Acoustic Scene Analysis Using Classical Array Signal Processing

Abstract

In this chapter, the path of classical acoustics, illuminated by the previous two chapters, is abandoned for introducing the concepts of the second pillar necessary for understanding the fruitful combination of classical acoustics with classical array signal processing to be presented in Chapter 5. Array signal processing is the science of signal processing where more than one sensor is used to obtain an additional dimension of freedom for the solution of signal processing tasks. In most cases, this additional dimension is the spatial dimension. Since this book deals with acoustic wavefields propagating in air, the sensors utilized are microphones. However, most techniques developed here are also applicable to array signal processing in the fields of radar (antennas), sonar (hydrophones), and seismic imaging (accelerometers). Indeed, most of the techniques presented in this chapter have been originally developed in the radar and sonar community. As a tribute to this development, the more general term ‘sensor’ is used in most of the following discussions.