title: Biomimetic direction of arrival estimation for resolving front-back confusions in hearing aids.
abstract: Sound sources at the same angle in front or behind a two-microphone array (e.g., bilateral hearing aids) produce the same time delay and two estimates for the direction of arrival: A front-back confusion. The auditory system can resolve this issue using head movements. To resolve front-back confusion for hearing-aid algorithms, head movement was measured using an inertial sensor. Successive time-delay estimates between the microphones are shifted clockwise and counterclockwise by the head movement between estimates and aggregated in two histograms. The histogram with the largest peak after multiple estimates predicted the correct hemifield for the source, eliminating the front-back confusions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Communication Acoustics, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Building ID 2/231, 44780 Bochum, Germany alan.archer-boyd@rub.de.
authors.forename: Alan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Archer-Boyd
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council/Chief Scientist Office Institute of Hearing Research-Scottish Section, New Lister Building, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 16 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow G31 2ER, United Kingdom bill@ihr.gla.ac.uk, owen@ihr.gla.ac.uk.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Whitmer
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council/Chief Scientist Office Institute of Hearing Research-Scottish Section, New Lister Building, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 16 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow G31 2ER, United Kingdom bill@ihr.gla.ac.uk, owen@ihr.gla.ac.uk.
authors.forename: W Owen
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Brimijoin
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G11XQ, United Kingdom j.soraghan@strath.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Soraghan
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000465:Algorithms; D032701:Biomimetics; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D019416:Head Movements; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009038:Motion; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013016:Sound; D013017:Sound Localization; D013997:Time Factors