A system insensitive to nonspeech sounds utilizes a pair or spatially separated microphones (101, 102) to obtain the direction of origin of speech signals from a common sound source. The speech signal from each microphone is transformed (330, 340, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375) into a pulse representative signal having a rapid increase responsive to pitch peaks of energy from the sound source. The cross correlation of these pulses accurately reflects the phase relationship between the speech signals arriving at the microphones. The cross correlation is implemented (450, 460) as time interval histograms which are periodically read to identify the direction of the common sound source.
ACOUSTIC DIRECTION IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM