US Patent 8233352 Audio source localization system and method

A system and method for performing audio source localization that uses minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beams or other super-directive beams that are more suitable for reducing noise, interference and/or acoustic coupling than the delay-and-sum beams conventionally used in performing audio source localization based on a Steered Response Power (SRP) approach. Since super-directive beams such as MVDR beams do not provide good properties for performing conventional SRP-based audio source localization, an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a different metric than maximum response power in order to determine which of a plurality of beams provides the best response for audio source localization. This metric involves identifying which beam provides the smallest measure of distortion with respect to a reference power or reference response.