Audio control for extended-reality shared space

1. An apparatus for audio signal processing, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store at least one microphone signal; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to retrieve the at least one microphone signal and to execute computer-executable instructions to:

determine that first audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity;

determine whether the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in an application session active on a device; and

based at least on a determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, refrain from canceling the first audio activity using one or more antinoise signals.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

determine that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session;

in response to at least the determination that the second audio activity is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session, generate an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

cause a loudspeaker to produce an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

in response to at least the determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, cause wireless transmission of an indication that a participant in the application session is speaking.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

determine that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a participant in the application session;

in response to at least the determination that the second audio activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, generate an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

cause a loudspeaker to produce an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

receive a wireless indication that a participant in the application session is speaking; and

refrain from canceling the first audio activity based on the determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session and based on the wireless indication.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

detect a mode change condition;

in response to the detected mode change condition, cause wireless transmission of an indication of a mode change; and

refrain from canceling the first audio activity based on the determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session and based on the detected mode change condition.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein detecting the mode change condition is based on a result of at least one of a facial recognition operation or a gaze detection operation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein detecting the mode change condition is based on a result of at least one of a keyword detection or a detection of a change of at least one of position or orientation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

receive a wireless indication of a mode change;

determine that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of an additional participant in the application session;

in response to the indication of a mode change, generate an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

cause a loudspeaker to produce an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the computer-executable instructions to generate the antinoise signal comprise computer-executable instructions to generate the antinoise signal based also on a context of the application session.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the context indicates that a voice of the additional participant is currently disabled.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the context indicates that the additional participant is in a private mode with another participant.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the context indicates that a voice of the additional participant is blocked by a virtual barrier.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the active application session is a session of a gaming application.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the active application session is a session of an application for sharing a virtual space.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

determine that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session; and

in response to at least the determination that the second audio activity is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session, refrain from canceling the second audio activity using one or more antinoise signals.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an antinoise signal of the one or more antinoise signals is configured to cancel audio activity of at least one non-participant of the application session.

18. A method of audio signal processing, the method comprising:

determining that first audio activity in at least one microphone signal is voice activity;

determining whether the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in an application session active on a device; and

based at least on a determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, refraining from canceling the first audio activity using one or more antinoise signals.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session;

in response to at least the determining that the second audio activity is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session, generating an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

causing a loudspeaker to produce an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to at least the determining that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, wirelessly transmitting an indication that a participant in the application session is speaking.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

wirelessly receiving an indication that a participant in the application session is speaking; and

refraining from canceling the first audio activity based on the determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session and based on the indication.

22. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a mode change condition;

in response to detecting the mode change condition, wirelessly transmitting an indication of a mode change; and

refraining from canceling the first audio activity based on the determination that the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session and based on the detected mode change condition.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein detecting the mode change condition is based on a result of at least one of a facial recognition operation and a gaze detection operation.

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein detecting the mode change condition is based on a result of at least one of a keyword detection and a detection of a change of at least one of position or orientation.

25. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

wirelessly receiving an indication of a mode change;

determining that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of an additional participant in the application session;

in response to the indication of a mode change, generating an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

by a loudspeaker, producing an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein generating the antinoise signal is also based on a context of the application session.

27. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the active application session is a session of a gaming application.

28. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the active application session is a session of an application for sharing a virtual space.

29. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

determining that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a participant in the application session;

in response to at least the determination that the second audio activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, generating an antinoise signal to cancel the second audio activity; and

producing, using a loudspeaker, an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal.

30. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

determining that second audio activity in the at least one microphone signal is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session; and

in response to at least the determination that the second audio activity is voice activity of a non-participant in the application session, refraining from canceling the second audio activity using one or more antinoise signals.

31. The method according to claim 18 , wherein an antinoise signal of the one or more antinoise signals is configured to cancel audio activity of at least one non-participant of the application session.