Zoned audio duck for in car conversation

A method for controlling an audio system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

• using a plurality of loudspeakers disposed in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle to each emit sounds based on infotainment audio signals;
• capturing images of occupants in the passenger compartment;
• determining, based upon a direction in which an occupant is looking in the captured images, that an occupant of the passenger compartment is talking to another occupant of the passenger compartment;
• ascertaining, based upon the direction in which the talking occupant is looking in the captured images, a location of the other occupant who is being talked to;
• and
• modifying the infotainment audio signals sent to individual ones of the loudspeakers based on the determined locations such that the sounds emitted by the loudspeakers are quieter as heard by the occupant who is talking and the other occupant who is being talked to than as heard by at least one other person in the passenger compartment.

An audio system for a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, the system comprising:

• a plurality of cameras disposed in the passenger compartment and configured to each capture images of people in the passenger compartment;
• a plurality of loudspeakers disposed in the passenger compartment and each associated with a respective said seat in the passenger compartment, each said loudspeaker being configured to emit sounds based on infotainment audio signals;
• and
• at least one processor configured to:
• receive the captured images;
• determine that one of the people in the passenger compartment is talking to another person in the passenger compartment, the determining including detecting an action by the talking person in the captured images;
• ascertain which seats in the passenger compartment are being sat in by the person who is talking and the other person who is being talked to;
• and
• modify the infotainment audio signals sent to individual ones of the loudspeakers based on which of the seats are ascertained to be sat in by the person who is talking and the other person who is being talked to, the infotainment audio signals being modified such that the sounds emitted by the loudspeakers associated with the seats ascertained to be sat in by the person who is talking and the other person who is being talked to are of a lower volume than sounds emitted by ones of the loudspeakers associated with ones of the seats being sat in by at least one other person in the passenger compartment.