Adaptive Diagonal Loading for Norm Constrained Beamforming

Abstract

Reliable adaptive beamforming is critical for large microphone arrays operating in highly dynamic acoustic environments. In scenarios characterized by fast-moving talkers and interferers, the available sample support for estimating the spatial correlation matrix is often snapshot-deficient. This deficiency, coupled with array imperfections, degrades the White Noise Gain (WNG), leading to severe target signal cancellation. To ensure stable and robust beamforming, we propose a novel adaptive diagonal loading method that guarantees the WNG remains strictly within specified bounds. By leveraging the Kantorovich inequality, we map the desired WNG to a strict upper bound on the condition number of the correlation matrix. Furthermore, we present three estimation techniques for the adaptive loading level, ranging from trace-based bounding to exact eigenvalue decomposition, offering scalable computational complexities of $\mathcal{O}(M)$, $\mathcal{O}(M^2)$, and $\mathcal{O}(M^3)$. Our approach demonstrates highly stable beamforming under fast-changing interference.