(under subclass 309) Subject matter in which audio signals, prior to delivery to the earphone, are processed in order to give an illusion that the spatially related sounds are being emitted from physically distinct locations in the earphone user's environment.
(1) Note. The orientation of earphones with respect to the room changes as the user moves his or her head. Virtual positioning when specifically used with an earphone is often done for the purpose of making the sounds appear to come from an invariant physical location in the environment, irrespective of the orientation of the user's head. This is done to foster the illusion that the user is not in fact wearing headphones.
SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:
17, for a device or arrangement which transforms single channel audio signals into a plurality of channels of audio information to create a sense of depth. Comprehended in subclass 17 is virtual positioning, typically used with loudspeakers.
