Break-in circuitry for echo suppressors

Claim 1

IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS, A TWO-WAY LOCAL CIRCUIT ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID TERMINALS, FIRST AND SECOND TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID TRANSMISSION AND LOCAL CIRCUITS AT SAID TERMINALS TO PERMIT TWO-WAY TRANSMISSION BETWEEN SAID LOCAL CIRCUITS AND MEANS FOR SUPPRESSING ECHOES IN SAID TRANSMISSION DESPITE EXTENDED DELAY IN SAID TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS COMPRISING AT EACH TERMINAL MEANS FOR DETECTING SPEECH INCOMING TO THAT TERMINAL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID DETECTING MEANS FOR BLOCKING THE TRANSMISSION CIRCUIT TO THE OTHER OF SAID TERMINALS, BREAK-IN MEANS, EFFECTIVE WHEN SPEECH IS INITITATED IN THE ASSOCIATED LOCAL CIRCUIT FOR TRANSMISSION FROM THE TERMINAL TO THE OTHER TERMINAL, FOR DISABLING SAID BLOCKING MEANS, LOSS MEANS, MEANS ALSO RESPONSIVE TO SAID BREAK-IN MEANS FOR INSERTING SAID LOSS MEANS IN THE PATH FROM SAID OTHER TERMINAL, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE AMOUNT OF LOSS SO INSERTED TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF SPEECH TRANSMITTED TO SAID OTHER TERMINAL AND THE LEVEL OF ECHO SIGNALS RETURNED TO SAID OTHER TERMINAL DURING DOUBLE TALKING.