High precision beamsteerer based on fixed beamforming approach beampatterns
View Patent ↗A beamsteerer for broadband energy source location, comprising an array of sensors, each for generating a signal vector within one of a plurality of sectors in a domain of interest, and a beamformer for receiving and multiplying each signal vector by a set of optimal weight vectors to generate a plurality of beampatterns, each of the beampatterns being characterized by a null having high angular resolution, and detecting the source by selecting a maximum steering index.
1. A beamsteerer for locating a source of desired non-noise audio, the beamsteerer comprising:
an array of sensors, each of said sensors having a signal vector d within one of N sectors in a domain of interest; and
a beamformer for receiving and multiplying each said signal vector d by a set of N weight vectors w i in said domain of interest to generate a plurality of beampatterns in said N sectors, each of said beampatterns being characterized by a null having high angular resolution, and detecting said source at a position (θ,φ), of lowest energy in said domain of interest, by selecting a maximum steering index (SI) where
S
I
=
1
w
i
H
d
p
,
wherein p is a positive real number.
2. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , wherein sensors are arranged in two-dimensions on a reflecting plane.
3. The beamsteerer of claim 2 , wherein each of said sensors is a microphone.
4. The beamsteerer of claim 2 , further comprising a voice activity detector connected to said beamformer for detecting voice activity to thereby distinguish human voice from noise.
5. The beamsteerer of claim 2 , wherein detection of said source is used to steer on of either a video camera or a directional microphone or microphone array.
6. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , wherein said sensors are arranged in three-dimensions in free field.
7. The beamsteerer of claim 6 , wherein each of said sensors is a microphone.
8. The beamsteerer of claim 6 , further comprising a voice activity detector connected to said beamformer for detecting voice activity to thereby distinguish human voice from noise.
9. The beamsteerer of claim 6 , wherein detection of said source is used to steer one of either a video camera or a directional microphone or microphone array.
10. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , wherein said sensors are arranged in three-dimensions on an obstacle.
11. The beamsteerer of claim 10 , wherein each of said sensors is a microphone.
12. The beamsteerer of claim 10 , further comprising a voice activity detector connected to said beamformer for detecting voice activity to thereby distinguish human voice from noise.
13. The beamsteerer of claim 10 , wherein detection of said source is used to steer one of either a video camera or a directional microphone or microphone array.
14. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , wherein each of said sensors is a microphone.
15. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , further comprising a voice activity detector connected to said beamformer for detecting voice activity to thereby distinguish human voice from noise.
16. The beamsteerer of claim 1 , wherein detection of said source is used to steer one of either a video camera or a directional microphone or microphone array.