Patent ID: 7158624

Claim:
In an audio delivery system, a method for selectively including an audio signal component within an audio output signal, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a control signal based on a condition of the audio delivery system; omitting, from the audio output signal, the audio signal component when the control signal has a first value; and including, within the audio output signal, the audio signal component when the control signal has a second value which is different than the first value; wherein the step of obtaining the control signal includes the step of: generating the control signal such that (i) the control signal has the first value in response to a presence characteristic indicating the presence of greater than two active endpoint devices of the audio delivery system and a suppression characteristic indicating non-participation of one of the active endpoint devices, and (ii) the control signal has the second value in response to a presence characteristic indicating the presence of two active endpoint devices of the audio delivery system and a suppression characteristic indicating non-participation of one of the active endpoint devices; further comprising the step of generating the presence characteristic wherein the presence characteristic is a watermark indicating the presence of an endpoint device within the audio delivery system.