Method and device for detecting and locating a reflecting sound source
First Claim
1. Method of detecting and/or locating a sound source by means of transducers organized in arrays comprising first, second and third transducer arrays, whereby a spatial correspondence is provided between said first and second transducer arrays, the method comprising a passive initial step in which acoustic signals received by reception transducers of the first array are sensed, and electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the first array in response to said acoustic signals are stored, wherein the passive initial step is followed by the steps of:
- (a) time reversing and amplifying at least one time window of each electric signal stored in the passive initial step in order to produce excitation signals;
(b) applying the excitation signals to respective emission transducers of the second array;
(c) sensing acoustic echo signals received by reception transducers of the third array, and storing electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the third array in response to said acoustic echo signals; and
(d) using the electric signals stored in step (c) to detect the possible presence of a reflecting sound source.
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Abstract
During a passive initial stage, acoustic signals received by a receiving transducer array are recorded, and the corresponding electric signals are stored. To search for the possible presence of a sound source whose contribution to the signal recorded in the passive initial stage may be faint, window of each electric signal stored in the initial stage is time reversed and amplified to produce excitation signals which are applied to emitting transducers of an array corresponding to that of the receiving transducers. The acoustic echo signals received by the receiving transducers are recorded, and the corresponding electric signals are stored, and can be exploited to detect the possible presence of a reflecting sound source.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. Method of detecting and/or locating a sound source by means of transducers organized in arrays comprising first, second and third transducer arrays, whereby a spatial correspondence is provided between said first and second transducer arrays, the method comprising a passive initial step in which acoustic signals received by reception transducers of the first array are sensed, and electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the first array in response to said acoustic signals are stored, wherein the passive initial step is followed by the steps of:
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(a) time reversing and amplifying at least one time window of each electric signal stored in the passive initial step in order to produce excitation signals; (b) applying the excitation signals to respective emission transducers of the second array; (c) sensing acoustic echo signals received by reception transducers of the third array, and storing electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the third array in response to said acoustic echo signals; and (d) using the electric signals stored in step (c) to detect the possible presence of a reflecting sound source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Device for detecting and/or locating a sound source, comprising:
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a first array of reception transducers for sensing acoustic signals during a passive initial step; storage means for storing electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the first array in response to said acoustic signals; processing means for time reversing and amplifying at least one time window of each electric signal stored in the storage means in the passive initial step in order to produce excitation signals; a second array of emission transducers, spatially corresponding to the first array to which said excitation signals are respectively applied; and a third array of reception transducers for sensing acoustic echo signals received in response to waves emitted by the emission transducers of the second array, wherein the storage means store electric signals produced by the reception transducers of the third array in response to said acoustic echo signals, and wherein the processing means are designed to use the stored electric signals order to detect the possible presence of a reflecting sound source. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification