Apparatus and method for providing augmented reality content - Patents.com

Abstract

The mobile communication device (1) includes electronic circuitry configured to determine (S1) a user's location, send (S2) a query request to a computerized virtual real estate directory system (4), and receive (S3) a query response therefrom. The query response includes one or more virtual real estate objects assigned to the virtual real estate object locations within a predetermined area around the user. The mobile communication device (1) sends (S5) a content request to an augmented reality content server (5) identified in the query response for at least one specific virtual real estate object. The mobile communication device (1) receives (S6) augmented reality content from the augmented reality content server (5) and plays (S8) the augmented reality content for the specific virtual real estate object.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for augmented reality content provision, in particular to an apparatus, method and computer program product for augmented reality content provision. [Background technology]

[0002] AR (Augmented Reality) is a technology that augments the real-world environment with computer-generated virtual information. Unlike VR (Virtual Reality), AR does not replace the real world with a computer-generated world, but rather adds computer-generated information to the real world, often by overlaying virtual content on real-world objects. Virtual content can include not only visual content (such as digital images or models) that is overlaid on real-world objects to enhance the real-world visual experience, but also auditory content, tactile content, olfactory content, and content that engages other sensory modalities.

[0003] Hardware devices that play augmented reality content such as virtual objects are usually mobile and carried or worn by users. These mobile devices are wearable devices such as headsets with eyepieces, smart glasses, etc., that overlay the augmented reality content on the eyepieces through which the user can see both the real world and the projected visual content. These mobile devices may be mobile phones such as smartphones, which display live images taken by the mobile phone's camera on the mobile phone's display and simultaneously display the augmented reality content on the display. The mobile phone may be supported by additional connected devices such as headphones for auditory content or gloves that provide precise motion tracking and haptic feedback to play the augmented reality content.

[0004] In large-scale augmented reality environments, it is not feasible to store all augmented reality content locally on mobile devices because mobile devices have limited local storage capabilities and augmented reality content may change and be updated. With the availability of high speed data transfer over mobile data networks, it is becoming practical to provide augmented reality content on demand. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for providing augmented reality content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus, method and computer program product for providing augmented reality content to a user's mobile communication device. According to the invention, these objects are achieved by means of the features of the independent claims, further advantageous embodiments follow from the dependent claims and the description.

[0007] According to the invention, the above object is achieved in particular by a mobile communication device, comprising an electronic circuit configured to determine a location of a user of the mobile communication device and to send a query request to a computerized virtual real estate directory system via a communication network, the query request including at least the location of the user. The electronic circuit is configured to receive a query response from the virtual real estate directory system via the communication network, the query response including one or more virtual real estate objects assigned to virtual real estate object locations within a predefined area around the user, each of the virtual real estate objects including an identification and a network address of an augmented reality content server. The electronic circuit is configured to send a content request via the communication network to one of the augmented reality content servers, using the network address of the augmented reality content server respectively, for at least one specific virtual real estate object, each content request including the identification of the specific virtual real estate object. The electronic circuit is configured to receive augmented reality content for the specific virtual real estate object from the augmented reality content server via the communication network, and to play the augmented reality content for the specific virtual real estate object.

[0008] In one embodiment, the mobile communication device further comprises a display, and the electronic circuitry is configured to reproduce the augmented reality content by rendering (drawing) the augmented reality content on the display. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device further comprises an audio module, and the electronic circuit is configured to play the augmented reality using the audio module. In one embodiment, the electronic circuitry is further configured to verify whether the augmented reality content is completely contained within a bounding volume of the virtual real estate object, and in response to a positive verification, to play the augmented reality content, and in response to a negative verification, to either not play the augmented reality content or to modify the augmented reality content to play modified augmented reality content on the display that fits within the bounding volume of the virtual real estate object.

[0009] In one embodiment, the mobile communication device further comprises a camera, and the electronic circuitry is configured to further determine a field of view of the user and / or a field of view of the camera, and to transmit the query request further comprising said field of view. In one embodiment, the electronic circuitry is further configured to determine from the field of view coordinates of real-world features within the field of view relative to the position of the user, and to transmit the coordinates of the real-world features in the query request. In one embodiment, the electronic circuit is further configured to receive at least one cryptographic key assigned to each of the at least one augmented reality content servers from a content ID server via the communications network, receive signed augmented reality content for the virtual real estate object from the at least one augmented reality content server via the communications network, and verify the signed augmented reality content received from the at least one augmented reality content server using the corresponding at least one cryptographic key.

[0010] In addition to the mobile communication device for providing augmented reality content, the present invention further relates to a method for providing augmented reality content to a user of a mobile communication device having an electronic circuit, the method comprising: determining, at the mobile communication device, a location of the user of the mobile communication device; and sending a query request from the mobile communication device over a communication network to a computerized virtual real estate directory system, the query request including at least the location of the user. The method comprises receiving, at the mobile communication device, a query response from the virtual real estate directory system over the communication network, the query response including one or more virtual real estate objects assigned to virtual real estate object locations within a predefined area around the user, each of the virtual real estate objects including an identification and a network address of an augmented reality content server. The method comprises sending, for at least one particular virtual real estate object, a content request from the mobile communication device over the communication network to one of the augmented reality content servers using the network address of the augmented reality content server, each of the content requests including the identification of the particular virtual real estate object. The method includes receiving, on the mobile communications device, the augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object from the augmented reality content server via the communications network, and playing, on the mobile communications device, the augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object.

[0011] In one embodiment, the mobile communications device comprises a display, and playing the augmented reality content comprises rendering the augmented reality content on the display. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device comprises an audio module, and playing the augmented reality content includes playing the augmented reality content using the audio module. In one embodiment, the method further includes verifying on the mobile communications device whether the augmented reality content is completely contained within a bounding volume of the virtual real estate object, and in response to a positive verification, playing the augmented reality content, and in response to a negative verification, either not playing the augmented reality content or modifying the augmented reality content on the mobile communications device to play modified augmented reality content that fits within the bounding volume of the virtual real estate object.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further includes determining a field of view of the user at the mobile communication device and / or a field of view of a camera of the mobile communication device, and transmitting the query request from the mobile communication device further including the field of view. In one embodiment, the method further includes determining, at the mobile communications device, coordinates of real-world features within the field of view relative to the position of the user from the field of view, and transmitting, from the mobile communications device, the coordinates of the real-world features in the query request.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving at the mobile communication device from a content ID server via the communication network at least one cryptographic key assigned to each of the at least one augmented reality content server. The method includes receiving at the mobile communication device signed augmented reality content for the virtual real estate object from the at least one augmented reality content server via the communication network, and verifying at the mobile communication device the signed augmented reality content received from the at least one augmented reality content server with the corresponding at least one cryptographic key.

[0014] In addition to the device and the method for determining the provision of augmented reality content, the present invention further relates to a computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code being configured to control electronic circuitry of a mobile communication device. In particular, the computer program code is configured to control electronic circuitry of the mobile communication device such that the mobile communication device performs several steps including: determining at the mobile communication device a location of the user of the mobile communication device; and transmitting from the mobile communication device via a communication network a query request to a computerized virtual real estate directory system, the query request including at least the location of the user. The steps include receiving at the mobile communication device a query response from the virtual real estate directory system via the communication network, the query response including one or more virtual real estate objects assigned to virtual real estate object locations within a predetermined area around the user, each of the virtual real estate objects including an identification and a network address of an augmented reality content server. The steps include sending a content request from the mobile communications device over the communications network to one of the augmented reality content servers using the network address of each of the augmented reality content servers for at least one particular virtual real estate object, each content request including the identification information of the particular virtual real estate object. The steps include receiving, at the mobile communications device, the augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object from the augmented reality content server over the communications network, and playing, at the mobile communications device, the augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object.

[0015] In one embodiment, the mobile communications device comprises a display, and the computer program code is configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communications device such that the step of playing the augmented reality content includes rendering the augmented reality content on a display. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device comprises an audio module, and the computer program code is configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communication device such that the step of playing the augmented reality content includes playing the augmented reality content using the audio module.

[0016] In one embodiment, the computer program code is further configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communications device such that the steps further include verifying on the mobile communications device whether the augmented reality content is completely contained within a bounding volume of the virtual real estate object, playing the augmented reality content in response to a positive verification, and in response to a negative verification, either not playing the augmented reality content or modifying the augmented reality content on the mobile communications device to play modified augmented reality content that fits within the bounding volume of the virtual real estate object.

[0017] In one embodiment, the computer program code is further configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communications device such that the steps further include: determining at the mobile communications device a field of view of the user and / or a field of view of a camera of the mobile communications device, and transmitting from the mobile communications device the query request further including the field of view. In one embodiment, the computer program code is further configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communications device such that the steps further include: determining at the mobile communications device from the field of view a coordinate of a real-world feature within the field of view relative to the position of the user, and transmitting from the mobile communications device the coordinate of the real-world feature in the query request.

[0018] In one embodiment, the computer program code is further configured to control the electronic circuitry of the mobile communication device such that the steps further include receiving, at the mobile communication device, from a Content ID server via the communication network at least one cryptographic key assigned to each of the at least one augmented reality content server, the steps further include receiving, at the mobile communication device, signed augmented reality content for the virtual real estate object from the at least one augmented reality content server via the communication network, and verifying, at the mobile communication device, the signed augmented reality content received from the at least one augmented reality content server with the corresponding at least one cryptographic key.

[0019] The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic of a mobile communication device for providing augmented reality content to a user; [Diagram 2]1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a user with a mobile communication device, a computerized virtual real estate directory system, an augmented reality content server, and a network therebetween. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a planar view of a user in an urban environment of virtual real estate objects and augmented reality content. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a user's field of view in an urban environment consisting of virtual real estate objects and augmented reality content. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtual real estate directory system. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an augmented reality content server including augmented reality content; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a content ID server. [Figure 8] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a series of steps for providing augmented reality content to a user. [Figure 9] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a series of steps for processing augmented reality content. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating modification of augmented reality content. [Figure 11] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a series of steps for providing augmented reality content to a user. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In FIG. 1, reference number 1 denotes a mobile communication device 1 including an electronic circuit 13. Depending on the embodiment, the mobile communication device 1 includes various further modules such as a display 11, a camera 12, an audio module 14, a memory, a communication interface, a battery, a position module, a direction module, and / or a user interface. The user interface can be integrated in the display 11 in the form of a touch-sensitive display. The modules of the mobile communication device 1 are connected to each other via a data connection mechanism so as to be able to send and receive data. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the modules of the mobile communication device 1 are integrated in the electronic circuit 13. The communication interface of the mobile communication device 1 is configured for wireless communication with a remote server via a communication network 3. The communication network 3 includes the Internet as well as other intermediate networks. The wireless communication is performed using a short-range wireless communication interface using mobile data networks such as GSM, CDMA, LTE networks, and / or Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth, and / or other wireless network types and standards. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 1 further includes accessory modules including a display such as headphones, a head mounted display and / or smart glasses, and / or a haptic glove, which are configured to exchange data with the mobile communication device 1 via a data connection mechanism.

[0022] A data connection is a term for a mechanism that facilitates data communication between two components, devices, systems, or other entities. In one embodiment, the data connection is a wire, such as a cable or a system bus. In one embodiment, the data connection includes wireless communication, where some components of the mobile communication device are physically separated from each other and exchange data with each other wirelessly, for example using the Bluetooth standard. For example, one part of the mobile communication device 1 consists of an eyepiece, while another part consists of a device worn on the wrist as a bracelet.

[0023] Depending on the embodiment, the electronic circuitry 13 may include a System on a Chip (SoC), a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and / or a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), other more specific processing units such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), reprogrammable processing units such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and processing units specifically configured to accelerate specific applications, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) accelerators for accelerating neural network and / or machine learning processing.

[0024] The memory includes one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage components. The storage components may be removable and / or non-removable and may be integrated in whole or in part with the mobile communication device 1. Examples of storage components include a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a hard disk, a data memory, and / or other data stores. The data storage system includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program code configured to control the electronic circuitry 13 such that the mobile communication device 1 performs one or more steps and / or functions described herein. Depending on the embodiment, the computer program code is compiled or non-compiled program logic and / or machine code. In this manner, the mobile communication device 1 is configured to perform one or more steps and / or functions. The computer program code defines and / or is part of a separate software application. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer program code may also be distributed among multiple software applications. In one embodiment, the computer program code further provides interfaces, such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), so that functionality and / or data of the mobile communication device 1 can be accessed remotely, such as via a client application or a web browser. In one embodiment, the computer program code is configured such that one or more steps and / or functions are performed not on the mobile communication device 1, but on another computer system remote from the mobile communication device 1.

[0025] In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 1 is a mobile phone. A mobile phone, for example a smartphone running the Android® operating system or the iOS® operating system, is configured to download and install computer program code from a server, for example from an App Store. Further examples of the mobile communication device 1 are tablet computers, smart watches, etc. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 1 is a wearable device such as a wearable glass device (also called smart glasses) or a head-mounted device. Smart glasses are electronic devices worn in the same way as conventional glasses, but have a display 11 built into the glasses, allowing hands-free use. In one embodiment, the smart glasses further include a camera 12 for capturing images.

[0026] In one embodiment, a computer emulates the mobile communication device 1 and provides emulated input to the mobile communication device 1 to mimic a real-world mobile communication device 1 . In one embodiment, the display module 11 of the mobile communication device 1 includes an electronic display, such as a flat or curved LED or OLED screen. In one embodiment, the display module 11 of the mobile communication device 1 includes a projector, such as a projector configured to project an image onto an eyepiece. In one embodiment, audio module 14 is configured to play audio content and includes an electro-acoustic transducer, such as a loudspeaker or headphones. In one embodiment, audio module 14 is configured to transmit audio content to an external loudspeaker or set of headphones via a wired or wireless connection. The orientation module of the mobile communication device 1 captures the orientation (heading) of the user 2 and / or the mobile communication device 1, and may include a compass, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.

[0027] The user interface allows the user 2 to interact with the mobile communication device 1. In particular, the user interface allows the user 2 to input data into the mobile communication device 1. Examples of user interfaces include a touch-sensitive display integrated into the display 11, hardware buttons such as a keyboard, and a microphone for capturing voice commands of the user 2. In one embodiment, the user interface further uses other modules, such as a camera, to capture movements and / or gestures of the user 2 as user input.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a user 2 with a mobile communication device 1, a computerised virtual real estate directory system 4, augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C and a communication network 3 over which communication takes place between the mobile communication device 1 and the virtual real estate directory system 4 and between the mobile communication device 1 and the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C. Also shown in the figure are steps S2, S4, S5 and S6, which will be explained in more detail below with reference to figure 8. The user 2 carries the mobile communication device 1 with him.

[0029] In one embodiment where the mobile communication device 1 is a wearable device, the user 2 wears the mobile communication device 1, for example as a headpiece or eyepiece. By separating the virtual real estate directory system 4 and the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, the virtual real estate directory system 4 can be configured to quickly and efficiently determine the virtual real estate objects 41. Thus, the ownership and governance of the virtual real estate directory system 4 is decoupled from the ownership and governance of the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C. The virtual real estate directory system 4 provides relatively little data to the mobile communication device 1, whereas the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C provide relatively large amounts of data to the mobile communication device 1. Thus, providing the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C relatively densely and more locally than the servers of the virtual real estate directory system 4 allows for efficient distribution of the servers and allows the augmented reality content servers 5, 5A, 5B, 5C to provide relatively large amounts of data to the mobile communication device 1 with low transmission delay and high bandwidth.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a floor plan of an urban environment with virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C, augmented reality content 51A, 51B, 51C, and a user 2 at a location 21. The location 21 is the physical geographic location of the user 2 and can be expressed by a coordinate in a coordinate system. For example, the coordinate system can be a geographic coordinate system expressed in spherical coordinates, i.e., latitude and longitude, a projected coordinate system such as Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), etc. It is also possible to express the location 21 of the user 2 using a national coordinate system, such as the Swiss coordinate system. In one embodiment, a correction to the location 21 of the user 2 is provided to compensate for continental drift.

[0031] In one embodiment where the mobile communication device 1 is emulated, the location 21 of the user 2 is an emulated location. Region R around user 2 is defined as the two- or three-dimensional space in which user 2 is located. In some embodiments or configurations, region R is a geometric object, such as a sphere centered at user 2's position 21, a rectangle with user 2 inside, etc. In one embodiment, region R is defined with respect to the direction in which user 2 is facing such that region R extends further from user 2 in the direction in which user 2 is facing (e.g., facing and / or looking) than in directions in which user 2 is not facing.

[0032] The real-world space is virtually divided into a hierarchy of virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C arranged similarly to a tree data structure, with parent virtual real estate objects containing child virtual real estate objects. The hierarchy includes multiple levels. The higher level virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C cover larger geographic areas, such as a country, state, or city. The lower level virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C cover smaller areas, such as a city square, a block, or a building. At even lower levels, the virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C cover even smaller spaces, such as floors of a building, stores, individual rooms, and / or individual sections or shelves of a room. For illustrative purposes, the virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C are shown in FIG. 4. In one example, the virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C are three-dimensional (3D) objects defined by a set of polygons, a set of edges and vertices, and / or voxels. In another example, virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C are two-dimensional (2D) objects represented by a set of lines and / or a set of points that define a virtual fence around virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C. Additionally, virtual real estate objects 41D and 41E are shown, where virtual real estate object 41E includes virtual real estate object 41D.

[0033] Each virtual real estate object 41A, 41B, 41C is assigned a virtual real estate object location 42A, 42B, 42C in a virtual real estate directory system 4 that associates the virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C with real world locations such that the virtual real estate object locations 42A, 42B, 42C are represented by coordinates in a coordinate system. As above for the location 21 of the user 2, the coordinate system may be, for example, spherical or projected coordinates based on a regional or national coordinate system. In one embodiment, the coordinates are further corrected to account for continental drift and other error factors.

[0034] The augmented reality contents 51A, 51B, 51C are disposed inside the virtual real estate objects 41A, 41B, 41C. Each of the augmented reality contents 51A, 51B, 51C is assigned to a particular virtual real estate object 41A, 41B, 41C. However, the virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C may include one or more of the augmented reality contents 51A, 51B, 51C. The augmented reality contents 51A, 51B, 51C include sensory content of one or more sensory modalities, such as visual content, haptic content, and auditory content. For example, each augmented reality content 51A, 51B, 51C includes visual content, for example, a 3D model represented by a set of polygons, together with auditory content, for example, represented by an audio track. In one embodiment, in addition to the 3D model, the augmented reality contents 51A, 51B, 51C include dynamic content, interactive content with which the user 2 can interact, and the like.

[0035] The augmented reality content 51A, 51B, 51C is played for the user 2 on the mobile communication device 1. Depending on the particular hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1, e.g. what type of device the mobile communication device 1 is, what modules it includes, and what accessory modules are connected to it, the playing of the augmented reality content 51A, 51B, 51C may involve playing one or more types of sensory content, as will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0036] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a field of view of a user 2 in an urban environment consisting of virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C and augmented reality content 51, 51A, 51B, 51C. Each virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C has a bounding volume V that is a closed volume that contains the virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C. The bounding volume V is defined using polygons, vertices and edges, and / or other geometric objects. The bounding volume V being a closed volume means that a point cannot move from inside to outside the bounding volume V without passing through the outer surface of the bounding volume V.

[0037] As an example, the bounding volume V exactly matches the shape of the virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C. As another example, the bounding volume V is a relatively simpler shape than the relatively more complex virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C, meaning that it is represented with fewer polygons and / or fewer vertices and edges than the virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C, but is guaranteed to completely contain the virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C, e.g., no point of the virtual real estate object 41, 41A, 41B, 41C is outside the bounding volume V. In one embodiment, the bounding volume V is a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0038] The field of view F is indicated by a dashed line. The field of view F is defined, for example, by a solid angle whose apex is at the user 2 or the mobile communication device 1. Alternatively, the field of view is defined as a pyramid with horizontal and vertical angles and whose apex is at the user 2 of the mobile communication device 1. In one embodiment, the field of view F is defined using the field of view of the camera 12 of the mobile communication device 1. Furthermore, an acceleration sensor and / or a gyro sensor of the mobile communication device 1 are used by the mobile communication device 1 to determine the orientation of the mobile communication device 1. The orientation of the mobile communication device 1 is then used to determine the field of view F.

[0039] In one embodiment, the field of view F is defined as the field of view of user 2 by using an orientation module of mobile communication device 1 to determine an orientation of user 2, such as an orientation of the body of user 2, an orientation of the head of user 2, and / or an orientation of the eyes of user 2. In some embodiments, the orientation module of mobile communication device 1 includes a head tracker, an eye tracker, or other component(s) for detecting an orientation of user 2.

[0040] Using the field of view F, in one embodiment, the coordinates C are overlaid onto the real world, allowing the coordinates of real-world objects and features to be extracted from the field of view F. For example, the camera 12 of the mobile communication device 1 captures the field of view F as one or more images, and the mobile communication device 1 extracts points, edges, and other features of real-world objects, such as building corners, street edges, skyline, and other people, from the one or more images and stores these extracted features. The extracted features are used by the mobile communication device 1, for example, to improve the calculated position of the user 2, to improve the determined orientation of the user 2 or the mobile communication device 1, and / or to improve the positioning and playback of the augmented reality content 51A, 51B, 51C.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a schematic of a virtual real estate directory system 4. The virtual real estate directory system 4 is realized using a server computer system including one or more server computers. The server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4 may be co-located or distributed, i.e., remotely located from each other at different locations. The server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4 include one or more processors, memory, and a communication interface for exchanging data with other systems and / or devices using the communication network 3. For example, the virtual real estate directory system 4 exchanges data with the mobile communication device 1 using the communication network 3. The virtual real estate directory system 4 is implemented on the server computer as a hierarchical system and / or database that includes virtual real estate objects 41.

[0042] As described above in connection with Figure 3, the real world space is virtually divided into a hierarchy of virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C, with higher level virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C covering larger geographical areas, such as a country, state, or city, and lower level virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C covering smaller areas. The virtual real estate directory system 4 is arranged in a similar hierarchical structure with one or more higher level server computers containing the higher level virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C, and one or more lower level server computers containing the lower level virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C. In one embodiment, the server computers are arranged in the same location or area as the virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C that they store. For example, a server computer containing the virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C for a particular country may be located in that same country, and a server computer containing the virtual real estate objects 41, 41A, 41B, 41C for a particular city may be located in that same city.

[0043] The virtual real estate object 41 includes a virtual real estate object location 42, an identification 43 that uniquely identifies the virtual real estate object 41, a network address of an augmented reality content server 44, and a bounding volume V. The identification 43 includes at least an identifier that uniquely identifies the virtual real estate object 41, or a hash value of the virtual real estate object 41. The hash value is generated by hashing the virtual real estate object 41 or one or more components thereof. In addition, the virtual real estate object 41 includes information about the owner and / or assignee of the virtual real estate object, and 3D content related to a more complex boundary of the virtual real estate object 41. Depending on the hierarchical level, a given virtual real estate object 41 includes identification information of child virtual real estate objects 41 included in the given virtual real estate object 41, and identification information of parent virtual real estate objects 41 of which the given virtual real estate object 41 is itself a child virtual real estate object 41. This allows efficient mapping and traversal of the virtual real estate objects 41 in the virtual real estate directory system 4.

[0044] In one embodiment, the identification information 43 includes and / or defines a bounding volume V. In further embodiments, the identification information 43 includes one or more of an identifier, a hash value, a bounding volume V, or a virtual real estate object location 42.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic of an augmented reality content server 5 including an augmented reality content 51. The augmented reality content server 5 includes one or more server computers. The server computer of the augmented reality content server 5 includes one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface for exchanging data with other systems and / or devices using the communication network 3. For example, the augmented reality content server 5 exchanges data with the mobile communication device 1 using the communication network 3. The augmented reality content server 5 is separate from the virtual real estate directory system 4. For example, the augmented reality content server 5 is located near the location where the virtual real estate object 41 is assigned. The augmented reality content 51 includes sensory content of one or more sensory modalities, as described above in relation to FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the augmented reality content server 5 is co-located with the virtual real estate directory system 4 and / or implemented on a server of the virtual real estate directory system 4 .

[0046] 7 is a block diagram that illustrates a schematic of a content ID server 6 that includes an encryption key 61. The content ID server 6 includes one or more server computers. The server computers of the content ID server 6 include one or more processors, memory, and a communication interface for exchanging data with other systems and / or devices using the communication network 3. For example, the content ID server 6 exchanges data with the mobile communication device 1 using the communication network 3. The content ID server 6 is separate from the virtual real estate directory system 4. For example, the content ID server 6 is located near the location where the virtual real estate object 41 is assigned. In one embodiment, the Content ID server 6 is co-located with the virtual real estate directory system 4 . The content ID server 6 stores an encryption key 61 used by the mobile communication device 1 to verify the augmented reality content 51 stored on the augmented reality content server 5, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a series of steps for providing augmented reality content 51 to a user 2 of a mobile communication device 1 . In step S1, the position 21 of the user 2 is determined. The position 21 of the user 2 is determined by the electronic circuitry 13 of the mobile communication device 1. The position module of the mobile communication device 1 determines the position 21 using trilateration based on signals from global navigation satellite systems, e.g. Global Positioning System (GPS), Glonass, and / or Galileo. In one embodiment, the position module further uses the presence (location) of other wireless networks, such as mobile radio or WLAN networks, to determine the position 21 of the user 2, e.g. by trilateration. In one embodiment, the position module further uses beacons, such as Bluetooth or Ultra Wide Band (UWB) beacons, to determine the position 21 of the user 2. This is particularly advantageous indoors, where the position 21 of the user 2 may not be accurately determined using satellite-based systems. In one embodiment, a device separate from the mobile communication device 1 of the user 2 determines the location 21 of the user 2 and transmits the location 21 to the mobile communication device 2 .

[0048] In step S2, the mobile communication device 1 transmits a query request to the virtual real estate directory system 4 using the communication network 3 in a transmission T2. ​​The query request includes the position 21 of the user 2. In one embodiment, the query request further includes the orientation of the user 2, the field of view F of the user 2, a user identifier of the user 2, an equipment identifier of the mobile communication device 1, a network address of the mobile communication device 1, an equipment type of the mobile communication device 1, a hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1, and / or a movement speed of the user 2 of the mobile communication device 1. The hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1 includes hardware modules possessed by the mobile communication device 1.

[0049] In step S21, the virtual real estate directory system 4 receives a query request from the mobile communication device 1. The query request is received at a server computer system, in particular at a particular server computer of the server computer system.

[0050] In step S22, the virtual real estate directory system 4 processes the query request. The query request is processed in a server computer system. The processing of the query request includes checking whether a particular server computer of the virtual real estate directory system 4 that received the query request forwards the query request to another server computer of the virtual real estate directory system 4. The query request is forwarded depending on one or more of the following factors: the location 21 of the user 2, the user identifier of the user 2, the device identifier of the mobile communication device 1, and the network address of the mobile communication device 1. In particular, depending on the location 21 of the user 2, the query request is forwarded to one or more further server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4 that are responsible for the geographical area of ​​the location 21 of the user 2, i.e., that contain the virtual real estate objects 41 that are assigned to the virtual real estate positions 42 within the geographical area of ​​the location 21 of the user 2. In one embodiment, the forwarding of the query request in the virtual real estate directory system 4 includes one or more separate forwarding steps in which a given receiving server computer forwards the query request to one or more further server computers, which process the query results and forward them to other server computers. In this manner, a query request traverses server computer(s) arranged in a hierarchical system and / or hierarchical database.

[0051] In step S23, the virtual real estate directory system 4 generates a query response. The query response includes the virtual real estate objects 41 located near the location 21 of the user 2. In particular, the query response includes the virtual real estate objects 41 assigned to virtual real estate locations 42 within the region R around the location 21 of the user 2. In one embodiment, the query response includes the virtual real estate objects 41 located within the field of view F. For example, the query response includes the virtual real estate objects 41 stored in one or more server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4. In particular, the query response can include multiple query response messages from multiple server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4, each query response message including the virtual real estate objects 41 assigned to virtual real estate locations 42 within the region R around the location 21 of the user 2. For example, a server computer of the virtual real estate directory system 4 responsible for a city may generate a query response message with a large virtual real estate object 41 corresponding to a city block, landmark, and / or natural geographic feature, while another server computer of the virtual real estate directory system 4 responsible for a particular building may generate another query response message with a smaller virtual real estate object 41 corresponding to the particular building along with a particular floor, unit, and / or area of ​​the building.

[0052] In step S24, in transmission T3, a query response is sent from the virtual real estate directory system 4 to the mobile communication device 1 via the communication network 3. The query response is sent from a server computer system of the virtual real estate directory system 4 and includes one or more individual query response messages from one or more server computers of the virtual real estate directory system 4.

[0053] In step S3, a query response is received at the mobile communication device 1. The query response includes one or more virtual real estate objects 41. As explained above with reference to FIG. 5, each virtual real estate object 41 includes a virtual real estate object position 42, an identification 43, a network address 44 of an augmented reality content server, and a bounding volume V.

[0054] In step S4, the query response is processed in the mobile communication device 1. In some embodiments and / or configurations, processing the query response includes the mobile communication device 1 using the orientation and / or field of view F of the user 2 to generate a subset of virtual real estate objects 41 having virtual real estate object positions 42 located in the direction of the orientation of the user 2 and / or located within the field of view F of the user 2. Additionally, processing the query response may include the mobile communication device 1 using a movement speed of the user 2 to generate a subset of virtual real estate objects 41 having virtual real estate object positions 42 located in the direction in which the user 2 is moving. The query response is stored in the mobile communication device 1. In one embodiment, the virtual real estate object 41 is displayed on the display 11 of the mobile communication device 1 such that the virtual real estate object 41 appears on the display 11 overlaid on the real world in a semi-transparent or semi-transparent manner at a virtual real estate object location 42. In one embodiment, this includes displaying a bounding volume V of the virtual real estate object 41. The mobile communication device 1 generates a content request for each virtual real estate object 41 that the mobile communication device 1 receives in the query response. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 1 generates content requests only for those virtual real estate objects 41 of the subset of the virtual real estate objects 41. Each particular content request includes an identification 43 of the particular virtual real estate object 41. Additionally, each particular content request may include a user identifier of the user 2, a device identifier of the mobile communication device 1, a network address of the mobile communication device 1, a device type of the mobile communication device 1, and / or a hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1.

[0055] In step S5, the mobile communication device 1 sends one or more content requests to one or more augmented reality content servers 5 in a transmission T5 via the communication network 3 using a specific network address 44 of each specific augmented reality content server 5. Depending on the embodiment and / or scenario, the mobile communication device 1 sends one or more content requests to each augmented reality content server 5.

[0056] In step S51, the augmented reality content server 5 receives a content request. Each augmented reality content server 5 may receive one or more content requests from the mobile communication device 1.

[0057] In step S52, each augmented reality content server 5 uses the content request to determine the augmented reality content 51. In particular, the identification information 43 of each particular virtual real estate object 41 is used to determine the augmented reality content 51 assigned to that particular virtual real estate object 41. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1 may be used to determine the augmented reality content 51. In particular, whether visual content, haptic content, and / or auditory content are included in the augmented reality content 51 depends on whether the hardware configuration indicates that the mobile communication device 1 has a hardware module capable of playing a given content type. Furthermore, the user identifier of the user 2 of the mobile communication device 2 is used to determine whether the augmented reality content 51 is included, since a given user 2 may not have access to a particular augmented reality content 51.

[0058] In step S53, the augmented reality content 51 is transmitted in a transmission T6 from one or more augmented reality content servers 5 to the mobile communication device 1 via the communications network 3. In particular, each augmented reality content server 5 transmits one or more augmented reality content messages to the mobile communication device 1. In addition to the augmented reality content 51, the transmission T6 also includes an identification 43 of each particular virtual real estate object 41 to which the augmented reality content 51 has been assigned.

[0059] In step S6, augmented reality content 51 is received at the mobile communication device 1 from one or more augmented reality content servers 5 via the communication network 3. In particular, each augmented reality content server 5 transmits one or more augmented reality content messages.

[0060] In step S7, the received augmented reality content 51 is processed in the mobile communication device 1. The augmented reality content 51 is processed by associating the augmented reality content 51 with the particular virtual real estate object 41 by matching the identification information 43 of the particular virtual real estate object 41 stored in the mobile communication device 1 with the identification information 43 received in transmission T6.

[0061] In step S8, the augmented reality content 51 is played on the mobile communication device 1. Depending on the particular type of mobile communication device 1 and / or the hardware configuration of the mobile communication device 1, playing the augmented reality content 51 may include displaying visual content included in the augmented reality content 51 (e.g. displaying an image on the display 11), playing auditory content (e.g. playing an audio track using the audio module 14), and / or rendering other types of content. The augmented reality content 51 is played such that the augmented reality content 51 is located (mapped and positioned) within the virtual real estate object 41. For example, if the augmented reality content 51 includes visual content, the visual content will be displayed on the display 11 within the virtual real estate object 41 at the virtual real estate object location 42. In particular, the visual content will be rendered inside the bounding volume V of the virtual real estate object 41. Furthermore, if the augmented reality content 51 includes auditory content, the auditory content will be played as if originating from a virtual sound source inside the virtual real estate object 41 at the virtual real estate object location 42. Furthermore, the mobile communication device 1 is configured to play the auditory content to the user 2 using the audio module 14 only if the location 21 of the user 2 is within the virtual real estate object 41 or its bounding volume V.

[0062] In one embodiment in which the mobile communication device 1 includes a display 11, the visual content of the augmented reality content 51 is displayed as an image in which the augmented reality content 51 is overlaid on an image of the real world. In one embodiment in which the mobile communication device 1 is a smartphone, the electronic circuitry 13 is configured to instruct the camera 12 to capture an image of the real world and to instruct the display 11 to display the real world image. The electronic circuitry 13 then renders on the display 11 an image of the augmented reality content 51 (the visual content) in which the visual content is overlaid on the image of the real world such that both the real world and the augmented reality content 51 are displayed simultaneously. In one embodiment in which the mobile communications device includes smart glasses, the electronic circuitry is configured to display the visual content of the augmented reality content 51 on the display 11 such that the augmented reality content 51 is overlaid on an image of the real world seen by a user 2 wearing the smart glasses.

[0063] In one embodiment in which the augmented reality content 51 includes interactive content, playing the augmented reality content 51 includes the mobile communication device 1 registering one or more interactions of the user 2 interacting with the interactive content, and modifying or altering the interactive content based on the interactions of the user 2. The interactions are registered using one or more modules of the mobile communication device 1, such as a location module that can register movements of the user 2 and register the movements as interactions with the interactive content, and / or a user interface module that registers user inputs of the user 2 that can register one or more interactions of the user 2. In one embodiment, the interactions of the user 2 are transmitted over the communications network 3 from the mobile communications device 1 to an augmented reality content server 5 that provided the particular augmented reality content 51 with which the user 2 interacted.

[0064] 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary sequence of steps for processing the augmented reality content 51 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step S71, the electronic circuit 13 of the mobile communication device 1 verifies whether the augmented reality content 51 falls within the bounding volume V of the virtual real estate object. In particular, the electronic circuit 13 verifies that the visual content of the augmented reality content 51 does not extend beyond the bounding volume V. If the visual content, such as a 3D model or an image, does not extend beyond the bounding volume V of the virtual real estate object 51, a positive verification is generated in the electronic circuit 13 and step S8 is executed by the electronic circuit 13, as explained in more detail above in relation to FIG. 8. If the visual content extends beyond the bounding volume V of the virtual real estate object 51, a negative verification is generated in the electronic circuit 13 and the electronic circuit proceeds to either step S72 or step S82, depending on the configuration of the mobile communication device 1. In step S82, the electronic circuit 13 does not play the augmented reality content 51. In step S72, the augmented reality content 51 is modified to fit inside, i.e. not extend beyond, the bounding volume V of the augmented reality content 51. This modification of the augmented reality content 51 enables the mobile communication device 1 to play the augmented reality content 51 in step S81 without the augmented reality content 51 extending beyond and into adjacent virtual real estate objects 41.

[0065] 10 is a block diagram illustrating the modification of the augmented reality content 51 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The augmented reality content 51, and in particular the visual content of the augmented reality content 51, is resized, transformed, truncated, and / or otherwise modified in step S72 to fit inside the bounding volume of the virtual real estate object 41.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing an exemplary sequence of steps for providing an augmented reality content 51 to a user 2. For steps S1-S5, and S7 and S8, please refer to the above description provided with reference to FIG. 8. In step S54, the augmented reality content server 5 signs the augmented reality content 51 with an encryption key. Signing the augmented reality content 51 may further include encrypting the augmented reality content 51 with the encryption key. Each part of the augmented reality content 51 may be signed with the same encryption key or with a different encryption key. In one embodiment, the augmented reality content 51 is pre-signed by the content ID server 6 and then transmitted to the augmented reality content server 5 and stored therein.

[0067] Then, in step S55, the signed augmented reality content (signed augmented reality content) is transmitted in transmission T6 from the augmented reality content server 5 to the mobile communication device 1. In step S9, the mobile communication device 1 transmits a content ID request to the content ID server 6. The content ID server 6 may be separate from or integrated into the virtual real estate directory system 4. The content ID request includes identification information 43 of virtual real estate objects 41 in the area R around the position 21 of the user 2.

[0068] In step S93, the content ID server 6 transmits in transmission T92 the one or more encryption keys 61 to the mobile communication device 1. In some embodiments, the one or more encryption keys used by the augmented reality content server 5 to sign the augmented reality content 51 are the same as or different from the one or more encryption keys 61 received from the content ID server 6.

[0069] In step S61, the mobile communication device 1 verifies the signed augmented reality content using the cryptographic key 61. The verification includes verifying the identity of the augmented reality content server 5. The verification may further include decrypting the signed augmented reality content 51. In one embodiment, the encryption key and encryption key 61 form an asymmetric key pair. In one embodiment, the encryption key and encryption key 61 form a symmetric key pair.

[0070] It should be noted that although the order of steps has been presented in a particular order herein, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the order of at least some of the steps may be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device (1) comprising an electronic circuit (13), The electronic circuit (13) determining (S1) a location (21) of a user (2) of said mobile communication device (1); Sending (S2) a query request to a computerized virtual real estate directory system (4) via a communications network (3); the query request includes at least the location (21) of the user (2); The electronic circuit (13) A query is made from the virtual real estate directory system (4) via the communication network (3). Response is received (S3) the query response includes one or more virtual real estate objects (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) assigned to virtual real estate object locations (42, 42A, 42B, 42C) within a predetermined region (R) around the user (2), each of the virtual real estate objects (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) including an identification (43) and a network address (44) of an augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C); The electronic circuit (13) sending (S5) a content request via said communication network (3) to one of said augmented reality content servers (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) using said network address (44) of said augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) for at least one particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C), respectively; Each content request includes the identification of the particular virtual real estate object (41A, 41B, 41C). Contains information (43), The electronic circuit (13) receiving (S6) an augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) for the particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) from the augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) via the communication network (3); and a mobile communication device configured to play (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) for the particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C).

2. A mobile communication device (1) according to claim 1, The mobile communication device (1) further comprises a display (11); The electronic circuit (13) reproduces (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) by rendering the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) on the display (11). A mobile communication device configured to:

3. A mobile communication device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, The mobile communication device (1) further comprises an audio module (14); The electronic circuit (13) reproduces (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) using the audio module (14); A mobile communication device configured to:

4. A mobile communication device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The electronic circuit (13) verifying (S71) whether said augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) is completely contained within a bounding volume (V) of said virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C); In response to positive verification, playing (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C); in response to a negative verification, not playing (S82) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) or modifying (S72) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) to play (S81) modified augmented reality content on the display (11) that fits (52) within the bounding volume (V) of the virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C); The mobile communication device further configured as follows:

5. A mobile communication device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The mobile communication device (1) further comprises a camera (12); The electronic circuit (13) further determining a field of view (F) of the user (2) and / or of the camera (12); Sending (S2) the query request further including the field of view (F); A mobile communication device configured to:

6. A mobile communication device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The electronic circuit (13) determining from the field of view (F) coordinates (C) of real-world features within the field of view (F) relative to the position (21) of the user (2); Then, in the query request, the coordinates (C) of the real-world feature are transmitted (S2). The mobile communication device further configured as follows:

7. A mobile communication device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The electronic circuit (13) receiving (S94) at least one encryption key (61) assigned to each of the at least one augmented reality content servers (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) from a content ID server (6) via the communication network (3); receiving (S6') signed augmented reality content for said virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) from said at least one augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) via said communication network (3); Then, verifying (S61) the signed augmented reality content received from the at least one augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) using the at least one corresponding encryption key (61); The mobile communication device further configured as follows:

8. A method for providing augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) to a user (2) of a mobile communication device (1) having an electronic circuit (13), comprising: The method comprises: determining (S1) in the mobile communication device (1) a location (21) of the user (2) of the mobile communication device (1); sending (S2) a query request from said mobile communication device (1) via a communication network (3) to a computerized virtual real estate directory system (4); the query request includes at least the location (21) of the user (2); The method comprises: receiving (S3) a query response from the virtual real estate directory system (4) via the communication network (3) at the mobile communication device (1); the query response includes one or more virtual real estate objects (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) assigned to virtual real estate object locations (42, 42A, 42B, 42C) within a predetermined region (R) around the user (2), each of the virtual real estate objects (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) including an identification (43) and a network address (44) of an augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C); The method comprises: sending (S5) a content request from said mobile communication device (1) via said communication network (3) to one of said augmented reality content servers (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) for at least one particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) using said network address (44) of said augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C), respectively; each content request including the identification (43) of the particular virtual real estate object (41A, 41B, 41C); The method comprises: receiving (S6) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) for the particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) from the augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) via the communication network (3) in the mobile communication device (1); playing (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) for the particular virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) on the mobile communication device (1); The method of claim 1, further comprising:

9. 9. The method of claim 8, The mobile communication device (1) comprises a display (11); Reproducing (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) includes rendering the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) on the display (11); A method comprising:

10. 10. The method of claim 8 or claim 9, The mobile communication device (1) comprises an audio module (14); and playing (S8) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) includes playing the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) using the audio module (14). A method comprising:

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, The method comprises: - verifying (S71) in the mobile communication device (1) whether the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) is completely contained within a bounding volume (V) of the virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C); reproducing (S8) said augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) in response to positive verification; in response to a negative verification, not playing (S82) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) or modifying (S72) the augmented reality content (51, 51A, 51B, 51C) in the mobile communication device (1) to play (S81) a modified augmented reality content (52) that fits within the bounding volume (V) of the virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C); The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, The method comprises: determining a field of view (F) of the user (2) at the mobile communication device (1) and / or a field of view (F) of a camera (12) of the mobile communication device (1); transmitting (S2) the inquiry request from the mobile communication device (1), the inquiry request further including the field of view (F); The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, The method comprises: determining from the field of view (F) at the mobile communication device (1) coordinates (C) of real-world features within the field of view (F) relative to the position (21) of the user (2); transmitting (S2) from said mobile communication device (1) said coordinates (C) of said real-world feature in said query request; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, comprising: The method comprises: receiving (S94) at least one encryption key (61) assigned to each of the at least one augmented reality content servers (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) from a content ID server (6) via the communication network (3) in the mobile communication device (1); receiving (S6') signed augmented reality content for said virtual real estate object (41, 41A, 41B, 41C) from said at least one augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) via said communication network (3) in said mobile communication device (1); verifying (S61) the signed augmented reality content received from the at least one augmented reality content server (5, 5A, 5B, 5C) in the mobile communication device (1) using a corresponding at least one cryptographic key (61); The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

15. 1. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising: the non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code stored thereon; the computer program code being configured to control an electronic circuit (13) of a mobile communication device (1) such that the mobile communication device (1) executes the steps of the method according to one of claims 8 to 14, 23. A computer program product comprising:

Images