Remote firing module and method thereof

Abstract

A pyrotechnic firing system for igniting an explosive charge comprising one or more firing modules, a firing control system, and an igniter cable system. The firing module can comprise a transceiver, a memory, an antenna, a processing means, and one or more cues. The firing control system can comprise a processing means, memory, transceiver, antenna, and display. The firing control system can identifying and obtaining information from one or more firing modules. The control system can then assign visual indicators to each of the one or more firing modules and display the visual indicators to a user on the display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pyrotechnic firing system for igniting an explosive charge comprising:
 at least one firing module comprising a housing and a receptacle base having at least one cue;   a firing control system communicatively coupled to the firing module; and   an igniter cable system comprising at least one igniting cable having a first end and a second end, wherein an igniting member is communicatively coupled on the first end of the cable and a receptacle plug is coupled on the second end of the cable, wherein the receptacle is configured to removably couple from the receptacle base of the firing module.   
     
     
         2 . The firing system of  claim 1 , wherein the firing module comprises a power source, an antenna, a transceiver, and one or more cues. 
     
     
         3 . The firing system of  claim 2 , wherein the firing control system comprises a power source, an antenna, a transceiver, a memory, a microcontroller, and a display. 
     
     
         4 . The firing system of  claim 3 , wherein the memory includes an indicator database of one or more firing modules. 
     
     
         5 . The firing system of  claim 4 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to sense and assign one of more firing modules a visual indicator. 
     
     
         6 . The firing system of  claim 5 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to assign individual cues of a firing module a visual indicator. 
     
     
         7 . The firing system of  claim 6 , wherein the firing module visual indicator and cue visual indicator is provided to the user on the display. 
     
     
         8 . The firing system of  claim 7 , wherein the firing module further comprises a visual indicator display configured to display the assigned visual indicator for the module. 
     
     
         9 . The firing system of  claim 4 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect the type and length of one or more igniter cables. 
     
     
         10 . The firing system of  claim 2 , wherein the firing module further comprises a microcontroller and memory. 
     
     
         11 . The firing system of  claim 8 , wherein the firing module and the firing control system are wirelessly coupled via a network, wherein the firing module further comprises a length and type detection system configured to detect the type and length of one or more igniter cables; and a continuity detection configure to detect the presence of one or more igniter cables. 
     
     
         12 . The firing system of  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle plug has a pin corresponding to the igniter cable and the receptacle base has an aperture for accepting said pin. 
     
     
         13 . The firing system of  claim 12 , wherein the igniter cable system comprises a plurality of cables, wherein the receptacle plug includes an individual cue and correlating pin for each individual igniter cable and said receptacle plug is configured to be removably coupled to a receptacle base of a firing module. 
     
     
         14 . The firing system of  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle plug is a single plug having a plurality of igniter cables, wherein the single plug is removably couplable to the receptacle base having individual cues associated with each individual igniter cable, wherein the microcontroller can activate the igniter cable of each individual igniter cable separate from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The firing system of  claim 3 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to identifying and obtaining information from one or more firing modules using the firing control system; assigning visual indicators to each of the one or more firing modules; and displaying the visual indicators to a user on the display. 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling and identifying a pyrotechnic device comprising:
 providing one or more firing modules, a firing control system, and one or more igniter cables;   identifying and obtaining information from one or more firing modules using the firing control system,   assigning visual indicators to each of the one or more firing modules;   displaying the visual indicators to a user on the display.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the information comprises the number of cues contained by each firing module. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the information further comprises the number of cues that have an igniter cable coupled to the module, the type of igniter cable for each of the one or more cues, and the length of the igniter cable for each of the one or more cues. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more cues are assigned a visual indicator. 
     
     
         20 . An igniter cable system, comprising:
 a plurality of igniter cables comprising a first end and a second, wherein the first end of each igniter cable includes an igniting member; and   a single cable plug for accepting the second end of each of the plurality of igniter cables, wherein the single cable plug includes an individual cue for each individual igniter cable and said cable base is configured to be removeably coupled to a receptacle base of a firing module.