Surgical robotic system and method for transitioning control to a secondary robot controller

A surgical robotic system, comprising:

• one or more robotic arms mounted to a surgical table;
• a user console including a first user interface device remote to the surgical table;
• a primary controller configured to control the one or more robotic arms in response to input received from the first user interface device at the user console;
• and
• means for transitioning control of the one or more robotic arms from the primary controller to a secondary controller positioned within the surgical table in response to a failure in the primary controller, wherein the secondary controller is configured to maneuver the one or more robotic arms in response to input received from a second user interface device coupled to the one or more robotic arms and the secondary controller;
• wherein the means for transitioning control comprises (1) activation of a hibernated copy of a process for controlling the one or more robotic arms by the primary controller at the secondary controller or (2) state information received from the one or more robotic arms when controlling the one or more robotic arms being routed from the one or more robotic arms to the secondary controller.

A surgical robot, comprising:

• a user console;
• a primary controller configured to control the surgical robot responsive to a first input from the user console;
• and
• a secondary controller configured to control the surgical robot responsive to a second input remote from the user console;
• wherein the secondary controller is configured to receive communication from the primary controller,
• wherein control of the surgical robot is transitioned to the secondary controller from the primary controller in response to a failure of communication from the primary controller;
• a backup controller configured to receive heartbeat messages at a predetermined rate from the secondary controller when the secondary controller is controlling the surgical robot;
• wherein the control of the surgical robot is transitioned to the backup controller from the secondary controller in response to missing one or more heartbeat messages;
• and:
• wherein the secondary controller is configured to receive state information from the surgical robot when controlling the surgical robot, and wherein transitioning the control of the surgical robot to the backup controller comprises routing the state information from the surgical robot to the backup controller.