Sound Source Localization Using Sector-Based Analysis with Multiple Receivers

The success of parametric approaches to spatial sound reproduction and sound field navigation depend on the accuracy of the initial analysis and decomposition of the sound field. In this work, the sector-based high-order extension to intensimetric sound field analysis is evaluated in the context of 3D source localization. The evaluation is performed with simulations of ideal spherical harmonic receiver signals using two intensimetric estimators: source direction-of-arrival and sound field diffuseness. The technique is first assessed for a single receiver with regard to influential factors of analysis order, source incidence angle, and the presence of diffuse noise. The technique is then applied to 3D source localization, utilizing concurrent analyses from multiple receivers. Results for different analysis orders are compared and mitigating factors for robust localization over a broad spatial region are discussed. Optimization strategies targeting specific conditions are proposed, tested, and found to improve localization accuracy.