# US 11,896,331 B2 · Detection of user touch on controller handle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,331 B2 - Document ID: US11896331B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/073,329 - Filed: 2022-12-01 - Published: 2023-04-06 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-15 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Inventors: Cedric Schwab - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896331B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - A61B 34/76: {Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback} - B25J 13/025: {comprising haptic means} - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 90/60: Supports for surgeons, e.g. chairs or hand supports (seats for dentists or surgeons associated with dental chairs or operating chairs A61G15/08) - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Implementations relate to detecting user touch on a controller handle. In some implementations, a non-controlling mode of a control system is activated, and in the non-controlling mode, one or more actuators are controlled to cause a vibration to be provided on a handle of a controller. The vibration is sensed with one or more sensors, and a difference in the vibration is determined to have occurred relative to a reference vibration using the one or more sensors, where the difference satisfies one or more predetermined thresholds. A controlling mode of the system is activated in response to determining the difference in the vibration, and the vibration is modified on the handle in response to detecting the change in the vibration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: controlling an actuator to cause a vibration in a handle of a control system, the handle manually moveable by a user; sensing the vibration with a sensor; determining a vibration characteristic based on the sensing; determining a state of contact by the user with the handle based on the vibration characteristic; and in response to determining the state of contact by the user with the handle, controlling the actuator to modify the vibration in the handle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of contact includes determining that a change in the vibration has occurred that satisfies one or more predetermined thresholds. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling the actuator to modify the vibration is performed after a predetermined time period after determining that the change in the vibration has occurred. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the vibration is caused by applying a periodic control signal to the actuator, and wherein the change in the vibration includes a dampening of the vibration from a higher amplitude to a lower amplitude, wherein the lower amplitude is below one of the one or more predetermined thresholds. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the vibration characteristic includes determining a mean position of the handle in a degree of freedom of the handle while the vibration is caused, and wherein determining the state of contact includes determining a change in the mean position of the handle in the degree of freedom and comparing the change in the mean position to a mean position threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the actuator to modify the vibration includes controlling the actuator to remove the vibration from the handle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the actuator to cause the vibration includes applying the vibration in a degree of freedom of the handle, and wherein the sensing includes sensing the vibration in the degree of freedom of the handle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the handle is provided with one or more additional degrees of freedom by one or more links coupled to the handle, wherein the one or more links are provided with one or more associated sensors of motion of the one or more links in the one or more additional degrees of freedom, and wherein the one or more links are decoupled from the vibration such that the vibration on the handle is not sensed by the one or more associated sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a user in physical proximity to the handle via a user presence sensor, wherein controlling the actuator to cause the vibration in the handle is initiated in response to sensing the user via the user presence sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a frequency or an amplitude of the vibration in response to detecting a different operating mode of the control system, wherein the different operating mode includes at least one of: a camera control mode or a mode to control one or more functions of a device controlled by movement of the handle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining the state of contact, activating a controlling mode that includes controlling one or more actuators of a controlled device to physically move at least a portion of the controlled device in correspondence with physical manipulation of the handle by the user. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: a handle manually moveable by a user; an actuator coupled to the handle; a sensor of motion of the handle; a memory storing instructions; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and to the actuator, the at least one processor configured to access the instructions in the memory and execute operations comprising: controlling the actuator to cause a vibration in the handle; sensing the vibration with the sensor; determining a vibration characteristic based on the sensing; determining a state of contact by the user with the handle based on the vibration characteristic; and in response to determining the state of contact by the user with the handle, controlling the actuator to modify the vibration in the handle in response. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the operation of determining the state of contact includes determining that a change in the vibration has occurred that satisfies one or more predetermined thresholds. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the operation of controlling the actuator to modify the vibration includes controlling the actuator to remove the vibration from the handle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the operation of determining the vibration characteristic includes determining a mean position of the handle in a degree of freedom of the handle while the vibration is caused, and wherein determining the state of contact includes determining a change in the mean position of the handle in the degree of freedom and comparing the change in the mean position to a mean position threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the operation of controlling the actuator to cause the vibration includes applying the vibration in a degree of freedom of the handle, and wherein the sensing includes sensing the vibration in the degree of freedom of the handle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising: one or more links coupled to the handle, wherein the handle is provided with one or more additional degrees of freedom by the one or more links; and one or more associated sensors of motion of the one or more links in the one or more additional degrees of freedom, wherein the one or more links are decoupled from the vibration such that the vibration in the handle is not sensed by the one or more associated sensors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute operations further comprising: sensing a user in physical proximity to the handle via a user presence sensor, wherein the operation of controlling the actuator to cause the vibration in the handle is initiated in response to sensing the user via the user presence sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the vibration is a first vibration, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute operations further comprising: modifying the first vibration on the handle by controlling the actuator to apply a second vibration to the handle, wherein the second vibration has at least one of: a different amplitude than the first vibration, a different frequency than the first vibration, or a combination of the different amplitude and the different frequency. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute operations further comprising: in response to determining the state of contact, activating a controlling mode that includes controlling one or more actuators of a controlled device to physically move at least a portion of the controlled device in correspondence with physical manipulation of the handle by the user.