Patent ID: 8744065

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for controlling audio streams, comprising: providing, by a computing device comprising a processor, a user interface on a display device, the user interface comprising a plurality of agent identifiers, including a first agent identifier and a second agent identifier, and a user-movable supervisor identifier having a supervisor reference position comprising a supervisor reference location and a supervisor reference direction; providing to a three-dimensional spatial audio engine (3DSAE) first audio attribute data identifying a location of the first agent identifier in the user interface with respect to the supervisor reference position of the supervisor identifier, the first audio attribute data comprising first audio direction data based on the location of the first agent identifier with respect to the supervisor reference direction and first audio distance data based on the location of the first agent identifier with respect to the supervisor reference location; providing to the 3DSAE second audio attribute data identifying a location of the second agent identifier in the user interface with respect to the supervisor reference position, the second audio attribute data comprising second audio direction data and second audio distance data; receiving first voice signals corresponding to the first agent identifier, wherein the first voice signals include first aural characteristics based on the first audio attribute data, the first aural characteristics aurally positioning the first voice signals based on the first audio direction data and amplifying the first voice signals based on the first audio distance data; receiving second voice signals corresponding to the second agent identifier, wherein the second voice signals include second aural characteristics based on the second audio attribute data, the second aural characteristics aurally positioning the second voice signals based on the second audio direction data and amplifying the second voice signals based on the second audio distance data; concurrently presenting the first voice signals and the second voice signals to the output port; and responsive to the supervisor identifier being moved to a new location in the user interface: determining third audio attribute data based on a change in the location of the first agent identifier with respect to the supervisor reference position, the third audio attribute data comprising third audio direction data and third audio distance data: providing to the 3DSAE the third audio attribute data; receiving the first voice signals corresponding to the first agent identifier, wherein the first voice signals include third aural characteristics based on the third audio attribute data, the third aural characteristics aurally positioning the first voice signals based on the third audio direction data and amplifying the third voice signals based on the third audio distance data; and presenting the first voice signals to the output port.