Potential echo detection and warning for online meeting

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a conferencing device, a potential echo effect between two or more of a plurality of participant devices in an online conference due to the two or more participant devices being co-located;

presenting, by the conferencing device, an echo warning to a user interface of a particular one of the co-located participant devices, in response to detecting the potential echo effect;

grouping, by the conferencing device, the co-located participant devices into a group; and

providing, by the conferencing device, audio data from a selected one of the co-located participant devices in the group for presentation by the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference.

2. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, by the conferencing device, audio data from at least two of the co-located participant devices to the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference, in response to an indication from the user interface that a user wishes to ignore the echo warning.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein detecting the potential echo effect comprises:

receiving a notification from a first one of the co-located participant devices that an audio sound emitted by a second one of the co-located participant devices was detected by the first co-located participant device.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the second co-located participant device emitted the audio sound in response to joining the online conference.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein detecting the potential echo effect comprises:

receiving, at the conferencing device, location information for the co-located participant devices.

6. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

preventing, by the conferencing device, audio data from at least one of the co-located participant devices in the group from being provided to the participant devices in the online conference.

7. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, by the conferencing device, an indication to the user interface that the selected participant device in the group is acting as a sole source of audio for the group in the online conference.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:

detect a potential echo effect between two or more of a plurality of participant devices in an online conference due to the two or more participant devices being co-located;

present an echo warning to a user interface of a particular one of the co-located participant devices, in response to detecting the potential echo effect;

group the co-located participant devices into a group; and

provide audio data from a selected one of the co-located participant devices in the group for presentation by the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

provide audio data from at least two of the co-located participant devices to the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference, in response to an indication from the user interface that a user wishes to ignore the echo warning.

10. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the apparatus detects the potential echo effect by:

receiving a notification from a first one of the co-located participant devices that an audio sound emitted by a second one of the co-located participant devices was detected by the first co-located participant device.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10 , wherein the second co-located participant device emitted the audio sound in response to joining the online conference.

12. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the apparatus detects the potential echo effect by:

receiving location information for the co-located participant devices.

13. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the process when executed is further operable to: prevent audio data from at least one of the co-located participant devices in the group from being provided to the participant devices in the online conference.

14. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

provide an indication to the user interface that that the selected participant device in the group is acting as a sole source of audio for the group in the online conference.

15. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a conferencing device to execute a process comprising:

detecting, by the conferencing device, a potential echo effect between two or more of a plurality of participant devices in an online conference due to the two or more participant devices being co-located;

presenting, by the conferencing device, an echo warning to a user interface of a particular one of the co-located participant devices, in response to detecting the potential echo effect;

grouping, by the conferencing device, the co-located participant devices into a group; and

providing, by the conferencing device, audio data from a selected one of the co-located participant devices in the group for presentation by the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference.

16. The computer-readable medium as in claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises:

providing, by the conferencing device, audio data from at least two of the co-located participant devices to the plurality of participant devices as part of the online conference, in response to an indication from the user interface that a user wishes to ignore the echo warning.

17. The computer-readable medium as in claim 15 , wherein detecting the potential echo effect comprises:

receiving a notification from a first one of the co-located participant devices that an audio sound emitted by a second one of the co-located participant devices was detected by the first co-located participant device.

18. The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the second co-located participant device emitted the audio sound in response to joining the online conference.

19. The computer-readable medium as in claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises:

preventing, by the conferencing device, audio data from at least one of the co-located participant devices in the group from being provided to the participant devices in the online conference.

20. The computer-readable medium as in claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises:

providing, by the conferencing device, an indication to the user interface that the selected participant device in the group is acting as a sole source of audio for the group in the online conference.