Apparatuses and methods for use in creating an audio scene for an avatar by utilizing weighted and unweighted audio streams attributed to plural objects

A method of creating an audio scene for an avatar in a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating a weighted audio stream that comprises audio from an object located in a portion of a hearing range of the avatar in the virtual environment, the audio from the object is modified based on a distance between the object and the avatar;
• and
• associating the weighted audio stream with a datum that represents a location of the object in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar, wherein the weighted audio stream and the datum represent the audio scene;
• wherein creating step creates the weighted audio stream such that it also includes an unweighted audio stream that comprises audio from another object located in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause performance of the steps of:

• creating a weighted audio stream that comprises audio from an object located in a portion of a hearing range of the avatar in the virtual environment, the audio from the object is modified based on a distance between the object and the avatar;
• and
• associating the weighted audio stream with a datum that represents a location of the object in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar, wherein the weighted audio stream and the datum represent the audio scene;
• wherein the creating step creates the weighted audio stream such that it also includes an unweighted audio stream that comprises audio from another object located in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar.

An apparatus for rendering an audio scene for an avatar in a virtual environment, the apparatus comprising:

• obtaining means operable to obtain a weighted audio stream that comprises audio from an object located in a portion of a hearing range of the avatar in the virtual environment, and a datum that is associated with the weighted audio stream and which represents a location of the object in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar, the audio from the object is modified based on a distance between the object and the avatar;
• and
• a spatial audio rendering engine that is operable to process the weighted audio stream and the datum in order to render the audio scene;
• wherein the weighted audio stream also includes an unweighted audio stream that comprises audio from another object located in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar.

A method of rendering an audio scene for an avatar in a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a weighted audio stream that comprises audio from an object located in a portion of a hearing range of the avatar in the virtual environment, and a datum that is associated with the weighted audio stream and which represents a location of the object in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar, the audio from the object is modified based on a distance between the object and the avatar;
• and
• processing the weighted audio stream and the datum in order to render the audio scene;
• wherein the weighted audio stream also includes an unweighted audio stream that comprises audio from another object located in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause performance of the steps of:

• obtaining a weighted audio stream that comprises audio from an object located in a portion of a hearing range of the avatar in the virtual environment, and a datum that is associated with the weighted audio stream and which represents a location of the object in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar, the audio from the object is modified based on a distance between the object and the avatar;
• and
• processing the weighted audio stream and the datum in order to render the audio scene;
• wherein the weighted audio stream also includes an unweighted audio stream that comprises audio from another object located in the portion of the hearing range of the avatar.