Master-to-slave orientation mapping when misaligned

A method of operating a system comprising a master tool manipulator and a slave instrument manipulator, the method comprising:

• before the system enters following:
• determining whether an orientation misalignment between a first orientation of the master tool manipulator in an eye frame before the system enters following and an orientation of a slave instrument tip in a camera frame before the system enters following is less than or equal to a maximum permitted orientation error,
• in response to determining that the orientation misalignment is less than or equal to the maximum permitted orientation error, enabling following;
• and
• after the system enters following:
• receiving a command from the master tool manipulator to move the slave instrument tip, the command indicating a second orientation of the master tool manipulator in the eye frame,
• generating a new slave orientation based on the second orientation of the master tool manipulator, the first orientation of the master tool manipulator before the system entered following, and the orientation of the slave instrument tip before the system entered following, and
• using the slave instrument manipulator to orient the slave instrument tip based on the new slave orientation.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors associated with a robotic system comprising a master tool manipulator are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• before the robotic system enters following:
• determining whether an orientation misalignment between a first orientation of the master tool manipulator in an eye frame before the robotic system enters following and an orientation of a slave instrument tip in a camera frame before the robotic system enters following is less than or equal to a maximum permitted orientation error, and
• in response to determining that the orientation misalignment is less than or equal to the maximum permitted orientation error, enabling following;
• and
• after the robotic system enters following:
• receiving a command from the master tool manipulator to move the slave instrument tip, the command indicating a second orientation of the master tool manipulator in the eye frame,
• generating a new slave orientation based on the second orientation of the master tool manipulator, the first orientation of the master tool manipulator before the robotic system entered following, and the orientation of the slave instrument tip before the robotic system entered following, and
• commanding the robotic system to orient the slave instrument tip based on the new slave orientation.