Microphone array

摘要

A microphone array, comprising N microphones, wherein N is greater than or equal to 3 is provided. The microphones are substantially equiangularly arranged over a circular arc subtending an angle ε, wherein ε is less than or equal to 2π, with the directional axes of the N microphones facing substantially radially outwards. Each of the N microphones have a substantially common directivity function Γ(θ) defining the directional response of the microphone, wherein θ=0 is the directional axis, and the directivity function Γ(θ) is arranged such that a sound source in acoustical free field is effectively captured by no more than two consecutive microphones in the array. By arranging the directivity function in this manner crosstalk between non-adjacent microphones can be minimized, which has been shown to improve auditory localization performance.

主权项

1. A microphone array, comprising:
N microphones, wherein N is greater than or equal to 3, arranged over a circular arc subtending an angle ε, wherein ε is less than or equal to 2π, with the directional axes of the N microphones facing substantially radially outwards, the N microphones having respective non-cardioid directivity functions Γm(θ) defining the directional response thereof, wherein θ=0 defines the directional axes; wherein the directivity functions Γm(θ) are arranged such that for adjacent microphones in the array the directivity functions Γm(θ) thereof at least partially overlap, wherein a sound source in acoustical free field, situated at angle θ, whereinɛ⁢⁢mN≤θ≤ɛ⁡(m+1)N,is effectively captured by no more than two adjacent microphones m and m+1 in the array at a level that when the effectively captured signal is reproduced it is significant to spatial auditory perception; and
wherein the directivity functions Γm(θ) are further arranged such that the array response approximates a stereophonic panning curve for the sound source in direction of incidence θ between adjacent microphones m and m+1 in the array.