# Microsoft's Hologram System That Reacts to Your Location > Microsoft's 2020 patent describes a headset that shows holograms based on where you are in a physical space, guiding you along a path and reacting to your movement. - **Patent:** US 10789779 - **Original title:** Location-based holographic experience - **Owner:** Microsoft Technology Licensing - **Granted:** 2020 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, ai_ml ## What it does This patent describes a special headset, called a head-mounted display, designed for augmented or mixed reality experiences. It uses position sensors to track exactly where you are in a defined physical area, known as an 'experience space.' The headset has a computer inside that knows the layout of this space, like a map. It also has data for digital objects, called 'holographic objects,' and knows where each one should appear in the space. As you move along a set path, the headset detects your position and shows you a hologram when you reach a specific spot. For example, it could show a virtual guide pointing the way or display information about a historical site as you walk past it, updating the hologram as you move. ## What it does NOT cover - Holograms that are not tied to a specific location in a physical space. - Experiences where the hologram doesn't change or update based on the user's real-time position. - Systems that don't use a headset with position sensors to track the user. - Holographic experiences that don't follow a defined path from a beginning to an end. - Triggering physical effects without first detecting the user's position relative to a hologram. ## The clever bit The core innovation is precisely linking holographic object display to the user's real-world position within a mapped space, creating a dynamic and interactive experience that feels integrated with the environment, rather than just overlaid. ## Real-world examples 1. Microsoft HoloLens experiences 2. Location-based AR attractions 3. Interactive museum exhibits 4. Training simulations with virtual guides ## Why it matters This patent is part of the foundational technology for creating immersive mixed-reality experiences. It outlines how digital content can be anchored to the real world and react to a user's physical presence, which is key for applications ranging from interactive museum exhibits to training simulations and advanced gaming. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Microsoft's Hologram System That Reacts to Your Location cover? Microsoft's 2020 patent describes a headset that shows holograms based on where you are in a physical space, guiding you along a path and reacting to your movement. ### Who owns patent US 10789779? Microsoft Technology Licensing owns this patent, granted in 2020. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on February 14, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is part of the foundational technology for creating immersive mixed-reality experiences. It outlines how digital content can be anchored to the real world and react to a user's physical presence, which is key for applications ranging from interactive museum exhibits to training simulations and advanced gaming. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Holograms that are not tied to a specific location in a physical space. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10789779/location-based-holographic-experience **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10789779 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How an Augmented Reality Headset Shows a Stable Virtual Monitor](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9726896/virtual-monitor-display-technique-for-augmented-reality-environments) — This patent describes an augmented reality headset that uses special liquid lenses and an occlusion matrix to display a stable virtual computer monitor, even as the user moves their head or body, while also preventing visual artifacts. - [Making Real-World Sounds Fit into Mixed Reality Experiences](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12738289/voice-processing-for-mixed-reality) — This patent describes how a wearable device can take sounds from the real world, change them to match the acoustics of a virtual environment, and then play them back to a user, making mixed reality feel more realistic. - [How Disney's Compact AR Display Uses Special Mirrors](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12386177/compact-augmented-reality-virtual-reality-display) — Disney's patent describes a compact augmented reality display that uses a clever arrangement of three special wavelength-splitting mirrors to efficiently show digital images layered over the real world. - [How AR Glasses Make Virtual Objects Look Solid](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10573086/opacity-filter-for-display-device) — This patent describes how augmented reality glasses can make virtual objects appear more distinct by selectively blocking real-world light behind them using a special pixelated filter. - [How Two People's Body Movements Are Tracked in Augmented Reality](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10444502/method-and-apparatus-for-multiple-user-self-relative-tracking-for-augmented-real) — This patent describes a system for two users to accurately track their body parts, like a limb, relative to their own head-mounted display using magnetic fields, then display these virtual limbs in a shared augmented reality.