Design and validation on a multiple sound source fast-measurement system of near-field head-related transfer functions

Near-field head-related transfer functions(HRTFs) are essential to scientific researches of binaural hearing and practical applications of virtual auditory display. High efficiency, accuracy and repeatability are required in a near-field HRTF measurement. Hence,there is no reference which intents on solving the measuring difficulties of near-field HRTF for human subjects. In present work, an efficient near-field HRTF measurement system based on computer control is designed and implemented, and a fast calibration method for the system is proposed to first solve the measurement of near-field HRTF for human subjects. The efficiency of measurement is enhanced by a comprehensive design on the acoustic, electronic and mechanical parts of the system. And the accuracy and repeatability of the measurement are greatly improved by carefully calibrating the positions of sound source, subject and binaural microphones.This system is suitable for near-field HRTF measurement at various source distances within 1.0 m, for both human subject and artificial head. The time costs of HRTF measurement at a single sound source distance and full directions has been reduced to less than 20 minutes. The measurement results indicate that the accuracy of the system satisfies the actual requirements.The system is applicable to scientific research and can be used to establish an individualized near-field HRTF database for human subjects.     

Analysis of the spatial discrimination threshold of head-related transfer function magnitude

A binaural-loudness-model-based method for evaluating the spatial discrimination threshold of magnitudes of head-related transfer function(HRTF) is proposed.As the input of the binaural loudness model,the HRTF magnitude variations caused by spatial position variations were firstly calculated from a high-resolution HRTF dataset.Then,three perceptualrelevant parameters,namely interaural loudness level difference,binaural loudness level spectra,and total binaural loudness level,were derived from the binaural loudness model.Finally,the spatial discrimination thresholds of HRTF magnitude were evaluated according to just-noticedifference of the above-mentioned perceptual-relevant parameters.A series of psychoacoustic experiments was also conducted to obtain the spatial discrimination threshold of HRTF magnitudes.Results indicate that the threshold derived from the proposed binaural-loudness-modelbased method is consistent with that obtained from the traditional psychoacoustic experiment,validating the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

近场头相关传输函数的多声源快速测量系统设计与验证

近场头相关传输函数(HRTF)是双耳听觉科学研究和虚拟听觉重放应用的重要基础数据。近场HRTF测量系统要求具有高的测量效率、精度和重复性,以至于目前未见文献解决真人受试者的近场HRTF测量困难。本文研究并实现了一种计算机控制的近场HRTF的高效测量系统,并提出系统的快速校准方法,首先实现了真人受试者的近场HRTF测量。通过声学、机械与电子硬件和软件的综合设计,提高了测量效率。通过准确校准声源、受试者和双耳传声器的位置,提高了测量精确度和重复性。系统可用于1.0 m范围内不同声源距离的真人受试者以及人工头的近场HRTF测量,单个声源距离的全空间近场HRTF测量时间减少至20 min以内。测量结果表明,系统测量精度满足实际需求,可用于科学研究和个性化近场HRTF测量及数据库建立。     

Spatial symmetry of head-related transfer function

Methods for analyzing the spatial symmetry of head-related transfer function (HRTF) are proposed. The influences of anatomical structures on the symmetry of HRTF are investigated using HRTFs measured on KEMAR mannequin and human subjects. Results show that for KEMAR mannequin, pinnae destroy the front-back symmetry of HRTF above 5 to 6 kHz, while for human subjects the frequency reduces to 2.5 kHz because of the locations of ears. Furthermore, at low and median frequencies, HRTF is approximately left-right symmetrical. While as frequencies increase, the asymmetry caused by the fine anatomical leftright differences appears. The starting frequency and the extent of the left-right asymmetry in HRTF depend on individuals. The analyses demonstrate the spatial symmetrical characteristics of HRTF and the frequency ranges in which the current binaural models are valid.     

头相关传输函数幅度谱的听觉空间分辨阈值的分析

提出一种分析头相关传输函数(head-related transfer function,HRTF)幅度谱的听觉空间分辨阈值模型。采用数值计算得到的高空间分辨率HRTF数据,计算了声源空间位置变化引起的HRTF幅度谱的变化,进一步利用Moore响度模型分析双耳响度级差、双耳响度级谱和总响度级等三个听觉感知量的变化。根据现有的3个听觉感知量最小可察觉差异,模型利用双耳响度级差和双耳响度级谱的变化得到的估计结果与心理声学实验一致,因此是一种有效预测听觉空间分辨阈值的方法,可用于为简化虚拟听觉信号处理和数据储存。     

头相关传输函数空间对称性的分析

提出了分析头相关传输函数空间对称性的方法。利用对KEMAR人工头/躯干系统和真人受试者进行测量得到的头相关传输函数,分析了生理结构对头相关传输函数空间对称性的影响。结果表明,在5 kHz至6 kHz以上的频率,耳廓破坏了头相关传输函数的前后对称性;而受耳道入口位置的影响,真人受试者的头相关传输函数在2.5 kHz以上的频率就开始出现前后不对称。另一方面,在中、低频的情况下,头相关传输函数近似左右对称,然而随着频率的升高,生理外形在细微结构上的左右差异将导致头相关传输函数的左右不对称。这种左右不对称的起始频率和程度存在个体差异。上述分析可以反映出头相关传输函数空间对称性的规律和现有双耳听觉模型的适用范围。     

Experiments on authenticity and plausibility of binaural reproduction via headphones employing different recording methods

Major criteria for a successful binaural reproduction are not only a suitable localization performance, but also the authenticity and plausibility of the presented scene. It is therefore interesting to examine whether the binaural reproduction can be perceptually distinguished from a real source. The aim of the presented investigation is to compare the quality of the binaural reproduction via headphones with two different microphone setups (miniature microphone in Open-Dome and ear plug) for individual head-related-transfer-function (HRTF) and headphone-transfer-function (HpTF) measurements. Listening tests with a total of 80 subjects were carried out focusing on plausibility and authenticity. In the examination of plausibility detection rates showed that subjects were not able to match the reproduced pink noise to its reproduction system (real source vs. binaural reproduction via headphones). The authenticity of the static binaural reproduction was highly dependent on the stimulus. Pink noise could often be distinguished due to coloration in higher frequencies and small differences in location. A difference between microphone setups could not be found in neither of the listening tests.     

Spatial unmasking of nearby pure-tone targets in a simulated anechoic environment

Detection thresholds were measured for different spatial configurations of 500- and 1000-Hz pure-tone targets and broadband maskers. Sources were simulated using individually measured head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for source positions varying in both azimuth and distance. For the spatial configurations tested, thresholds ranged over 50 dB, primarily as a result of large changes in the target-to-masker ratio (TMR) with changes in target and masker locations. Intersubject differences in both HRTFs and in binaural sensitivity were large; however, the overall pattern of results was similar across subjects. As expected, detection thresholds were generally smaller when the target and masker were separated in azimuth than when they were at the same location. However, in some cases, azimuthal separation of target and masker yielded little change or even a small increase in detection threshold. Significant intersubject differences occurred as a result both of differences in monaural and binaural acoustic cues in the individualized HRTFs and of different binaural contributions to performance. Model predictions captured general trends in the pattern of spatial unmasking. However, subject-specific model predictions did not account for the observed individual differences in performance, even after taking into account individual differences in HRTF measurements and overall binaural sensitivity. These results suggest that individuals differ not only in their overall sensitivity to binaural cues, but also in how their binaural sensitivity varies with the spatial position of (and interaural differences in) the masker.     

基于稀疏表示和特征加权的离格双耳声源定位*

基于头相关传递函数数据库的传统双耳声源定位方法的定位角度往往被限定在头相关传递函数数据库的离散测量点上。当头相关传递函数数据库的测量方位角间隔较大时,这类算法的性能会显著下降,这就是典型的离格问题。该文提出了基于加权宽带稀疏贝叶斯学习的离格双耳声源定位算法。首先该算法建立离格双耳信号的稀疏表示模型,然后利用双耳相干与扩散能量比特征对各个频点进行加权以降低噪声和混响的影响,最后通过加权宽带稀疏贝叶斯学习方法估计离格声源的方位角。实验结果表明,该算法在各种复杂的声学环境下都有着较高的定位精度和鲁棒性,特别是提高了离格条件下的声源定位性能。     

Using beamforming and binaural synthesis for the psychoacoustical evaluation of target sources in noise

The potential of spherical-harmonics beamforming (SHB) techniques for the auralization of target sound sources in a background noise was investigated and contrasted with traditional head-related transfer function (HRTF)-based binaural synthesis. A scaling of SHB was theoretically derived to estimate the free-field pressure at the center of a spherical microphone array and verified by comparing simulated frequency response functions with directly measured ones. The results show that there is good agreement in the frequency range of interest. A listening experiment was conducted to evaluate the auralization method subjectively. A set of ten environmental and product sounds were processed for headphone presentation in three different ways: (1) binaural synthesis using dummy head measurements, (2) the same with background noise, and (3) SHB of the noisy condition in combination with binaural synthesis. Two levels of background noise (62, 72 dB SPL) were used and two independent groups of subjects (N=14) evaluated either the loudness or annoyance of the processed sounds. The results indicate that SHB almost entirely restored the loudness (or annoyance) of the target sounds to unmasked levels, even when presented with background noise, and thus may be a useful tool to psychoacoustically analyze composite sources.     

重放自由场虚拟源距离信息的动态双耳Ambisonics方法

双耳重放的目标之一是在耳机重放中产生不同方向和距离的虚拟源感知。本文研究了动态双耳Ambisonics重放自由场虚拟源方向和距离信息的简化信号处理方法。该信号处理方法包括两步:第1步是基于目标声场的球谐函数分解,合成采用扬声器的近场Ambisonics重放中逐级重构目标声场的信号;第2步是采用虚拟扬声器重放的方法,用动态头相关函数滤波处理将Ambisonics的扬声器重放信号转换为双耳重放信号并用耳机重放。进一步研究了动态双耳Ambisonics的阶数对定位效果的影响,为简化信号处理提供依据。对重放产生的双耳声压分析表明,5阶动态双耳Ambisonics重放足以提供听觉方向定位和距离感知的重要信息。同时心理声学的实验结果表明,结合声源距离相关的响度因素,5阶动态双耳Ambisonics重放可产生不同方向和1.0 m以下不同近场距离的自由场虚拟源的听觉感知。本文的方法仅需要固定距离的48个均匀空间方向的远场非个性化HRTF处理,实现了信号处理的简化。     

A model of head-related transfer functions based on principal components analysis and minimum-phase reconstruction.

Free-field to eardrum transfer functions (HRTFs) were measured from both ears of 10 subjects with sound sources at 265 different positions. A principal components analysis of the resulting 5300 HRTF magnitude functions revealed that the HRTFs can be modeled as a linear combination of five basic spectral shapes (basis functions), and that this representation accounts for approximately 90% of the variance in the original HRTF magnitude functions. HRTF phase was modeled by assuming that HRTFs are minimum-phase functions and that interaural phase differences can be approximated by a simple time delay. Subjects' judgments of the apparent directions of headphone-presented sounds that had been synthesized from the modeled HRTFs were nearly identical to their judgments of sounds synthesized from measured HRTFs. With fewer than five basis functions used in the model, a less faithful reconstruction of the HRTF was produced, and the frequency of large localization errors increased dramatically.     

Acoustical cues for sound localization by the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

The present study measured the head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) of the Mongolian gerbil for various sound-source directions, and explored acoustical cues for sound localization that could be available to the animals. The HRTF exhibited spectral notches for frequencies above 25 kHz. The notch frequency varied systematically with source direction, and thereby characterized the source directions well. The frequency dependence of the acoustical axis, the direction for which the HRTF amplitude was maximal, was relatively irregular and inconsistent between ears and animals. The frequency-by-frequency plot of the interaural level difference (ILD) exhibited positive and negative peaks, with maximum values of 30 dB at around 30 kHz. The ILD peak frequency had a relatively irregular spatial distribution, implying a poor sound localization cue. The binaural acoustical axis (the direction with the maximum ILD magnitude) showed relatively orderly clustering around certain frequencies, the pattern being fairly consistent among animals. The interaural time differences (ITDs) were also measured and fell in a +/- 120 micros range. When two different animal postures were compared (i.e., the animal was standing on its hind legs and prone), small but consistent differences were found for the lower rear directions on the HRTF amplitudes, the ILDs, and the ITDs.     

Sensitivity of human subjects to head-related transfer-function phase spectra.

Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for human subjects in anechoic space were modeled with modified phase spectra, including minimum-phase-plus-delay, linear-phase, and reversed-phase-plus-delay functions. The overall (wide-band) interaural time delay (ITD) for the modeled HRTFs was made consistent with that of the empirical HRTFs by setting the position-dependent, frequency-independent delay in the HRTF for the lagging ear. Signal analysis of the minimum-phase-plus-delay reconstructions indicated that model HRTFs deviate from empirical HRTF measurements maximally for contralateral azimuths and low elevations. Subjects assessed the perceptual validity of the model HRTFs in a four-interval, two-alternative, forced-choice discrimination paradigm. Results indicate that monaural discrimination performance of subjects was at chance for all three types of HRTF models. Binaural discrimination performance was at chance for the linear-phase HRTFs, was above chance for some locations for the minimum-phase-plus-delay HRTFs, and was above chance for all tested locations for the reversed-phase-plus-delay HRTFs. An analysis of low-frequency timing information showed that all of these results are consistent with efficient use of interaural time differences in the low-frequency components of the stimulus waveforms. It is concluded that listeners are insensitive to HRTF phase spectra as long as the overall ITD of the low-frequency components does not provide a reliable cue. In particular, the minimum-phase-plus-delay approximation to the HRTF phase spectrum is an adequate approximation as long as the low-frequency ITD is appropriate. These results and conclusions are all limited to the anechoic case when the HRTFs correspond to brief impulse responses limited to a few milliseconds.     

Head-related transfer function database and its analyses

Based on the measurements from 52 Chinese subjects (26 males and 26 females), a high-spatial-resolution head-related transfer function (HRTF) database with corre- sponding anthropometric parameters is established. By using the database, cues relating to sound source localization, including interaural time difference (ITD), interaural level difference (ILD), and spectral features introduced by pinna, are analyzed. Moreover, the statistical relationship between ITD and anthropometric parameters is estimated. It is proved that the mean values of maximum ITD for male and female are significantly different, so are those for Chinese and western sub- jects. The difference in ITD is due to the difference in individual anthropometric parameters. It is further proved that the spectral features introduced by pinna strongly depend on individual; while at high frequencies (f≥ 5.5 kHz), HRTFs are left-right asymmetric. This work is instructive and helpful for the research on bin- aural hearing and applications on virtual auditory in future.     

Frequency dependence of binaural performance in listeners with impaired binaural hearing.

Binaural performance was measured as a function of stimulus frequency for four impaired listeners, each with bilaterally symmetric audiograms. The subjects had various degrees and configurations of audiometric losses: two had high-frequency, sensorineural losses; one had a flat sensorineural loss; and one had multiple sclerosis with normal audiometric thresholds. Just noticeable differences (jnd's) in interaural time, interaural intensity, and interaural correlation as well as detection thresholds for NoSo and NoS pi conditions were obtained for narrow-band noise stimuli at octave frequencies from 250-4000 Hz. Performance of the impaired listeners was generally poorer than that of normal-hearing listeners, although it was comparable to normal in a few instances. The patterns of binaural performance showed no apparent relation to the audiometric patterns; even the two subjects with similar degree and configuration of hearing loss have very different binaural performance, both in the level and frequency dependence of their performance. The frequency dependence of performance on individual tests is irregular enough that one cannot confidently interpolate between octaves. In addition, it appears that no subset of the measurements is adequate to characterize the performance in the rest of the measurements with the exception that, within limits, interaural correlation discrimination and NoS pi detection performance are related.     

Subjective study of preferred listening conditions in Italian Catholic churches

The paper describes the results of research aimed at investigating the preferred subjective listening conditions inside churches. The effect of different musical motifs (spanning Gregorian chants to symphonic music) was investigated and regression analysis was performed in order to point out the relationship between subjective ratings and acoustical parameters. In order to present realistic listening conditions to the subjects a small subset of nine churches was selected among a larger set of acoustic data collected in several Italian churches during a widespread on-site survey. The subset represented different architectural styles and shapes, and was characterized by average listening conditions. For each church a single source–receiver combination with fixed relative positions was chosen. Measured binaural impulse responses were cross-talk cancelled and then convolved with five anechoic motifs. Paired comparisons were finally performed, asking a trained panel of subjects their preference. Factor analysis pointed out a substantially common underlying pattern characterizing subjective responses. The results show that preferred listening conditions vary as a function of the musical motif, depending on early decay time for choral music and on a combination of initial time delay and lateral energy for instrumental music.     

空间掩蔽效应的实验研究

掩蔽和被掩蔽声源在水平面方向上空间分离的实验结果和分析表明:声源空间分离会使掩蔽阈值下降,产生空间去掩蔽现象。同时,空间去掩蔽与频率有关,频率越高,空间去掩蔽现象越明显,最大去掩蔽值为15 dB。其主要原因是掩蔽和被掩蔽声源在空间分离之后,由于头相关传输函数的影响,造成了单耳信掩比的提高。同时实验结果提示,高层听觉系统对双耳声信息综合处理也是空间去掩蔽的一个原因。     

仿人耳听觉的助听器双耳声源定位算法

为提高复杂场景下的听障患者的语言理解度,本文提出一种仿人耳听觉的助听器双耳声源定位算法。算法首先借鉴耳蜗分频特性和听觉掩蔽特性,将声音信号进行多通道分解,并提取人耳敏感频带的信号进行双耳时间差(Interaural Time Difference,ITD)估计;然后基于人耳哈斯效应,提取有效的ITD信息;最后采用头相关模型,将ITD转化为声源方向信息。同时,为了改善混响和多干扰声场景下的声源定位能力,本文提出一种多通道的加权联合策略。仿真和场景测试实验表明,算法的抗干扰性强,定位精度高。而且,在7名受试者的理解度测试中,同现有的助听器增强算法相比,结合定位算法的语音增强算法达到3~5dB的性能改善。     

基于空间特征抽取与神经网络的人耳空间听觉模型

空间听觉中复数值的与头相关联的传递函数(HRTF)可用实数值的与头相关联的冲激响应(HRIR表示。对测量空间上归一化的HRIR进行Karhunen-Loeve展开可以提取其空间特征.用Von—Mises函数为基函数的神经网络逼近离散的HRIR空间特征函数得到连续听觉空间上的双耳时域模型.模型与实际测量得到的HRIR有较好的一致性。