Patent ID: 8855327

Claim:
A sound emission and collection device comprising: a sound collection section that collects sounds of a plurality of azimuths and produces sound collection signals for the azimuths respectively; a sound emission section that emits a sound; an azimuth estimation section that estimates an azimuth of a sound source based on signal levels of the sound collection signals for the azimuths respectively; a first echo cancel section that removes an echo of the sound collection signal from the azimuth of the sound source estimated by the azimuth estimation section; and a plurality of second echo cancel sections that remove echoes of the sound collection signals for the azimuths respectively, wherein the plurality of second echo cancel sections each process a smaller load than that of the first echo cancel section, and wherein the azimuth estimation section estimates the azimuth of the sound source based on signal levels of the sound collection signals having been subjected to an echo removal by the second echo cancel section.