System and method for controlling a filter to enhance speakerphone performance

A speakerphone system comprising:

• an input signal path connected to conduct a far-talker signal to a loudspeaker;
• an output signal path connected to conduct a near-talker signal from a microphone to a transmitter, said output signal path including components that provide at least one of echo suppression and echo cancellation for said near-talker signal;
• a dynamic highpass filter positioned along said input signal path, said dynamic highpass filter having adjustable signal attenuation characteristics for low audio frequencies of said far-talker signal;
• and
• an analyzer having inputs from said input and output signal paths for determining an analyzer output that is responsive to a signal component of said near-talker signal that is acoustic echo, said dynamic highpass filter being operatively associated with said analyzer such that said signal attenuation characteristics of said dynamic highpass filter are responsive to said analyzer output in a manner to process said far-talker signal to inhibit said acoustic echo in said near-talker signal.

A method of controlling echo comprising the steps of:

• receiving a far-talker signal from a remote site;
• dynamically filtering said far-talker signal in a manner preferential to passing high frequency components, including enabling variations in attenuation of low frequency components of said far-taker signal;
• generating an audible output of said preferentially filtered far-talker signal at a local site;
• forming a near-talker signal by detecting sounds at said local site, said near-talker signal having an acoustic echo component that occurs in response to said audible output and having a signal component that occurs in response to talking at said local site;
• removing at least a portion of said acoustic echo component from said near-talker signal prior to transmitting said near-talker signal to said remote site;
• and
• selecting filtering characteristics for attenuating said low frequency components of said far-talker signal based upon controlling a level of said acoustic echo component within said near-talker signal.