Adaptive null-steering algorithm for separating multiple directional sources in linear power-inversion arrays

A new algorithm for separating and tracking multiple directional sources in a linear power-inversion array is proposed and investigated. In this algorithm, the sources are separated by using an adaptive beamformer whose responses consist of perfect steerable nulls. By using the LMS algorithm for adaptive processing of the beamformer outputs to minimise the array output power and examining the adaptive weights employed, these nulls can be adjusted to track the sources individually so that the beamformer outputs are due to different sources in the steady state. With this algorithm, the problem of incidental cancellation is eliminated and the enhancement of multiple moving sources becomes a natural process. Also, since the sources are individually tracked and the beamformer is only updated occasionally when significant changes in the environment are detected, the algorithm possesses fast tracking behaviour and its implementation complexity is comparable with that of beamformer-based adaptive arrays using the LMS algorithm