Electronic Weapon Launch Controller Cartridge Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic weapons require users to be aware of the type and status of cartridges, which increases user training and operational burden, as the weapon is not responsive to the cartridge's capabilities or status.
Innovation Solution
An electronic weapon system with a launch controller that communicates with units for deployment via a multipurpose interface, using indicators and detectors to identify available cartridges, their properties, and status, allowing for automatic detection and management of cartridges, including launch, stimulation, and description functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional electronic weapons use manual cartridge identification and management, then users must be trained to accommodate multiple limitations, but this increases user training requirements and operational burden
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge management system performs self-identification and self-reporting of its properties to the weapon controller. The cartridge automatically provides information about its type, status, and capabilities through integrated sensors and communication interfaces, eliminating the need for manual identification and reducing user training requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback between the cartridge and weapon controller through bidirectional communication. The controller receives real-time information about cartridge status (ready, fired, incompatible) and can query cartridge properties, enabling automatic adaptation of weapon operations without requiring user knowledge of cartridge specifications.
2Extent of automation
If conventional electronic weapons lack awareness of cartridge status, then control functions cannot be responsive to cartridge state, but adding detection capabilities increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon controller serves multiple functions: it controls weapon operation, manages cartridge deployment, and detects cartridge status simultaneously. The same communication interface used for control also carries status information, eliminating the need for separate dedicated detection hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
An integrated circuit board acts as an intermediary between the cartridge components and the weapon controller. This intermediary consolidates multiple detection functions (electrode presence, tether integrity, cartridge type identification) into a single communication interface, simplifying the controller's detection capabilities while maintaining comprehensive monitoring.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cartridge types with different ranges are used interchangeably, then the weapon can accommodate various targets, but the user must be aware of the specific cartridge type installed
Solution Approach 1:
Each cartridge automatically identifies its own type and communicates its properties (electrode configuration, tether length, effective range) to the weapon controller. This self-reporting mechanism ensures the weapon and user always have accurate information about the installed cartridge without requiring manual verification or user memory of cartridge specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and verification of cartridge properties before weapon activation. The controller queries the cartridge to confirm compatibility and retrieves operational parameters in advance, ensuring that the correct cartridge type is identified and configured before use, eliminating the risk of using incompatible cartridges.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic weapon, when combined with a unit for deployment, causes skeletal muscle contractions in a human or animal target. According to the present invention, a launch controller for an electronic weapon includes a detector, a stimulus signal generator, and a switch. When the switch is conducting, it completes a circuit in combination with a unit for deployment. The circuit, when completed, operates a propellant of the unit for deployment to deploy at least two electrodes of the unit for deployment to enable the stimulus signal generator to deliver through the target a stimulus current to incapacitate the target by causing contractions of the skeletal muscles of the target. The detector is coupled to the switch and detects whether the switch is conducting prior to combining the unit for deployment and the electronic weapon.