Patent ID: 7995745

Claim:
An echo reduction method comprising: storing a received audio information stream, wherein the storing of the received audio information stream comprises storing separately audio information streams received from each of two or more remote facilities; retrieving the separately stored audio information streams received from the each of two or more remote facilities; accelerating separately each of the separately stored audio information streams received from the each of two or more remote facilities; mixing each of the separately accelerated audio information streams to form a mixed stream of audio information; storing the mixed stream of audio information in place of the separately stored audio information streams received from each of the two or more remote facilities; activating a sound detection flag following detection of locally generated sound; muting output based on said received audio information stream in response to the activating the sound detection flag; saving rendering status of the received audio information stream, in response to the activating the sound detection flag, to reduce loss of audio information; and rendering at least a portion of the stored received audio information stream following deactivating the sound detection flag.