Methods, apparatus, systems, computer programs for enabling consumption of virtual content for mediated reality

A method comprising:

• switching between a first mode for controlling a relative position of a virtual sound object from a notional listener in a virtual space in dependence upon a point of view of the notional listener, and a second mode for controlling the relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space in dependence upon the point of view of the notional listener;
• during the first mode, determining the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener with a first dependency upon a currently determined relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space that is based on a current measured location of a user in a real space;
• during the second mode, determining the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener with a second dependency upon the currently determined relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space that is based on the current measured location of the user in the real space, wherein a transition from the first mode to the second mode occurs when a level of uncertainty associated with measurement of the current measured location of the user in the real space is above a threshold;
• and
• during the second mode, damping changes in the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener, in response to changes in the current measured location of the user in the real space, in comparison to changes in the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object during the first mode in response to the changes in the current measured location of the user in the real space, but still dependent upon changes in orientation of the notional listener in the virtual space, wherein the first dependency is a higher dependency than the second dependency.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:

• switch between a first mode for controlling a relative position of a virtual sound object from a notional listener in a virtual space in dependence upon a point of view of the notional listener, and a second mode for controlling the relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space in dependence upon the point of view of the notional listener;
• during the first mode enable determining of the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener with a first dependency upon a currently determined relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space that is based on a current measured location of a user in a real space;
• during the second mode enable determining of the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener with a second dependency upon the currently determined relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener in the virtual space that is based on the current measured location of the user in the real space, wherein a transition from the first mode to the second mode is configured to occur when a level of uncertainty associated with measurement of the current measured location of the user in the real space is above a threshold;
• and
• during the second mode, enable damping of changes in the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object from the notional listener, in response to changes in the current measured location of the user in the real space, in comparison to changes in the controlled relative position of the virtual sound object during the first mode in response to the changes in the current measured location of the user in the real space, but still dependent upon changes in orientation of the notional listener in the virtual space, wherein the first dependency is a higher dependency than the second dependency.