IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,515,319
Granted Patent B2
US 12,515,319 · App. 18/553,387 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Systems and methods for controlling a robotic manipulator or associated tool

Inventors: Ramu Sharat Chandra (San Jose, CA); Goran A. Lynch (Oakland, CA)
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
B25J9/1628A61B34/30A61B34/77G05B19/4155G05B2219/40269
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 12,515,319
App. No.
18/553,387
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robotic system includes a robotic manipulator, which includes a first joint and a link connected to the first joint. A processing unit including one or more processors is configured to receive sensor measurement data of the link from a sensor system, and generate, based on the sensor measurement data, a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint. A first vibration cancellation state for the first joint is determined based on one or more cancellation conditions of one or more of joints of the robotic manipulator. In response to the first vibration cancellation state indicating enablement of vibration cancellation for the first joint, a first cancellation force is applied to the first joint, the first cancellation force based on a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint.

Claims (66)

1 . A robotic system comprising:

a robotic manipulator including a first joint and a link connected to the first joint; and

a processing unit including one or more processors, the processing unit configured to:

receive sensor measurement data of the link from a sensor system,

generate, based on the sensor measurement data, a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint,

determine a first vibration cancellation state for the first joint based on one or more cancellation conditions of one or more of joints of the robotic manipulator,

wherein a first cancellation condition is determined based on whether a commanded joint position or velocity of a joint is within a range determined using a defined threshold, and

in response to the first vibration cancellation state indicating enablement of vibration cancellation for the first joint, apply a first cancellation force to the first joint, the first cancellation force based on a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint.

2 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein each cancellation condition of the one or more cancellation conditions includes at least one condition selected from the group consisting of: a linearity condition and a command tracking condition.

3 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic manipulator comprises a plurality of joints, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

for each joint of the plurality of joints, determine a vibration cancellation state for that joint and control that joint based on that vibration cancellation state.

4 . The robotic system of claim 3 , wherein, for each joint of the plurality of joints, determining the vibration cancellation state for that joint comprises:

determining the vibration cancellation state as a cancellation enabling state in response to determining that a cancellation condition is met for each joint of a group of joints.

5 . The robotic system of claim 4 , the group of joints includes

all joints of the plurality of joints; or

one or more joints of a second robotic manipulator of the robotic system.

6 . The robotic system of claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to, for each joint of the plurality of joints:

determine an initial vibration cancellation force;

limit, in accordance with the vibration cancellation state, the initial vibration cancellation force to generate a limited cancellation force; and

apply the limited cancellation force to the joint.

7 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cancellation conditions comprise a cancellation condition determined based on:

an estimated or measured velocity of a joint of the one or more joints, or

a commanded joint velocity or a commanded joint position of the first joint.

8 . The robotic system of claim 7 , wherein the cancellation condition is determined based on the commanded joint velocity and the commanded joint position of the first joint.

9 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cancellation conditions comprise a cancellation condition of a joint that is determined to be met in response to a first difference between a commanded joint position and a measured joint position being less than a first defined difference or in response to a second difference between the commanded joint position of the first joint and a previously commanded joint position of the first joint being less than a second defined difference.

10 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic manipulator is configured to physically support and move a tool; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to:

generate, based on the sensor measurement data, a control point velocity estimate of a control point associated with the tool,

generate the joint velocity estimate of the first joint based on the control point velocity estimate, and

set a location of the control point relative to the tool based on one or more mathematically singular configurations of the robotic manipulator.

11 . A method of operating a robotic system comprising:

receiving, with processing unit and from a sensor system, sensor measurement data of a link of a robotic manipulator of the robotic system, wherein the robotic manipulator includes a first joint connected to the link;

generating, with the processing unit and based on the sensor measurement data, a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint;

determining, with the processing unit, a first vibration cancellation state for the first joint based on one or more cancellation conditions of one or more of joints of the robotic manipulator,

wherein a first cancellation condition is determined based on whether a commanded joint position or velocity of a joint is within a range determined using a defined threshold; and

in response to the first vibration cancellation state indicating enablement of vibration cancellation for the first joint, applying, with the processing unit, a first cancellation force to the first joint, the first cancellation force based on a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each cancellation condition of the one or more cancellation conditions includes at least one condition selected from the group consisting of: a linearity condition and a command tracking condition.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the robotic manipulator comprises a plurality of joints, further comprising:

for each joint of the plurality of joints, determining a vibration cancellation state for that joint and control the joint based on that vibration cancellation state.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein, for each joint of the plurality of joints, determining the vibration cancellation state for that joint comprises:

determining a cancellation enabling state in response to determining that a cancellation condition is met for each joint of a group of joints.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the group of joints is a subset of the plurality of joints.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the group of joints includes:

all joints of the plurality of joints; or

one or more joints of a second robotic manipulator of the robotic system.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

for each joint of the plurality of joints:

determining an initial vibration cancellation force;

limiting, in accordance with the vibration cancellation state, the initial vibration cancellation force to generate a limited cancellation force; and

applying the limited cancellation force to the joint.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cancellation conditions comprise:

a cancellation condition determined based on an estimated or measured velocity of a joint of the one or more joints; or

a cancellation condition determined based on a commanded joint velocity or a commanded joint position of the first joint; or

a cancellation condition that is determined to be met in response to a determination that a magnitude of a commanded joint velocity of a joint of the one or more joints is less than a defined velocity value; or

a cancellation condition of a joint that is determined to be met in response to a difference between a commanded joint position and a measured joint position being less than a defined difference; or

a cancellation condition of a joint that is determined to be met based on a difference between a commanded joint position of the first joint and a previously commanded joint position of the first joint being is less than a determined difference value.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the robotic manipulator is configured to physically support and move a tool, further comprising:

generating, based on the sensor measurement data, a control point velocity estimate of a control point associated with the tool, and

generating the joint velocity estimate of the first joint based on the control point velocity estimate; and

setting a location of the control point relative to the tool based on one or more mathematically singular configurations of the robotic manipulator.

20 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a sensor system, sensor measurement data of a link of a robotic manipulator of a robotic system, wherein the robotic manipulator includes a first joint connected to the link;

generating, based on the sensor measurement data, a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint;

determining, a first vibration cancellation state for the first joint based on one or more cancellation conditions of one or more of joints of the robotic manipulator,

wherein a first cancellation condition is determined based on whether a commanded joint position or velocity of a joint is within a range determined using a defined threshold; and

in response to the first vibration cancellation state indicating enablement of vibration cancellation for the first joint, applying a first cancellation force to the first joint, the first cancellation force based on a first joint velocity estimate of the first joint.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2023
From: CHANDRA, RAMU SHARAT; LYNCH, GORAN A.
To: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065088/0288 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63169443 · Apr 1, 2021
Related Publication 20240173856A1 · May 30, 2024
References Cited (17)
US 20060265120A1 · Coleman et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070057842A1 · Coleman et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070152619A1 · Sugiyama · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20160301845A1 · Bell et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180132850A1 · Leimbach et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190143506A1 · Rabindran et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190143513A1 · Rabindran et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 1795313A2 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
EP 2759382A2 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019094794A2 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for Application No. PCT/US2022/022574 mailed Oct. 12, 2023, 09 pages. [cited by applicant]
Axelsson P., et al., “H∞-Controller Design Methods Applied to One Joint of a Flexible Industrial Manipulator,” 19th IFAC World Congress Cape Town, South Africa, Aug. 24-29, 2014, pp. 210-216. [cited by applicant]
Behi F., et al., “Parametric Identification for Industrial Manipulators Using Experimental Modal Analysis,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, vol. 7 (5), Oct. 1991, pp. 642-652. [cited by applicant]
Chen W., et al., “Direct Joint Space State Estimation in Robots with Multiple Elastic Joints,” IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Apr. 2014, vol. 19 (2), pp. 697-706. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2022/022574, mailed Jul. 8, 2022, 14 pages. [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]
Vikas V., et al., “Joint Angle Measurement Using Strategically Placed Accelerometers and Gyroscope,” Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, Transactions of the ASME, vol. 8, May 2016, pp. 021003-1-021003-7. [cited by applicant]