Method and system for accomplishing a scalable, multi-user, extended range, distributed, augmented reality environment
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for accomplishing a scalable, multi-user, extended range, distributed, augmented reality environment, comprising:
- providing a head-worn display unit;
providing a computer system and video hardware worn by the user;
providing a data communications system worn by the user to permit the computer to communicate with other computer systems;
providing motion tracking hardware worn by the user;
using the motion tracking hardware to determine the position and orientation of the user'"'"'s viewpoint;
using the data communications system to send or receive current user position, simulation modification command made by users or instructors, and computer-driven simulation status to other systems participating in the environment;
using the computer system to simulate a synthetic environment comprising graphical elements;
using the computer system and video hardware to render the graphical elements corresponding to the user'"'"'s viewpoint; and
creating for the user a mixed view comprised of an actual view of the real world as it appears from the user'"'"'s viewpoint, where graphical elements can be placed any place in the real world and remain anchored to that place in the real world regardless of the direction in which the user is looking, wherein the rendered graphical elements are superimposed on the actual view, to accomplish an augmented reality view of the simulated environment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless or extra-long-tethered augmented reality (AR) system and method, where the user wears some or all of the equipment necessary to perform the simulation. Various arrangements are presented that can be selected based on the needs of the system, such as the number of users and type of tracking equipment. Most of the discussion is optimized to a firefighter training system, but the disclosure is applicable to most any other application of wireless AR.
55 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method for accomplishing a scalable, multi-user, extended range, distributed, augmented reality environment, comprising:
-
providing a head-worn display unit; providing a computer system and video hardware worn by the user; providing a data communications system worn by the user to permit the computer to communicate with other computer systems; providing motion tracking hardware worn by the user; using the motion tracking hardware to determine the position and orientation of the user'"'"'s viewpoint; using the data communications system to send or receive current user position, simulation modification command made by users or instructors, and computer-driven simulation status to other systems participating in the environment; using the computer system to simulate a synthetic environment comprising graphical elements; using the computer system and video hardware to render the graphical elements corresponding to the user'"'"'s viewpoint; and creating for the user a mixed view comprised of an actual view of the real world as it appears from the user'"'"'s viewpoint, where graphical elements can be placed any place in the real world and remain anchored to that place in the real world regardless of the direction in which the user is looking, wherein the rendered graphical elements are superimposed on the actual view, to accomplish an augmented reality view of the simulated environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of tracking a user, in which equipment worn by a user performs user-tracking processing, comprising:
-
providing active motion tracking hardware installed in the environment; providing motion tracking hardware worn by the user which is able to receive signals from the active motion tracking hardware installed in the environment, and those signals contain information about the relative position of the motion tracking hardware worn by the user in relation to the active motion tracking hardware installed in the environment; providing motion tracking data processing hardware worn by the user which processes the signals received by the motion tracking hardware worn by the user; providing a means for the motion tracking data processing hardware to receive information about the signals of the active motion tracking hardware installed in the environment, where the information at least indicates when the motion tracking hardware installed in the environment is emitting a signal; and using the motion tracking hardware and additional motion tracking data processing hardware to determine the position and orientation of the user'"'"'s viewpoint in relation to the motion tracking hardware installed in the environment. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification