Patent ID: 8315720

Claim:
A method for graphically providing continuous change of state directions to a user of a medical robotic system, the method comprising: displaying a graphical representation indicative of a target state of the user manipulatable input device on a display screen viewable by the user, wherein a medical device is being held at a held state until the user manipulatable input device is associated to the medical device, and wherein the target state of the user manipulatable input device is a state of the user manipulatable input device at which the user manipulatable input device is aligned with the held state of the medical device; continuously determining current states of the user manipulatable input device and indications directing the user to change the state of the user manipulatable input device towards the target state while the user manipulatable input device is being manipulated by the user; and displaying graphical representations indicative of the continuously determined current states of the user manipulatable input device and graphical representations of the continuously determined indications along with the graphical representation indicative of the target state on the display screen to assist the user in aligning states of the user manipulatable input device to the medical device prior to associating the user manipulatable input device to the medical device.