Technique for reducing echoes in conference communications

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Distortion and instability due to echoes in conference communications is reduced through the use of an echo canceller disposed in a conference bridging circuit. This circuit includes a signal combiner which receives information signals from each of the parties in the conference communications and provides an outputsignal which is a combination of the received information signals and an echo compensation signal. The echo canceller provides this echo compensation signal in response to the combiner output signal. Advantageously the echo canceller can be, fixed or adaptive. In the latter case the adaptation can be in response to the received information signals or to training sequences.