{
  "patent_number": "US 12114954",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Uniform Scaling of Haptic Forces in Surgical Systems",
  "original_title": "Uniform scaling of haptic actuators",
  "summary": "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.",
  "what_it_does": "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.",
  "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."
  ],
  "filed": "2022-05-20",
  "granted": "2024-10-15",
  "expires": "2042-05-20",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Intuitive Surgical Operations",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/intuitive-surgical-operations",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Hsien-Hsin Liao",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/hsien-hsin-liao"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lawton N. Verner",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/lawton-n-verner"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "surgical",
    "robotics",
    "medical_devices",
    "software",
    "mechanical"
  ],
  "abstract": "A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; a first actuator and a second actuator; a controller for controlling the first actuator and the second actuator, the controller configured to apply a first scale factor to a first commanded output and a second commanded output for the first actuator the second actuator, respectively, when the first commanded output would fall outside a first predetermined working range of the first actuator, wherein the first scale factor adjusts the first commanded output to be within the first predetermined working range.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12114954/uniform-scaling-of-haptic-actuators",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12114954/uniform-scaling-of-haptic-actuators/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12114954",
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}