Methods and apparatus for a conducted electrical weapon

• US 10,060,710 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Inventors: Nerheim, Magne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Danny
• Application Number:
  US15/050,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20170241753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 361232, 42 108, 102502
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 15/04 with electric stunning-means ejecting electrically charged liquid jets F41B9/00; electric shock creating harpoons F42B30/14; electric circuits or apparatus for killing or stunning H05C
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0012 Electrical discharge weapons, e.g. for stunning
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0018 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 Class Codes: F41H 13/0025 for remote electrical discharge via conducting wires, e.g. via wire-tethered electrodes shot at a target
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0031 for remote electrical discharge by means of a wireless projectile
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 1/00 Circuits or apparatus for generating electric shock effects
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 1/04 providing pulse voltages mechanical self-interrupters H01H; electronic pulse-generators H03K

Abstract

A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) launches wire-tethered electrodes from multiple cartridges to provide a current through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target. The CEW may detect when the electrodes launched from the cartridges may provide the current through more than one target. The CEW may detect when electrodes launched from the cartridges may provide the current through the same target. The CEW may set the pulse rate of the current based on detecting the launch of electrodes from more than one cartridge, detecting that electrodes may provide the current through two or more targets, and/or detecting that two or more pairs of electrodes may deliver the current through the same target.

Claims

1. A conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for providing a current through a human or animal target for impeding locomotion of the target, the CEW launches two or more provided electrodes to provide the current through the target, the CEW comprising;

a processing circuit;

a plurality of transformers, each transformer including a primary winding formed of a first conductor and a secondary winding formed of a second conductor, each conductor having a first end and a second end respectively, each electrode in series with the first end of the secondary winding of one transformer respectively;

a plurality of switches, each switch in series with the first end of the primary winding of only one transformer respectively;

a first capacitance coupled to the second end of the primary winding of all transformers of the plurality;

a second capacitance coupled to the second end of the secondary winding of a first group of transformers of the plurality;

a third capacitance coupled to the second end of the secondary winding of a second group of transformers of the plurality;

wherein;

each transformer belongs to only one group;

the processing circuit selects one transformer from the first group and one transformer from the second group for providing the current;

the processing circuit enables the switches coupled to the selected transformers to discharge the first capacitance through the primary windings of the selected transformers;

responsive to discharging the first capacitance, the secondary windings of the selected transformers electrically couple to the respective electrodes in series with the selected transformers and to the target; and

responsive to electrically coupling to the electrodes and the target, the second capacitance and the third capacitance discharge through the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target.

2. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the first capacitance and the second capacitance are charge with a voltage of a first polarity; and

the third capacitance is charge with a voltage of a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

3. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the first capacitance and the third capacitance are charge with a voltage of a first polarity; and

the second capacitance is charge with a voltage of a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

4. The CEW of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spark gaps wherein one spark gap couples to the first end of the secondary winding of each transformer respectively so that the spark gap is in series with the electrode that is in series with the transformer.

5. The CEW of claim 4 wherein ionizing the spark gaps coupled to the selected transformers electrically couples the secondary windings of the selected transformers to the respective electrodes in series with the secondary windings of the selected transformers.

13. The CEW of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of detectors, each detector in series with the secondary winding of one transformer respectively.

14. The CEW of claim 13 wherein the second capacitance and the third capacitance are coupled to the respective secondary windings of the respective transformers in series with the detector.

6. A conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for providing a current through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target, the CEW comprising;

a processing circuit;

two deployment units, each deployment unit including a first wire-tethered electrode and a second wire-tethered electrode for launching toward the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target;

four transformers, one transformer for each electrode of each deployment unit, each transformer including one primary winding and one secondary winding;

four switches, one switch for each transformer, each switch coupled in series with the primary winding of one transformer respectively;

a first capacitance coupled to the primary winding of all transformers;

a second capacitance; and

a third capacitance;

wherein;

the secondary winding of each transformer is in series with only one electrode respectively so that each electrode is in series with the secondary winding of a different transformer;

the second capacitance is coupled to the secondary winding of each transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the first electrode of each deployment unit;

the third capacitance coupled to the secondary winding of each transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the second electrode of each deployment unit;

the processing circuit selects one transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the first electrode of any one deployment unit and another transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the second electrode of any one deployment unit;

the processing circuit enables the switches coupled to the selected transformers so that the first capacitance discharges through the primary windings of the selected transformers;

discharging the first capacitance causes a high voltage across the secondary windings of the selected transformers that electrically couples the secondary windings of the selected transformers to the respective electrodes in series with the selected transformers and to the target; and

responsive to electrically coupling the electrodes, the second capacitance and the third capacitance discharge through the electrically coupled electrodes to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target.

7. The CEW of claim 6 wherein prior to discharge of the second capacitance and the third capacitance, a polarity of a voltage across the second capacitance is opposite a polarity of a voltage across the third capacitance.

8. The CEW of claim 6 wherein for each discharge of the first capacitance, the second capacitance and the third capacitance provide one pulse of a series of pulses that form the current.

9. The CEW of claim 8 wherein the processing circuit selects one transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the first electrode of any one deployment unit and another transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the second electrode of any one deployment unit for each pulse of the series of pulses.

15. The CEW of claim 6 further comprising four detectors, each detector in series with the secondary winding of one transformer respectively.

16. The CEW of claim 15 wherein the second capacitance and the third capacitance are coupled to the respective secondary windings of the respective transformers in series with the detector.

10. A conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for providing a current through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target, the CEW comprising;

a processing circuit;

two deployment units, each deployment unit including a first wire-tethered electrode and a second wire-tethered electrode for launching toward the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target;

four transformers, one transformer for each electrode of each deployment unit, each transformer including one primary winding and one secondary winding;

four switches, one switch for each transformer, each switch coupled in series with the primary winding of only one transformer respectively; and

a first capacitance coupled to the primary winding of each transformer;

wherein;

the secondary winding of each transformer is in series with one electrode respectively so that each electrode is in series with the secondary winding of a different transformer;

the processing circuit selects one transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the first electrode of any one deployment unit and another transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the second electrode of any one deployment unit;

the processing circuit enables the switches coupled to the selected transformers so that the first capacitance discharges through the primary windings of the selected transformers; and

discharging the first capacitance causes a high voltage across the secondary windings of the selected transformers that electrically couples the secondary windings to the respective electrodes in series with the selected transformers and to the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target.

11. The CEW of claim 10 wherein each discharge of the first capacitance provides one pulse of a series of pulses that form the current.

12. The CEW of claim 11 wherein the processing circuit selects one transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the first electrode of any one deployment unit and another transformer whose secondary winding is in series with the second electrode of any one deployment unit for each pulse of the series of pulses.

17. The CEW of claim 10 further comprising four detectors, each detector in series with the secondary winding of one transformer respectively.