Patent ID: 8233353
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: H04R,H04S

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented process for estimating the location of a sound source using signals output by a microphone array having plural audio sensors placed so as to pick up sound emanating from the source in an environment exhibiting reverberation and environmental noise, comprising using a computer to perform the following process actions: inputting the signal output by each of the audio sensors; identifying a sound source location which if sound was emanated from that location would exhibit a time of propagation of the sound from the identified location to each audio sensor that would result in signals being output by the audio sensors that most closely match the actual signals currently being output by the audio sensors, using a maximum likelihood computation, wherein the maximum likelihood computation employs an estimate of an audio sensor response which comprises a delay sub-component and a magnitude sub-component for each of the audio sensors in computing the signal that would be output from each audio sensor if sound was emanated from the identified location; and designating the identified sound source location as the estimated sound source location.