Direction Finding of a Single Far Field Acoustic Source Using A Smart 3-D Array of Acoustic Sensors

This paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm for direction finding of a single far field acoustic source using a smart 3-D array with a minimum number of sensors and a special geometry, satisfying the Cramer Rao lower bound (CRLB) criterion for azimuth estimate. Angle resolution at array endfires is improved which is often encountered in direction of arrival (DOA) finding problems. The algorithm extracts the azimuth and elevation angles directly from the estimated time delays between the array elements using the crosscorrelation. This algorithm offers several advantages. First, it is more efficient in terms of computational load. Secondly, the azimuth estimator does not require the a-priory knowledge of the wave propagation velocity. Thirdly, this algorithm is suitable for applications where the arrival time is the only measured input. Results are asymptotically unbiased having zero variance, meaning to statistical consistency.