Detecting magazine types using magnets

Abstract

Magazines of conducted electrical weapons (CEW) comprise a set of magnetic elements having positions, polarities, and magnitudes corresponding to a type of magazine. The CEW uses sensors to detect an indicator magnet indicating that a magazine is inserted into a bay of the CEW. The CEW additionally uses sensors to detect information about the set of magnetic elements and determines, based on the detected information, a type of the magazine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A magazine of a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) comprising:
 an indicator magnet having a first position on the magazine and a first polarity; 
 one or more additional magnets, the one or more additional magnets having respective positions on the magazine and respective polarities, wherein the one or more additional magnets correspond to a magazine type; and 
 a housing configured to be received by a bay of the CEW. 
 
     
     
         2 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional magnets comprise two magnets. 
     
     
         3 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein the first position of the indicator magnet is a fixed first position on the magazine and the first polarity of the indicator magnet is a fixed first polarity. 
     
     
         4 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the indicator magnet and the one or more additional magnets are disposed within the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the indicator magnet and the one or more additional magnets are secured in the first position and the respective positions by one or more mechanical components. 
     
     
         6 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the indicator magnet and the one or more additional magnets are at least partially disposed in an interior the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine type corresponds to at least the respective polarities of the one or more additional magnets. 
     
     
         8 . The magazine of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine type corresponds to at least the respective positions of the one or more additional magnets. 
     
     
         9 . A magazine for a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”), comprising:
 a housing; and 
 a magnet disposed in at least one of an interior or an exterior of the housing, wherein the magnet comprises a physical property, and wherein the physical property of the magnet is configured to indicate a magazine type. 
 
     
     
         10 . The magazine of  claim 9 , wherein the magnet is a first magnet of one or more magnetic elements associated with the housing, the one or more magnetic elements further comprising an indicator magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The magazine of  claim 10 , wherein the physical property of the magnet comprises a first position and a first polarity. 
     
     
         12 . The magazine of  claim 11 , wherein the magazine type corresponds to the first position and the first polarity of the magnet. 
     
     
         13 . The magazine of  claim 10 , wherein the indicator magnet has an indicator position and an indicator polarity for the magazine type of the magazine and one or more additional magazine types. 
     
     
         14 . The magazine of  claim 9 , wherein the magnet is disposed proximate to a top of the magazine. 
     
     
         15 . The magazine of  claim 9 , wherein the magnet is disposed in the at least one of the interior or the exterior of the housing by one or more mechanical components associated with the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The magazine of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is configured to be received by a bay of the CEW. 
     
     
         17 . The magazine of  claim 9 , wherein the magnet is disposed in the at least one of the interior or the exterior of the housing by at least one of a magnetic component or an adhesive component. 
     
     
         18 . A method performed by a magazine of a conducted electrical weapon (CEW), the method comprising:
 receiving, at a first position, an indicator magnet having a first polarity, the first position determined based at least on an indicator detector of the CEW;   receiving, at one or more second positions, one or more additional magnets having one or more second polarities, the one or more additional magnets having one or more physical properties associated with a magazine type of the magazine; and   securing the indicator magnet and the one or more additional magnets in association with a housing of the magazine.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first position disposes the indicator magnet proximate to the indicator detector based at least on the magazine being received within a bay of the CEW. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more physical properties of the one or more additional magnets are configured to indicate, via a magazine type detector of the CEW, that the magazine is associated with the magazine type.