A method for an interactive voice system that is carried out by a virtual assistant for a vehicle that comprises a multi-microphone system used to capture speech sound from multiple persons in the vehicle , wherein the virtual assistant comprises an information processing system that interprets natural language input in spoken and/or textual form to infer user intent and perform actions based on the inferred user intent, wherein the virtual assistant is implemented either as a standalone application installed on a user device or vehicle control system or according to a client-server model, wherein, when the virtual assistant is implemented according to said client-server model, the virtual assistant includes a client-side portion that is executed on a vehicle control system computing device and server-side portion that is executed on a server system , wherein the vehicle control system communicates with the server system through one or more networks, wherein the networks include one or more of the Internet or intranet, and a wired public or private network, wherein the method comprises: receiving a signal from a plurality of microphones , wherein said plurality of microphones is in said vehicle , wherein said vehicle includes spatial zones , each of which has one of said microphones , wherein said microphones are arranged such that different spatial zones are covered by each respective microphone, wherein the microphones are spatially separated so that each spatial zone is defined by proximity to its corresponding microphone; wherein each of the spatial zone has a corresponding avatar , each of which indicates status of the virtual assistant, wherein the avatars are arranged such that different spatial zones are covered by each respective avatar, and wherein the signal comprises a speech signal component from a speaker, wherein the speaker is a person who is speaking, wherein the speech signal component is a voice command or question; identifying a spatial zone from which the speech signal was received as a speech zone; sending information that identifies the spatial zone to a lighting device of the avatar that is in the spatial zone ; and controlling the lighting device of the avatar that is in the spatial zone, wherein controlling the lighting device provides a visual indication of a status for different operations of the interactive voice assistant system. receiving a signal from a plurality of microphones , wherein said plurality of microphones is in said vehicle , wherein said vehicle includes spatial zones , each of which has one of said microphones , wherein said microphones are arranged such that different spatial zones are covered by each respective microphone, wherein the microphones are spatially separated so that each spatial zone is defined by proximity to its corresponding microphone; wherein each of the spatial zone has a corresponding avatar , each of which indicates status of the virtual assistant, wherein the avatars are arranged such that different spatial zones are covered by each respective avatar, and wherein the signal comprises a speech signal component from a speaker, wherein the speaker is a person who is speaking, wherein the speech signal component is a voice command or question; identifying a spatial zone from which the speech signal was received as a speech zone; sending information that identifies the spatial zone to a lighting device of the avatar that is in the spatial zone ; and controlling the lighting device of the avatar that is in the spatial zone, wherein controlling the lighting device provides a visual indication of a status for different operations of the interactive voice assistant system. <EOS>