Multi-context voice communication in a SIP/SIMPLE-based shared virtual sound room with early reflections

ABSTRACT

An improved prototype of the "voiscape" voice communication medium has been developed and subjectively evaluated. Voiscape enables natural and seamless voice communication by using sound to create a virtual "sound room" in which people, who are represented by different sounds, can move freely. It features low-delay motion-tracking spatial audio with simulated early reflections that produce out-of-head sound localization and sound distance expression. It also features virtual-location-based selective communication: a user can walk freely in the sound room using a map- and cursor-key-based user-interface and can select whom to talk to or which sound sources to listen to. A third feature is SIP-presence-event-notification (SIMPLE)-based sound room management: when users move, their locations and directions are distributed using SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY messages. The combination of these features creates a natural voice-communication space in which two or more parallel conversation contexts can coexist. Limited, subjective testing by around 200 people showed that this medium can be used for cocktail-party-like conversation; i.e., users could distinguish parallel conversations by paying attention to or by moving toward one of them.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.4 Distributed Systems
          Subjects: Distributed applications

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation

Keywords:
SIMPLE, auditory virtual reality, early reflection, event notification, presence, session initiation protocol (SIP), spatial audio, voice communication