Providing awareness of who can hear audio in a virtual conference, and applications thereof

A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations for providing awareness of who can hear audio in a virtual conference, comprising:

• (a) from a perspective of a virtual camera of a speaking user, rendering for display to the speaking user a three-dimensional virtual space, including a plurality of avatars, wherein each user of a plurality of users is represented by a respective avatar of the plurality of avatars;
• for each user of the plurality of users:
• (b) determining a sound volume based on a position in the three-dimensional virtual space of the respective avatar relative to a position of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional virtual space;
• (c) determining whether a user is able to audibly hear the speaking user based on whether the sound volume exceeds a threshold amount, wherein the sound volume can be higher or lower than the threshold amount;
• and
• (d) outputting a single visual notification comprising a username identifying each user of a list of users for display to the speaking user, wherein the single visual notification of the list of users excludes users from the plurality of users that are unable to audibly hear the speaking user.

A system for providing awareness of who can hear audio in a virtual conference, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
• (a) from a perspective of a virtual camera of a speaking user, render for display to the speaking user a three-dimensional virtual space, including a plurality of avatars, wherein each user of a plurality of users is represented by a respective avatar of the plurality of avatars;
• for each user of the plurality of users:
• (b) determine a sound volume based on a position in the three-dimensional virtual space of the respective avatar relative to a position of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional virtual space;
• (c) determine whether a user is able to audibly hear the speaking user based on whether the respective sound volume exceeds a threshold amount, wherein the sound volume can be higher or lower than the threshold amount;
• and
• (d) output a single visual notification comprising a username identifying each user of a list of users for display to the speaking user, wherein the single visual notification of the list of users excludes users from the plurality of users that are unable to audibly hear the speaking user.