Separation of Sound Sources in the Same Direction via Spectral Estimation with a Virtual Focus
Kenji Ozawa, Kanji Watanabe, Shuichi Sakamoto · 2021 IEEE 10th Global Conference on Consumer Electronics (GCCE) · 2021
This study aims to separate four sound sources in the same direction using a small array with four microphones. The outputs of these microphones were shifted to create a virtual focus. When these outputs are considered as a two-dimensional (2D) image, the sound from a focus point generates vertical stripes, and its 2D spectrum is concentrated on the spatial direct current bin. Based on this property, the spectra of the four sounds were estimated by solving a set of equations. Computer simulation experiments demonstrated that the four sounds were separated successfully with a signal-to-distortion ratio exceeding 20 dB.