Sound detection and localization system

• US 20040022392A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Griesinger, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8083 determining direction of source
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection

Abstract

The beginning detection, accommodation and frequency bias properties of the human hearing mechanism have been modeled to create systems that can detect directional transients (“sound events”) in a sound field and separately localize them. These models break down a sound field into sound events and non-sound events and separately localize the sound events and non-sound events. Sound events are generally identified according to the frequency bias and beginning detection properties. Once detected, sound events are generally localized according to differential steering angles (steering angles to which the steady-state signals have been accommodated) or ordinary steering angles and which reflect the direction of a sound event indicated in its rise-time. When no sound events are detected, non-sound events are localized according to a steering angle that does not reflect rapid motion.

Claims

1. A method for localizing sounds events in a sound field, where the sound field is generated in one or more input channel pairs, comprising:

determining a differential steering angle for each input channel pair;

determining a trigger signal for each input channel pair, where the trigger signal indicates an occurrence of one or more sound events;

determining an ordinary steering angle for each channel pair;

selecting either the differential steering angle or the ordinary steering angle in response to the trigger signal.

2. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

data encoding a sound field; and

a computer code implementing a sound localization method for localizing the sound field.

3. A device for localizing a sound field, comprising:

an interface unit for receiving the sound field; and

a detection unit, where the detector device includes,

a processor, where the processor is coupled to the interface unit and receives the sound field; and

a memory, where the memory is coupled to the processor and stores a sound localization method;

where upon a request from the processor, the memory communicates the sound localization method to the processor;

where the processor uses the sound localization method to detect one or more sound events in the sound field, localizes the sound field in terms of at least one true differential steering angle whenever the one or more sound events are detected, localizes the sound field in terms of at least one ordinary steering angle when no sound events are detected, and communicates the at least one differential steering angle or the at least one ordinary steering angle to the interface unit.

4. A sound localizer for a sound field generated in one or more input channel pairs, comprising:

a sound event detector for each input channel pair, where the sound event detector receives the sound field and produces a trigger signal that indicates an occurrence of one or more sound events; and

a sound localization circuit for each input channel pair that produces at least one differential steering angle or at least one ordinary steering angle for each input channel pair in response to the trigger signal from any channel pair indicating the occurrence of one or more sound events, and otherwise produces at least one ordinary steering angle for each input channel pair.