Sound source localization using phase spectrum

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer storage medium;
• computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium which, when processed by a processing device, instruct the processing device to perform a process comprising:
• receiving signals from a plurality of pairs of microphones into a memory;
• processing the signals from the microphones to identify when the signals are active;
• computing frequency spectrum data for the signals;
• for each pair of active signals:
• determining a phase spectrum of a cross power spectrum using the frequency spectrum data of the pair of active signals,
• determining a phase distortion for the pair from the phase spectrum, and
• deriving a candidate angle from the determined phase distortion;
• and
• selecting an angle from among the candidate angles derived for the plurality of pairs of microphones.

A computing machine comprising:

• a memory;
• an input for receiving signals from a plurality of pairs of microphones into the memory;
• a processing unit configured to process the signals from the microphones to identify when the signals are active and compute frequency spectrum data for the signals;
• wherein the processing unit is further configured to, for each pair of active signals, determine a phase spectrum of a cross power spectrum using the frequency spectrum data of the pair of active signals, determine a phase distortion for the pair using the phase spectrum, and derive a candidate angle from the phase distortion, and select an angle from among the candidate angles derived for the plurality of pairs of microphones.