Conducted electrical weapon with entangling projectile

Abstract

A conducted electrical weapon may selectively provide mechanical interference and electrical interference to a target at a remote location. The conducted electrical weapon may deploy a first projectile. The first projectile may comprise an entangling projectile configured to provide the mechanical interference. The conducted electrical weapon may deploy a second projectile. The second projectile may comprise various types of projectiles. The second projectile may comprise a direct contact projectile. The electrical interference may be provided via the first projectile and second projectile. Methods and systems may also selectively provide different types of interference via one or more deployed entangling projectiles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A conducted electrical weapon comprising:
 a signal generator configured to provide a stimulus signal;   an entangling projectile configured to provide mechanical interference at a remote location; and   a second projectile, wherein the signal generator is coupled to the entangling projectile and the second projectile to provide the stimulus signal via the entangling projectile and the second projectile.   
     
     
         2 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , further comprising a control interface, wherein the entangling projectile is deployed toward the remote location responsive to a first activation signal received via the control interface and the second projectile is deployed toward the remote location responsive to a second activation signal received via the control interface, and wherein the second activation signal is different from the first activation signal. 
     
     
         3 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , further comprising a selector circuit, wherein the selector circuit selectively couples the stimulus signal to the entangling projectile after the second projectile is deployed. 
     
     
         4 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the entangling projectile comprises a tethered entangling projectile. 
     
     
         5 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the second projectile comprises a second entangling projectile. 
     
     
         6 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the second projectile comprises a direct contact projectile. 
     
     
         7 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the second projectile is tethered to the entangling projectile. 
     
     
         8 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the entangling projectile comprises two weighted portions and the second projectile comprises a single weighted portion. 
     
     
         9 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing that extends from a grip end to a distal end, wherein the entangling projectile is deployed from the grip end and the second projectile is deployed from the distal end. 
     
     
         10 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the entangling projectile is deployed in a first direction from a housing of the conducted electrical weapon and the second projectile is deployed in a second direction from the housing different from the first direction. 
     
     
         11 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 1 , wherein the signal generator is configured to provide the stimulus signal by providing a first output signal comprising a first electric potential and a second output signal comprising a second electric potential different from the first electric potential, and wherein the entangling projectile is coupled to the first output signal and the second projectile is coupled to the second output signal. 
     
     
         12 . A method performed by a conducted electrical weapon to provide different types of interference at a remote location, the method comprising:
 deploying, from the conducted electrical weapon, an entangling projectile toward the remote location to provide a first type of interference;   receiving an activation signal after the entangling projectile is deployed; and   responsive to the activation signal, providing a second type of interference, wherein providing the second type of interference comprises providing a stimulus signal via the entangling projectile.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing the second type of interference comprises deploying a second projectile toward the remote location, wherein the stimulus signal is provided via the entangling projectile and the second projectile. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein deploying the second projectile comprises deploying a second entangling projectile. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second entangling projectile is tethered to the entangling projectile. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second projectile comprises a type of projectile different from the entangling projectile. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the entangling projectile comprises a wireless projectile and providing the second type of interference comprises:
 transmitting a control signal from a first communication circuit integrated in a handle of the conducted electrical weapon to a second communication circuit integrated in the wireless projectile;   receiving the control signal at the second communication circuit; and   responsive to receiving the control signal at the second communication circuit, generating the stimulus signal by a signal generator integrated in the wireless projectile.   
     
     
         18 . A system for providing different types of interference at a remote location, the system comprising:
 a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit of the plurality of deployment units comprising a respective projectile and at least one deployment unit of the plurality of deployment units comprising an entangling projectile;   a signal generator configured to generate a stimulus signal;   a control interface; and   a processing circuit in communication with the signal generator and the control interface, the processing circuit configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first activation signal via the control interface; 
 responsive to the first activation signal, deploying the entangling projectile; 
 receiving a second activation signal via the control interface; 
 responsive to the second activation signal, deploying a second projectile of the plurality of projectiles; and 
 after the entangling projectile is deployed and the second projectile is deployed, providing the stimulus signal via the entangling projectile and the second projectile. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second projectile comprises a tether and electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the entangling projectile comprises a first weighted portion, a second weighted portion, a first tether interconnecting the first weighted portion and the second weighted portion, and a second tether interconnecting a deployment unit of the plurality of deployment units from which the entangling projectile was deployed and at least one of the first weighted portion, the second weighted portion, and the first tether.