Methods and Apparatus for a Conducted Electrical Weapon

• US 20180045491A1
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: Heroor, Siddharth, Nerheim, Magne H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,066,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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 delivering a current through one or more provided targets to impede locomotion of the one or more targets, the CEW comprising;

a handle, the handle includes a first processing circuit, a power supply, a signal generator for producing the current, and a plurality of bays, each bay includes a coupler;

a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit includes a second processing circuit, a coupler, and at least two wire-tethered electrodes for launching toward the target to provide the current, each deployment unit configured to be inserted into any one bay so that one or more bays may hold a respective deployment unit;

wherein for each deployment unit inserted into one bay;

the coupler of the bay physically contacts the coupler of the deployment unit to electrically couple the handle to the deployment unit for transferring data between the handle and the deployment unit;

the first processing circuit sends a first data to the second processing circuit;

the second processing circuit encodes the first data to create an encoded first data and sends the encoded first data to the first processing circuit;

the first processing circuit examines the encoded first data to authenticate the deployment unit; and

responsive to authentication, the first processing circuit indicates that the deployment unit is available for launching the at least two electrodes of the deployment unit toward the one or more targets to provide the current through the one or more targets to impede locomotion of the one or more targets.

2. The CEW of claim 1 wherein the coupler of the bay provides power from the power supply to the second processing circuit of the deployment unit.

3. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second processing circuits each encode the first data using a predetermined algorithm; and

the first processing circuits authenticates the deployment unit by comparing the encoded first data from the second processing circuit with data encoded by the first processing circuit.

4. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the deployment unit further includes a memory;

the first processing circuit sends a second data to the second processing circuit, the second data includes a fired status indicating that the deployment unit has been deployed; and

the second processing circuit stores the fired status in the memory.

5. The CEW of claim 4 wherein the fired status stored in the memory is unalterable after being stored.

6. The CEW of claim 1 wherein:

the first processing circuit sends a request for a second data to the second processing circuit; and

responsive to the request for the second data, the second processing circuit sends the second data wherein the second data includes indicia about the deployment unit.

7. The CEW of claim 6 wherein the indicia includes at least one of manufacturer, data of manufacture, deployment unit type, revision, expiration data, unique identifier, and fired status.

8. A deployment unit that cooperates with a provided handle to deliver a current through a provided human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target, the deployment unit comprising:

a coupler;

a processing circuit;

two or more wire-tethered electrodes; and

a pyrotechnic;

wherein;

the deployment unit is configured for inserting into any one bay of the handle;

while the deployment unit is inserted into the one bay, the processing circuit receives power via the coupler for performing one or more operation;

the processing circuit receives a data from the handle via the coupler;

the processing circuit encodes the data to create an encoded data;

the processing circuit transmits the encoded data to the handle via the coupler, the encoded data for enabling the handle to authenticate the deployment unit;

responsive to authentication, a launch signal from the handle ignites the pyrotechnic for launching the two or more wire-tethered electrodes toward the target; and

a stimulus signal from the handle is delivered through the target via the launched wire-tethered electrodes to impede the locomotion of the target.

9. The deployment unit of claim 8 further comprises a memory for storing deployment unit indicia;

wherein the indicia includes at least one of manufacturer, data of manufacture, deployment unit type, revision, expiration data, unique identifier, and fired status.

10. The deployment unit of claim 9 wherein the fired status is unalterable after being set to fired.

11. The deployment unit of claim 8 further comprising a first electrical ground and a second electrical ground wherein:

the first electrical ground provides a first voltage reference for the processing circuit; and

the second electrical ground provides a second voltage reference for the launch signal.

12. The deployment unit of claim 8 further comprises a memory wherein:

responsive to receiving the launch signal, the processing circuit receives a second data that includes a fired status indicating that the deployment unit has been deployed; and

the processing circuit stores the fired status in the memory.

13. The deployment unit of claim 8 wherein:

responsive to a request from the handle, the processing circuit provides a second data to the handle; and

the second data includes indicia about the deployment unit.

14. A handle that cooperates with a plurality of provided deployment units to provide a current through a provided human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target, the handle comprising:

a plurality of bays, each bay includes a coupler, each bay configured to receive one deployment unit so that one or more bays hold a respective deployment unit, each deployment unit includes a coupler;

a processing circuit;

a power supply; and

a signal generator for provide the current;

wherein;

while one deployment unit is inserted into one bay of the plurality, the coupler of the bay physically contacts the coupler of the one deployment unit to electrically couple the handle to the one deployment unit for transferring data between the handle and for the power supply to provide power to the one deployment unit;

the processing circuit provides a data to the one deployment unit;

the processing circuit receives an encoded data from the one deployment unit, the data is encoded by the one deployment unit to create the encoded data;

the processing circuit uses the encoded data to authenticate the one deployment unit;

responsive to authentication, the processing circuit indicates that the deployment unit inserted into the one bay is available for launching at least two electrodes toward the target to provide the current through the target to impede locomotion of the target.

15. The handle of claim 14 wherein the processing circuit encodes the data provided to the deployment unit to compare with the encode data from the deployment unit for authentication.

16. The handle of claim 14 wherein the processing circuit requests deployment unit indicia from the one deployment unit, the indicia includes at least one of manufacturer, data of manufacture, deployment unit type, revision, expiration data, unique identifier, and fired status

17. The handle of claim 14 wherein the data provided to the one deployment unit further includes deployment status.