Systems and methods for collecting use of force information

• US 7,944,676 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: DuBay, David K., Smith, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHARTI HARIDAS
• Application Number:
  US11/428,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 42/10.8, 42/84, 42/700.1, 42/701.1, 421/06, 89/11, 89/11.1, 102/502, 361/232
• US Class Current: 361/232
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• 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: F41H 13/0087 the high-energy beam being a bright light, e.g. for dazzling or blinding purposes F41H13/0056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05C 1/06 operating only when touched

Abstract

An apparatus records a use of force. The apparatus includes a weapon that initiates application of the force against a target, being a person or animal, to stop undesired behavior by the target. The apparatus further includes a processing circuit that provides, after an operation of the weapon, indicia of a prompt. The prompt elicits a spoken reply from an operator of the apparatus. The reply describes the use of force, and records indicia of the reply received from a provided input device. A method of operation of an electronic weapon includes applying a force wherein applying comprises passing a current through tissue of a target to produce contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target; and recording a description of the application, the description in accordance with operator input.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording a use of a force, the apparatus comprising:

a weapon that initiates application of the force against a target, being a person or animal, to stop undesired behavior by the target; and

a processing circuit that detects initiating application of the force and in response to detecting, provides indicia of a prompt to elicit a spoken reply from an operator of the apparatus, the prompt regarding a use of the force, and that records indicia of the reply received from a provided input device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the weapon produces contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the weapon initiates launching of a provided electrode for passing a current through tissue of the target to produce the contractions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the weapon initiates launching of a provided wireless projectile.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a memory coupled to the processing circuit for recording the indicia of the reply.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a stimulus signal generator that provides a current through tissue of the target to produce contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit provides the indicia of the prompt to a provided audio output device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a speaker responsive to the indicia of the prompt.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit receives the indicia of the reply from a provided audio input device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microphone, wherein the processing circuit records the indicia of the reply in response to the microphone.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency transmitter that transmits in accordance with the indicia of the prompt.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency receiver, wherein the receiver:

receives the indicia of the reply; and

provides the indicia of the reply to the processing circuit.

13. A weapon for impeding locomotion by a target, the weapon comprising:

a controller;

a stimulus signal generator that provides a current in response to the controller, the current when passed through tissue of the target produces contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target;

a memory; and

an audio I/O circuit;

wherein

after the stimulus signal generator provides the current, the controller provides to the audio I/O circuit indicia of an operator prompt regarding a use of force and records in the memory indicia of an operator reply from the audio I/O circuit.

14. The weapon of claim 13 further comprising an electrical interface to a provided deployment unit that conducts the current through an electrode launched from the deployment unit.

15. An apparatus for conducting a current through a target for producing contractions in skeletal muscles of a target to impede locomotion by the target, the apparatus comprising:

a processing circuit;

a stimulus signal generator that provides the current in response to the processing circuit;

a transmitter;

an audio I/O circuit coupled to the transmitter; and

a control that provides indicia of identity of an operator of the apparatus;

wherein

after the stimulus signal generator provides the current, the processing circuit provides to the audio I/O circuit indicia of a prompt regarding a use of force to an operator of the apparatus and stores data in the memory comprising indicia of an answer to the prompt, received from the audio I/O circuit, in association with the indicia of identity of the operator; and

the transmitter transmits in accordance with the data.

16. A method performed by an electronic weapon, the method comprising:

applying a force, wherein applying comprises passing a current from the weapon through tissue of a target to produce contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target;

after applying, outputting from the weapon an audio prompt to obtain an operator input; and

recording via the weapon a description of the application of the force, the description in accordance with the operator input.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising launching an electrode from the weapon toward the target, the electrode for conducting the current.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising outputting from the weapon a plurality of audio prompts to obtain a plurality of operator inputs.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the operator input via an audio input device of the weapon.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the operator input via a manual data entry device of the weapon.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting, via a radio frequency transmitter of the weapon, in accordance with the recorded description.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining an identity of the operator and recording via the weapon in further accordance with the identity.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining an identity of the operator and transmitting, via a radio frequency transmitter of the weapon, in accordance with the recorded description and the identity of the operator.