Patent ID: 7876903

Claim:
A method for communicating binaural information to a user using a first Binaural Sound System (BSS) of an audio system, said method comprising: performing user-software operations to cause said first BSS to select at least two virtual audio environments from a plurality of virtual audio environments; generating, at said first BSS, a combined virtual audio environment based on said two virtual audio environments which were previously selected by said user; receiving, at said first BSS, first and second signals comprising first information including enunciated data which specifies certain information intended to be audibly enunciated to said user in different virtual audio environments of said plurality of virtual audio environments, and second information including at least a first metadata comprising information which identifies a characteristic of said enunciated data exclusive of spatial position information of a source of said enunciated data; and performing operations at said first BSS to provide said combined virtual audio environment to said user which includes said enunciated data of said first and second signals in accordance with at least one predetermined audio enhancement based on said first metadata of said first and second signals; wherein said plurality of virtual audio environments are configured to simulate different acoustic environments containing sound from select sound sources, said sound sources of at least one of said different acoustic environments selected to include members of a group of users of second BSSs of said audio system.