Seatback audio controller

A method of controlling seatback audio, comprising:

• receiving an entertainment audio signal from an entertainment audio source;
• receiving a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source;
• providing the telematics audio signal to a seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is active, where the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat;
• providing the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is inactive;
• providing the entertainment audio signal to a vehicle speaker regardless of whether the telematics audio source is active;
• and
• adjusting a level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the entertainment audio signal, where telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker and entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker are produced in a common listener space, and the common listener space includes a first listener position located in the seat and a second listener position located elsewhere in the vehicle.

A vehicle seatback audio controller, comprising:

• means for receiving an entertainment audio signal;
• means for receiving a telematics audio signal;
• a signal processor configured to transmit the telematics audio signal to a seatback speaker when the telematics audio signal is active and to transmit;
• the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio signal is inactive, where the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat of a vehicle, where the signal processor is also configured to adjust an amplitude of the telematics audio signal transmitted to the seatback speaker, where adjustment of the amplitude is based on the entertainment audio signal, where a vehicle speaker in the vehicle is configured to receive an amplified entertainment audio signal independent of whether the telematics audio signal is active, and where telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker and entertainment audio produced by the vehicle sneaker are both produced in a common listener space within the vehicle.

A vehicle seatback audio controller, comprising:

• a filter;
• a level detector electrically coupled to the filter;
• where the filter is configured to receive an entertainment audio signal from an entertainment audio source, and the filter is also configured to receive a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source;
• where the filter is configured to provide an output signal to a seatback speaker, and the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat of a vehicle;
• where the filter is configured to provide the telematics audio signal as the output signal in response to the telematics audio source determined to be active, and is further configured to provide the entertainment audio signal as the output signal in response to the telematics audio source determined to be inactive;
• where a vehicle speaker in the vehicle is configured to receive an amplified signal of the entertainment audio signal independently of whether the telematics audio source is active;
• where entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker and telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker are produced in a common listener space within the vehicle;
• where the level detector is configured to generate an average gain signal from the entertainment audio signal;
• and
• where the filter amplifies the telematics audio signal provided to the output signal based on the average gain signal.