Sound source localization in non-line-of-sight environment based on equivalent source method combined with time reversal method

Sound source localization is a critical task in various applications. However, it becomes challenging when the sound sources are not directly visible to the sensors due to obstacles or other environmental factors. This paper proposes a novel approach for locating sound sources in non-line-of-sight environments by combining the equivalent source method (ESM) with the time reversal method (TRM). The ESM is used to compute the frequency responses between the focusing points and the measurement points numerically. These frequency responses are then substituted to the TRM to localize the sound sources. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, it is tested through numerical simulations and an experiment. The results prove that the ESM can compute the frequency responses accurately, and the combination of TRM and ESM effectively localizes sound sources in non-line-of-sight environments. © The Author(s) 2024.