation of the ninth example reducing power consumption comprises entering a sleep mode of at least one of the processor and the memory 0095 In another variation of the ninth example reducing power consumption comprises reducing a recurring rate of transmitting by the transceiver 0096 In another variation of the ninth example reducing power consumption comprises reducing the sensitivity of receiving by the transceiver 0097 As a tenth example a method is performed by a system for spraying The system is operated by a user The method includes in any practical order the steps of a initial izing a communication capability of the system in response to operation by the user of a first switch of the system b operating a communication capability in response to opera US 2014 0252028 Al tion by the user of a second switch c operating an incident recording capability in response to operation by the user of a third switch and d releasing aerosol spray in response to operation by the user of a fourth switch 0098 The foregoing description discusses preferred embodiments of the present invention which may be changed or modified without depa
21. f the present invention the trigger switch may provide a discontinuity in bias against operation of the trigger switch by the user These aspects are realized in a spray subsystem 300 of FIGS 3A 3E 4 and 5 0051 Spray subsystem 300 is located within enclosure 202 of weapon 200 shown in FIGS 2A and 2B Spray sub system 300 includes exit valve 302 tube 304 entry valve 314 trigger switch 212 shuttle 320 and canister 318 having can ister outlet valve 316 In the side view of FIG 3A spray subsystem 300 is located against the inside surface of left side 203 of enclosure 202 Stop 317 maintains alignment of entry valve 314 and canister outlet valve 316 0052 In the partial cross section views of FIGS 3B 3E shuttle 320 is shown in a section identified by plane 414 in FIG 4 Canister 318 is shown supported by shuttle 320 and in a section with reference to the same plane 414 0053 A valve as discussed herein includes any conven tional check valve for a fluid e g gas liquid suspension aerosol For example canister outlet valve 316 entry valve 314 and exit valve 302 may comprise duck bill check valves that open in response to a prescribed minimum pressure and otherwise close in response to bias of the valve design Bias may be provided by a spring or any other conventional mate rials or components 0054 A tube includes any structure having a passage that transports a fluid Tube 302 may be rigid formed of stainless
22. ional sleep modes of processor 136 memory 138 and or related circuitry reducing the range and or recurring rate of transmitting reducing the sensitivity of receiving and or removing power from portions of the circuitry of sys tem 100 0031 System 100 determines a notice that may at various times be customized and or personalized to each user To that end processor 136 performs a method in accordance with indicia of instructions stored in memory 138 After power is being supplied by power supply 106 the user may set record switch 118 to the record position Speech or other audio is accepted by microphone 122 and indicia of audio is recorded in memory 138 as data for a notice Microphone 122 proces sor 136 and or memory 138 may include analog to digital conversion capability Recording stops when memory capac ity is filled and or when record switch 118 is no longer in the record position The user may review the recorded notice by setting playback switch 120 to the playback position Indi cia of audio recalled from memory 138 may be formatted and directed to drive audio deterrent 144 a conventional speaker and or be transmitted by transceiver 134 for review on a suitable receiver e g cellular telephone tablet laptop com puter One purpose of the notice may be to inform an emer gency assistance service as discussed below 0032 Inaddition to transmitting audio notice over a link as discussed above system 10
23. irections 0026 Battery 102 provides power to system 100 when power switch 104 is set to the on position and does not supply power when power switch 104 is set to the off posi tion Battery 102 may be rechargeable in situ with conven tional circuitry not shown Any conventional battery may be used 0027 A power supply includes any circuitry for convert ing power in one format to power in another format each format for example has a characteristic e g voltage ampli tude pulse period repetition rate and duty cycle suitable for empowering one or more functions of system 100 For example power from battery 102 is converted by power sup ply 106 to 5 volts DC and 12 volts DC measured with respect to system ground e g circuit common These volt ages supply power as needed to other functional blocks of system 100 US 2014 0252028 Al 0028 A processor includes any digital circuitry that per forms a program stored in memory A memory includes any conventional electronic and or mechanical apparatus for stor ing digital information e g RAM ROM Flash EPROM disk Memory circuits may be packaged with processor cir cuits as a controller a microcontroller a microprocessor or a microcomputer A processor may include input output I O circuitry for conversion of signaling technologies e g ana log binary digital signals of nonstandard formats impedance matching latched inputs latched outputs 0029
24. n trigger switch 212 is in the first deterrent position 0062 Trigger switch 212 is coupled to shuttle 320 when surface 334 of trigger switch 212 abuts surface 313 of shuttle 320 Opening 410 of shuttle 320 comprising surface 313 accepts a portion of trigger switch 212 comprising surface 334 These surfaces are not mechanically coupled for coop eration when trigger switch 212 is in a first range of positions X0 X2 These surfaces are mechanically coupled for coop eration when trigger switch 212 is in a second range of posi tions X2 X4 Because there is no tactile feedback to the user at position X1 of trigger switch 212 the user learns that trigger switch 212 has achieved the first deterrent position X1 and is now beyond position X1 when tactile feedback is available at position X2 The range of positions X1 X2 accommodates manufacturing tolerances The range of posi tions X1 X2 when greater than about 10 ofthe range X0 X2 makes system 100 easier to use for instance because proper operation is less dependent on the user moving trigger switch 212 to a narrowly defined position such as X1 itself The US 2014 0252028 Al range of positions X1 X2 can be made greater than about 10 of the range X0 X2 by conventional design techniques for the size and shape of trigger switch 212 relative to the position and size of opening 410 of shuttle 320 0063 A shuttle may include a base for lifting a canister and an operative surface for
25. ng compression of shuttle bias spring 322 against stop 323 as shuttle 320 moves away from its rest position Top 412 may abut a top surface of canister 318 to assure that canister outlet valve 316 is pulled away from entry valve 314 as shuttle 320 returns to its rest position 0069 A trigger switch for operation in a spray subsystem according to various aspects of the present invention includes structure for position sensing structure for cooperation with a trigger bias spring and structure for cooperation with a Sep 11 2014 shuttle For example trigger switch 212 of FIG 5 includes switch body 231 and magnet 232 Switch body 231 includes features identified as mount 233 surface 234 aperture 235 and finger grip 236 0070 In one implementation trigger switch 212 is an assembly Switch body 231 is formed of rigid conventional plastic Magnet 232 is pressed into position in a suitable aperture of switch body 231 Trigger bias spring 312 may be coupled to switch body 231 in any conventional manner e g threaded into mount 233 threaded into a suitable aperture of body 231 mounted coaxially to oppose rotation of trigger body 231 about aperture 235 0071 Aperture 235 supports switch body 231 ona suitable post feature of body 203 Aperture 235 facilitates rotation of switch body 231 about a center of aperture 235 coaxial to circle 308 discussed above 0072 Finger grip 236 provides a comfortable surface for the user
26. nged in counter rotational coupling analogous to the way two disc shaped gears mesh on their circumferences 0076 Inall of these alternatives movement of the trigger switch causes movement of the shuttle only after an initial range of motion of the trigger switch e g after a position analogous to position X2 of FIG 6 0077 Examples of systems for spraying and methods per formed by systems for spraying according to various aspects of the present invention include the following 0078 Asa first example a system for spraying includes a trigger switch a first spring a second spring and a canister of aerosol The first spring is coupled to the trigger switch to oppose operation of the trigger switch The second spring is not coupled to the trigger switch during a first range of posi tions of the trigger switch and is coupled to the trigger switch during a second range of positions of the trigger switch During the second range of positions of the trigger switch the first spring and the second spring oppose operation of the trigger switch without release of the aerosol During a third range of positions of the trigger switch the first spring and the US 2014 0252028 Al second spring oppose operation of the trigger switch in a range of positions with release of the aerosol 0079 As a second example a variation of the first example the system further includes a shuttle operative when coupled to the trigger switch to open
27. nsceiver of the system circuitry and b reducing power consumption of the system The processor may control the transceiver with a signal or command to reduce power consumed by the transceiver and the processor may change to a low power mode e g sleep mode where transition out of the sleep mode may be respon sive to setting arm switch 106 to an arm position During low power mode the communication link e g pairing is main tained ready for immediate use e g without repeating steps of initializing discovering identifying configuring verify ing configuration 0049 A spray subsystem according to various aspects of the present invention facilitates activation ofa series of deter rents For example a series comprising one or more first deterrents followed in time by second deterrents as discussed herein 0050 A spray subsystem according to various aspects of the present invention facilitates a series of functions of a system for spraying For example a system for spraying performs a series of functions including initializing a com US 2014 0252028 Al munication capability operating a communication capability operating an incident recording capability and releasing aerosol spray A spray subsystem according to various aspects of the present invention comprises a shuttle and a trigger switch wherein the shuttle and the trigger switch coop erate with discontinuous mechanical coupling According to various aspects o
28. pective spring constants of trigger bias spring 312 return spring of canister outlet valve 316 and shuttle bias spring 322 are designed to generally provide the force vs position relationship of graph 600 where forces F0 F4 represent a series of ever increasing forces matched by the user of system 100 to attain and or leave trigger switch positions X0 X4 0060 The graph of FIG 6 presents a simplified linearized approximation of the reaction force F that a user of weapon 200 would experience when applying pressure against trigger switch 212 at various angular positions X0 X4 measured about the center of circle 308 A model of the actual force as a function of position X would account for nonlinear stretch ing of trigger bias spring 312 and nonlinear compression of shuttle bias spring 322 for values of X from X0 X4 0061 A position sensor may include a fixed portion anda moving portion A fixed portion of position sensor 310 is mounted on a circuit board not shown and located on refer ence circle 308 A moving portion comprises magnet 332 of trigger switch 212 As trigger switch 212 moves into first deterrent position X1 magnet 332 operates the fixed portion to indicate to circuitry that the first deterrent position has been accomplished The fixed portion of position sensor 310 comprises a conventional magnetic proximity switch Cir cuitry including proximity switch 310 is coupled to a proces sor to notify the processor whe
29. ppa ratus A user interface includes any apparatus for initiating spraying 0011 A system for spraying according to various aspects of the present invention supports a canister that contains an aerosol and activates release of the aerosol from the canister in response to a range of positions of a trigger switch In one implementation as a hand held hand operated device or spray gun a human user operates the trigger switch to cause activation and directs the aerosol 0012 According to various aspects of the present inven tion a user of a system for spraying comprising a trigger switch experiences a change in the force vs position of the trigger switch preceding activation of release of the aerosol A possibility of unintended activation is reduced Training on use of the system is simplified In an implementation where the system includes circuitry for functions in addition to releasing aerosol operation of the trigger switch up to the position where a change in force is experienced may facili tate initiate or perform one or more of those functions Operation of the trigger switch may facilitate initiate or perform a series of functions wherein the series is determined at least in part by a series of positions of the trigger switch 0013 According to various aspects of the present inven tion a system for spraying provides a user interface that includes a power switch an arm switch and a trigger switch Sep 11 2014 The
30. removing base 206 installing a canister 318 of aerosol spray e g pepper spray installing a battery 102 319 and replacing base 206 If battery 319 is absent or not sufficiently charged aerosol spray may be dispensed mechanically by moving arm switch 213 away from a safety position directing spray outlet 211 of front face 208 toward a human or animal to be sprayed and controlling the dispens ing of aerosol spray by pulling and releasing trigger switch 212 0047 If the battery has sufficient charge to operate cir cuitry of system 100 including a processor and display sys tem 100 may respond to the user s act of sliding power switch 218 to the on position by illuminating display 224 as notice that no communication link has been established The pro cessor performs a method similar in some ways to the method discussed above including detecting whether push to talk switch 214 or 216 is operated by the user within a limit period of time relative to operation of power switch 218 If not then the processor operates display 224 to provide notice to the user e g red light is emitted 0048 If the battery has sufficient charge to operate cir cuitry of system 100 including a processor and a transceiver the system may respond to the user s act of sliding power switch 218 to the on position and operating push to talk switch 214 or 216 within a limit period of time by a estab lishing a communication link via a tra
31. rting from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims As used herein the term coupled is used for explaining cooperation e g electrical communication mechanical communication that may be direct or indirect e g through intervening mechanical through intervening electrical components As used herein the term generally is used for explaining a component or process in an implementation where in other implementations of the present invention each of the narrower terms substan tially primarily and exclusively is specifically intended to be disclosed and to apply These relationships correspond to relative effectiveness of the component or process such as generally about 50 effective substantially about 80 effec tive primarily about 95 effective and exclusively meaning 100 effective The term about means a factor of 15 The examples listed in parentheses may be alternative or combined in any manner The invention includes any practi cal combination of the structures and methods disclosed As used in the specification and claims the words having and including in all grammatical variants are open ended and synonymous with comprising and its grammatical variants While for the sake of clarity of description several specifics embodiments of the invention have been described the scope of the invention is intended to be measured by the claims as set forth below
32. s mechanical functions with respect to trigger switch 112 and performs electrical functions as discussed below 0020 A power switch includes any electrical switch that has an off position and an on position For example power switch 104 selectively electrically couples battery 102 to power supply 106 Power is supplied to power supply 106 only when power switch 104 is set to the on position In one implementation power switch 104 is a two position slide switch that is not biased into either position and includes mechanical hysteresis to maintain its current position 0021 An arm switch includes any apparatus for mechani cal and electrical functions discussed herein For example arm switch 110 has two positions a safety position and a position away from the safety position The second position may correspond to the safety off position of conventional hand guns In one implementation arm switch 110 is a two position rotary switch that is not biased into either position and includes mechanical hysteresis to maintain its current position An arm switch includes any apparatus that further mechanically interferes with operation of a trigger switch 0022 A trigger switch includes any apparatus having a first position electrically sensed and providing movement for proportional control For example trigger switch 112 has a rest position a first range of positions that includes a first deterrent position
33. se against an attacker includes a power switch an arm switch a trigger switch circuitry and a canister The circuitry provides a notice via a wireless link and for record ing audio and video of the attacker The canister contains aerosol The circuitry in response to operation of the power switch enables operation of the system as a node of a wireless network The circuitry in response to operation of the arm switch records audio and video of the attacker The notice is provided via the wireless link in response to operation of the trigger switch The aerosol is released toward the attacker in response to operation of the trigger switch 0091 As a ninth example a method is performed by a processor that reads indicia of instructions for the method from a memory The processor and memory are part of a system operated by a user The system further comprises a power switch a second switch and a transceiver The method is performed when the power switch couples power to the processor and the memory The method includes in any prac tical order the steps of a detecting a first operation by the user of a second switch b in response to detecting estab lishing a communication link via the transceiver and reducing power consumption of the system and c transmitting via the link in response to a second operation by the user of the second switch 0092 Ina variation of the ninth example the first opera tion of the second switch is det
34. st position X0 by opposing force if any exerted by the user of weapon 200 to move trigger switch 212 away from rest position X0 As trigger switch 212 pivots at the center of reference circle 308 trigger bias spring 312 extends increas ing this trigger bias spring bias force Sep 11 2014 0058 Spray system 300 further includes shuttle bias spring 322 Shuttle bias spring 322 provides a bias force that maintains shuttle 320 at a rest position to assure opening of canister outlet valve 316 is intended by the user of weapon 200 When shuttle bias spring 322 is compressed against stop 323 shuttle 322 is urged by shuttle bias spring 322 to return to its rest position as shown in FIGS 3A 3D 0059 Canister outlet valve 316 has a return spring not shown This return spring cooperates with shuttle bias spring 322 to provide a combined bias against force exerted by the user of weapon 200 against trigger switch 212 According to various aspects of the present invention the combined bias increases at a rate different e g greater than the trigger bias spring bias force discussed above Consequently a first increasing force exerted by the user to move trigger switch 212 in a first range of positions X0 X2 is noticeably at a different rate of increase than a second increasing force exerted by the user to move trigger switch 212 in a second range of positions X2 X4 In other words in an exemplary implementation the res
35. system comprises circuitry for one or more of the fol lowing functions with audio and or light warn of subsequent release of aerosol cast light for illumination and or direction identification before and or during release of aerosol log date time and or location of release of aerosol record sound record still photographs record video provide notice via cellular telephone and or facilitate communication via cel lular telephone Operation of the power switch accomplishes initialization of the circuitry Initialization may include facili tating operation of the system as a node of a wireless network The arm switch ina first position mechanically interferes with operation of the trigger switch and in a second position per mits unrestricted operation of the trigger switch Before operation of the power switch or in the absence of sufficient power e g no available power source dead battery activa tion of release of aerosol can be accomplished in response to operation of the trigger switch as permitted by the arm switch 0014 According to various aspects of the present inven tion a system for spraying provides a user interface that includes a microphone a speaker a record switch and a playback switch The record switch initiates recording of sound via the microphone The playback switch initiates playback of recorded sound via the speaker In various imple mentations the recorded sound may be used for one or more of the follo
36. the canister to release the aerosol and during the first range of positions of the trigger switch the shuttle is not coupled to move in response to the trigger switch 0080 In a variation of the second example the second spring is coupled to the shuttle to oppose movement of the shuttle 0081 In another variation of the second example the sys tem is useful for self defense against an attacker The system further includes circuitry and a position sensor The circuitry provides a deterrent to aggression by the attacker The posi tion sensor enables the circuitry to provide the deterrent after the trigger switch is operated beyond a first portion of the first range and before the trigger switch is operated in the second range 0082 In another variation of the first example the system is useful for self defense against an attacker The system further includes circuitry and a position sensor The circuitry provides a deterrent to aggression by the attacker The posi tion sensor enables the circuitry to provide the deterrent after the trigger switch is operated beyond a first portion of the first range and before the trigger switch is operated in the second range 0083 Asathird example a system for spraying includes a canister a tube a trigger switch a first spring and a second spring The canister comprises an outlet valve biased closed The tube comprises an entry valve and an exit valve The first spring is biased to return the
37. to operate trigger switch 212 with an index finger in a conventional manner 0073 Inthe implementations discussed above with refer ence to FIGS 2A 2B 3A 3E 4 and 5 body 202 includes handle 204 at an angle from a horizontal top portion of weapon 200 Trigger switch 212 provides rotational motion about circle 308 to open canister outlet valve 316 Space fora canister is provided in a handle of the weapon Other imple mentations are within the scope of the present invention 0074 For example a weapon having analogous functions supports a canister substantially parallel to the direction of spray A trigger switch in such an implementation may oper ate by movement along a substantially straight line instead of about an axis of rotation as discussed above Movement of the trigger switch may be confined to a track having any suitable linear or nonlinear form A handle may be provided at an angle to the direction of spray substantially parallel to the direction of spray or omitted e g for use against a human user s shoulder or for use by a robotic user 0075 For example a canister may include a canister release valve that is opened using rotational force in contrast with linear force for canister 318 discussed above A trigger switch and shuttle may be arranged in linear format e g similar to rack trigger and pinion shuttle coupling arranged in coaxial coupling both trigger and shuttle rotate on the same axis or arra
38. uces sound to frighten dis tract or debilitate a human or animal and is activated by the user for purposes of self defense Any conventional sound deterrent technology may be used including high volume volume bursts high pitch low pitch imitations of frightening sounds such as sirens whistles screams or the ranting of attacking animals For example audio deterrent 144 produces an 80 dB siren howl 0037 A visual deterrent produces light to frighten dis tract or debilitate a human or animal and is activated by the user for purposes of self defense Any conventional light deterrent technology may be used including temporarily blinding light rapidly flashing light imitations of frightening lights such as colors used exclusively by police and laser colors associated with weapon sights For example visual deterrent 146 emits high intensity white strobe light to cause temporary blindness and or disorientation US 2014 0252028 Al 0038 A visual warning may be emitted in any direction to inform other persons within a reasonable range of system 100 that deterrents including sound light and aerosol spray may be activated without further notice For example visual warn ing 148 may emita suitable color e g yellow orange red of incoherent light to the left and to the right of system 100 0039 According to various aspects of the present inven tion system 100 responds differently to more than one posi tion of trigger switch
39. wing recording of the user s voice identifies the user of the system recording of a system administrator s voice advises the user for the purpose of system status mes sages e g warranty expiration date periodic maintenance due date initial battery capacity initial aerosol capacity description of installed aerosol date of dispensing the system to the user warnings operating instructions directed to the user Recorded sound recorded via the microphone and or prerecorded by the system administrator or system manufac turer may be used during operation of the system e g as a warning preceding activation of release of aerosol as notice via a wireless network as notice via cellular telephone com munication Pre recordings may comprise data for synthe sizing sounds 0015 According to various aspects of the present inven tion a system for spraying provides a user interface that includes a power switch a second switch and circuitry including a processor and a transceiver for communication The system when operational performs a method for linking in advance of communicating notice as discussed above By linking in advance notice is more timely transmitted In one implementation the method begins when the power switch enables power to the processor The method performed by the processor from indicia of instructions read by the processor from a memory includes in any practical order a detecting operation of the second s
40. witch b establishing a communi cation link via the transceiver c reducing power consump tion of the system and d transmitting via the link in response to the second switch For example the second switch may be operated or held in position by the user when the power switch is being operated or within a predefined period thereafter In one implementation the link supports Bluetooth protocol a trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Establishing the link comprises discovering and or responding so as to be paired with another Bluetooth capable device e g a cell phone tablet laptop hotspot Reducing power consumption may include entering a sleep mode of the processor memory or related circuitry reducing US 2014 0252028 Al the range and or recurring rate of transmitting reducing the sensitivity of receiving and or removing power from portions of the circuitry of the system 0016 For example system 100 of FIG 1 is a system for spraying as discussed above A functional block diagram of system 100 includes battery 102 power switch 104 power supply 106 arm switch 110 trigger switch 112 position sensor 114 push to talk switch 116 record switch 118 play back switch 120 microphone 122 video camera 124 shuttle 130 canister 132 transceiver 134 antenna 135 processor 136 memory 138 displays 142 audio deterrent 144 visual deterrent 146 and visual warning 148 Mechanical apparatus and circuitry of system
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