Many applications of acoustic signal processing, such as teleconferencing and surveillance systems, require an estimate of several parameters present in the observed acoustic wavefield. The most important parameters are the number as well as the location of active acoustic sources. This book deals with the problem of detecting and localizing multiple simultaneously active wideband acoustic sources by applying the notion of wavefield decomposition using circular and spherical microphone arrays. The decomposed wavefield representation is used to serve as a basis for so-called modal array signal processing algorithms, which have the significant advantage over classical array signal processing algorithms that they inherently support multiple wideband acoustic sources. A rigorous derivation of modal array signal processing algorithms for unambiguous source detection and localization as well as performance evaluations by means of measurements using an actual real-time capable implementation are discussed.

From the reviews:

"The term Acoustical Scene Analysis (ASA) has emerged for describing the tasks of finding the Waveform Estimation (WE) and Parameter Estimation (PE). The present book takes a novel approach to this subject. Overall we think this is an excellent book-accurate and suggestive graphics, a very fair exposition, a lot of experimental results-and clearly this volume stems from very dense research activity. It will soon become a standard reference book for sensor array signal processing." (D. Stanomir, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2007 m)

"The particularity of the present book is to connect the classical acoustics with ASP. The merit of the book is to combine the concepts and tools of the classical acoustics with those of the ASP in order to provide a new solution to sensor array signal processing. an excellent contribution to the area of ASA tasks by providing the theory, the practice and a lot of experimental results. Surely, it will become a reference book in the area of sensor array signal processing." (Dumitru Stanomir, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1131 (9), 2008)

Inhalt
Acoustic Wavefields.- Wavefield Decomposition.- Acoustic Scene Analysis Using Classical Array Signal Processing.- Acoustic Scene Analysis Using Modal Array Signal Processing.- A Practical Acoustic Scene Analysis System.- Summary and Conclusions.