Methods and apparatus for a conducted electrical weapon

1. A method for determining a quality of a connection between a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) and a target, the connection for providing a pulse of a stimulus signal through the target, the connection includes a pair of electrodes, the method comprising:

determining a portion of a total current of the pulse that flows through a selected connection;

detecting an ionization of air between terminals of the CEW as a result of applying a voltage of the pulse to the selected connection;

measuring an amount of charge provided by the CEW; and

categorizing the connection as good or bad based on the determining, the detecting, and the measuring.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises:

measuring a first amount of charge provided by the pulse;

measuring a second amount of charge that flows through the selected connection; and

determining whether a ratio of the second amount of charge to the first amount of charge is greater than a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises:

detecting a first amount of charge accumulated on a first capacitance by the pulse;

detecting a second amount of charge accumulated on a second capacitance, wherein the second capacitance is coupled in series with at least one electrode of the selected connection;

determining a ratio of the second amount of charge to the first amount of charge; and

comparing the ratio to a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining an impedance of the selected connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining a load line of the selected connection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining whether a first load line of the selected connection corresponds to a second load line of ionization between terminals of the CEW.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises:

measuring a capacitance voltage across a capacitance before and after the pulse of the stimulus signal is provided; and

detecting a first amount of charge provided by the capacitance.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises:

measuring a capacitance voltage across a capacitance of the CEW before and after the pulse of the stimulus signal is provided;

detecting a first amount of charge provided by the capacitance; and

determining a correspondence between the capacitance voltage and the first amount of charge and an empirically measured load line.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the measuring comprises:

measuring a capacitance voltage across a capacitance before and after the pulse of the stimulus signal is provided; and

comparing a change in the capacitance voltage to a threshold.

10. A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) comprising:

a processing circuit;

a signal generator configured to provide a stimulus signal, wherein the stimulus signal includes a series of pulses, and wherein each pulse provides an amount of charge; and

three or more electrodes electrically coupled to the signal generator, wherein the three or more electrodes are configured to form two or more connections with a target, wherein each connection of the two or more connections corresponds to a pair of the three or more electrodes, and wherein for one pulse of the stimulus signal the processing circuit is configured to perform operations comprising:

selecting one connection of the two or more connections as a selected connection for providing the one pulse;

first determining:

whether the amount of charge that flows through the selected connection is greater than a first threshold,

whether the amount of charge provided by the one pulse provides an arc between terminals of the CEW, and

whether the signal generator provides the amount of charge greater than a second threshold; and

second determining a quality of the selected connection based on the first determining.

11. The CEW of claim 10 wherein the processing circuit is configured to select the one connection in accordance with a sequence of connections.

12. The CEW of claim 10 wherein the processing circuit is configured to select the one connection in accordance with a sequence of connections and a quality of all of the two or more connections.

13. The CEW of claim 10 wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine that the quality of the selected connection is good while:

the amount of charge that flows through the selected connection is greater than the first threshold;

the amount of charge provided by the one pulse does not provide the arc between terminals of the CEW; and

the signal generator provides an amount of charge greater than the second threshold.

14. The CEW of claim 10 wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine that the quality of the selected connection is bad while:

the amount of charge that flows through the selected connection is less than the first threshold; or

the amount of charge provided by the one pulse provides the arc between terminals of the CEW; or

the signal generator provides an amount of charge less than the second threshold.

15. The CEW of claim 10 wherein:

the signal generator includes a capacitance configured to provide a portion of the pulse at a lower voltage;

the processing circuit is configured to detect a change in a magnitude of a voltage across the capacitance before and after the signal generator provides the pulse; and

the processing circuit is configured to determine whether the signal generator provides the amount of charge greater than the second threshold based on the change in the magnitude of the voltage.

16. The CEW of claim 10 wherein:

the signal generator includes a capacitance in series with at least one electrode of the pair of electrodes that form the selected connection;

the processing circuit is configured to detect an amount of a charge that accumulates on the capacitance after the signal generator provides the pulse; and

the processing circuit is configured to compare the amount of the charge that accumulates on the capacitance to the first threshold to determine whether the amount of the charge that flows through the selected connection is greater than the first threshold.

17. The CEW of claim 10 wherein:

the signal generator includes a capacitance configured to provide a portion of the pulse at a lower voltage;

the processing circuit is configured to detect a first change in a magnitude of a voltage across the capacitance and a second change in the amount of charge stored on the capacitance before and after the signal generator provides the pulse;

the processing circuit is configured to determine a load line of the selected connection based on the first change and the second change; and

the processing circuit is configured to determine whether the amount of charge provided by the one pulse provides the arc between terminals of the CEW based on the load line.

18. The CEW of claim 10 wherein in response to the quality of the selected connection being good, the amount of charge of the one pulse is provided through the target.

19. The CEW of claim 10 wherein in response to the quality of the selected connection being bad, the amount of charge of the one pulse is not provided through the target.

20. The CEW of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold is defined as a portion of the amount of charge provided by the one pulse.