Online Single-Channel Audio-Based Sound Speed Estimation for Robust Multi-Channel Audio Control

TL;DR

This paper introduces an online method to estimate sound speed using a single microphone, enhancing spatial audio control accuracy amidst environmental variations.

Contribution

It presents a novel real-time sound speed estimation technique that operates with minimal sensing, improving robustness of spatial audio systems.

Findings

Accurately tracks sound speed in simulations across diverse signals.

Enhances spatial control performance by compensating for propagation errors.

Operates effectively during general multichannel audio playback with one microphone.

Abstract

Robust spatial audio control relies on accurate acoustic propagation models, yet environmental variations, especially changes in the speed of sound, cause systematic mismatches that degrade performance. Existing methods either assume known sound speed, require multiple microphones, or rely on separate calibration, making them impractical for systems with minimal sensing. We propose an online sound speed estimator that operates during general multichannel audio playback and requires only a single observation microphone. The method exploits the structured effect of sound speed on the reproduced signal and estimates it by minimizing the mismatch between the measured audio and a parametric acoustic model. Simulations show accurate tracking of sound speed for diverse input signals and improved spatial control performance when the estimates are used to compensate propagation errors in a sound zone control framework.