Methods and apparatus for a conducted electrical weapon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118872-B2
Application number	US-201916577401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) launches wire-tethered electrodes from multiple cartridges to provide a stimulus signal through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target. The CEW may detect the quality of the electrical coupling (e.g., connection) of pairs of electrodes with the target. In accordance with the quality of the connections, the CEW may provide pulses of a stimulus signal to the various connections between electrode pairs in accordance with a sequence. The sequence may provide pulses at a first maximum pulse rate to any one connection to increase the likelihood of inducing neuromuscular incapacitation (“NMI”) and to save energy. The sequence may provide pulses to all connections at a second maximum pulse rate to increase the likelihood of inducing NMI and to save energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a stimulus signal through a human or animal target, the stimulus signal includes a series of current pulses, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of the target, the method comprising:
selecting a first sequence of connections, the first sequence of connections includes an ordered list of two or more connections;
setting a first connection of the first sequence of connections as a selected connection;
providing one pulse of the stimulus signal to the selected connection;
while providing the one pulse, determining a quality of the selected connection;
setting a next connection of the first sequence of connections as the selected connection, wherein the first connection of the first sequence of connections follows a last connection of the first sequence of connections with respect to setting the selected connection;
repeating providing, determining, and setting the next connection for a period of time; and
selecting a next sequence of connections based on the quality of one or more of the two or more connections of the first sequence of connections.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises detecting:
whether an amount of charge that flows through the selected connection is greater than a first threshold;
whether a charge of the one pulse arced between terminals; and
whether a signal generator provide an amount of charge greater than a second threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of setting the first connection and setting the next connection comprises selecting a first wire-tethered electrode and a second wire-tethered electrode associated with the selected connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the one pulse of the stimulus signal comprises energizing the selected connection with the one pulse of the stimulus signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the one pulse of the stimulus signal comprises delivering a charge of the one pulse through the target via the selected connection if the quality of the selected connection is good.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the one pulse of the stimulus signal comprises not delivering a charge of the one pulse through the target via the selected connection if the quality of the selected connection is bad.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein repeating comprises providing pulses of the stimulus signal to connections whose quality is good at a first maximum rate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first maximum rate is 22 pulses per second.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein repeating comprises providing pulses of the stimulus signal to all connections of the first sequence of connections at a second maximum rate, the second maximum rate is a sum of all pulse rates for each connections of the first sequence of connections.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second maximum rate is 44 pulses per second.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein repeating comprises:
providing pulses of the stimulus signal to connections whose quality is good at a first maximum rate; and
providing pulses of the stimulus signal to all connections of the first sequence of connections at a second maximum rate; wherein:
the first maximum rate is between 11 pulses per second and 50 pulses per second; and
the second maximum rate is between 22 pulse per second and 50 pulses per second.

12. A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) for providing a stimulus signal through a target, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of the target, the CEW comprising:
a processing circuit;
a signal generator, the signal generator provides the stimulus signal, the stimulus signal including a series of pulses; and
three or more electrodes electrically coupled to the signal generator, the three or more electrodes for launching toward the target to provide the stimulus signal through the target to impede locomotion of the target; wherein the processing circuit and the signal generator cooperate to:
set a first connection of a first sequence of connections as a selected connection, the first sequence of connections includes an ordered list of two or more connections;
select two selected electrodes from the three or more electrodes in accordance with the selected connection;
provide one pulse of the stimulus signal to the two selected electrodes;
while providing the one pulse of the stimulus signal, determine a quality of the selected connection;
set a next connection of the first sequence of connections as the selected connection, the first connection of the first sequence of connections follows a last connection of the first sequence of connections;
repeat select, provide, determine, and set for a period of time; and
select a next sequence of connections based on the quality of one or more of the two or more connections of the first sequence of connections.

13. The CEW of claim 12 wherein:
the signal generator comprises three or more transformers and three or more switches;
a secondary winding of each transformer coupled to one electrode from the three or more electrodes respectively;
a primary winding of each transformer coupled to one switch respectively; and
the processing circuit controls the three or more switches to provide the one pulse of the stimulus signal to the two selected electrodes.

14. The CEW of claim 12 wherein to determine the quality of the selected connection:
the processing circuit and signal generator further cooperate to detect:
whether an amount of charge that flows through the selected connection is greater than a first threshold;
whether a charge of the one pulse arced between terminals of the CEW; and
whether the signal generator provides an amount of charge greater than a second threshold; and

the processing circuit determines the quality of the selected connection in accordance with detecting.

15. The CEW of claim 12 further comprising a memory, wherein:
the first sequence of connections is stored in the memory; and
the processing circuit reads the first sequence of connections from the memory.

16. The CEW of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit and signal generator repeat to:
provide a first maximum pulse rate to each connection of the first sequence of connections whose quality is good; and
provide a second maximum pulse rate to all connections of the first sequence of connections, the second maximum pulse rate is a sum of all pulse rates for each connection of the first sequence of connections.

17. The CEW of claim 16 wherein the first maximum rate is between 11 pulses per second and 50 pulses per second.

18. The CEW of claim 16 wherein the second maximum rate is between 22 pulses per second and 50 pulses per second.

19. The CEW of claim 12 wherein each pair of electrodes selected from the three or more electrodes corresponds to one connection of the first sequence of connections.

20. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a first quality of connection for each pair of electrodes from two or more pairs of electrodes;
determining, by the processor, a first sequence of connections based on the first quality of connection, wherein the first sequence of connections comprises an ordered list of a plurality of connections, and wherein each connection of the plurality of connections comprises a pair of electrodes from the two or more pairs of electrodes;
providing, by the processor, one pulse of a stimulus signal to each connection from the plurality of connections based on the ordered list from the first

Assignees

• Axon Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Goodchild Eric
• Mata Gerzain
• Nerheim Magne

Classifications

• F41A17/063

  comprising a transponder · CPC title

• F41H13/0031

  for remote electrical discharge by means of a wireless projectile · CPC title

• F41H13/0025 Primary

  for remote electrical discharge via conducting wires, e.g. via wire-tethered electrodes shot at a target · CPC title

• H05C1/04

  providing pulse voltages (mechanical self-interrupters H01H; electronic pulse-generators H03K) · CPC title

• F41H13/0018

  for nearby electrical discharge, i.e. the electrodes being positioned on the device and the device brought manually or otherwise into contact with a nearby target (batons with electric discharge capability F41B15/04; electric shock devices for animals A01K15/02) · CPC title