Apparatus and method for generating a multichannel signal

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

receive a first signal provided by a first mobile user terminal, wherein the first signal comprises first audio data and first location data, wherein the first audio data is based on sound detected at the location of the first mobile user terminal and the first location data is determined at the location of the first mobile user terminal;

receive a second signal provided by a second mobile user terminal, wherein the second signal comprises second audio data and second location data, wherein the second audio data is based on sound detected at the location of the second mobile user terminal and the second location data is determined at the location of the second mobile user terminal;

receive from a user terminal user selected location data relating to a selected location at which a representation of an audio experience is to be created based on the first audio data and the second audio data, wherein said first and second locations are within an area comprising an event location, and said user selected location is also within said area;

generate a multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data and the user selected location data; and

provide the generated multichannel signal to the user terminal, the multichannel signal being configured to create the representation of the audio experience as if from the selected location within the area comprising the event location.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive user selected orientation data relating to a selected orientation; and wherein the multichannel signal is generated in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data, the user selected location data and the user selected orientation data.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the multichannel signal by being configured to:

determine first and second direction vectors in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data and the user selected location data;

generate front left and left center signals in dependence on the first direction vector;

generate front right and right center signals in dependence on the second direction vector;

generate first and second ambience signals in dependence on the left and right center signals;

combine the first ambience signal with the front left signal to provide a first combined signal;

combine the second ambience signal with the front right signal to provide a second combined signal;

generate a signal for a first channel of the multichannel signal in dependence on the first combined signal;

generate a signal for a second channel of the multichannel signal in dependence on the second combined signal.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to add first and second reverberation components to the signals for the first and second channels of the multichannel signal respectively, wherein:

the first reverberation component comprises a delayed signal determined in dependence on the first ambience signal; and

the second reverberation component comprises a delayed signal determined in dependence on the second ambience signal.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a first scaled audio signal by scaling the first signal in dependence on a distance between the location of the first mobile user terminal and the user selected location;

provide a second scaled audio signal by scaling the second signal in dependence on a distance between the location of the second mobile user terminal and the user selected location;

generate the multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second scaled audio signals, the first and second location data and the user selected location data.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:

scale the first audio signal in generally linear dependence on said distance between the location of the first mobile user terminal and the user selected location; and

scale the second audio signal in generally linear dependence on said distance between the location of the second mobile user terminal and the user selected location.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:

scale the first audio signal by attenuating the first signal;

scale the second audio signal by attenuating the second signal.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a server or cooperating servers.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the multichannel signal is a stereo signal.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the multichannel signal has five channels.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal provided by a first user mobile terminal, wherein the first signal comprises first audio data and first location data, wherein the first audio data is representative of sound detected at the location of the first mobile user terminal and the first location data is determined at the location of the first mobile user terminal;

receiving a second signal provided by a second mobile user terminal, wherein the second signal comprises second audio data and second location data, wherein the second location data relates to a location of the second mobile terminal audio data is representative of sound detected at the location of the second mobile user terminal and the second location data is determined at the location of the second mobile user terminal;

receiving from a user terminal user selected location data relating to a selected location at which a representation of an audio experience is to be created based on the first audio data and the second audio data, wherein said first and second locations are within an area comprising an event location, and said user selected location is also within said area;

generating a multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data and the user selected location data; and

providing the generated multichannel signal to the user terminal, the multichannel signal being configured to create the representation of the audio experience as if from the selected location within the area comprising the event location.

12. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising receiving orientation data relating to a user selected orientation; wherein the multichannel signal is generated in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data, the user selected location data and the orientation data.

13. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

determining first and second direction vectors in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data and the user selected location data;

determining front left and left center signals in dependence on the first direction vector;

determining front right and right center signals in dependence on the second direction vector;

determining first and second ambience signals in dependence on the left and right center signals;

combining the first ambience signal with the front left signal to provide a first combined signal;

combining the second ambience signal with front right signal to provide a second combined signal;

generating a signal for a first channel of the multichannel signal in dependence on the first combined signal; and

generating a signal for a second channel of the multichannel signal in dependence on the second combined signal.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising adding first and second reverberation components to the signals for the first and second channels of the multichannel signal respectively, wherein:

the first reverberation component comprises a delayed signal determined in dependence on the first ambience signal; and

the second reverberation component comprises a delayed signal determined in dependence on the second ambience signal.

15. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

providing a first scaled audio signal by scaling the first signal in dependence on a distance between the location of the first mobile user terminal and the user selected location;

providing a second scaled audio signal by scaling the second signal in dependence on the distance between the location of the second mobile user terminal and the user selected location; and

generating the multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second scaled audio signals, the first and second location data and the user selected location data.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein:

the first audio signal is scaled in generally linear dependence on said distance between the location of the first mobile user terminal and the user selected location;

the second audio signal is scaled in generally linear dependence on said distance between the location of the second mobile user terminal and the user selected location.

17. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

scaling the first audio signal by attenuating the first signal;

scaling the second audio signal by attenuating the second signal.

18. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the multichannel signal is a stereo signal.

19. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the multichannel signal has five channels.

20. A system comprising:

a server; and

a terminal;

wherein the terminal is configured to transmit user selected location data to said server; and

wherein the server comprises a processor configured to:

receive a first signal provided by a first mobile user terminal, wherein the first signal comprises first audio data and first location data, wherein the first audio data is representative of sound detected at the location of the first mobile user terminal and the first location data is determined at the location of the first mobile user terminal;

receive a second signal provided by a second mobile user terminal, wherein the second signal comprises second audio data and second location data, wherein the second audio data is representative of sound detected at the location of the second mobile user terminal and the second location data is determined at the location of the second mobile user terminal;

receive the user selected location data from the terminal, the user selected location data relating to a selected location at which a representation of an audio experience is to be created based on the first audio data and the second audio data, wherein the location of the first mobile user terminal and the location of the second mobile user terminal are within an area comprising an event location, and the user selected location is also within said area;

generate a multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second audio data, the first and second location data and the user selected location data; and

transmit the generated multichannel signal to the terminal, the multichannel signal being configured to create the representation of the audio experience as if from the selected location within the area comprising the event location.

21. A method comprising:

transmitting from a terminal to a server user selected location data; and

at the server, receiving a first signal provided by a first mobile user terminal, wherein the first signal comprises first audio data and first location data, wherein the first audio data is representative of sound detected at the location of the first mobile user terminal and the first location data is determined at the location of the first mobile user terminal;

at the server, receiving a second signal provided by a second mobile user terminal, wherein the second signal comprises second audio data and second location data, wherein the second audio data is based on sound detected at the location of the second mobile user terminal and the second location data is determined at the location of the second mobile user terminal;

at the server, receiving the user selected location data from the terminal, the user selected location data relating to a selected location at which a representation of an audio experience is to be created based on the first audio data and the second audio data, wherein the location of the first mobile user terminal and the location of the second mobile user terminal are within an area comprising an event location, and the user selected location is also within said area;

at the server, generating a multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second signals, the first and second location data and the user selected location data; and

transmitting the generated multichannel signal from the server to the terminal,

the multichannel signal being configured to create the representation of the audio experience as if from the selected location within the area comprising the event location.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said user selected location differs from the first and second locations.

23. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user selected location differs from the location of the user.

24. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user terminal is comprised of one of the first user terminal, the second user terminal and a third user terminal.