IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,336,997
Granted Patent B2
US 11,336,997 · App. 16/476,897 · Granted May 17, 2022

Correlation function generation apparatus, correlation function generation method, correlation function generation program, and wave source direction estimation apparatus

Inventors: Masanori Kato (Tokyo, JP); Yuzo Senda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
H04R3/005G10L25/06G10L25/18G10L25/51H04R1/406
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,336,997
App. No.
16/476,897
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A correlation function having a clear peak is generated even in an environment in which an ambient noise level is high. A correlation function generation apparatus ( 100 ) includes a plurality of input signal obtaining units ( 101 ), a changing unit ( 102 ), a cross-spectrum calculator ( 103 ), a variance calculator ( 104 ), and a correlation function calculator ( 105 ). The input signal obtaining unit ( 101 ) obtains a wave generated by a wave source as an input signal. The transformer ( 102 ) obtains a plurality of frequency domain signals by transforming a plurality of input signals obtained by the plurality of input signal obtaining units. The cross-spectrum calculator ( 103 ) calculates a cross-spectrum based on the plurality of frequency domain signals. The variance calculator ( 104 ) calculates the variance of the cross-spectrum. The correlation function calculator ( 105 ) calculates and generates a correlation function based on the cross-spectrum and the variance.

Claims (41)

1. A correlation function generation apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to:

obtain a plurality of input signals associated with ambient noise and a target sound source, the plurality of input signals detected by at least two microphones;

obtain a plurality of frequency domain signals by transforming the plurality of input signals;

calculate a cross-spectrum based on said plurality of frequency domain signals;

obtain a circular variance of said cross-spectrum as a variance of a phase of said cross-spectrum; and

generate a correlation function to be used for estimating a direction of said target sound source, based on said cross-spectrum weighted by a weight calculated from said obtained circular variance, wherein the weight is inversely proportional to the obtained circular variance.

2. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to calculate an average cross-spectrum by averaging said cross-spectra, and

calculate said circular variance based on said average cross-spectrum.

3. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to execute the instructions to calculate one correlation function by generating a plurality of cross-spectra-by-frequencies based on said circulate variance and said cross-spectrum, and

integrating said plurality of cross-spectra-by-frequencies.

4. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor is configured to execute the instructions to calculate said one correlation function by obtaining a plurality of correlation-functions-by-frequencies by calculating inverse transform of said plurality of first cross-spectra-by-frequencies, and

integrating said plurality of correlation-functions-by-frequencies that have been calculated inverse transform.

5. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor is configured to execute the instructions to generate said plurality of cross-spectra-by-frequencies by generating a kernel function spectrum based on said variance, and

multiplying said cross-spectra-by-frequencies by said kernel function spectrum.

6. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor is configured to execute the instructions to generate said plurality of cross-spectra-by-frequencies by selecting one of a plurality of kernel function spectra stored in a kernel function spectrum storage, based on said circulate variance, and

multiplying said cross-spectra-by-frequencies by said selected kernel function spectrum.

7. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to calculate the one correlation function by obtaining one integrated cross-spectrum by integrating said plurality of cross-spectra-by-frequencies, and

calculating inverse transform of said one integrated cross-spectrum.

8. The correlation function generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to estimate a direction of said target sound source based on the correlation function.

9. A correlation function generation method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of input signals associated with ambient noise and a target sound source, the plurality of input signals detected by at least two microphones;

obtaining a plurality of frequency domain signals by transforming the plurality of input signals;

calculating a cross-spectrum based on said plurality of frequency domain signals;

obtain a circular variance of said cross-spectrum as a variance of a phase of said cross-spectrum; and

generate a correlation function to be used for estimating a direction of said target sound source, based on said cross-spectrum weighted by a weight calculated from said obtained circular variance, wherein the weight is inversely proportional to the obtained circular variance.

10. The correlation function generation method of claim 9 , further comprising:

estimating a direction of said target sound source based on the correlation function.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a correlation function generation program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of input signals associated with ambient noise and a target sound source, the plurality of input signals detected by at least two microphones;

obtaining a plurality of frequency domain signals by transforming the plurality of input signals;

calculating a cross-spectrum based on said plurality of frequency domain signals;

obtain a circular variance of said cross-spectrum as a variance of a phase of said cross-spectrum; and

generate a correlation function to be used for estimating a direction of said target sound source, based on said cross-spectrum weighted by a weight calculated from said obtained circular variance, wherein the weight is inversely proportional to the obtained circular variance.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

estimating a direction of said target sound source based on the correlation function.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2019
From: KATO, MASANORI; SENDA, YUZO
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049707/0888 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190335273A1 · Oct 31, 2019