IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,339,871
Granted Patent B2
US 12,339,871 · App. 18/612,703 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Systems and methods for synchronizing nodes of a robotic system

Inventors: Brian D. Hoffman (Mountain View, CA); Joshua Radel (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
G06F16/27A61B34/00A61B34/37G06F9/542G06F16/2365G06F16/2379G06F16/273
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,339,871
App. No.
18/612,703
Filed
Mar 21, 2024
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2168
USPC
707/631
Abstract

A robotic system is provided. The robotic system includes a publishing node including at least one first synchronization database that includes a plurality of attributes, each of the attributes including a tag identifying the attribute and data, a flag associated with each of the attributes, and a subscriber list. The system also includes a subscriber node including at least one second synchronization database. The publishing node is configured to set the flag associated with the attributes when the attributes are written in the at least one first synchronization database or when the data included in the attributes are modified and publish the flagged attributes to the subscriber node.

Claims (38)

1. A robot-assisted surgical system, comprising:

a publishing node configured to maintain a first synchronization database comprising a subscriber list of subscribing nodes; and

a plurality of manipulators, each manipulator configured to manipulate a respective surgical instrument, wherein, upon removal of a first manipulator of the plurality of manipulators from the surgical system and installation of a second manipulator into the surgical system, the publishing node is configured to add the second manipulator to the subscriber list.

2. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 1 , wherein upon removal of the first manipulator and installation of the second manipulator, the publishing node is further configured to remove the first manipulator from the subscriber list.

3. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the publishing node is further configured to transmit a heartbeat signal to the second manipulator.

4. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 3 , wherein the publishing node is configured to remove the first manipulator from the subscriber list in response to determining that the first manipulator is not responding to the heartbeat signal.

5. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first synchronization database further comprises:

a plurality of attributes, each individual attribute of the plurality of attributes including data and a tag, the tag identifying the individual attribute; and

a plurality of flags, each individual flag of the plurality of flags being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of attributes and a corresponding one of the subscribing nodes.

6. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 5 , wherein the publishing node is configured to add the second manipulator to the subscriber list in response to receiving a subscription message from the second manipulator, the subscription message identifying an attribute of the plurality of attributes to be maintained in a second synchronization database of the second manipulator.

7. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the publishing node is further configured to transmit an advertising message that advertises the plurality of attributes and the second manipulator is configured to transmit the subscription message in response to receiving the advertising message.

8. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the publishing node is further configured to:

receive a discover message from the second manipulator; and

transmit a discover response message to the second manipulator in response to the discover message, the discover response message including a list of the plurality of attributes.

9. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 5 , wherein the publishing node is further configured to aggregate modifications to the plurality of attributes until a synchronization reply signal is received from the second manipulator.

10. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the publishing node is further configured to delay publishing of attributes to the second manipulator until a ready signal is received from the second manipulator.

11. The robot-assisted surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the publishing node comprises a dispatcher.

12. A method for synchronizing data across nodes in a robot-assisted surgical system, the method comprising:

maintaining, at a publishing node, a first synchronization database including a subscriber list of a plurality of subscribers;

removing a first manipulator from the surgical system;

installing a second manipulator into the surgical system; and

upon the removal of the first manipulator and the installation of the second manipulator, adding the second manipulator to the subscriber list.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

upon the removal of the first manipulator and the installation of the second manipulator, removing the first manipulator from the subscriber list.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the publishing node, a heartbeat signal to the second manipulator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the publishing node is configured to remove the first manipulator from the subscriber list in response to determining that the first manipulator is not responding to the heartbeat signal.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first synchronization database further comprises:

a plurality of attributes, each individual attribute of the plurality of attributes including data and a tag, the tag identifying the individual attribute; and

a plurality of flags, each individual flag of the plurality of flags being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of attributes and a corresponding one of the plurality of subscribers.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving, at the publishing node, a subscription message from the second manipulator, wherein the publishing node is configured to add the second manipulator to the subscriber list in response to receiving the subscription message, the subscription message identifying an attribute of the plurality of attributes to be maintained in a second synchronization database of the second manipulator.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the publishing node, an advertising message that advertises the plurality of attributes, wherein the second manipulator is configured to transmit the subscription message in response to receiving the advertising message.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving, at the publishing node, a discover message from the second manipulator; and

transmitting a discover response message to the second manipulator in response to the discover message, the discover response message including a list of the plurality of attributes.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the publishing node comprises a dispatcher.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2024
From: HOFFMAN, BRIAN D.; RADEL, JOSHUA
To: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 066879/0842 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 18309711 · Apr 28, 2023
Continuation 16795162 · Feb 19, 2020
Continuation 15814214 · Nov 15, 2017
Continuation 15242408 · Aug 19, 2016
Continuation 14181499 · Feb 14, 2014
Provisional Application 61765559 · Feb 15, 2013
Related Publication 20240232222A1 · Jul 11, 2024
References Cited (45)
US 4860285A · Miller et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 6263347B1 · Kobayashi et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6421570B1 · McLaughlin · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 6711578B1 · McCaw et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7113963B1 · McCaw · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7529599B1 · Bhatt et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 8635373B1 · Supramaniam et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9424303B2 · Hoffman et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9830371B2 · Hoffman et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10592529B2 · Hoffman et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11687556B2 · Hoffman et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20020099787A1 · Bonner et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20040199290A1 · Stoddard · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20050055132A1 · Matsumoto et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050278346A1 · Shang et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20060209868A1 · Callaghan · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070198629A1 · Ganguly et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090164202A1 · Loennemark et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100174680A1 · Yamagishi et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110060957A1 · Bogucharov et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110137322A1 · Moll · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110231014A1 · Krajewski et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120254108A1 · Wedewer et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140019581A1 · Baillargeon et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20230289366A1 · Hoffman et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 102571485A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 102830645A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2000235547A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
JP 2001514407A · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007234014A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010021805A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010021806A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010105150A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
KR 20110000689A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9910788A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9950726A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
Eugster P.T., et al., “The Many Faces of Publish/Subscribe,” ACM Computing Surveys, Jun. 2003, vol. 35(2), pp. 114-131, XP002424894. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report for Application No. 14751546.4, mailed on Sep. 23, 2016, 12 pages. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report for Application No. EP20152283.6, mailed on May 13, 2020, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2014/016615, mailed on May 30, 2014, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
Kang J.S., et al., “Remote Variable Access Protocol for Data-Centric Telerobotics”, Automation and Systems (ICCAS), 12th International Conference on Control, IEEE, Oct. 17, 2012, pp. 1985-1989, XP032291535. [cited by applicant]
Muhl G., “Generic Constraints for Content-Based Publish/Subscribe,” Security in Communication Networks, Third International Conference, Revised Papers/SCN, Sep. 11-13, 2002, pp. 211-225, XP002500569, [retrieved on Sep. … [cited by applicant]
Pardo-Castellote G., “OMG Data-Distribution Service: Architectural Overview,” Proceedings of the 23rd International conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops (ICDCSW'03), 2003, pp. 200-206, XP010642373. [cited by applicant]
Vertut, J., and Coiffet, P., “Robot Technology: Teleoperation and Robotics Evolution and Development,” English translation, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Inglewood Cliffs, NJ, USA 1986, vol. 3A, 332 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ying L., et al., “Survey of Publish Subscribe Event Systems,” Technical Report 574, Jul. 2002, pp. 1-19, XP007919204, [online], [retrieved on Sep. 12, 2016], Retrieved from the Internet: URL: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/p… [cited by applicant]