Detecting a Measurement Voltage of a Deployed Electrode of a Conducted Electrical Weapon

Abstract

A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) may launch electrodes toward a target to electrically couple to the target. A CEW may include a signal generator, one or more electrodes, and a selector circuit. The signal generator may include a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein the first conductor has a positive potential and the second conductor has a negative potential. The signal generator may be configured to provide a stimulus signal through the first conductor and the second conductor. The selector circuit may be in electrical series between the signal generator and the one or more electrodes. The selector circuit may be configured to selectively electrically couple an electrode from the one or more electrodes to the first conductor or the second conductor of the signal generator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 deploying, by a conducted electrical weapon, at least three electrodes towards a target;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a first voltage to a first electrode from the at least three electrodes;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a second voltage to a second electrode from the at least three electrodes, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage; and   detecting, by the conducted electrical weapon, a measurement voltage at one or more electrodes from the at least three electrodes.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the conducted electrical weapon, a state of connection of a third electrode from the at least three electrodes based on the measurement voltage. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein in response to the measurement voltage being 0 volts, the state of connection of the third electrode is not connected. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein in response to the measurement voltage being closer to the second voltage than the first voltage, the state of connection comprises the third electrode coupled to the target at a location closer to the second electrode than the first electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein in response to the measurement voltage being the same as the first voltage, the state of connection comprises the second electrode not electrically coupled to the target. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising providing, by the conducted electrical weapon, a stimulus signal through a pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes based on the state of connection. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are each less than 50 volts. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is less than 5 volts and the second voltage is greater than 10 volts. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is 3 volts and the second voltage is 12 volts. 
     
     
         11 . A conducted electrical weapon comprising:
 a signal generator;   at least three electrodes electrically coupled to the signal generator, wherein the at least three electrodes are configured to be launched toward a target to electrically couple to the target; and   a processing circuit configured to perform operations comprising:
 deploying the at least three electrodes towards the target; 
 applying, via the signal generator, a first voltage to a first electrode from the at least three electrodes; 
 applying, via the signal generator, a second voltage to a second electrode from the at least three electrodes, wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage; and 
 detecting a measurement voltage at one or more electrodes from the at least three electrodes. 
   
     
     
         12 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform operations further comprising:
 determining a state of connection of the one or more electrodes from the at least three electrodes based on the measurement voltage.   
     
     
         13 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform operations further comprising:
 providing, via the signal generator, a stimulus signal through a pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes that have the state of connection of connected.   
     
     
         14 . The conducted electrical weapon of  claim 12 , further comprising a memory in electronic communication with the processing circuit, wherein in response to determining the state of connection of the one or more electrodes the processing circuit is configured to perform operations comprising:
 storing, via the memory, the state of connection for each electrode of the one or more electrodes.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 deploying, by a conducted electrical weapon, at least three electrodes towards a target;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a first test signal to a first electrode from the at least three electrodes;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a second test signal to a second electrode from the at least three electrodes, wherein the first test signal comprises a first voltage and the second test signal comprises a second voltage;   detecting, by the conducted electrical weapon, a measurement voltage at one or more electrodes from the at least three electrodes; and   determining, by the conducted electrical weapon, a state of connection of each of the at least three electrodes based on the measurement voltage.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising providing, by the conducted electrical weapon, a stimulus signal through a pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes based on the state of connection of each electrode. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining, by the conducted electrical weapon, an electrode spread between at least two electrodes from the at least three electrodes based on the state of connection of each electrode. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 selecting, by the conducted electrical weapon, a pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes based on the electrode spread; and   providing, by the conducted electrical weapon, a stimulus signal through the pair of electrodes.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 deploying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a fourth electrode towards the target;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a third test signal to an electrode from the at least three electrodes;   applying, by the conducted electrical weapon, a fourth test signal to a second electrode from the at least three electrodes, wherein the third test signal comprises the first voltage and the fourth test signal comprises the second voltage; and   detecting, by the conducted electrical weapon, a second measurement voltage at the one or more electrodes from the at least three electrodes and the fourth electrode.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 providing, by the conducted electrical weapon and after applying the first test signal and the second test signal, a first pulse of a stimulus signal through a first pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes; and   providing, by the conducted electrical weapon and after applying the third test signal and the fourth test signal, a second pulse of the stimulus signal through a second pair of electrodes from the at least three electrodes and the fourth electrode.