Systems And Methods For A User Interface For Electronic Weaponry

• US 20140098453A1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: Brundula, Steven N.D., Cerovic, Milan, Nerheim, Magne H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,025,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/232
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/22 acting on the trigger
• 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 13/0025 for remote electrical discharge via conducting wires, e.g. via wire-tethered electrodes shot at a target
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/24 for stationary use, e.g. fortifications ; Shelters; Guard Booths air-raid shelters E04H9/04
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 1/00 Circuits or apparatus for generating electric shock effects
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 3/00 Other circuits or apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus, according to various aspects of the present invention, produces contractions in skeletal muscles of a target to impede locomotion by the target. The apparatus is used with a provided deployment unit that deploys an electrode away from the apparatus. The electrode conducts a current through the target. The apparatus includes a terminal; a producing sub-system for producing an electric arc to warn the target without conducting a current through the target; a conducting sub-system for conducting the current in series through the terminal and through the target; an initiating sub-system for initiating deployment of the electrode; and an operator interface. The operator interface facilitates selecting one or more cartridges of a set of cartridges to provide a stimulus signal to a target and/or display an arc.

Claims

1. An electronic weapon for providing at least one of a stimulus signal to impede locomotion of the targets and a display, the weapon for cooperating with one or more provided cartridges to provide at least one of the stimulus signal and the display, each cartridge comprising at least two wire-tethered electrodes for launching toward a target to provide the stimulus signal, the electronic weapon comprising:

a first user-operated control;

a second user-operated control that, if a selected cartridge is unused, initiates a launch function of the selected cartridge to launch the at least two wire-tethered electrodes; and

a signal generator;

wherein;

while the weapon operates in a manual configuration, an operation of the first control for a first duration selects one cartridge of the one or more cartridges as the selected cartridge;

while the weapon operates in an automatic configuration, an operation of the second control selects a next unused cartridge of the one or more cartridges as the selected cartridge; and

the signal generator;

responsive to an operation of the first control for a second duration longer than the first duration, provides the stimulus signal via the launched electrodes of any cartridge whose electrodes are launched and provides the display via any unused cartridge; and

responsive to an operation of the second control, provides the stimulus signal via the launched electrodes of the selected cartridge.

2. The electronic weapon of claim 1 wherein:

each cartridge further comprises at least two terminals; and

the signal generator provides the display across the at least two terminals of any unused cartridge.

3. The electronic weapon of claim 1 wherein:

the weapon comprises two or more bays for receiving a respective cartridge;

each bay comprises at least two terminals;

each cartridge further comprises at least two terminals;

the signal generator provides the display across the two terminals of any unused cartridge and across the two terminals of any unused bay.

4. The electronic weapon of claim 1 wherein while operating in the automatic configuration, after all the cartridges have been used, an operation of the second control provides an additional stimulus signal via the launched electrodes of a last selected cartridge.