Patent ID: 8837693

Claim:
A method for minimizing message collision in an audio reproducing device, the method comprising: receiving, at the device, a plurality of overlapping streaming audio messages including at least a first audio message being received by the device before a different second audio message that at least partially overlaps the first audio message in time; forwarding, at the device, the first audio message to an audio reproduction component of the device for playback; while forwarding the first audio message to the audio reproduction component, beginning receiving the second audio message and responsively determining, by the device, relative priorities of the first and second audio messages; if the device determines that the first audio message has a higher priority than the second audio message: continuing forwarding the first audio message to the audio reproduction component; storing, at the device, the second audio message in a second message buffer; and forwarding, at the device, the second audio message to the audio reproduction component after the earlier of: forwarding of the first audio message has been completed or the second audio message buffer has been filled; and if the device determines that the second audio message has a higher priority than the first audio message: interrupting and delaying, at the device, further forwarding of the first audio message to the audio reproduction component; storing, at the device, subsequently received portions of the first audio message pre-empted by the higher priority second audio message in a first message buffer; and forwarding, at the device, the second audio message to the audio reproduction component prior to forwarding the subsequently received portions of the first audio message to the audio reproduction component.