Patent ID: 8503655

Claim:
A method of audio scene management in a group sound telecommunication in which physically separated parties are virtually positioned in a virtual room, said group sound telecommunication comprising at least a first transmitting party, a second transmitting party and a receiving party, said method comprising performing the following steps using an audio scene manager device: receiving signals representing sound of said first transmitting party and sound of said second transmitting party; obtaining measures of sound activity for said first and said second transmitting parties, respectively; selecting at least a first angle and a second angle based on said obtained measures of sound activity; processing said received signals into processed signals such that sound from said first transmitting party is being experienced as emanating from said first angle with respect to said receiving party and sound from said second transmitting party is being experienced as emanating from said second angle with respect to said receiving party, said second angle being different from said first angle; outputting signals representing said processed signals; and when signals representing sound are received from transmitting parties in addition to said first and said second transmitting parties, performing the additional steps of: further obtaining measures of sound activity of each additional transmitting party; further selecting a virtual angle of placement for each additional transmitting party based on the corresponding obtained measures of sound activity, wherein the virtual angle of placement is selected in such a manner that the first transmitting party, the second transmitting party, and each additional transmitting party is virtually placed separately within an angle sector with respect to the receiving party, and wherein the angle of separation between any two neighboring transmitting parties within the angle sector is inversely proportional to the total number of transmitting parties; further processing the received signals from all transmitting parties into additional processed signals such that sound from all transmitting parties are being experienced as emanating within the angle sector; and further outputting signals representing said additional processed signals.