Hybrid Radar Microphone Array Sound Source Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voice interaction technologies face challenges in accurately locating sound sources in noisy environments and reverberant spaces, particularly due to the sensitivity of adaptive beamforming to sound source orientation.
Innovation Solution
A sound source positioning method and apparatus that combines a microphone array with a radar to accurately locate sound sources. This involves obtaining location information from radar echo data and incident angles from voice signals captured by the microphone array, and fusing these to determine the sound source's location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adaptive beamforming is used to suppress ambient noise and reverberation, then sound pickup performance is improved, but the system becomes very sensitive to sound source orientation estimation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines radar positioning technology with microphone array beamforming to create a hybrid system. The radar provides accurate position and orientation information about sound sources, which is then integrated with the beamforming algorithm to guide the formation of directional beams. This merging of electromagnetic sensing (radar) with acoustic sensing (microphone array) resolves the sensitivity issue by providing a more robust orientation reference from the radar that is less susceptible to acoustic environment interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces radar as an intermediary system that mediates between the acoustic environment and the beamforming process. The radar acts as a mediator by first detecting the sound source position independently of acoustic conditions, then providing this information to control the beamforming process. This intermediary approach allows the system to overcome the direct coupling between acoustic signal quality and orientation estimation accuracy.
2Quantity of substance
If a microphone array is used to capture voice signals, then voice pickup capability is improved, but accurate sound source localization becomes difficult in noisy and reverberant environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges radar detection with microphone array processing to achieve both accurate voice capture and precise sound source localization. The radar component provides reliable position information independent of acoustic conditions, while the microphone array captures the voice signals. By combining these two sensing modalities, the system achieves both objectives simultaneously without the trade-off present in pure acoustic systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the sound source detection task into two independent components: position detection by radar and voice signal capture by microphone array. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal domain (radar in electromagnetic domain for positioning, microphones in acoustic domain for signal capture) and then integrates the results, avoiding the interference problems that affect unified acoustic systems.
3Measurement precision
If beamforming is used to extract voice data from captured signals, then voice extraction accuracy is improved, but the system requires precise knowledge of sound source location which is difficult to obtain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines radar positioning with microphone array beamforming to provide the precise location information needed for accurate voice extraction. The radar system independently determines sound source position and orientation, providing this information to the beamforming algorithm. This integration resolves the complexity issue by using radar's electromagnetic sensing capability to obtain location data that would be difficult and complex to extract using only acoustic methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enables accurate extraction of voice data from sound sources, even in dynamic environments, by precisely controlling beams based on sound source location, thus improving sound pickup performance and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining first location information by using echo data of a radar
Implementation Method 2
obtaining an incident angle by using a voice signal captured by a microphone array
Data Source
AI summary
A sound source positioning method and apparatus, a computer-readable storage medium, and a sound pickup apparatus are provided, for accurately locating a sound source by using a microphone array and a radar. The method includes: obtaining first location information by using echo data of a radar (201), where the first location information includes a first angle of an object relative to the radar; obtaining an incident angle by using a voice signal captured by a microphone array (202), where the incident angle is an angle at which the voice signal is incident to the microphone array; and fusing the first angle and the incident angle to obtain second location information (205), where the second location information indicates a location of a sound source generating the voice signal.