Uniform Scaling of Haptic Forces in Surgical Systems
This patent describes a surgical system that uses a single scaling factor to adjust the strength of touch feedback from multiple motors, ensuring the feedback feels consistent even when one motor reaches its maximum power.
Original patent title: “Uniform scaling of haptic actuators”
This patent describes a surgical system that uses a single scaling factor to adjust the strength of touch feedback from multiple motors, ensuring the feedback feels consistent even when one motor reaches its maximum power. Granted to Intuitive Surgical Operations in 2024 with 22 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a surgical system comprising an input device, like a master controller, and at least two haptic actuators that provide touch feedback to the user. A controller receives input and determines desired haptic feedback forces for both actuators. If the desired force for the first actuator would exceed its maximum power limit (its "upper output limit" as per claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1), the controller applies a "common scaling factor" to *both* the desired force for the first actuator and the desired force for the second actuator. This common scaling factor proportionally reduces both forces, ensuring the first actuator operates within its limits while maintaining the relative feel between the two. For example, if a surgeon is pushing against a virtual tissue boundary and the haptic motor for one direction is maxing out, the system scales down all related feedback forces so the surgeon still feels the overall resistance and relative forces, just at a slightly reduced intensity.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Haptic feedback systems that are not part of a surgical system, as the claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → specifically define a "surgical system."
- Systems where each haptic actuator's output is scaled independently, rather than using a "common scaling factor" applied to multiple actuators.
- Haptic feedback where the scaling only occurs when a lower output limit is exceeded, without considering an upper output limit as the primary trigger for scaling.
- Systems where the scaling factor is *not* removed when the commanded force falls within the actuator's working range, as specified in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 9.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in applying a *single, common scaling factor* to *multiple* haptic actuators when *any one* of them is about to exceed its operational limits. This ensures that the relative forces and the overall "feel" of the haptic feedback remain proportional and consistent, rather than having one axis of feedback clip or distort independently.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Intuitive Surgical da Vinci surgical systems
Robotic surgery platforms with haptic feedback
Surgical training simulators with force feedback
Why it matters
The bigger picture
In robotic surgery, haptic feedback is crucial for surgeons to "feel" tissues, sutures, and instrument interactions, improving precision and safety. This patent aims to ensure that this critical feedback remains consistent and proportional, even when individual motors are pushed to their limits. This consistency helps surgeons maintain their sense of control and prevents sudden, unnatural changes in perceived force, which could be distracting or detrimental during delicate procedures.
Filed
May 20, 2022
Granted
October 15, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Intuitive Surgical, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a dominant player in robotic surgery with its da Vinci system, which heavily relies on precise haptic feedback. Other companies developing surgical robotics, such as Medtronic and Stryker, are also likely exploring similar advanced haptic control methods to enhance surgeon experience and system performance.
Market impact
This patent supports the development of more sophisticated and intuitive robotic surgical systems. By ensuring consistent haptic feedback, it helps improve surgeon confidence and performance, potentially accelerating the adoption of robotic surgery. It contributes to the overall quality and safety of these high-precision instruments, which is a critical factor in a highly regulated medical device market.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a surgical system comprising an input device, like a master controller, and at least two haptic actuators that provide touch feedback to the user. A controller receives input and determines desired haptic feedback forces for both actuators. If the desired force for the first actuator would exceed its maximum power limit (its "upper output limit" as per claim 1), the controller applies a "common scaling factor" to *both* the desired force for the first actuator and the desired force for the second actuator. This common scaling factor proportionally reduces both forces, ensuring the first actuator operates within its limits while maintaining the relative feel between the two. For example, if a surgeon is pushing against a virtual tissue boundary and the haptic motor for one direction is maxing out, the system scales down all related feedback forces so the surgeon still feels the overall resistance and relative forces, just at a slightly reduced intensity.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in applying a *single, common scaling factor* to *multiple* haptic actuators when *any one* of them is about to exceed its operational limits. This ensures that the relative forces and the overall "feel" of the haptic feedback remain proportional and consistent, rather than having one axis of feedback clip or distort independently.
What it does not cover
- Haptic feedback systems that are not part of a surgical system, as the claims specifically define a "surgical system."
- Systems where each haptic actuator's output is scaled independently, rather than using a "common scaling factor" applied to multiple actuators.
- Haptic feedback where the scaling only occurs when a lower output limit is exceeded, without considering an upper output limit as the primary trigger for scaling.
- Systems where the scaling factor is *not* removed when the commanded force falls within the actuator's working range, as specified in claim 9.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$129K – $412K
Midpoint $257K · 15.7 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Liao, H., & Verner, L. N. (2024). Uniform Scaling of Haptic Forces in Surgical Systems (U.S. Patent No. 12,114,954). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12114954/uniform-scaling-of-haptic-actuators
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US12114954"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 9855653 · 2018 · Muscle
Robots That Don't Get Stuck: A Master-Slave Control System
US 11786761 · 2023 · Cilag GmbH International
How a Robotic Surgical Tool Clamps Tissue Manually and Automatically
US 9949801 · 2018 · Intuitive Surgical Operations
How Surgical Robots Reconfigure Their Arms Without Moving the Tool Tip
US 12414825 · 2025 · CMR Surgical
How a Surgical Robot Arm's Wrist Moves Instruments
More to explore
More in AI & Machine Learning
US 10452978 · 2019 · Google LLC
How AI Models Understand Language Using 'Attention'
US 6523026 · 2003 · Huntsman International LLC
How Computers Find Hidden Connections Between Different Fields of Knowledge
US 11615208 · 2023 · Capital One Services LLC
How Cloud Systems Automatically Create and Train AI Data Models
US 10402750 · 2019 · Facebook Inc
How Facebook Uses Deep Learning to Predict What You Might Like
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Uniform Scaling of Haptic Forces in Surgical Systems cover?
This patent describes a surgical system that uses a single scaling factor to adjust the strength of touch feedback from multiple motors, ensuring the feedback feels consistent even when one motor reaches its maximum power.
Who owns patent US 12114954?
Intuitive Surgical Operations owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on May 20, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 12114954 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
In robotic surgery, haptic feedback is crucial for surgeons to "feel" tissues, sutures, and instrument interactions, improving precision and safety. This patent aims to ensure that this critical feedback remains consistent and proportional, even when individual motors are pushed to their limits. This consistency helps surgeons maintain their sense of control and prevents sudden, unnatural changes in perceived force, which could be distracting or detrimental during delicate procedures.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Haptic feedback systems that are not part of a surgical system, as the claims specifically define a "surgical system."
Same assignee
More from Intuitive Surgical Operations
Patent monitoring