Sound source localization system and sound source localization method

• US 8,094,833 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Mao, Yen-Chieh, Chung, Yu-Liang, Chang, Nai-Chia
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Theresa T
• Application Number:
  US11/976,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20080247566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 381/92
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A sound source localization system and a sound source localization method. The sound source localization system includes sound capturing devices and an arithmetic unit. The sound capturing devices sense a sound source to output time domain signals. The arithmetic unit transforms the time domain signals into frequency domain signals, performs a cross spectrum process according to the frequency domain signals to determine time differences of arrival, and locates the sound source according to the time differences of arrival and locations of the sound capturing devices.

Claims

1. A sound source localization system, comprising:

a plurality of sound capturing devices for sensing a sound source and outputting a plurality of time domain signals correspondingly; and

a processing unit for transforming the time domain signals into a plurality of frequency domain signals, performing a cross spectrum process according to the frequency domain signals to determine a plurality of time differences of arrival (TDOA), and locating the sound source according to the time differences of arrival and locations of the sound capturing devices.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit respectively samples the frequency domain signals in a specific frequency range to get a plurality of sampled frequency domain signals, and calculates phase differences between the sampled frequency domain signals to determine the time differences of arrival.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the specific frequency range is in a set of predetermined values.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the specific frequency range covers at least a part of the range of maximum power signals.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit locates the sound source according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices and the sound velocity.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit locates the sound source according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices, the sound velocity and a distance formula.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit locates the sound source according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices, a sound velocity and a trigonometric function.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for outputting an environmental temperature to the arithmetic unit to calibrate the sound velocity.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the sound source localization system performs a two-dimensional localization, the number of the sound capturing devices is greater than or equal to 3, and the sound capturing devices are disposed on the same plane.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the sound source localization system performs a three-dimensional localization, the number of the sound capturing devices is greater than or equal to 4, and at least four sound capturing devices are not disposed on the same plane.

11. A sound source localization method, comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing a plurality of sound capturing devices to sense a sound source and output a plurality of time domain signals correspondingly;

(b) respectively transforming the time domain signals into a plurality of frequency domain signals;

(c) performing a cross spectrum process according to the frequency domain signals to determine a plurality of time differences of arrival (TDOA); and

(d) locating the sound source according to the time differences of arrival and locations of the sound capturing devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step (c) comprises:

(c1) respectively sampling the frequency domain signals in a specific frequency range to get a plurality of sampled frequency domain signals; and

(c2) calculating phase differences between the sampled frequency domain signals to determine the time differences of arrival.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the specific frequency range is in a set of predetermined values.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the specific frequency range covers at least a part of the range of maximum power signals.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (d), the sound source is located according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices and the sound velocity.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (d), the sound source is located according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices, the sound velocity and a distance formula.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (d), the sound source is located according to the time differences of arrival, the locations of the sound capturing devices, a sound velocity and a trigonometric function.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(f) sensing an environmental temperature to calibrate the sound velocity.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein when a two-dimensional plane localization is performed, the number of the sound capturing devices is greater than or equal to 3, and the sound capturing devices are disposed on the same plane.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein when a three-dimensional localization is performed, the number of the sound capturing devices is greater than or equal to 4, and at least four sound capturing devices are not disposed on the same plane.