Provided is a direction estimating apparatus using an acoustic sensor, the direction estimating apparatus including a non-directional acoustic sensor, a plurality of directional acoustic sensors provided adjacent to the non-directional acoustic sensor, and a processor configured to obtain a first output signal from the non-directional acoustic sensor and a plurality of second output signals from the plurality of directional acoustic sensors, and estimate a direction of a sound source within an error range from -5 degrees to +5 degrees by comparing magnitudes between the two output signals and phase information between the first output signal and one of the second output signals.

A voice processing device includes plural microphones 22 disposed in a vehicle, a voice source direction determination portion 16 determining a direction of a voice source by handling a sound reception signal as a spherical wave in a case where the voice source serving as a source of a voice included in the sound reception signal obtained by each of the plural microphones is disposed at a near field, the voice source direction determination portion determining the direction of the voice source by handling the sound reception signal as a plane wave in a case where the voice source is disposed at the far field, and a beamforming processing portion 12 performing beamforming so as to suppress a sound arriving from a direction range other than a direction range including the direction of the voice source.

Systems and methods for virtually coupled resonators to determine an incidence angle of an acoustic wave are described herein. In one example, a system includes a processor and first and second transducers in communication with the processor. The first transducer produces a first signal in response to detecting an acoustic wave, while the second transducer produces a second signal in response to detecting the acoustic wave. The system may also include a memory in communication with the processor and having machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to modify the first signal and the second signal using a virtual resonator mapping function to generate a modified first signal and a modified second signal. The virtual resonator mapping function changes the first signal and the second signal to be representative of signals produced by transducers located within a hypothetical chamber of a hypothetical resonator.

An acoustic vector sensor and a method of detecting an acoustic vector are described. An object suspended in the fluid medium by a non-contact support structure. The object and the non-contact support structure are configured so that the object moves in response to any disturbance of the fluid by an acoustic wave; The non-contact support structure of the object comprises a plurality of solenoids that each produce a magnetic field in a fluid medium. A measurement measures movement of the object. A processing device determines an acoustic intensity vector of the acoustic wave based on the measured movement of the object.

An acoustic vector sensor and a method of detecting an acoustic vector are described. An object suspended in the fluid medium by a non-contact support structure. The object and the non-contact support structure are configured so that the object moves in response to any disturbance of the fluid by an acoustic wave; The non-contact support structure of the object comprises a plurality of solenoids that each produce a magnetic field in a fluid medium. A measurement measures movement of the object. A processing device determines an acoustic intensity vector of the acoustic wave based on the measured movement of the object.

An electronic device localizes an audio source by normalizing an amplitude of an audio signal over a time period. The electronic device receives, from one or more microphones of the electronic device, signal(s) representative of audio emitted by an audio source over a time period. The electronic device estimates amplitudes of the signal(s) at a first time within the time period and at a second time within the time period, where the second time is different from the first time. The electronic device normalizes the amplitudes associated with the first and second times to generate normalized amplitudes. The electronic device determines a combined amplitude representative of the audio emitted by the audio source by combining the normalized amplitudes. The electronic device determines, based at least in part on the combined amplitude and motion of the electronic device, an estimated position of the audio source relative to the electronic device.

Methods and systems for spatial filtering transmitters and receivers capable of simultaneous communication with one or more receivers and transmitters, respectively, the receivers capable of outputting source directions to humans or devices. The methods and systems use spherical wave field partial wave expansion (PWE) models for transmitted and received fields at antennas and for waves generated by contributing sources. The source PWE models have expansion coefficients expressed as functions of directional coordinates of the sources. For spatial filtering receivers a processor uses the output signals from at least one sensor outputting signals consistent with Nyquist criteria representative of the wave field and the source PWE model to determines directional coordinates of sources (wherein the number of floating point operations are reduced) and outputs the directional coordinates and communications to a reporter configured for reporting information to humans. For spatial filtering transmitters a processor uses known receiver directions and source partial wave expansions to generate signals for transducers producing a composite total wave field conveying communications to the specified receivers. The methods and communications reduce the processing required for transmitting and receiving spatially filtered communications.

Methods and systems for spatial filtering transmitters and receivers capable of simultaneous communication with one or more receivers and transmitters, respectively, the receivers capable of outputting source directions to humans or devices. The methods and systems use spherical wave field partial wave expansion (PWE) models for transmitted and received fields at antennas and for waves generated by contributing sources. The source PWE models have expansion coefficients expressed as functions of directional coordinates of the sources. For spatial filtering receivers a processor uses the output signals from at least one sensor outputting signals consistent with Nyquist criteria representative of the wave field and the source PWE model to determines directional coordinates of sources (wherein the number of floating point operations are reduced) and outputs the directional coordinates and communications to a reporter configured for reporting information to humans. For spatial filtering transmitters a processor uses known receiver directions and source partial wave expansions to generate signals for transducers producing a composite total wave field conveying communications to the specified receivers. The methods and communications reduce the processing required for transmitting and receiving spatially filtered communications.

A directional acoustic sensor may include a plurality of resonators arranged in different directions; and a processor configured to calculate a time difference between a first signal that is received by the plurality of resonators directly from a sound source (e.g., a speaker) and a second signal that is received by the plurality of resonators from the sound source after being reflected on a wall surface around the sound source, and determine a distance between the sound source and the directional acoustic sensor based on the time difference.

A directional acoustic sensor may include a plurality of resonators arranged in different directions; and a processor configured to calculate a time difference between a first signal that is received by the plurality of resonators directly from a sound source (e.g., a speaker) and a second signal that is received by the plurality of resonators from the sound source after being reflected on a wall surface around the sound source, and determine a distance between the sound source and the directional acoustic sensor based on the time difference.