IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,992,942
Granted Patent B2
US 11,992,942 · App. 16/980,858 · Granted May 28, 2024

Control apparatus, control method, and master-slave system

Inventors: Yuki Itotani (Tokyo, JP); Hiromasa Masuda (Tokyo, JP); Atsushi Miyamoto (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuhito Wakana (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
B25J3/00A61B1/00188A61B34/37H04N23/69A61B2034/301H04N23/555
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,992,942
App. No.
16/980,858
Granted
May 28, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

[Problem to be Solved] There are provided a control apparatus, a control method, and a master-slave system. [Solution] A control apparatus includes: a detector that detects whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and a controller that controls, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging.

Claims (38)

1. A control apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

detect whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and

control, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein

the slave parameter includes an operation magnification indicating a ratio of a movement amount for the slave apparatus to a movement amount for the master apparatus,

the image parameter includes an image magnification indicating a magnification related to the image, and

the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification substantially simultaneously, and perform decrease control for decreasing the operation magnification and the image magnification under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification to cause a change rate of the operation magnification and a change rate of the image magnification to be substantially the same as each other.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to continuously perform the decrease control while it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform the decrease control under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus has reached one region of a boundary of a movable range of the master apparatus existing in a direction corresponding to a direction away from a contact target.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform increase control for increasing the operation magnification and the image magnification in accordance with a predetermined increasing operation.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of an offset corresponding to a position of the slave apparatus while performing the increase control.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the increasing operation includes an operation on the basis of an input to the master apparatus by a user.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a movable range of the master apparatus includes a first movable range and a second movable range, the first movable range being a region where the master apparatus is physically operable, and the second movable range being a region that is smaller than the first movable range and exists inside the first movable range, and

under a condition that the master apparatus is located in a region between the first movable range and the second movable range, the circuitry is further configured to detect that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit, the circuitry is further configured to move the master apparatus into the second movable range.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of the slave parameter and the image parameter to cause a center of an operation region of the slave apparatus corresponding to a movable range of the master apparatus to coincide with a center of the image.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a combination of the slave parameter and the image parameter to be controlled, in accordance with an operation on the basis of an input to the master apparatus by a user.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a combination of the slave parameter and the image parameter to be controlled, in accordance with an operation on the basis of inputs by the user to a plurality of master apparatuses including the master apparatus.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the circuitry is further configured to detect whether or not a plurality of master apparatuses, including the master apparatus, is located at the movable range limit, and

under a condition that it is detected that at least one of the plurality of the master apparatuses is located at the movable range limit, the circuitry is further configured to control the slave parameter and the image parameter.

14. A control apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to

detect whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and

control, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein

the slave parameter includes an operation offset indicating an offset distance from a point in the slave apparatus corresponding to an origin point in the master apparatus to an origin point in the slave apparatus,

the image parameter includes an image offset indicating an offset of the image, and

the circuitry is further configured to control the operation offset and the image offset substantially simultaneously under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

15. The control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the operation offset and the image offset to cause a moving direction and a movement amount of a slave apparatus corresponding to a movable range of the master apparatus in actual space to be substantially the same as a moving direction and a movement amount of a display range on the image.

16. The control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of the operation offset and the image offset while it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

17. A master-slave system comprising:

a slave apparatus;

a master apparatus used for an operation of the slave apparatus; and

a control apparatus including circuitry configured to detect whether or not the master apparatus is located at a movable range limit, and control on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein

the slave parameter includes an operation magnification indicating a ratio of a movement amount for the slave apparatus to a movement amount for the master apparatus,

the image parameter includes an image magnification indicating a magnification related to the image, and

the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification substantially simultaneously, and perform decrease control for decreasing the operation magnification and the image magnification under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2020
From: ITOTANI, YUKI; MASUDA, HIROMASA; MIYAMOTO, ATSUSHI; WAKANA, KAZUHITO
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053768/0181 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2018-061789 · Mar 28, 2018 · national
JP 2019-007798 · Jan 21, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210008709A1 · Jan 14, 2021