To provide a sound source detection method and a sound source separation method for improving sound source detection performance and sound source separation performance, and to provide an apparatus for executing the methods when detecting a sound source by using an acoustic signal including reverberation and separating the sound source by utilizing the difference between statistical properties that information between channels in an acoustic signal has when no reverberation exists and when reverberation exists.

The sound source detection method and the sound source separation method execute processing for extracting information between signals to received acoustic signal input by receiving the acoustic signal observed by a plurality of sensors, a directional signal extraction processing, an instantaneous direction power calculation processing, a sound source position extraction processing, or further a successive direction power calculation processing. The apparatus executes these methods.