SCIS-ISIS 2012, Kobe, Japan, November 20-24, 2012

Simple Circuit for Sound Localization Using Digital

Delay Line Based on the Biological Auditory System
Masahiro Tanaka

Kimihiro Nishio

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Tsuyama National College of Technology
624-1 Numa, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-8509, Japan
e-tanaka@tsuyama-ct.ac.jp

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Tsuyama National College of Technology
624-1 Numa, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-8509, Japan
nishio@tsuyama-ct.ac.jp
constructed with the delay line and the comparator. We
proposed the analog CMOS circuit [8] for detecting the sound
localization based on the model proposed by L. A. Jeffress.
The circuit was simple structure. However, there is the
problem of incorrect operation by device mismatches.

AbstractWe proposed in this study the analog-digital circuit for

detecting the sound localization based on the biological auditory
system. The proposed circuit is constructed with the delay line
and the comparator. The structure of the proposed circuit is
simple. The proposed delay line was evaluated by the simulation
program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE). The result
with SPICE showed that the proposed delay line can generate the
delay signal. The proposed circuit for detecting the sound
localization was evaluated by SPICE. The result with SPICE
showed that the circuit can generate the output signal for
detecting the position of the sound of the target. We can realize a
new target tracking system by applying the proposed circuit in
this study to the previous proposed tracking system based on the
biological vision system.

In this study, we proposed the simple analog-digital circuit

for detecting sound localization. Particularly, we tried to
fabricate the simple delay line by using both analog technology
and digital technology. The results with the simulation
program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) showed that
the proposed delay line can operate normally. The results with
SPICE showed that the proposed circuit can generate the signal
for detecting the position of the sound of the target.

Keywords-analog circuit; digital circuit; target tracking;

auditory system

I.

MODEL
II.
Figure 1 shows the model for detecting the sound
localization proposed by L. A. Jeffress [6],[7]. The model is
constructed with the delay line constructed with the delay
neuron D and the comparator. Vright and Vleft are input signal
generated by the right ear and the left ear, respectively. When
the sound of the target is large, Vright and Vleft become large.
The input signal is input to the delay line. Vright transmits the
right delay line from D5 to D1. Vleft transmits the left delay line
from D1 to D5. Delay neurons output the signal sequentially.
When Vright (Vleft) is large, the delay time td for transmitting the
delay line becomes short. Inversely, the time td is large when
Vright (Vleft) is small.

INTRODUCTION

It is necessary for the current systems such as the robotics,

collision avoidance and others to capture quickly the target in
the center of the visual field. However, it is difficult for the
conventional systems using only vision system because the
system is not able to detect the target when the target is not
projected on the visual area. Both the vision system and the
auditory system exist in the brain of animals. The animal can
quickly capture the target by using auditory system and can
detect the position of the sound although the target is not
projected on the visual field.
Recently, many researchers proposed and fabricated the
simple complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
circuit for motion detection based on the biological vision
system [1]-[5]. The circuits were applied to the target tracking
system. Since the circuits are proposed by mimicking only the
vision system, the system is not able to track the target when
the target was not projected on the input part. And the system
is not able to track the target in the lightless situation because
the dynamic range against light intensity of the circuit is small.
If the circuit based on the vision system is connected with the
circuit based on the auditory system, it is able to track the
target in various situations. However, there are no simple
circuits based on the auditory system.
L. A. Jeffress proposed the model for sound localization
based on the biological auditory system [6],[7]. The model is

Figure 1. The model for sound localization.

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SCIS-ISIS 2012, Kobe, Japan, November 20-24, 2012

signal of the next stage because the terminal of Vout is

connected with that of Vin of the next stage. By C, the delay
signal is generated.
In all unit circuits, the constant voltage Vcon is set. Vcon is
converted with the current Icon by using MN2. Because Icon
becomes small value by setting small Vcon, the circuit is
characterized by the low power consumption.
The NOR circuit is used as the comparator. Figure 3 shows
the construction of the NOR circuit. Because the output
voltage Vout becomes 0 when input voltages Va and Vb become
VDD, NOR circuit can use as the comparator. Because NOR
circuit is constructed with 4 MOS transistors, the structure of
the proposed circuit is simple.
IV.

Figure 2. The unit circuit of delay line.

The delay line constructed with five unit circuits, as shown

in Fig. 1 was simulated by SPICE. The model parameter of 90
nm CMOS process was utilized in all simulations. The supply
voltage VDD was set to 3 V. Vcon was set to 1 V. The
capacitance C was set to 200 nF.

The output signals of delay neurons are input to the

comparator. When both delay neurons output the signal, the
comparator outputs the signal. The model can detect the
position of the sound by detecting the position of the
comparator which outputs the signal firstly. When the sound of
the target is located in the center of the model, Vright is equal to
Vleft. Then, the comparator located in the center outputs the
signal. When the sound of the target is located in the right of
the model, Vright is larger than Vleft. Then, the comparator
located in the left outputs the signal. When the sound of the
target is located in the left of model, Vright is smaller than Vleft.
Then, the comparator located in the right outputs the signal.
Therefore, the model has the function of the sound localization.
III.

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

CIRCUIT

Figure 2 shows the unit circuit of the delay line. The delay
line is constructed with one-dimensional array of unit circuits.
The voltage Vin which corresponds to Vright or Vleft in Fig.1 is
the input signal. The microphone is used to the input part.
When the microphone accepts the sound, Vin becomes large
value. The voltage Vout is the output signal. By the inverter
constructed with MP1 and MN1, Vout becomes 0. By the
capacitor C, after the time td, Vout becomes 0. Vout is input

Figure 4. The simulation result of delay line.

Figure 3. The construction of NOR circuit.

Figure 5. The simulation result when the sound located in the left side

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(a)
Figure 6. The simulation result when the sound located in the right side

Figure 4 shows the simulation results of the delay line. In

sequence of V1, V3 and V5, the circuit generated the signals.
Thus, the simulated circuit can generate the delay signal.
The circuit for detecting the sound localization was
simulated by SPICE. The circuit is constructed with five unit
circuits. Figure 5 shows the simulation results when the sound
located in the left side. The voltage Vout5, which is output
voltage of the NOR circuit located in the right side, firstly
became VDD.
Figure 6 shows the simulation results when the sound
located in the right side. The voltage Vout1, which is output
voltage of the NOR circuit located in the left side, firstly
became VDD. Thus, the proposed circuit can detect the sound
localization.

(b)

The delay line was fabricated by discrete MOS transistors

(nMOS: ZVN2110A, pMOS: ZVP2110A) on the breadboard.
The supply voltage VDD was set to 3 V. Vcon was set to 1.4 V.
The capacitance C was set to 100F. The photograph of the
test circuit is shown in Fig. 7.

(c)
Figure 8. The measured result of the test circuit (a) Input voltage (b)
Output voltage V1 (c) Output voltage V3

The measured result of the test circuit is shown in Fig. 8.

Output voltage V1 and V3 correspond to those of the model in
Fig.1. The fabricated circuit can generate the delay signal.
Thus, the proposed circuit can generate good signals although
the proposed circuit is simple structure as compared with the
previous circuit [8].

Figure 7. Photograph of the test circuit

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SCIS-ISIS 2012, Kobe, Japan, November 20-24, 2012

V.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]

The analog-digital circuit for detecting the sound

localization was proposed based on the biological auditory
system. The proposed circuit is constructed with the delay line
and the comparator. The proposed delay line was evaluated by
SPICE and the test circuit. The result with SPICE and the test
circuit showed that the delay line can generate the delay signal.
The proposed circuit for detecting the sound localization was
evaluated by SPICE. The result with SPICE showed that the
proposed circuit can generate the signal for detecting the
position of the sound of the target. We can realize a new
system such as the target tracking and others by applying the
proposed circuit based on the biological auditory system to the
previous proposed tracking system based on the biological
vision system.

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]
[7]
[8]

ACKNOWLEGMENT
This work was partially supported by Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B),
23700222.

2324

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