3D Positioning

For example, in a crowded and noisy room, with hundreds of people talking at the same time, the ear can pick out the one voice it's interested in. Without this critical ability, functioning in the real world would be difficult. At least, sound would play a much less important role in the human condition.

Of course, in the human ears, sound is heard and processed in stereo. In conventional voice communications networks, both PSTN and VoIP, all sound is monaural. Consequently, they provide no means for the ear to follow a particular voice when two or more people speak at once. They also provide no sense of reality or presence. The value of such conventional conference calling is limited, as the resilience of business air travel even in the wake of 9/11 has proven.

It is possible, in an artificial environment like a voice call over a network, to synthesize stereo cues. The result solves several problems. First, as discussed above, is the problem of distinguishing between two or more people speaking at the same time.

Another is almost the exact opposite. One person speaks for 15 minutes, and then someone else offers a quick comment. How does one determine who is the new voice in the dark? If each person had a position around a virtual conference table, that would provide the information out of band, like an audio "heads up display."

3D positioning of voices provides a subtle but profound improvement in the presence and the reality of the conference. It is a significant step closer towards a real face-to-face meeting. This has a psychological effect on people in terms of making them feel more comfortable, and less in need of getting on a plane as well as the real effect of increasing the value of a conference call.