A dedicated cone-of-confusion coordinate system describes hard-to-discriminate sound directions.

Evidence

In general, spatial hearing is a three-dimensional phenomenon and therefore requires a three-dimensional coordinate system to describe the acoustic environment. The same spatial information can be mathematically expressed in several different coordinate systems. In this context we define three coordinate systems, each of which has its specific strengths: … 3. Cone of confusion coordinates {ϕcc, δcc, r}. The geometry of the head and external ear implies a concept called the cone of confusion, discussed below, which is that set of directions where direction discrimination is relatively difficult due to symmetry. This set of directions forms the surface of a cone, hence the name. The cone of confusion coordinate system, characterized in Figure 12.3, is suitable for describing sound source positions from this point of view. The angle ϕcc covers the range −90◦≤ϕcc < +90◦and δcc the range −180◦≤δcc < +180◦. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1397

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the cone of confusion and the coordinate system built around it.