Patent ID: 8529356

Claim:
An audio control apparatus, comprising: a game audio port to receive from a gaming console of a first gamer, a gaming audio signal generated by a gaming application; a chat port to receive from a gaming controller of the first gamer, a team chat signal comprising audio information generated by a microphone of a remote gamer; a first audio interface to provide a mixed audio signal to a listening apparatus of the first gamer, and a second audio interface to receive a microphone signal from a microphone of the first gamer; and an audio system coupled to the game audio port and the chat port, wherein the audio system performs operations comprising: detecting an energy level in the team chat signal that exceeds a threshold; reducing a magnitude of the gaming audio signal at the game audio port from a first audio energy level to a reduced audio energy level responsive to the detecting of the energy level in the team chat signal that exceeds the threshold; generating the mixed audio signal comprising a combination of the gaming audio signal having the reduced energy level and the team chat signal; and transmitting the mixed audio signal to the listening apparatus of the first gamer.