US 10403051

Patent Analyst Report: US 10403051 B2

Date of Analysis: May 4, 2026

Patent Number: US 10403051 B2 (Interpreted literally as US 10,403,051)

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Patent Summary

• Title: Interference based augmented reality hosting platforms
• Assignee: Nant Holdings IP LLC
• Inventor: Patrick Soon-Shiong
• Filing Date: November 9, 2018
• Issue Date: September 3, 2019
• Abstract: Interference-based augmented reality hosting platforms are presented. Hosting platforms can include networking nodes capable of analyzing a digital representation of scene to derive interference among elements of the scene. The hosting platform utilizes the interference to adjust the presence of augmented reality objects within an augmented reality experience. Elements of a scene can constructively interfere, enhancing presence of augmented reality objects; or destructively interfere, suppressing presence of augmented reality objects.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

Based on the full patent text, US Patent 10,403,051 contains two independent claims: Claim 1 and Claim 14.

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a server to manage an augmented reality (AR) experience on a mobile device. The server receives data from the mobile device that represents a real-world scene. It then identifies specific "target objects" within that scene. Based on these objects and the scene's context, the server determines how different elements (both real and virtual) "interfere" with each other. This interference calculation, which can be either positive (constructive) or negative (destructive), is used to decide which AR objects should be displayed on the mobile device and how they should appear. For example, the presence of one object might enhance the visibility or features of a virtual object, while another might suppress it. The server then instructs the mobile device to present these relevant AR objects as part of the AR experience.

• Claim 14: This claim outlines a physical AR hosting platform (like a server or a network device) that carries out the method described in Claim 1. It specifies that the platform includes a network interface to communicate with a mobile device, memory to store data, and one or more processors. These processors are configured to run an "object recognition engine." This engine performs the key steps of receiving the scene data, recognizing target objects, determining the context, calculating the interference among scene elements, and identifying the relevant AR objects. Finally, the platform is configured to send instructions to the mobile device to display the selected AR objects, with their appearance or features adjusted based on the calculated interference.

Litigation Status

US Patent 10,403,051 has been the subject of significant litigation. In the case of NantWorks, LLC v. Niantic, Inc., it was asserted that popular augmented reality games, including Pokémon Go, infringed upon this patent.

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a nonprecedential opinion in case number 24-2216. The court affirmed a lower court's decision, finding several claims of the patent invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because they were directed to abstract ideas. The invalidated claims included claims 7, 22, 23, and 25. The court determined that the patent claimed the abstract idea of "receiving information about a location and displaying materials based on that information" without adding a sufficient inventive concept. This ruling was a significant development in the legal landscape for augmented reality patents.