Techniques for reliable communication between wireless earplugs in high interference scenarios

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for techniques for reliable communication between wireless earplugs in high interference scenarios. In some aspects, a first wireless earplug may support a detection mechanism according to which the first wireless earplug may detect that the number of channels experiencing relatively low interference is less than a minimum number of channels intended for communication between the first wireless earplug and a second wireless earplug. According to the detection mechanism, when the first wireless earplug detects that there may be a subset of a set of originally selected channels that may be suitable (e.g., with low interference) for communication between the first wireless earplug and the second wireless earplug, the first wireless earplug may receive the channel from the second wireless earplug. If so, the first wireless earbud may trigger a decrease in transmit power and a corresponding decrease in the minimum number of channels (or a release of constraints associated with the minimum number of channels).

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This patent application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 202241049776 filed by SRIVASTAVA et al. on August 31, 2022, entitled “TECHNIQUESFOR RELIABLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WIRELESS EARBUDS IN A HIGH-INTERFERENCESCENARIO,” which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] The following relates to wireless communications, including techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios.

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like. These systems can be multiple access systems that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi (i.e., an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11) network) may include an access point (AP) that can communicate with one or more wireless or mobile devices. The AP may be coupled to a network such as the Internet and may enable mobile devices to communicate via the network (or communicate with other devices coupled to the access point). A wireless device may communicate bidirectionally with a network device. For example, in a WLAN, a device may communicate with an associated AP via a downlink (e.g., a communication link from an AP to a device) and an uplink (e.g., a communication link from a device to an AP). A wireless personal area network (PAN) (which may include a Bluetooth connection) may provide a short-range wireless connection between two or more paired wireless devices. For example, a wireless device (such as a cellular phone) may utilize wireless PAN communication to exchange information such as audio signals with a wireless headset.

[0005] In some cases, Bluetooth communications may require enhanced quality of service. For example, successful two-way transmission of audio information for voice may have a relatively low tolerance for packet loss or timing issues. The quality of the link between two devices may affect the data rate used for communication (e.g., because poor link quality may be associated with a reduced bit rate to make the communication more robust). Summary of the invention

[0006] The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios. Generally speaking, the described techniques provide for a dynamic reduction in the number of channels for communication between two earbuds when one or both wireless earbuds measure a relatively high interference level. In some implementations, the earbuds may employ an algorithm or some other detection mechanism that triggers a reduction in the number of channels when a relatively high interference level is measured. Different upper limit transmit powers may be associated with different minimum numbers of channels, and in some implementations, the earbuds may reduce the upper limit transmit power below a threshold transmit power in order to reduce the number of channels used for communication.

[0007] A method for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud is described. The method may include: performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and a second wireless earbud; detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on the signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels; reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0008] An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: perform signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud; detect that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on the signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels; reduce an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and communicate with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on the reduced upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0009] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud is described. The apparatus may include: means for performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and a second wireless earbud; means for detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on the signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels; means for reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and means for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0010] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: perform signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and a second wireless earbud; detect that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on the signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels; reduce an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and communicate with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0011] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for generating a channel map based on signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third set of multiple channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first set of multiple channels and indicates a respective interference level for each channel in the third set of multiple channels, and wherein detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy an interference criterion may be based on generating the channel map.

[0012] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy an interference criterion may include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following actions: sorting a third set of multiple channels into a sequence based on a corresponding interference level of each channel in a third set of multiple channels, and calculating a difference between a maximum interference level of the third set of multiple channels and an interference level of a channel in the third set of multiple channels that can be associated with a configurable index value in the sequence.

[0013] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference, the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion.

[0014] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy interference criteria may include operations, features, components, or instructions for determining that a maximum interference level of channels in a third set of multiple channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

[0015] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy interference criteria may include operations, features, components, or instructions for determining that a number of a third set of multiple channels may be equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

[0016] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following actions: instructing an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use a second set of multiple channels based on one or more interference metrics satisfying interference criteria, wherein the second set of multiple channels may be a subset of a third set of multiple channels, and generating a second channel map based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second set of multiple channels may be associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first set of multiple channels.

[0017] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, reducing the upper limit transmit power may include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following actions: reducing the upper limit transmit power from a first value associated with a first lower limit channel number for communication between a first wireless earbud and a second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit channel number for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit channel number may be less than the first lower limit channel number.

[0018] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following actions: performing a second signal strength measurement of signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure the distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy interference criteria and reducing the upper limit transmit power may be based on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

[0019] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, communicating with a second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels may include operations, features, components, or instructions for sending audio data packets to the second wireless earbud or receiving audio data packets from the second wireless earbud based on frequency hopping across the second set of multiple channels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 2 An example user deployment of techniques supporting reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 Example communication updates are shown that support techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 An example process flow is shown for techniques supporting reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 and Figure 6 A block diagram of a device supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 A block diagram of an I / O controller supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 A diagram of a system including devices supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A flow chart illustrating a method of supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high-interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In some wireless communication systems, a user may wear two wireless earbuds, at least one of which may have a Bluetooth connection to a control device, such as a cellular phone or other user equipment (UE). In some scenarios, for example, a first earbud may establish a Bluetooth connection to the control device, and the control device may send packets (e.g., audio data packets) to the first earbud. A second earbud, which may not have an established Bluetooth connection with the control device, may attempt to "sniff" packets transmitted from the control device to the first earbud, and may use a relay link from the first earbud to the second earbud for any missed packets.

[0029] Communication using a relay link between a first earbud and a second earbud may include frequency hopping over at least a minimum number of channels, where such minimum number of channels may be associated with an upper limit transmit power used by one or both of the earbuds. For example, the minimum number of channels may apply when the transmit power is greater than a threshold transmit power. In some scenarios, such as scenarios where there is a relatively high level of interference from other wireless communications, there may be fewer channels with relatively low interference measurements than the minimum number of channels, which may cause the earbuds to occasionally (due to frequency hopping) communicate using channels with relatively high interference measurements. Such communication using channels with relatively high interference measurements may result in relay failures from the first earbud to the second earbud, which may adversely affect latency, data rates, and user experience.

[0030] In some implementations, the first wireless earbud may support a detection mechanism according to which the first wireless earbud may detect that the number of channels with relatively low interference is less than the minimum number of channels expected to be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. In addition, according to the detection mechanism, if the first wireless earbud detects, ascertains, or otherwise determines that there may be a subset of channels with relatively low interference measurements (e.g., such that a subset of the set of originally selected channels may be suitable for communication between the first earbud and the second earbud), the first wireless earbud may trigger a reduction in transmit power and a corresponding reduction in the minimum number of channels (or a release of the minimum number of channels constraint). For example, if the first wireless earbud measures a difference between a relatively high interference measurement of one of the originally selected channels and an interference measurement of a specific other of the originally selected channels that is greater than a threshold difference, the first wireless earbud may reduce the transmit power to below the threshold transmit power and correspondingly reduce the minimum or lower limit number of channels expected to be used.

[0031] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. For example, based on reducing the transmit power and the number of channels to be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud when a relatively high interference level is measured, the first wireless earbud may avoid transmitting or receiving via a channel that has a high interference measurement but would otherwise be used (e.g., if the transmit power is not reduced and the previous minimum number of channels constraint is still applied). As a result, the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud may focus communications on channels with relatively low interference measurements, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful communication between the wireless earbuds. As a result, the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud may support larger data rates and lower latency, as well as greater power savings and longer battery life based on potentially performing fewer retransmissions.

[0032] Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of a multimedia system. User deployment, communication updates, and process flows further illustrate and describe aspects of the disclosure with reference to user deployment, communication updates, and process flows. Apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow diagrams relating to techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios further illustrate and describe aspects of the disclosure with reference to these figures.

[0033] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 that supports techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include or refer to a wireless personal area network (PAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a Wi-Fi network configured according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include an access point (AP) 105 that implements WLAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication) and / or Bluetooth communication, a device 110 (e.g., which may be referred to as a source device, a master device, etc.) and a paired device 115 (e.g., which may be referred to as a sink device, a slave device, etc.). For example, the device 110 may include a cellular phone, a user equipment (UE), a wireless station (STA), a mobile station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), other handheld devices, a netbook, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or some other suitable terminology. Pairing devices 115 may include Bluetooth-enabled devices capable of pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., such as device 110), which may include wireless audio devices (e.g., headsets, earbuds, speakers, receivers, headphones), display devices (e.g., televisions, computer monitors), microphones, meters, valves, etc.

[0034] Bluetooth communication may refer to a short-range communication protocol and may be used to connect and exchange information between a device 110 and a paired device 115 (e.g., between a mobile phone, a computer, a digital camera, a wireless headset, a speaker, a keyboard, a mouse or other input peripherals and similar devices). A Bluetooth system (e.g., aspects of the wireless communication system 100) may be organized using a master-slave relationship using a time division duplex protocol with a defined time slot of, for example, 625 microseconds, in which transmissions are alternately performed between a master device (e.g., device 110) and one or more slave devices (e.g., paired devices 115). In some examples, the device 110 may generally be referred to as a master device, and the paired device 115 may be referred to as a slave device in the wireless communication system 100. Thus, in some examples, a device may be referred to as a device 110 or a paired device 115 based on the Bluetooth role configuration of the device. That is, designating a device as a device 110 or a paired device 115 may not necessarily indicate a difference in device capabilities, but may refer to or indicate the role that the device plays in the wireless communication system 100. Generally speaking, device 110 may refer to a wireless communication device capable of wirelessly exchanging data signals with another device (e.g., paired device 115), and paired device 115 may refer to a device operating in a slave role, or to a short-range wireless communication device capable of exchanging data signals with device 110 (e.g., using the Bluetooth communication protocol).

[0035] Bluetooth-enabled devices may be compatible with certain Bluetooth profiles to use the required services. A Bluetooth profile may refer to a specification of one aspect of Bluetooth-based wireless communication between devices. That is, a profile specification may refer to an instruction set for using the Bluetooth protocol stack in a certain manner, and may include information such as a recommended user interface format, specific options and parameters at each layer of the Bluetooth protocol stack. For example, a Bluetooth specification may include various profiles that define behaviors associated with each communication endpoint to implement a specific use case. Therefore, a profile may generally be defined according to a protocol stack that facilitates and allows interoperability between endpoint devices from different manufacturers by enabling applications to discover and use services that other nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices may be providing. The Bluetooth specification defines device role pairs (e.g., roles for device 110 and paired device 115), which together form a single use case referred to as a profile (e.g., for communication between device 110 and paired device 115). One example profile defined in the Bluetooth specification is the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) for voice telephony, where one device (e.g., device 110) implements the Audio Gateway (AG) role, and another device (e.g., paired device 115) implements the Hands-Free (HF) device role. Another example is the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for high-quality audio streaming, where one device (e.g., device 110) implements the Audio Source Device (SRC) role, and another device (e.g., paired device 115) implements the Audio Sink Device (SNK) role.

[0036] In order for a Bluetooth-enabled commercial device that implements one role in a profile to work properly, another device that implements the corresponding role may be present within the radio range of the first device. For example, in order for an HF device (such as a Bluetooth headset) to work according to the hands-free profile, a device that implements the AG role (e.g., a cell phone) may have to be within the radio range. Similarly, in order to stream high-quality mono or stereo audio according to A2DP, a device that implements the SNK role (e.g., a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speaker) may have to be within the radio range of a device that implements the SRC role (e.g., a stereo music player).

[0037] The Bluetooth specification defines a layered data transmission architecture and various protocols and procedures for processing data communicated between two devices that implement a specific profile use case. For example, various logical links can be used to support different application data transmission requirements, each logical link being associated with a logical transmission having certain characteristics (e.g., flow control, confirmation mechanism, repetition mechanism, sequence numbering, scheduling behavior, etc.). The Bluetooth protocol stack can be divided into two parts: a controller stack including a timing-critical radio interface, and a host stack that processes high-level data. The controller stack can typically be implemented in a low-cost silicon device including a Bluetooth radio and a microprocessor. The controller stack can be responsible for establishing a connection link 125, such as an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) link (or ACL connection), a synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) link (or SCO connection), an extended synchronous connection-oriented (eSCO) link (or eSCO connection), other logical transport channel links, etc.

[0038] In some examples, the controller stack may implement link management protocol (LMP) functions, low power link layer (LELL) functions, etc. The host stack may generally be implemented as part of an operating system, or as an installable package on an operating system. The host stack may be responsible for logical link control and adaptation protocol (L2CAP) functions, Bluetooth network encapsulation protocol (BNEP) functions, service discovery protocol (SDP) functions, etc. In some examples, the controller stack and the host stack may communicate via a host controller interface (HCI). In other cases (e.g., for integrated devices such as Bluetooth headsets), the host stack and the controller stack may run on the same microprocessor to reduce mass production costs. For such hostless systems, HCI may be optional and may be implemented as an internal software interface.

[0039] A connection link 125 may be established between two Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., between device 110 and paired device 115), and the connection link may provide communication or services (e.g., according to a certain Bluetooth profile). For example, the Bluetooth connection may be an eSCO connection for voice calls (e.g., which may allow retransmission), an ACL connection for music streaming (e.g., A2DP), etc. For example, eSCO packets may be sent in predetermined time slots (e.g., 6 Bluetooth time slots each for eSCO). When a Bluetooth link is established, regular intervals between eSCO packets may be specified. eSCO packets to / from a specific slave device (e.g., paired device 115) are confirmed and may be retransmitted during a retransmission window if not confirmed. In addition, audio may be streamed between device 110 and paired device 115 using an ACL connection (A2DP profile). In some cases, an ACL connection may occupy 1, 3, or 5 Bluetooth time slots for data or voice. Other Bluetooth profiles supported by a Bluetooth-enabled device may include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (e.g., providing significantly reduced power consumption and cost while maintaining similar communication range), Human Interface Device Profile (HID) (e.g., providing a low latency link with low power requirements), and the like.

[0040] In some examples, the device may be capable of both Bluetooth communication and WLAN communication. For example, the WLAN component and the Bluetooth component may be co-located in the device so that the device may be able to communicate according to both the Bluetooth communication protocol and the WLAN communication protocol, because each technology may provide different benefits or may improve the user experience under different conditions. In some examples, Bluetooth communication and WLAN communication may share the same medium, such as the same unlicensed frequency medium. In such examples, the device 110 may support WLAN communication via AP 105 (e.g., through communication link 120). AP 105 and associated devices 110 may represent a basic service set (BSS) or an extended service set (ESS). Various devices 110 in the network may be able to communicate with each other through AP 105. In some cases, AP 105 may be associated with a coverage area, which may represent a basic service area (BSA).

[0041] Devices 110 and AP 105 may communicate according to WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical layer and MAC layer from IEEE 802.11 and versions including, but not limited to, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ax, etc. In other specific implementations, peer-to-peer connections or ad hoc networks may be implemented within the wireless communication system 100, and devices may communicate with each other via communication links 120 (e.g., Wi-Fi direct connections, Wi-Fi tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) links, peer-to-peer communication links, other peer-to-peer or group connections). AP 105 may be coupled to a network (such as the Internet) and may enable device 110 to communicate via the network (or to communicate with other devices 110 coupled to AP 105). Device 110 may communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, device 110 may communicate with an associated AP 105 via a downlink (eg, a communication link from AP 105 to device 110 ) and an uplink (eg, a communication link from device 110 to AP 105 ).

[0042] In some examples, content, media, audio, etc. exchanged between device 110 and paired device 115 may originate from a WLAN. For example, in some examples, device 110 may receive audio from AP 105 (e.g., via WLAN communications), and device 110 may then relay or pass the audio to paired device 115 (e.g., via Bluetooth communications). In some examples, certain types of Bluetooth communications (e.g., such as high-quality or high-definition (HD) Bluetooth) may require enhanced quality of service. For example, in some examples, delay-sensitive Bluetooth traffic may have a higher priority than WLAN traffic.

[0043] In some aspects, the pairing device 115 may include one or more earbuds, such as the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. In some implementations, one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may support a detection mechanism according to which one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may detect interference such that the number of channels with relatively low interference measurements is less than the minimum number of channels expected to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. For example, if a transmit power greater than or equal to a threshold transmit power is used, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may be expected to use the minimum number of channels for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b.

[0044] Furthermore, according to the detection mechanism, if one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b detects, ascertains, or otherwise determines that there may be a subset of channels with relatively low interference measurements (e.g., such that a subset of the set of channels originally selected may be suitable for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b), then one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may trigger a reduction in transmit power and a corresponding reduction in the minimum number of channels (or a release of the minimum number of channels constraint). For example, if one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b measures a difference between a relatively high interference measurement of one of the originally selected channels and an interference measurement of a particular other of the originally selected channels that is greater than a threshold difference, then one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may reduce the transmit power to below a threshold transmit power and correspondingly reduce the minimum number of channels expected to be used (or release the minimum number of channels constraint).

[0045] The techniques described herein may provide improvements in the reliability of communication between earbuds, such as between earbuds in a scenario where one earbud relays an audio data packet to another earbud. In addition, the techniques described herein may provide benefits and enhancements to the operation of device 110. For example, by increasing the reliability of relayed packets between wireless earbuds, operating characteristics of device 110, such as power consumption, processor utilization, and memory usage, may be reduced. The techniques described herein may also provide greater efficiency to device 110 by reducing latency associated with missed audio data packets, and improve the user experience by providing a more seamless audio stream to the user, among other benefits.

[0046] Figure 2 An example user deployment 200 is illustrated that supports techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The user deployment 200 may implement or may be implemented to achieve or facilitate aspects of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the user deployment 200 illustrates the device 110-a, the wireless earbud 115-a, and the wireless earbud 115-b (which may be Figure 1 In some implementations, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may employ a procedure according to which the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both adjust the communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b to improve the audio quality of the user 205 in the presence of interference 215 from one or more other devices (such as one or more Wi-Fi devices 210).

[0047] In some aspects, the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b may be examples of mirroring earbuds, such as earbuds that support mirroring technology to facilitate a robust, seamless connection for an audio experience. According to the mirroring technology, a primary earbud (such as the wireless earbud 115-a) may maintain a Bluetooth connection with the device 110-a (e.g., the smartphone of the user 205), while the secondary earbud (such as the wireless earbud 115-b) mirrors the connected primary earbud. For example, the secondary wireless earbud 115-b may attempt to "sniff" or otherwise receive packets sent from the device 110-a to the primary wireless earbud 115-a, and if the secondary wireless earbud 115-b misses a packet, the primary wireless earbud 115-a may relay the missed packet to the secondary wireless earbud 115-b. If the user removes the connected primary wireless earbud 115-a or if the primary wireless earbud 115-a runs out of power, the secondary wireless earbud 115-b may establish a Bluetooth connection with the device 110-a and become the primary earbud.

[0048] Additionally or alternatively, if the potential connection between the device 110-a and the auxiliary wireless earbud 115-b is stronger than the connection between the device 110-a and the primary wireless earbud 115-a, the device 110-a, the wireless earbud 115-a, and the wireless earbud 115-b may coordinate so that the wireless earbud 115-b becomes the primary earbud and the wireless earbud 115-a becomes the auxiliary earbud. In addition, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may be associated with a single Bluetooth address so that one device appears when the user pairs the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b with the device 110-a. Although either of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may act as the primary earbud at a given time, the user deployment 200 is illustrated and described in the context of the wireless earbud 115-a being the primary earbud and the wireless earbud 115-b being the auxiliary earbud.

[0049] In some deployment scenarios, such as in a scenario where one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b are located near (e.g., close to or within a threshold distance from) one or more other devices capable of wireless communication, one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may experience interference from the one or more other devices. For example, one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may be located near one or more Wi-Fi devices 210 (which may be examples of APs), and the one or more Wi-Fi devices 210 may cause interference 215 to one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b.

[0050] In the example scenario illustrated by the user deployment 200, three Wi-Fi devices 210 (e.g., three APs) may each use a different 20 MHz frequency band to communicate (e.g., send or receive or both) data traffic. In such an example, the use of three different 20 MHz frequency bands by the three Wi-Fi devices 210 may result in bandwidth and system congestion, such that there may be little room left for “good” channels 225, such as channels 225 that are not used by Wi-Fi devices 210 and that are otherwise not affected by interference 215 from at least one of the Wi-Fi devices 210. Thus, if a user 205 (e.g., a person) wearing the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b approaches the Wi-Fi devices 210 (e.g., becomes within a threshold distance from at least one of the Wi-Fi devices 210), the number of short interference pulses (or short-duration interference) at one or both of the wireless earbuds 115-a or the wireless earbuds 115-b may increase. For example, when user 205 is 5 meters away from Wi-Fi device 210, the number of short interference pulses (or short-term pulse interference) may be relatively small, and may generally increase as user 205 moves closer to Wi-Fi device 210 (e.g., as user 205 approaches a distance of 0 meters from Wi-Fi device 210).

[0051] In some aspects, the number of short interference pulses (or short burst interference) experienced by the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may depend on the orientation of the user 205. For example, the number of short interference pulses may depend on whether the user 205 is associated with a 0 degree orientation (e.g., such that the user 205 is facing the Wi-Fi device 210), a 90 degree orientation (e.g., such that the primary wireless earbud 115-a is facing the Wi-Fi device 210), a 270 degree orientation (e.g., such that the secondary wireless earbud 115-b is facing the Wi-Fi device 210), or a 180 degree orientation (e.g., such that the back of the user 205 is facing the Wi-Fi device 210). In some examples, if a link quality-based handover occurs whereby the primary earbud becomes the secondary earbud, the number of short interference pulses or short burst interference at the 90 and 180 degree orientations, and vice versa, may be substantially the same.

[0052] In a scenario where the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b are experiencing interference 215, the secondary wireless earbud 115-b may experience a greater number of short interference pulses (or short-duration interference) than the primary wireless earbud 115-a. This larger error rate at the secondary wireless earbud 115-b may be attributed to delays or constraints associated with mirroring technology synchronization, packet delivery mechanisms to the host (e.g., device 110-a), or differences in interference 215 at the secondary wireless earbud 115-b compared to the primary wireless earbud 115-a, among other possible issues. Additionally or alternatively, the larger error rate at the secondary wireless earbud 115-b may be attributed to compound effects across multiple piconets. For example, the relay piconet between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may suffer from the same packet loss problem as the piconet between the wireless earbud 115-a and the device 110-a (e.g., the packet loss rates on the two piconets may be similar), so the joint effect may be relatively greater on the secondary wireless earbud 115-b. In addition, the latency (e.g., the late arrival of a packet at one or both of the primary wireless earbud 115-a and the secondary wireless earbud 115-b) may be proportional to (e.g., directly proportional to) the amount of work the primary wireless earbud 115-a expends to receive the media packet from the device 110-a, the packet loss rate of the secondary wireless earbud 115-b with the device 110-a, and the link quality of the relay piconet through which the primary wireless earbud 115-a relays the lost packet to the secondary wireless earbud 115-b. For example, if the primary wireless earbud 115-a retransmits the relayed packet multiple times, the latency may increase.

[0053] In some cases, other possible communication difficulties between the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b may involve data rate protocols implemented by the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b, wherein different data rate protocols may be associated with different bandwidths (e.g., how many channels 225) used for communication between the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b. In some aspects, the data rate protocol may be specified or used according to the network specification. Additionally or alternatively, the data rate protocol may be specific to the manufacturer or product type. In addition, different data rate protocols may define different modulation and coding schemes (MCS) settings for different channel bandwidths and / or channel conditions, or otherwise be associated with different modulation and coding schemes (MCS) settings for different channel bandwidths and / or channel conditions. For example, a first data rate protocol may be associated with a first bandwidth, and a second data rate protocol may be associated with a second bandwidth. In one example, a first bandwidth associated with a first data rate protocol may be equal to 1 MHz, and a second bandwidth associated with a second data rate protocol may be equal to 2 MHz. Thus, channel 225 may refer to or include 1 MHz if a first data rate protocol is used, and may refer to or include 2 MHz if a second data rate protocol is used.

[0054] In some systems, the network or regulatory constraints may further specify a minimum number of channels 225 to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. In some aspects, for at least some transmit powers, such a minimum number of channels 225 may be equal to 15. Thus, if the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b communicate according to the second data rate protocol, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may effectively communicate using a minimum of 30 channels 225 (e.g., a minimum of 30 MHz).

[0055] In addition, the first data rate protocol may be (e.g., typically) associated with the use of 20 channels. Thus, the first data rate protocol may involve or otherwise be associated with communications using a 20 MHz bandwidth, while the second data rate protocol may involve or otherwise be associated with communications using at least 30 MHz bandwidth. Due to the manner in which the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b select channels 225 for communication, greater bandwidth usage may be relatively more detrimental in high interference scenarios.

[0056] For example, in a scenario where interference 215 to the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b is relatively high, there may be fewer "good" channels 225 than a minimum number of channels 225 to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b (as defined by a network or regulatory constraint). As described herein, a "good" channel 225 may refer to a channel 225 associated with a relatively low signal strength measurement (such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement), a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a relatively high signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), or any other channel metric associated with a relatively low probability of communication errors. To meet the network or regulatory constraint, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b may select at least the minimum number of channels 225 for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b based on a device-level decision based on the RSSI level of each channel 225.

[0057] For example, one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may perform a signal strength measurement 220 (such as an RSSI-based measurement) to measure, identify, ascertain, or otherwise determine an interference measurement (e.g., RSSI level) for each channel in the set of potentially available channels 225, and may select at least a minimum number of channels 225 from the set of potentially available channels 225 based on the RSSI level of each channel 225. The wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b may prioritize channels 225 having RSSI levels below a threshold RSSI level. In some examples, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b may generate a channel map 230 that corresponds each channel 225 to an RSSI level, and may begin by selecting the channel 225 having the lowest RSSI level. For example, the channel map 230 may include the RSSI level of the channel 225-a, the RSSI level of the channel 225-b, and the RSSI level of the channel 225-c. In some aspects, the channel map 230 may include RSSI levels for approximately 79 channels 225 .

[0058] Thus, if the number of "good" channels 225 (e.g., channels 225 having RSSI levels below a threshold RSSI level) is less than a minimum number of channels 225, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may select one or more relatively poorer channels 225 for communication between the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b based on network or regulatory constraints. Thus, when fewer channels 225 are used (e.g., less bandwidth), the chances of using "good" channels 225 for communication and having error-free packets may be greater because the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may focus (e.g., concentrate) communications on low-interference channels 225 and be less constrained from using potentially high-interference channels 225. In an example high-interference scenario, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may use (e.g., hop on) relatively poorer channels 225 approximately more than half of the time. An adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) algorithm may be appropriately deployed in situations including relatively poor channel 225 so that the problem may be focused on band scanning, channel mapping provided by device 110-a, and channel mapping selected between wireless earbud 115-a and wireless earbud 115-b.

[0059] To reduce the likelihood that the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b use the high interference channel 225 for communication, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may employ techniques to reduce or lower the minimum number of channels 225 to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. For example, if the minimum number of channels 225 is reduced from 15 to 8 (so that a minimum of 16 MHz is used instead of 30 MHz when using the second data rate protocol, because 8 channels×2 MHz=16 MHz). In some scenarios, such as in high interference scenarios, reducing the number of channels 225 used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may ease data flow in the relay piconet and reduce the packet error rate at the secondary wireless earbud 115-b.

[0060] However, in some cases, there may be various factors or sub-factors that limit or affect the use of "good" channels, as some techniques for reducing the number of channels 225 used for communication between the wireless earbuds 115-a and the wireless earbuds 115-b may disable the "good" channels 225, which may further adversely affect communication performance. For example, some techniques may include "mapping out" (e.g., excluding from potential selection) channels 225 for announcements, which may include channels 1, 26, and 79. However, in some deployments, these channels 225 may be considered "good" in the spectrum. In addition, when using a second data rate protocol (which uses 2 MHz channels), "mapping out" channel 1 may also include "mapping out" channel 2.

[0061] Additionally or alternatively, some techniques may include "mapping out" channel 79, which may be associated with out-of-band (OOB) transmissions (but considered good in the spectrum in some deployments). Thus, channels 1, 2, 25, 26, and 79 may be omitted due to advertising or network constraints. Thus, up to approximately 6 MHz of bandwidth may be lost because the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may avoid mapping in the advertised channels and may avoid omitting channel 79 due to regulatory constraints. Furthermore, any inefficiency in picking or selecting a "good" channel 225 from a given channel map 230 may adversely affect channel reduction because sometimes a "good" channel may be "mapped out" unintentionally.

[0062] Therefore, in some implementations, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may conditionally reduce the minimum channel constraint for the relay piconet between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b to improve communication performance, because the minimum channel constraint may be an important differentiating factor between different data rate protocols (e.g., 2 MHz and 15 channels 225 versus 1 MHz and 20 channels 225) in terms of anti-interference performance. Therefore, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may hop onto the low-interference channel 225 relatively more frequently and onto the higher-interference channel 225 relatively less frequently, which may reduce the packet error rate at one or both of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Additional details related to this conditional reduction of the minimum channel constraint are illustrated and described with reference to these figures.

[0063] Furthermore, minimum channel constraints may generally refer to a reduction in the number of channels used between any two or more devices. However, in some implementations, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may employ a reduction in the minimum channel constraints specifically for a piconet or link between the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b, and may refrain from reducing the number of channels used for communications between the device 110-a and the wireless earbuds 115-a. As a result, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may facilitate a more reliable relay link, which may reduce latency and the number of short interference bursts because the amount of work spent relaying packets may be less (due to a greater likelihood of successfully receiving the relayed packets in advance).

[0064] Figure 3An example communication update 300 is illustrated that supports techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The communication update 300 may implement or may be implemented to achieve aspects of or facilitate aspects of the wireless communication system 100 or user deployment 200. For example, the communication update 300 illustrates communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b (which may be examples of corresponding devices as described herein) via a link 305 (which may be associated with a relay piconet). According to the communication update 300, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may update or modify the transmit power 310 and the frequency hopping 315 to reduce the number of channels used from the set of channels 320 to the set of channels 325.

[0065] In some implementations, for example, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may employ a selective frequency hopping technique such that the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both avoid hopping onto channels having RSSI levels above a threshold RSSI level or using these channels for transmission. In some implementations, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b may employ such a selective frequency hopping technique when, for example, there are relatively few "good" channels. For example, when the number of channels having RSSI levels below a threshold RSSI level is below a threshold channel level (e.g., below a minimum number of channels expected to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b), the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b may employ such a selective frequency hopping technique.

[0066] According to the selective frequency hopping technique, in the topology of the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b, the master device of the piconet (e.g., the wireless earbud 115-a, the wireless earbud 115-b, Figure 2 The device 110-a, etc., illustrated and described with reference to the figure may configure or instruct the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b to avoid hopping on channels with RSSI levels above a threshold RSSI level or using these channels for transmission. Therefore, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b may select the number of channels for frequency hopping (e.g., adaptive frequency hopping) based on network or regulatory constraints (e.g., not reducing the minimum channel constraint), but may skip transmission opportunities scheduled for channels with relatively high RSSI levels.

[0067] In some aspects, while this skipping of transmission opportunities can effectively avoid interference and maintain compliance with network or regulatory constraints (without reducing transmission power), assuming that the transmission of a packet spans 3 time slots (plus 1 time slot for reception), each time the sender decides not to use a particular channel for transmission, it may result in the loss of two time slots and may be complex to implement. Therefore, in some specific implementations, any one or more of the wireless earbuds 115-a, the wireless earbuds 115-b, or the device 110-a may (e.g., dynamically or statically) choose whether to employ the selective frequency hopping technique based on a balance between resource usage efficiency, transmission power considerations, and network or regulatory constraints.

[0068] Additionally or alternatively, if a threshold interference level is measured or otherwise detected, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may reduce the number of channels to be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. Such a threshold interference level may be associated with the presence of relatively few "good" channels (e.g., channels with relatively low RSSI measurements) and a relatively large difference between "good" and "bad" channels (in terms of RSSI measurements). Figure 4 Additional details related to such measurement or detection of threshold interference levels are described.

[0069] In such implementations, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may perform an update 330 from performing a first frequency hop 315-a using a set of channels 320 to performing a second frequency hop 315-b using a reduced set of channels 325. Additionally, when the transmit power 310 is greater than a threshold transmit power (e.g., greater than 10 dBm), the network or regulatory constraints may specify a minimum of 15 channels (or 30 channels when using a second data rate protocol), and thus, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may perform an update 330 from the first transmit power 310-a to the second transmit power 310-b.

[0070] The second transmit power 310-b may be a transmit power less than or equal to a threshold transmit power, such as less than or equal to 10 dBm or approximately slightly less than 10 dBm. In addition, in some scenarios, when the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b are hung in the ears, a transmit power greater than 10 dBm may be unnecessary. Therefore, the wireless earbuds 115-a or 115-b may enable reduction to a set of channels 325 (by reducing the transmit power 310 to the second transmit power 310-b) without sacrificing link performance. Thus, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may check the channel conditions (e.g., via signal strength measurement 220, such as an RSSI measurement, for each of a set of potentially available channels), and if only relatively few "good" channels are available, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b or both may reduce the transmit power 310 and the minimum channel constraints (e.g., from 15 channels to 6 channels, from 30 channels to 16 channels, etc.).

[0071] Figure 4 An example process flow 400 is illustrated for supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The process flow 400 may implement or may be implemented to achieve or facilitate aspects of the wireless communication system 100, user deployment 200, or communication update 300. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a or the wireless earbud 115-b (which may be, for example, Figures 1 to 3 Examples of corresponding devices illustrated and described with reference to these figures) can implement process flow 400 to reduce or relax minimum channel constraints in high interference scenarios.

[0072] In some implementations, process flow 400 may be associated with or illustrate an example algorithm by which a wireless earbud (e.g., wireless earbud 115-a or wireless earbud 115-b) may reduce or relax minimum channel constraints in high interference scenarios. In some examples, process flow 400 may illustrate an algorithm deployed between wireless earbud 115-a and wireless earbud 115-b when using a second data rate protocol (e.g., use of process flow 400 may be dynamic or otherwise dependent on the type of data rate protocol employed by wireless earbud 115-a and wireless earbud 115-b).

[0073] In the following description of process flow 400, operations (such as reporting or providing) may be performed in a different order than shown, or may be performed in a different order or at a different time. For example, certain operations may also be omitted from process flow 400, or other operations may be added to process flow 400. In addition, although some operations or signaling are shown as occurring at different times for discussion purposes, the operations may actually occur simultaneously. In addition, although described in the context of wireless earbud 115-a, wireless earbud 115-b may additionally or alternatively perform one or more of the operations of process flow 400 (e.g., may additionally or alternatively perform a subset or all of the operations of process flow 400).

[0074] At 405, the wireless earbud 115-a may perform a signal strength measurement (e.g., an RSSI measurement) of the signaling from the wireless earbud 115-b to measure the distance between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. In some examples, the wireless earbud 115-b may similarly perform a signal strength measurement (e.g., an RSSI measurement) of the signaling from the wireless earbud 115-a to measure the distance between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may measure the RSSI relative to each other to measure, detect, or ascertain whether the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b are close to each other (e.g., within a threshold distance of each other, or within the ear of the same user 205). If the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b measure that they are within a threshold distance of each other, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may continue to perform other operations of the process flow 400. Otherwise, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may refrain from performing other operations of the process flow 400.

[0075] At 410, for example, if the wireless earbud 115-a measures, detects, or ascertains that the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b are not within a threshold distance of each other, the wireless earbud 115-a may maintain the current or original maximum transmit power and minimum number of channels used.

[0076] At 415, if the wireless earbud 115-a measures, detects, or ascertains that the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b are within a threshold distance of each other, the wireless earbud 115-a may scan or measure a first set of channels to obtain RSSI measurements for each channel in the first set of channels. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may perform signal strength measurements (e.g., RSSI measurements) across a first set of channels that can be used for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. In some examples, both the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may perform a band scan to measure RSSI on, for example, all 79 channels (e.g., as part of an adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) procedure).

[0077] At 420, the wireless earbud 115-a may generate a channel map based on or otherwise use the results of the signal strength measurements across the first set of channels. In some implementations, generating the channel map may return a channel map for 15 or more channels based on a network or regulatory constraint associated with a minimum of 15 channels. For example, the channel map may indicate a subset of channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to the remainder of the first set of channels and may indicate a respective interference level (e.g., a respective RSSI level) for each channel in the subset of channels.

[0078] At 425, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine or identify whether the number of channels returned (from the channel map) is greater than a minimum (e.g., lower limit) number of channels. In some implementations, the minimum number of channels may be the minimum number of channels expected to be used based on network or regulatory constraints and may be associated with a maximum (e.g., upper limit) transmit power. In some examples, if the initial or original maximum transmit power is greater than or equal to 10 dBm, the minimum number of channels may be 15. In such examples, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine or identify whether the number of channels returned is greater than or less than 15 channels.

[0079] If more than 15 channels are returned from the channel map (or any other lower limit associated with the initial or original maximum transmit power), the wireless earbud 115-a may determine, expect, or ascertain that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of channels do not meet the interference criteria (e.g., the interference affecting the first set of channels is less than a threshold amount). If exactly 15 channels are returned from the channel map (or any other lower limit associated with the initial or original maximum transmit power), the wireless earbud 115-a may determine, expect, or ascertain that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of channels potentially meet the interference criteria (e.g., there may be interference-related issues affecting the first set of channels). In other words, the channel mapping algorithm may remove high-interference channels until a minimum number of channels is reached, which may mean that if the channel map returns more than 15 channels, the selected channels are all low-interference channels, or if the channel map returns exactly 15 channels, some of the selected channels may be high-interference channels (because the channel mapping algorithm may stop removing high-interference channels at the 15-channel benchmark).

[0080] At 430, for example, if the wireless earbud 115-a determines that the number of returned channels is not equal to a lower limit (e.g., such that the number of returned channels is greater than the lower limit), the wireless earbud 115-a may maintain the current or original maximum transmit power and the minimum number of channels used.

[0081] At 435, if the wireless earbud 115-a determines that the number of channels returned is equal to the lower limit, the wireless earbud 115-a may further check the returned channels to determine whether one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of channels meet the interference criteria. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may find, identify, or determine the maximum RSSI of all channels returned from the channel map. In some aspects, if the maximum RSSI level meets (e.g., is greater than) a threshold RSSI level, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of channels meet the interference criteria. In other words, if the wireless earbud 115-a determines that the maximum interference level of the channels in the subset of channels returned by the channel map meets the threshold interference level, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of channels meet the interference criteria. For example, if the maximum RSSI level of the returned set of channels is -55dB, the maximum RSSI level may be a strong indicator that at least one of the channels to be used for communication is experiencing a large amount of interference.

[0082] At 440, the wireless earbud 115-a may find the difference between the maximum RSSI level and the RSSI level of a channel associated with a configurable or fixed channel index (e.g., another channel in the subset of channels returned by the channel map). For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may select or be configured to enable at least X channels (where X may be a configurable or fixed number), and may select (e.g., find) the Xth channel from the lowest RSSI level. In other words, the wireless earbud 115-a may find the Xth channel (which may be associated with the Xth lowest RSSI level) by starting at the channel associated with the lowest RSSI level and sequentially incrementing to channels associated with relatively higher RSSI levels, and may compare the RSSI level associated with the Xth channel with the highest RSSI level of the channels returned by the channel map.

[0083] In one example, the wireless earbud 115-a may sort the 15 returned channels based on RSSI, which may produce an ordered set of RSSI levels (in dB) of (-55, -56, -57, -58, -70, -75, -80, -81, -82, -85, -85, -87, -90). Thus, if X=8 (e.g., if the wireless earbud 115-a selects to enable at least 8 channels), the wireless earbud 115-a may select the 8th channel from the lowest RSSI, which in this example may be -75 dB. The wireless earbud 115-a may calculate the difference between -75 dB and -55 dB, which may be equal to 20 dB.

[0084] At 445, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine whether the difference is greater than a threshold difference. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may compare the difference between the highest RSSI level and the Xth lowest RSSI level of the channel returned by the channel map to calculate or determine whether the difference is greater than a threshold difference. In one example, the threshold difference may be equal to 12 dB. Thus, in the above example where the difference is equal to 20 dB, the wireless earbud 115-a may determine that the difference is greater than the threshold difference.

[0085] At 450 , for example, if the wireless earbud 115 - a determines that the difference is not greater than a threshold difference, the wireless earbud 115 - a may maintain the current or original maximum transmit power and minimum number of channels used.

[0086] At 455, if the wireless earbud 115-a determines that the difference is greater than the threshold difference, the wireless earbud 115-a may reduce the maximum transmit power and the minimum number of channels for communication between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may reduce the power so that the maximum transmit power remains below a threshold transmit power, such as below about 10 dBm. In accordance with reducing the maximum transmit power to remain below the threshold transmit power, the wireless earbud 115-a may use fewer channels than the minimum number of channels associated with the threshold transmit power. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a may instruct the AFH algorithm to use X channels (or 2X channels if or when the second data rate protocol is used), where X may be less than the minimum number of channels (e.g., 15) associated with the threshold transmit power (e.g., 10 dBm). According to the examples described herein, X may be set to 8 (e.g., by configuration or according to a fixed value specified by, for example, a network specification).

[0087] In some implementations, the wireless earbud 115-a can recalculate the map using the reduced number of X channels. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a can generate an updated channel map that indicates or returns the number of X channels associated with the lowest interference level (e.g., lowest RSSI level) relative to the remainder of the first set of channels. The wireless earbud 115-a can generate the updated map using signal strength measurements from a previous scan of the first set of channels or based on performing another signal strength measurement on the first set of channels.

[0088] The wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b, and optionally the device 110-a, may coordinate a reduction in the maximum transmit power and a reduction in the minimum number of channels expected for communications between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b. For example, the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b may exchange signaling, such as one or more control messages, to indicate or exchange information related to a reduction in the maximum transmit power and a reduction in the minimum number of channels expected for communications between the wireless earbud 115-a and the wireless earbud 115-b.

[0089] Thus, the wireless earbud 115 - a may transmit or receive audio data packets to or from the wireless earbud 115 - b according to frequency hopping across the reduced number of X channels. Figure 3Additional details related to such frequency hopping are illustrated and described with reference to the figure. In addition, based on performing frequency hopping using the reduced number of X channels, the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b can reduce or exclude high interference channels that may otherwise be included in the set of channels that the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b use for communication, which can reduce the packet error rate and the amount of short interference pulses seen at one or both of the wireless earbuds 115-a and 115-b.

[0090] Figure 5 A block diagram 500 of a device 505 supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 505 can be an example of aspects of a Bluetooth device as described herein. The device 505 may include a receiver 510, a transmitter 515, and an I / O controller 520. The device 505 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0091] The receiver 510 may provide means for receiving information such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 505. The receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0092] The transmitter 515 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the device 505. For example, the transmitter 515 may transmit information such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios). In some examples, the transmitter 515 may be co-located with the receiver 510 in a transceiver module. The transmitter 515 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0093] The I / O controller 520, the receiver 510, the transmitter 515, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof may be examples of means for performing various aspects of the techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios as described herein. For example, the I / O controller 520, the receiver 510, the transmitter 515, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more of the functions described herein.

[0094] In some examples, I / O controller 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communications management circuit). The hardware may include a processor, DSP, CPU, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, microcontroller, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof that is configured as or otherwise supports components for performing the functions described in the present disclosure. In some examples, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., by executing instructions stored in the memory by the processor).

[0095] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, I / O controller 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in code executed by a processor (e.g., as communication management software or firmware). If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functionality of I / O controller 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general purpose processor (e.g., configured as or otherwise supporting components for performing the functionality described in the present disclosure), DSP, CPU, ASIC, FPGA, microcontroller, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices.

[0096] In some examples, I / O controller 520 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, transmit) using or otherwise cooperating with receiver 510, transmitter 515, or both. For example, I / O controller 520 may receive information from receiver 510, transmit information to transmitter 515, or be integrated in conjunction with receiver 510, transmitter 515, or both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0097] The I / O controller 520 may support wireless communication at the first wireless earbud according to the examples disclosed herein. For example, the I / O controller 520 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The I / O controller 520 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels meet interference criteria based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The I / O controller 520 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics meeting interference criteria. The I / O controller 520 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0098] By including or configuring an I / O controller 520 according to examples as described herein, a device 505 (e.g., a processor controlling or otherwise coupled to a receiver 510, a transmitter 515, an I / O controller 520, or a combination thereof) may support techniques for reducing processing, lowering power consumption, and more efficiently utilizing communication resources.

[0099] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of a device 605 supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 605 can be an example of aspects of the device 505 or the paired device 115 as described herein. The device 605 may include a receiver 610, a transmitter 615, and an I / O controller 620. The device 605 may also include a processor. Each of these components can communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0100] The receiver 610 may provide means for receiving information such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 605. The receiver 610 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0101] The transmitter 615 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the device 605. For example, the transmitter 615 may transmit information such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios). In some examples, the transmitter 615 may be co-located with the receiver 610 in a transceiver module. The transmitter 615 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0102] Device 605 or its various components may be examples of components of various aspects of the technology for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios as described herein. For example, I / O controller 620 may include channel measurement component 625, interference detection component 630, transmit power component 635, frequency hopping component 640, or any combination thereof. I / O controller 620 may be an example of various aspects of I / O controller 520 as described herein. In some examples, I / O controller 620 or its various components may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, transmit) using or otherwise cooperating with receiver 610, transmitter 615, or both. For example, I / O controller 620 may receive information from receiver 610, transmit information to transmitter 615, or be integrated with receiver 610, transmitter 615, or both in combination to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0103] The I / O controller 620 may support wireless communication at the first wireless earbud according to the examples disclosed herein. The channel measurement component 625 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The interference detection component 630 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels meet interference criteria based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The transmit power component 635 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics meeting the interference criteria. The frequency hopping component 640 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0104] Figure 7A block diagram 700 of an I / O controller 720 supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The I / O controller 720 may be an example of aspects of the I / O controller 520, the I / O controller 620, or both as described herein. The I / O controller 720 or its various components may be examples of components of various aspects of the techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios as described herein. For example, the I / O controller 720 may include a channel measurement component 725, an interference detection component 730, a transmit power component 735, a frequency hopping component 740, or any combination thereof. Each of these components may communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0105] The I / O controller 720 may support wireless communication at the first wireless earbud according to the examples disclosed herein. The channel measurement component 725 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The interference detection component 730 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels meet interference criteria based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The transmit power component 735 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics meeting interference criteria. The frequency hopping component 740 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0106] In some examples, the channel measurement component 725 may be configured to or otherwise support components for generating a channel map based on signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third set of multiple channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first set of multiple channels and indicates a respective interference level for each channel in the third set of multiple channels, and wherein detecting one or more interference metrics satisfying an interference criterion is based on generating the channel map.

[0107] In some examples, to support detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria, the interference detection component 730 can be configured to or otherwise support means for ordering the third set of multiple channels into a sequence according to the respective interference level of each channel in the third set of multiple channels. In some examples, to support detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria, the interference detection component 730 can be configured to or otherwise support means for calculating a difference between a maximum interference level of the third set of multiple channels and an interference level of a channel in the third set of multiple channels associated with a configurable index value in the sequence.

[0108] In some examples, based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference, one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion.

[0109] In some examples, to support detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy interference criteria, interference detection component 730 may be configured or otherwise support components for determining that a maximum interference level of channels in a third set of multiple channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

[0110] In some examples, to support detecting that one or more interference metrics satisfy interference criteria, interference detection component 730 may be configured to or otherwise support components for determining that a number of third sets of multiple channels is equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

[0111] In some examples, the frequency hopping component 740 can be configured to or otherwise support means for instructing the adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use a second set of multiple channels based on one or more interference metrics satisfying interference criteria, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the third set of multiple channels. In some examples, the channel measurement component 725 can be configured to or otherwise support means for generating a second channel map based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second set of multiple channels is associated with a lowest interference level relative to the remainder of the first set of multiple channels.

[0112] In some examples, to support lowering the upper limit transmit power, the transmit power component 735 may be configured as or otherwise support components for lowering the upper limit transmit power from a first value associated with a first lower limit number of channels for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit number of channels for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit number of channels is less than the first lower limit number of channels.

[0113] In some examples, the channel measurement component 725 may be configured as or otherwise support components for performing a second signal strength measurement of signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure a distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting one or more interference metrics satisfying interference criteria and reducing an upper limit transmit power is based on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

[0114] In some examples, to support communication with a second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels, the frequency hopping component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support components for sending audio data packets to or receiving audio data packets from the second wireless earbud based on frequency hopping across the second set of multiple channels.

[0115] Figure 8 A diagram of a system 800 is shown that includes a device 805 that supports techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The device 805 may be an example of a device 505, a device 605, or a Bluetooth device as described herein or may include components of these devices. The device 805 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, such as an I / O controller 820, an antenna 810, a memory 825, a processor 830, a transceiver 835, a decoding manager 840, and software 845. These components may be in electronic communication or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more buses (e.g., bus 815).

[0116] The memory 825 may include RAM and ROM. The memory 825 may store software 845 including instructions that, when executed by the processor 830, enable the device 805 to perform various functions described herein. The software 845 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the software 845 may not be directly executable by the processor 830, but may enable the computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 825 may also include a BIOS, which may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among other things.

[0117] The processor 830 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 830 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 830. The processor 830 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., a memory 825) to cause the device 805 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks that support technology for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios). For example, the device 805 or a component of the device 805 may include a processor 830 and a memory 825 coupled to or coupled to the processor 830, and the processor 830 and the memory 825 are configured to perform the various functions described herein.

[0118] In some cases, the device 805 may include a single antenna 810. However, in some other cases, the device 805 may have more than one antenna 810, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The transceiver 835 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 810, a wired or wireless link, as described herein. For example, the transceiver 835 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 835 may also include a modem for modulating packets, and providing the modulated packets to one or more antennas 810 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 810. The transceiver 835 or the transceiver 835 and one or more antennas 810 may be examples of transmitters 515, transmitters 615, receivers 510, receivers 610, or any combination thereof or components thereof as described herein.

[0119] The software 845 may include instructions that implement various aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions that support techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios. The software 845 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the software 845 may not be directly executable by the processor 830, but may enable a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0120] The I / O controller 820 may support wireless communication at the first wireless earbud according to the examples disclosed herein. For example, the I / O controller 820 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The I / O controller 820 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first set of multiple channels meet interference criteria based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The I / O controller 820 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics meeting the interference criteria. The I / O controller 820 may be configured to or otherwise support a component for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels.

[0121] By including or configuring an I / O controller 820 according to examples as described herein, the device 805 may support techniques for improving communication reliability, reducing latency, improving user experience associated with reduced processing, reducing power consumption, more efficiently utilizing communication resources, improving coordination between devices, extending battery life, and improving utilization of processing power.

[0122] I / O controller 820 can manage input and output signals for device 805. I / O controller 820 can also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into device 805. In some cases, I / O controller 820 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 820 can utilize an operating system, such as Or another known operating system. In other cases, I / O controller 820 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, or similar device. In some cases, I / O controller 820 may be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 830). In some cases, a user may interact with device 805 via I / O controller 820 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 820.

[0123] Fig. 9 A flowchart illustrating a method 900 of supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 900 may be implemented by a Bluetooth device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 900 may be implemented by a Bluetooth device or components thereof as described herein. Figures 1 to 8In some examples, the Bluetooth device may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the Bluetooth device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the Bluetooth device may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0124] At 905, the method may include performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The operations of 905 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 905 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The channel measurement component 725 is used to perform.

[0125] At 910, the method may include detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with a first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The operations of 910 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 910 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The interference detection component 730 is used to perform.

[0126] At 915, the method may include reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics satisfying an interference criterion. The operations of 915 may be performed according to examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 915 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The sending power component 735 is used to perform the operation.

[0127] At 920, the method may include communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels in accordance with the reduced upper transmit power limit, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels. The operations of 920 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 920 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The frequency hopping component 740 is used to perform.

[0128] Fig.10 A flow chart illustrating a method 1000 of supporting techniques for reliable communication between wireless earbuds in high interference scenarios according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 1000 may be implemented by a Bluetooth device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1000 may be implemented by a Bluetooth device or components thereof as described herein. Figures 1 to 8 In some examples, the Bluetooth device may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the Bluetooth device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the Bluetooth device may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0129] At 1005, the method may include performing signal strength measurements across a first set of multiple channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud. The operations of 1005 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1005 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The channel measurement component 725 is used to perform.

[0130] At 1010, the method may include generating a channel map based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third set of multiple channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first set of multiple channels and indicates a respective interference level for each channel in the third set of multiple channels. The operations of 1010 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1010 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The channel measurement component 725 is used to perform.

[0131] At 1015, the method may include detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with a first set of multiple channels satisfy an interference criterion based on signal strength measurements across the first set of multiple channels. The operations of 1015 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1015 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The interference detection component 730 is used to perform.

[0132] At 1020, the method may include reducing an upper limit transmit power for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on one or more interference metrics satisfying an interference criterion. The operations of 1020 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1020 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The sending power component 735 is used to perform the operation.

[0133] At 1025, the method may include communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second set of multiple channels in accordance with the reduced upper transmit power limit, wherein the second set of multiple channels is a subset of the first set of multiple channels. The operations of 1025 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1025 may be performed as described in reference to Figure 7 The frequency hopping component 740 is used to perform.

[0134] The following provides an overview of some aspects of the disclosure:

[0135] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the method comprising: performing signal strength measurements across a first plurality of channels that can be used for communication between the first wireless earbud and a second wireless earbud; detecting that one or more interference metrics associated with the first plurality of channels satisfy an interference criterion based on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels; reducing an upper limit transmit power for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second plurality of channels based on reducing the upper limit transmit power, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the first plurality of channels.

[0136] Aspect 2: According to the method of Aspect 1, the method also includes: generating a channel map based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third plurality of channels associated with the lowest interference level relative to the remainder of the first plurality of channels and indicates a corresponding interference level for each channel in the third plurality of channels, and wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria is based at least in part on generating the channel map.

[0137] Aspect 3: A method according to Aspect 2, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion includes: sorting the third plurality of channels into a sequence according to the corresponding interference level of each channel in the third plurality of channels; and calculating the difference between the maximum interference level of the third plurality of channels and the interference level of the channel in the third plurality of channels associated with the configurable index value in the sequence.

[0138] Aspect 4: The method according to aspect 3, wherein the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference.

[0139] Aspect 5: The method according to any one of aspects 2 to 4, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: determining that a maximum interference level of channels in the third plurality of channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

[0140] Aspect 6: The method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 5, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: determining that the number of the third plurality of channels is equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

[0141] Aspect 7: According to the method described in any one of Aspects 2 to 6, the method further includes: instructing an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use the second plurality of channels based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criteria, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the third plurality of channels; and generating a second channel map based at least in part on the signal strength measurement across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second plurality of channels is associated with the lowest interference level relative to the remaining portion of the first plurality of channels.

[0142] Aspect 8: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein lowering the upper limit transmit power comprises: lowering the upper limit transmit power from a first value associated with a first lower limit channel number used for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit channel number used for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit channel number is less than the first lower limit channel number.

[0143] Aspect 9: According to the method described in any one of Aspects 1 to 8, the method further includes: performing a second signal strength measurement of the signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure the distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria and reducing the upper limit transmit power is at least partially based on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

[0144] Aspect 10: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein communicating with the second wireless earbud using the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels includes: sending audio data packets to the second wireless earbud or receiving the audio data packets from the second wireless earbud according to the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels.

[0145] Aspect 11: An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10.

[0146] Aspect 12: An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the apparatus comprising: at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.

[0147] Aspect 13: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.

[0148] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and that the various operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified and that other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods may be combined.

[0149] The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips mentioned throughout the specification may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0150] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or executed using a general purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0151] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium, or sent via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and specific implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hard wiring, or any combination of these. Features that implement the functions may also be physically located at different locations, including being distributed so that the various parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0152] Computer-readable medium includes both non-transient computer storage medium and communication medium, including any medium that facilitates computer program to be transmitted from one place to another.Non-transient storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer.By way of example and not limitation, non-transient computer-readable medium can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or can be used for carrying or storing the program code component with instruction or data structure form and can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer or general or special-purpose processor Any other non-transient medium.In addition, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer-readable medium.For example, if software is sent from website, server or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0153] As used herein (including in the claims), "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items followed by a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, so that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). In addition, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on."

[0154] In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference label. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a dash and a second label to distinguish between similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description may apply to any of the similar components having the same first reference label, regardless of the second or other subsequent reference labels.

[0155] The descriptions set forth herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings describe example configurations and do not represent all examples that may be implemented or within the scope of the claims. The term "exemplary" as used herein means "used as an example, instance, or illustration" and does not mean "better than" or "better than other examples." The specific implementation includes specific details to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form.

[0156] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but conforms to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the apparatus comprising: processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: performing signal strength measurements across a first plurality of channels usable for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud; detecting, based on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, that one or more interference metrics associated with the first plurality of channels satisfy an interference criterion; reducing an upper limit transmit power for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; as well as Communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second plurality of channels that is a subset of the first plurality of channels in accordance with lowering the upper limit transmit power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: A channel map is generated based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third plurality of channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first plurality of channels and indicates a respective interference level for each of the third plurality of channels, and wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria is based at least in part on generating the channel map.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: ordering the third plurality of channels into a sequence according to the respective interference level of each channel in the third plurality of channels; and A difference between a maximum interference level of the third plurality of channels and an interference level of a channel in the third plurality of channels associated with a configurable index value in the sequence is calculated. 4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: A determination is made as to whether a maximum interference level of channels in the third plurality of channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: The number of the third plurality of channels is determined to be equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: instructing an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use the second plurality of channels based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the third plurality of channels; and A second channel map is generated based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second plurality of channels are associated with the lowest interference level relative to the remaining portion of the first plurality of channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instruction for reducing the upper limit transmit power is executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: The upper limit transmit power is reduced from a first value associated with a first lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit number of channels is less than the first lower limit number of channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: performing a second signal strength measurement of signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure a distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria and reducing the upper limit transmit power is based at least in part on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions for communicating with the second wireless earbud using the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: Audio data packets are sent to or received from the second wireless earbud in accordance with the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels.

11. A method for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the method comprising: performing signal strength measurements across a first plurality of channels usable for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud; detecting, based on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, that one or more interference metrics associated with the first plurality of channels satisfy an interference criterion; reducing an upper limit transmit power for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; as well as Communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second plurality of channels that is a subset of the first plurality of channels in accordance with lowering the upper limit transmit power.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: A channel map is generated based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third plurality of channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first plurality of channels and indicates a respective interference level for each of the third plurality of channels, and wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria is based at least in part on generating the channel map.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: ordering the third plurality of channels into a sequence according to the respective interference level of each channel in the third plurality of channels; as well as A difference between a maximum interference level of the third plurality of channels and an interference level of a channel in the third plurality of channels associated with a configurable index value in the sequence is calculated. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: A determination is made as to whether a maximum interference level of channels in the third plurality of channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: The number of the third plurality of channels is determined to be equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: instructing an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use the second plurality of channels based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the third plurality of channels; as well as A second channel map is generated based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second plurality of channels are associated with the lowest interference level relative to the remaining portion of the first plurality of channels.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein lowering the upper limit transmission power comprises: The upper limit transmit power is reduced from a first value associated with a first lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit number of channels is less than the first lower limit number of channels.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: performing a second signal strength measurement of signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure a distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria and reducing the upper limit transmit power is based at least in part on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating with the second wireless earbud using the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels comprises: Audio data packets are sent to or received from the second wireless earbud in accordance with the frequency hopping across the second plurality of channels.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the apparatus comprising: means for performing signal strength measurements across a first plurality of channels usable for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud; means for detecting, based on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, that one or more interference metrics associated with the first plurality of channels satisfy interference criteria; means for reducing an upper limit transmit power for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; and Means for communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second plurality of channels that is a subset of the first plurality of channels in accordance with reducing the upper transmit power limit.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising: means for generating a channel map based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates a third plurality of channels associated with a lowest interference level relative to a remainder of the first plurality of channels and indicates a respective interference level for each of the third plurality of channels, and wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria is based at least in part on generating the channel map.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: means for ordering the third plurality of channels into a sequence according to the respective interference level of each channel in the third plurality of channels; and Means for calculating a difference between a maximum interference level of the third plurality of channels and an interference level of a channel in the third plurality of channels associated with a configurable index value in the sequence.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion based on the difference satisfying a threshold difference.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: Means for determining that a maximum interference level of channels in the third plurality of channels satisfies a threshold interference level.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criterion comprises: Means for determining that the number of the third plurality of channels is equal to a lower limit number associated with an initial transmit power.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising: means for instructing an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm to use the second plurality of channels based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the third plurality of channels; and Means for generating a second channel map based at least in part on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, wherein the channel map indicates that the second plurality of channels are associated with the lowest interference level relative to the remaining portion of the first plurality of channels.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the means for reducing the upper limit transmit power comprises: means for reducing the upper limit transmit power from a first value associated with a first lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud to a second value associated with a second lower limit number of channels for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein the second lower limit number of channels is less than the first lower limit number of channels.

29. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising: means for performing a second signal strength measurement of signaling from the second wireless earbud to measure a distance between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud, wherein detecting that the one or more interference metrics satisfy the interference criteria and reducing the upper limit transmit power is based at least in part on the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud being within a threshold distance of each other.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless earbud, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: performing signal strength measurements across a first plurality of channels usable for communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud; detecting, based on the signal strength measurements across the first plurality of channels, that one or more interference metrics associated with the first plurality of channels satisfy an interference criterion; reducing an upper limit transmit power for the communication between the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud based on the one or more interference metrics satisfying the interference criterion; as well as Communicating with the second wireless earbud using frequency hopping across a second plurality of channels that is a subset of the first plurality of channels in accordance with lowering the upper limit transmit power.

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