Multi-Source DOA Estimation Using Higher-Order Pseudo Intensity Vector on a Spherical Microphone Array

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in environments with multiple sources and strong reverberation remains a great challenge. In this letter, we present a novel feature, the higher-order pseudo-intensity vector (HOPIV), derived from recordings obtained with a spherical microphone array. By exploiting the unique properties of the reactive intensity vector, which is derived from the HOPIV, we present a method to identify time-frequency points that are dominated by the direct path. We then propose a DOA estimation method that leverages the HOPIV's high spatial resolution for improving DOA estimation performance. Simulations and experiments show that the proposed method is able to yield superior performance compared to state-of-the-art techniques, even in highly reverberant environments.