Systems and methods for calibrating a conducted electrical weapon

• US 10,451,386 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Inventors: Nerheim, Magne H., Barber-Axthelm, Valerie Renee Barry, Goodchild, Eric Heindel, Heroor, Siddharth
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Amy
• Application Number:
  US15/299,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 324601
• 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 handle of a conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for calibrating the handle to provide a predetermined amount of charge by a pulse of a stimulus signal, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of a human or animal target, the method comprising;

performing an operation of the handle to provide a first pulse of the stimulus signal to a tester;

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

determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge; and

responsive to determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge, recording indicia related to the operation of the handle whereby each time the handle is operated in accordance with the indicia the amount of charge provided by a subsequent pulse of the stimulus signal is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia comprises at least one of a voltage across a capacitance prior to providing the pulse and a voltage across a capacitance after providing the pulse.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein recording comprises:

measuring an elapse of time required to charge a capacitance to a voltage that is related to the predetermined amount of charge; and

storing a duration of the elapsed time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge comprises determining that the amount of charge is within a range between the predetermined amount of charge minus three microcoulombs and the predetermined amount of charge plus three microcoulombs.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge comprises determining that the amount of charge is within a range of the predetermined amount of charge plus or minus five percent.

6. A method performed by a handle of a conducted electrical weapon (“

CEW”

) for calibrating the handle to provide a predetermined amount of charge by a pulse of a stimulus signal, the stimulus signal for impeding locomotion of a human or animal target, the method comprising;

performing an operation of the handle to provide a first pulse of the stimulus signal to a tester, wherein providing the pulse further charges a capacitance of the handle to a voltage;

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

determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge;

responsive to determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge;

discharging the capacitance;

providing a current to charge the capacitance; and

measuring indicia related to charging the capacitance to the voltage; and

recording the indicia whereby each time the handle is operated in accordance with the indicia the amount of charge provided by a subsequent pulse of the stimulus signal is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein recording comprises:

measuring an elapse of time required to charge the capacitance to the voltage; and

storing a duration of the elapsed time.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein recording comprises storing the indicia.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein recording comprises recording at least one of the voltage and a duration of an elapse of time.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein recording comprises recording at least one of the voltage and a duration of an elapse of time required to charge the capacitance to the voltage.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein determining comprises comparing a magnitude of the amount of charge to a magnitude of the predetermined amount of charge.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge comprises determining that the amount of charge is within a range between the predetermined amount of charge minus three microcoulombs and the predetermined amount of charge plus three microcoulombs.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge comprises determining that the amount of charge is within a range of the predetermined amount of charge plus or minus five percent.

14. 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 signal generator;

wherein the processing circuit;

performs an operation of the handle to provide a first pulse of the stimulus signal from the signal generator to the tester;

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

determines that the amount of charge is about the same as a predetermined amount of charge; and

responsive to determining that the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge, records indicia related to the operation of the handle whereby each time the handle is operated in accordance with the indicia the amount of charge provided by a subsequent pulse of stimulus signal is about the same as the predetermined amount of charge.

15. The handle of claim 14 wherein the indicia of the handle are measured after the operation of the handle.

16. The handle of claim 14 wherein the indicia of the handle comprises at least one of a voltage and an elapse of time.

17. The handle of claim 14 wherein the processing circuit compares the amount of charge to the predetermined amount of charge to determine whether the amount of charge is about the same as the predetermined amount charge.

18. The handle of claim 14 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.

19. The handle of claim 14 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.