Optimized virtual scene layout for spatial meeting playback

A non-transitory medium having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for processing audio data by controlling at least one device for:

• receiving audio data corresponding to a recording of a conference involving a plurality of conference participants, the audio data including at least one of:
• (a) audio data from multiple endpoints, the audio data for each of the multiple endpoints having been recorded separately or (b) audio data from a single endpoint corresponding to multiple conference participants and including spatial information for each conference participant of the multiple conference participants;
• analyzing the audio data to determine conversational dynamics data that includes at least one data type selected from a list of data types consisting of:
• data indicating the frequency and duration of conference participant speech;
• data indicating instances of conference participant doubletalk during which at least two conference participants are speaking simultaneously;
• and data indicating instances of conference participant conversations;
• applying the conversational dynamics data as one or more variables of a spatial optimization cost function of a vector describing a virtual conference participant position for each of the conference participants in a virtual acoustic space;
• applying an optimization technique to the spatial optimization cost function to determine a locally optimal solution;
• and
• assigning the virtual conference participant positions in the virtual acoustic space based, at least in part, on the locally optimal solution.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an interface system;
• and
• a control system capable of:
• receiving, via the interface system, audio data corresponding to a recording of a conference involving a plurality of conference participants, the audio data including at least one of:
• (a) audio data from multiple endpoints, the audio data for each of the multiple endpoints having been recorded separately or (b) audio data from a single endpoint corresponding to multiple conference participants and including spatial information for each conference participant of the multiple conference participants;
• analyzing the audio data to determine conversational dynamics data that includes at least one data type selected from a list of data types consisting of:
• data indicating the frequency and duration of conference participant speech;
• data indicating instances of conference participant doubletalk during which at least two conference participants are speaking simultaneously;
• and data indicating instances of conference participant conversations;
• applying the conversational dynamics data as one or more variables of a spatial optimization cost function of a vector describing a virtual conference participant position for each of the conference participants in a virtual acoustic space;
• applying an optimization technique to the spatial optimization cost function to determine a locally optimal solution;
• and
• assigning the virtual conference participant positions in the virtual acoustic space based, at least in part, on the locally optimal solution.