Noise reduction using a small-scale microphone array in multi noise source environment

To construct a front-end for ASR systems using a small-scale microphone array in real environments, robustness for unstable sudden-noises, multi-noises and near-field sound sources are required. This paper proposes a front-end method for enhancing target signals that subtracts estimated noise from noisy signals by using paired microphones in each sub-band. The proposed method assumes one integrated noise source exists in each narrow sub-band, estimates its noise spectrum correctly using the cancellation method, and subtracts it from the noise-added sound spectrum using the SS. Thus, the proposed method can be used in multi noise source and near-field conditions, although it uses a small-scale microphone array consisting of only three microphones.