Method and apparatus for providing virtual audio reproduction

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

• receive signals relating to an object;
• determine a distance from a user to the object and a direction from the user to the object;
• scale the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user;
• and
• cause at least one audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the object appears to be located within the predefined sound field region in the direction and at the modified distance from the user, wherein the apparatus causes the at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user by causing a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the object.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions configured to:

• receive signals relating to an object;
• determine a distance from a user to the object and a direction from the user to the object;
• scale the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user;
• and
• cause at least one audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the object appears to be located within the predefined sound field region in the direction and at the modified distance from the user, wherein the program code instructions configured to cause at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user comprise program code instructions configured to cause a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the object.