Audio processing for improved user experience

Abstract

Methods and systems that facilitate enhanced media capabilities for electronic devices. The enhanced media capabilities enable electronic devices to provide voice calling with concurrent audio playback. The audio playback can originate at the electronic device itself or can be transmitted to the electronic device as part of or together with the voice calling. In addition, the enhanced media capabilities can also provide users of electronic devices with acoustic separation (e.g., spatial positioning) of audio currently provided from a voice call and from audio playback. Still further, the enhanced media capabilities can also provide users of electronic devices with acoustic separation (e.g., spatial positioning) of participants in multi-party calls.

1 . A graphical user interface for use in managing virtual spatial locations for a plurality of participants to a multi-party call, the graphical user interface comprising:
 a plurality of visually distinct regions placed in different positions in a display window;   a visual indication for each of the participants of the multi-party call, wherein the visual indication is movable to any of the visually distinct regions via navigation input through the graphical user interface, thereby assigning the corresponding participant to a particular visually distinct region; and   wherein audio associated with the participants is spatially adapted to originate from a location corresponding to the particular visually distinct region to which the visual indication for each of the participants is assigned.   
     
     
         2 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein each participant has a visual indication assigned to a different visually distinct region. 
     
     
         3 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a visual indication for audio playback of a media item, wherein the visual indication for audio playback of a media item is assigned to a different visually distinct region than any of the participants of the multi-party call.   
     
     
         4 . The graphical user interface of  claim 3 , wherein audio associated with the audio playback of the media item is spatially adapted to originate from a location corresponding to the particular visually distinct region to which the visual indication for the audio playback of the media item is assigned. 
     
     
         5 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein the navigation input through the graphical user interface is received via user input from a navigation device. 
     
     
         6 . A method for spatially distinguishing each of a plurality of participants in a multi-party call on a communication device having associated therewith an audio output device capable of projecting audio so that it sounds as if it is originating from various positions surrounding the communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving user input indicating an assignment of a visually distinct region in a display window of a graphical user interface to one of the participants in the multi-party call;   providing a visual indication in the graphical user interface of a correspondence between the visually distinction region and the one of the participants; and   based on the assignment of the visually distinct region to one of the participants in the multi-party call, spatially adapting audio from the one of the participants to originate from a location corresponding to the visually distinct region.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the communication device has at least two speakers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 assigning an audio playback of a media item to an unassigned visually distinct region so as to distinguish between call audio and the audio playback;   spatially adapting the audio playback to originate from a location corresponding to the visually distinct region assigned to the audio playback; and   concurrently presenting the spatially adapted audio from the multi-party call and the spatially adapted audio from the media item on the at least two speakers so that they appear to originate from different spatial locations.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the communication device is a mobile telephone. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing a blend control, wherein a user may control the blend control to alter the mixture of audio from audio playback of the media item and audio from the multi-party call.   
     
     
         11 . A portable communication device comprising:
 at least two speakers available for audio output;   a communication subsystem that supports a multi-party call, the multi-party call being between a user of the portable communication device and a plurality of other participants;   a graphical user interface including:
 a plurality of visually distinct regions placed in different positions in a display window; and 
 a visual indication for at least one of the participants of the multi-party call, wherein the visual indication is movable to any of the visually distinct regions via navigation input through the graphical user interface, thereby assigning the at least one participant to a particular visually distinct region; and 
   an audio manager operatively coupled to the communication subsystem, the graphical user interface, and the at least two speakers and configured to spatially adapt audio associated with the at least one of the participants to originate from a location corresponding to the particular visually distinct region to which the visual indication for the at least one of the participants is assigned.   
     
     
         12 . The portable communication device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an audio playback subsystem configured to play back one or more stored media items.   
     
     
         13 . The portable communication device of  claim 12 , wherein the audio manager is further configured to determine whether audio playback of the one or more stored media items is to be provided while engaging in a call, and directing audio output so that a user of the portable communication device can hear not only the call but also the audio playback of the one or more stored media items when it is determined that the audio playback is provided while engaging in the call. 
     
     
         14 . The portable communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the audio playback of the one or more stored media items is spatially adapted to originate from a location not associated with any of the participants of the multi-party call. 
     
     
         15 . The portable communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the at least two speakers are associated with a handset that operatively connects to said portable communication device. 
     
     
         16 . A device capable of managing a multi-party call and having a display, comprising:
 means for providing a plurality of visually distinct regions placed in different positions in a display window of the display;   means for providing a visual indication for at least one of the participants of the multi-party call, wherein the visual indication is movable to any of the visually distinct regions via navigation input through the graphical user interface, thereby assigning the at least one participant to a particular visually distinct region; and   means for spatially adapting audio for each of the participants of the multi-party call to match the visually distinct region assigned to each of the participants.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 means for storing one or more media items; and   means for playing the one or more media items concurrently with playing the spatially adapted audio for each of the participants of the multi-party call.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for spatially adapting the one or more media items to match an unassigned visually distinct region.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 wherein the one or more media items are videos.   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the multi-party call is a video conference call.