# US 11,992,942 B2 · Control apparatus, control method, and master-slave system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,942 B2 - Document ID: US11992942B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/980,858 - Filed: 2019-03-04 - Published: 2021-01-14 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-28 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Yuki Itotani; Hiromasa Masuda; Atsushi Miyamoto; Kazuhito Wakana - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992942B2 ## CPC - B25J 3/00: Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements - B25J 3/04: involving servo mechanisms (servo-actuated heads B25J15/02) - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/0005: {combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled} - A61B 1/00149: {using articulated arms} - A61B 1/00188: {with focusing or zooming features} - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - B25J 13/08: by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - A61B 1/0016: {using motor drive units} - A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes} - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - 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}) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract [Problem to be Solved] There are provided a control apparatus, a control method, and a master-slave system. [Solution] A control apparatus includes: a detector that detects whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and a controller that controls, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to detect whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and control, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein the slave parameter includes an operation magnification indicating a ratio of a movement amount for the slave apparatus to a movement amount for the master apparatus, the image parameter includes an image magnification indicating a magnification related to the image, and the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification substantially simultaneously, and perform decrease control for decreasing the operation magnification and the image magnification under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification to cause a change rate of the operation magnification and a change rate of the image magnification to be substantially the same as each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to continuously perform the decrease control while it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform the decrease control under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus has reached one region of a boundary of a movable range of the master apparatus existing in a direction corresponding to a direction away from a contact target. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform increase control for increasing the operation magnification and the image magnification in accordance with a predetermined increasing operation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of an offset corresponding to a position of the slave apparatus while performing the increase control. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the increasing operation includes an operation on the basis of an input to the master apparatus by a user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movable range of the master apparatus includes a first movable range and a second movable range, the first movable range being a region where the master apparatus is physically operable, and the second movable range being a region that is smaller than the first movable range and exists inside the first movable range, and under a condition that the master apparatus is located in a region between the first movable range and the second movable range, the circuitry is further configured to detect that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit, the circuitry is further configured to move the master apparatus into the second movable range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of the slave parameter and the image parameter to cause a center of an operation region of the slave apparatus corresponding to a movable range of the master apparatus to coincide with a center of the image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a combination of the slave parameter and the image parameter to be controlled, in accordance with an operation on the basis of an input to the master apparatus by a user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a combination of the slave parameter and the image parameter to be controlled, in accordance with an operation on the basis of inputs by the user to a plurality of master apparatuses including the master apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect whether or not a plurality of master apparatuses, including the master apparatus, is located at the movable range limit, and under a condition that it is detected that at least one of the plurality of the master apparatuses is located at the movable range limit, the circuitry is further configured to control the slave parameter and the image parameter. ### Claim 14 A control apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to detect whether or not a master apparatus used for an operation of a slave apparatus is located at a movable range limit; and control, on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein the slave parameter includes an operation offset indicating an offset distance from a point in the slave apparatus corresponding to an origin point in the master apparatus to an origin point in the slave apparatus, the image parameter includes an image offset indicating an offset of the image, and the circuitry is further configured to control the operation offset and the image offset substantially simultaneously under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the operation offset and the image offset to cause a moving direction and a movement amount of a slave apparatus corresponding to a movable range of the master apparatus in actual space to be substantially the same as a moving direction and a movement amount of a display range on the image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform control of the operation offset and the image offset while it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit. ### Claim 17 A master-slave system comprising: a slave apparatus; a master apparatus used for an operation of the slave apparatus; and a control apparatus including circuitry configured to detect whether or not the master apparatus is located at a movable range limit, and control on the basis of a detection result, a slave parameter related to control of the slave apparatus and an image parameter related to an image displayed on the basis of imaging, wherein the slave parameter includes an operation magnification indicating a ratio of a movement amount for the slave apparatus to a movement amount for the master apparatus, the image parameter includes an image magnification indicating a magnification related to the image, and the circuitry is further configured to control the operation magnification and the image magnification substantially simultaneously, and perform decrease control for decreasing the operation magnification and the image magnification under a condition that it is detected that the master apparatus is located at the movable range limit.