Systems and methods for calibrating a conducted electrical weapon

• US 9,903,690 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: Nerheim, Magne H., Barber-Axthelm, Valerie Renee Barry, Goodchild, Eric Heindel, Heroor, Siddharth
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thang
• Application Number:
  US15/299,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 324601, 324678, 324750, 324 2, 361230, 361231, 361232
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/02 Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals A01K15/04 takes precedence; Electric shock devices circuits therefor H03K3/537; Toys specially adapted for animals
• 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: G01R 15/16 using capacitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/165 measuring electrostatic potential, e.g. with electrostatic voltmeters or electrometers, when the design of the sensor is essential electrometers with passively moving electrodes G01R5/28; measuring electrostatic fields G01R29/12; measuring charge G01R29/24; measuring in circuits with high internal resistance G01R19/0023
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 17/02 Arrangements in which the value to be measured is automatically compared with a reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3191 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 1/04 providing pulse voltages mechanical self-interrupters H01H; electronic pulse-generators H03K

Abstract

Systems and methods for calibrating a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) to provide a predetermined amount of current for each pulse of the stimulus signal. Providing the predetermined amount of current, close thereto, increases the effectiveness of the stimulus signal in impeding locomotion of a human or animal target. The calibration process enables a CEW to calibrate the amount of charge in a pulse of the stimulus signal in the environmental conditions where the tester operates and also in the field where the environmental conditions may be different from the environmental conditions during calibration.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processing circuit of a handle of a conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for calibrating a stimulus signal of the handle, the handle further includes the processing circuit, a current source, a capacitance, and a signal generator, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of a human or animal target, the method comprising;

providing a pulse of the stimulus signal from the signal generator to a tester;

receiving a message from the tester regarding an amount of charge provided by the pulse, the amount of charge measured by the tester;

comparing the amount of charge measured by the tester to a predetermined amount of charge;

responsive to comparing, adjusting the amount of charge provided by a next pulse of the stimulus signal from the signal generator;

repeating the steps of providing, receiving, comparing, and adjusting until the amount of charge measured by the tester is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge;

measuring a voltage across the capacitance, the voltage related to the amount of charge measured by the tester;

discharging the capacitance;

while measuring an elapse of time, providing a current from the current source to charge the capacitance to the voltage;

recording a duration of the elapse of time, the duration of the elapse of time for calibrating the handle to provide about the amount of charge by one or more pulses of the stimulus signal.

2. The handle of claim 1 wherein the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge when the amount of charge is the predetermined amount of charge plus or minus three microcoulombs.

3. The handle of claim 1 wherein the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge when the amount of charge is the predetermined amount of charge plus or minus five percent of the predetermined amount of charge.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein discharging the capacitance comprises discharging the capacitance so that a magnitude of the voltage across the capacitance is about zero.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising discharging the capacitance prior to providing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

providing the pulse charges the capacitance; and

measuring comprises measuring the voltage across the capacitance that results from providing the pulse whereby the voltage is related to the amount of charge measured by the tester.

7. A method performed by a processing circuit of a handle of a conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for calibrating a stimulus signal of the handle, the handle includes the processing circuit, a current source, a capacitance, and a signal generator, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of a human or animal target, the method comprising;

providing a pulse of the stimulus signal from the signal generator to a tester;

receiving a message from the tester regarding an amount of charge provided by the pulse, the amount of charge measured by the tester;

measuring a voltage across the capacitance, the voltage related to the amount of charge measured by the tester;

discharging the capacitance;

while measuring an elapse of time, providing a current from the current source to charge the capacitance to the voltage;

recording a duration of the elapse of time, the duration of the elapse of time for calibrating the handle to provide the amount of charge by each of one or more pulses of the stimulus signal.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising discharging the capacitance prior to providing.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

providing the pulse charges the capacitance; and

measuring comprises measuring the voltage across the capacitance that results from providing the pulse whereby the voltage is related to the amount of charge measured by the tester.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein discharging the capacitance comprises discharging the capacitance so that a magnitude of the voltage across the capacitance is about zero.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein providing the current comprises providing the current from a circuit that provides a constant current.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the constant current is substantially constant over a range of temperature.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein discharging the capacitance comprises discharging the capacitance so that a magnitude of the voltage across the capacitance is about zero.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the amount of charge is about the same as a predetermined amount of charge.

15. A handle of a conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) that cooperates with a provided tester for calibrating a stimulus signal of the handle, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of a human or animal target, the handle comprising;

a processing circuit;

a capacitance;

a current source that provides a current;

a timer;

a signal generator;

wherein the processing circuit;

performs an operation to provide a pulse of the stimulus signal from the signal generator to the tester, provision of the pulse charges the capacitance to a first voltage;

receives a message regarding an amount of charge provided by the pulse of stimulus signal, the amount of charge measured by the tester;

records a magnitude of the first voltage, the first voltage related to the amount of charge measured by the tester;

discharges the capacitance;

measures an elapse of time while the current source charges the capacitance to the first voltage; and

record a duration of the elapse of time, the duration of the elapse of time for calibrating the handle to provide the amount of charge by one or more subsequent pulses of the stimulus signal.

16. The handle of claim 15 wherein the processing circuit further discharges the capacitance prior to performing the operation to provide the pulse.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the first voltage is related to the amount of charge measured by the tester; and

the current source charges the capacitance to the first voltage whereby the duration of the elapse of time is related to the amount of charge.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the processing circuit discharges the capacitance until a magnitude of the voltage across the capacitance is about zero.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the amount of charge is about the same as a predetermined amount of charge.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the current is substantially constant over a range of temperature.