An Image Source Method Framework for Arbitrary Reflecting Boundaries

Abstract: We propose a theoretical framework for the image source method that generalizes to arbitrary reflecting boundaries, e.g. boundaries that are curved or even with certain openings. Furthermore, it can seamlessly incorporate boundary absorption, source directivity, and nonspecular reflections. This framework is based on the notion of reflection paths that allows the introduction of the concepts of validity and visibility of virtual sources. These definitions facilitate the determination, for a given source and receiver location, of the distribution of virtual sources that explain the boundary effects of a wide range of reflecting surfaces. The structure of the set of virtual sources is then more general than just punctual virtual sources. Due to this more diverse configuration of image sources, we represent the room impulse response as an integral involving the temporal excitation signal against a measure determined by the source and receiver locations, and the original boundary. The latter smoothly enables, in an analytically tractable manner, the incorporation of more general boundary shapes as well as directivity of sources and boundary absorption while, at the same time, maintaining the conceptual benefits of the image source method.