Methods and apparatus for a conducted electrical weapon

• US 10,247,527 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: Heroor, Siddharth, Nerheim, Magne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Scott
• Application Number:
  US15/260,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• 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: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/366 using a centralised polling arbiter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• 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 includes a handle and one or more deployment units. A handle and each deployment unit include a processing circuit and memory. A handle may provide operation and usage records to a deployment unit for storage. The information stored on a deployment unit may be unalterable once written. A handle may log a record of usage, deployment units, and other deployment information. The log file may be available to an electronic device through a secure wireless protocol.

Claims

1. 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 handle, the handle includes a first processing circuit, a display, a signal generator for providing the current, and a power supply, the display visible to a user of the CEW;

a deployment unit, the deployment unit includes a second processing circuit, a memory, and at least one wire-tethered electrode, the at least one wire-tethered electrode for launching toward the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target;

wherein

the deployment unit removably couples to the handle;

while the deployment unit is coupled to the handle, the power supply provides power to the second processing circuit and the memory;

the first processing circuit sends a read request to the second processing circuit;

in response to the read request, the second processing circuit sends data from the memory to the first processing circuit; and

the first processing circuit presents the data on the display.

2. The CEW of claim 1 wherein the data includes at least one of a manufacturer, a manufacture date, an expiration date, a revision number, a status, and whether the deployment unit has been fired.

3. The CEW of claim 1 wherein the first processing circuit presents the data on the display for a period of time.

4. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the handle further comprises a speaker; and

the speaker audibly presents the data to the user.

5. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the handle further includes a first control/data bus;

the deployment unit further includes a second control/data bus;

coupling the deployment unit to the handle electrically couples the first control/data bus to the second control/data bus; and

the first processing circuit and the second processing circuit communicate via the first and second control/data buses.

6. The CEW of claim 1 wherein communication between the first processing circuit and the second processing circuit is half-duplex.

7. The CEW of claim 1 wherein decoupling the deployment unit from the handle decouples the power supply from the second processing circuit and the memory.

8. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the handle further includes a user-operated control; and

the first processing circuit sends the read request to the second processing circuit responsive to a user manually operating the user-operated control.

9. The CEW of claim 8 wherein the user-operated control comprises a switch.

10. The CEW of claim 8 wherein the user-operated control comprises a switch for arming and disarming the handle.

11. A deployment unit for cooperating with a provided handle to provide a current through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target, the deployment unit removably couples to the handle, the deployment unit comprising:

a first wire-tethered electrode and a second wire-tethered electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode for launching toward the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion the target;

a memory;

a processing circuit, the processing circuit electrically coupled to the memory;

a control/data bus, the control/data bus electrically couples to the processing circuit;

wherein;

while the deployment unit is coupled to the handle, the processing circuit and the memory receive power from the handle;

the processing circuit receives a read request from the handle via control/data bus; and

responsive to the read request, the processing circuit sends a data from the memory to the handle via the control/data bus, the data for presenting on a display of the handle.

12. The deployment unit of claim 11 wherein the data includes at least one of a manufacturer, a manufacture date, an expiration date, a revision number, a status, and whether the deployment unit has been fired.

13. The deployment unit of claim 11 wherein decoupling the deployment unit from the handle removes power from the processing circuit and the memory.

14. The deployment unit of claim 11 further comprising a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein the processing circuit and the memory receive the power from the handle via the first conductor and the second conductor.

15. The deployment unit of claim 14 further comprising a third conductor and a fourth conductor, wherein while the deployment unit is coupled to the handle:

the third conductor electrically couples to the first electrode;

the fourth conductor electrically couples to the second electrode; and

the third conductor and the fourth conductor provide the current through the target via the first electrode and the second electrode.

16. A method for communicating between a deployment unit and a handle of a CEW, the CEW for providing a current through a human or animal target, the current for impeding locomotion of the target, the deployment unit removably coupled to the handle, the method comprising:

in response to coupling the deployment unit to the handle, providing power to a first processing circuit and a memory of the deployment unit, providing performed by a power supply of the handle;

transmitting a read request to the first processing circuit via a first control/data bus and a second control/data bus, the first control/data bus of the deployment unit, the second control/data bus of the handle, the first control/data bus couples to the second control/data bus in response to coupling the deployment unit to the handle, transmitting the read request performed by a second processing circuit of the handle;

in response to receiving the read request, reading a data from the memory, reading performed by the first processing circuit;

in response to reading, transmitting the data to the second processing circuit via the first control/data bus and the second control/data bus, transmitting the data performed by the first processing circuit; and

in response to receiving the data, presenting the data on a display of the handle, presenting accomplished by the second processing circuit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the power comprises providing electrical power via a first conductor of the handle and a second conductor of the deployment unit, the first conductor couples to the second conductor in response to coupling the deployment unit to the handle.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein transmitting the read request comprises transmitting a message, the message comprises a header and a payload.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting a message, the message comprises a header and a payload, the payload includes the data.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein presenting comprises showing the data on the display so that the data is visible to a user of the CEW.