US 11,696,807 B2
Drop detection of ungrounded master controller for a surgical robot
Denise Ann Miller, Scotts Valley, CA (US); Joan Savaii, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Randall Blake Hellman, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Verb Surgical Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Verb Surgical Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/821,798.
Prior Publication US 2021/0290328 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 13/00 (2006.01); B25J 13/06 (2006.01); A61B 34/37 (2016.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); B25J 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/70 (2016.02) [A61B 34/25 (2016.02); A61B 34/37 (2016.02); A61B 90/06 (2016.02); B25J 13/006 (2013.01); B25J 13/02 (2013.01); A61B 2090/065 (2016.02); A61B 2562/0219 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling a surgical robotic system, comprising:
sensing, by a user interface device (UID), contact data from one or more contact sensors, the contact data indicating contact by a user of parts of the UID;
determining the UID is not being held by the user for a length of time greater than a time threshold based on the contact data from the contact sensors;
responsive to determining that the length of time the UID is not being held is greater than the time threshold, sensing, from one or more tracking sensors of the UID, motion data indicating a motion of the UID;
determining a free-falling motion of the UID based on the motion data; and
decoupling the surgical robotic system from a movement of the UID in response to the free-falling motion of the UID.