Patent ID: 7046214

Claim:
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.