AUDIO SOURCE POSITION ESTIMATION

• Main Authors: OUWELTJES, Okke, KECHICHIAN, Patrick
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 14.03.2018
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DEAF-AID SETS; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; MEASURING; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; PHYSICS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; TESTING

An apparatus for determining a position estimate for an audio source comprises two microphones (M1, M2) and an acoustic element (203) providing an acoustic effect to sound from sound source positions to the first microphone (M1). The acoustic effect is asymmetric with respect to an axis (201) between the microphones (M1, M2). A position circuit (305) estimates two possible positions on different sides of the axis for the sound source in response to time of arrivals at the microphones (M1, M2). An estimator (307) determines an acoustic effect measure being indicative of a degree to which an acoustic effect of the first microphone signal matches an expected characteristic of the acoustic effect for sound sources on one side of the axis (201). Another circuit (309) determines the position estimate by selecting between the two possible positions in response to the acoustic effect measure. The approach may resolve ambiguities in position determination associated with position determination based on time of arrival at two microphones.