Estimation of multiple talker locations using randomly positioned microphones (method of subarray selection)

Abstract

Technologies for estimating talker location are applicable to teleconference systems with the sense of presence and security systems. Our proposed method estimates multiple talker locations by using synchronous multipliers; it was assumed that the microphones surrounded the talkers. This paper considers the situation in which the talkers surround the microphones. In this arrangement, the main problem is that the capacity for detecting talker location is decreased. Therefore, we propose a new method of subarray selection. Experiments show that the proposed method of subarray selection is effective in estimating talker location. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 84(9): 42–48, 2001