Performance Improvement of CPSP Based TDOA Estimation Using the Preemphasis

We investigate and analyze the problems encountered in frame-based estimation of TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) using CPSP function. Spectral leakage occurring in framing of a speech signal by a rectangular window could make estimation of CPSP spectrum inaccurate. Framing with other windows to reduce the spectral leakage distorts the signal due to the asynchronous weighting around the frame specifically both ends of the frame. These problems degrade the performance of the CPSP-based TDOA estimation. In this paper, we propose a method to alleviate those problems by pre-emphasis of the speech signal. It reduces the influence of the spectral leakage by reducing dynamic range of the spectrum of a speech signal with pre-emphasis. To validate the proposed method of pre-emphasis, we carry out TDOA estimation experiments in various noise and reverberation conditions. Experimental results have shown that the framing of pre-emphasized microphone output by a rectangular window achieves higher success rate of TDOA estimation than any other framing methods.