Mute mode operation of audio device

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications. In some aspects, an audio device may receive, from a wireless communication device (WCD), an indication that the WCD is in a mute mode. The audio device may send one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in the mute mode. Numerous other aspects are described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications, and to techniques and apparatus associated with silent mode operation of audio devices. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and more. These systems can be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Wireless networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as Wi-Fi (i.e., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 networks), may include access points (APs) capable of communicating with one or more stations (STAs) or mobile devices. An AP can be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and can enable mobile devices to communicate via the network (or with other devices coupled to the access point). Wireless devices can communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, a STA can communicate with an associated AP via a downlink and an uplink. A downlink (or forward link) can refer to the communication link from the AP to the station, and an uplink (or reverse link) can refer to the communication link from the station to the AP.

[0003] An AP can be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and can enable mobile devices to communicate via the network (or with other devices coupled to the access point). Wireless devices can communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, a device can communicate with an associated AP via a downlink (e.g., a communication link from the AP to the device) and an uplink (e.g., a communication link from the device to the AP). A wireless personal area network (WPAN, which may include a Bluetooth connection) can provide short-range wireless connections between two or more paired wireless devices. For example, a wireless device (such as a cellular phone) can utilize WPAN communication to exchange information, such as audio signals, with a wireless headset. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by an audio device. The method may include receiving an indication from a wireless communication device (WCD) that the WCD is in silent mode. The method may include sending one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0005] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a WCD. The method may include sending an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode. The method may include receiving one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0006] Some aspects described herein relate to an audio device for wireless communication. The audio device may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to receive an indication from a WCD that the WCD is in silent mode. The one or more processors may be configured to send one or more null packets to the WCD based, at least in part, on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0007] Some aspects described herein relate to a wireless communication device (WCD) for wireless communication. The wireless communication device may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to send an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode. The one or more processors may be configured to receive one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0008] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication by an audio device. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the audio device, may cause the audio device to receive an indication from a WCD that the WCD is in silent mode. The set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the audio device, may cause the audio device to send one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0009] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication by a WCD. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the WCD, may cause the WCD to send an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode. The set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the WCD, may cause the WCD to receive one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0010] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for receiving an indication from a WCD that the WCD is in silent mode. The apparatus may include means for sending one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0011] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for sending an indication to an audio device that the apparatus is in silent mode. The apparatus may include means for receiving one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0012] As fully described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the specification, and the appendix, various aspects generally include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, non-transitory computer-readable media, user equipment, base stations, network entities, network nodes, WCDs, and / or processing systems.

[0013] The foregoing has outlined the features and technical advantages of the examples according to the present disclosure in a rather broad manner so that the detailed description below may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described below. The disclosed concepts and specific examples may be readily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for achieving the same purpose of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, their organization and method of operation, together with the associated advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description and not as a definition of limitations to the claims.

[0014] Although aspects are described in this disclosure through illustrations of certain examples, those skilled in the art will understand that such aspects may be implemented in many different arrangements and scenarios. The techniques described herein may be implemented using different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and / or packaging arrangements. For example, some aspects may be implemented via integrated chip embodiments and / or other non-module component-based devices (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communications devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail / procurement equipment, medical devices, and / or artificial intelligence devices). Various aspects may be implemented in chip-level components, modular components, non-modular components, non-chip-level components, device-level components, and / or system-level components. Devices incorporating the described aspects and features may include additional components and features for the implementation and practice of the claimed and described aspects. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals may include one or more components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, radio frequency

[0015] (RF) chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders and / or summers). The aspects described herein are intended to be practiced in various devices, components, systems, distributed arrangements and / or end-user devices of different sizes, shapes and configurations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order that the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more specific description of the above brief overview may be made with reference to various aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only some typical aspects of the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, as the specification may admit of other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a wireless communication system configured in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 is an example diagram illustrating a wireless communication device according to the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 is an example diagram illustrating a protocol stack according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 Depicted are example transmissions of data packets from a wireless communication device to a peripheral device over a communication link in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5 A block diagram is shown of another example wireless communication device in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates an example of a wireless communication link according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 7 is an example diagram associated with silent mode operation of an audio device according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates an example of a wireless communication link according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 9 The diagram illustrates an example of a wireless communication link according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by an audio device according to the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a wireless communication device according to the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 12 is a diagram of an example apparatus for wireless communications according to the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 13 is a diagram of an example apparatus for wireless communications according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The various aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout the present disclosure. On the contrary, these aspects are provided to make the present disclosure detailed and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect disclosed herein, regardless of whether these aspects are implemented independently of any other aspect of the present disclosure or implemented in combination with any other aspect of the present disclosure. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement a device or practice method. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover devices or methods practiced using other structures, functionality, or structures and functionality in addition to the various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure may be embodied by one or more elements in the claims.

[0031] Several aspects of telecommunications systems will now be presented with reference to various devices and techniques. These devices and techniques will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively, "elements"). These elements can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0032] In some networks, a wireless communication device (WCD) may support applications associated with providing low-latency or lossless audio to one or more other devices, such as one or more personal audio devices. For example, a WCD may support applications and use cases associated with ultra-low latency (ULL), such as ULL gaming, or streaming lossless audio to a user's one or more personal audio devices (e.g., peripherals). In scenarios where a user uses two peripherals, the WCD may support an Extended Personal Area Network (XPAN), over which the WCD can communicate with both peripherals. To meet latency or losslessness criteria associated with the application or use case, the XPAN device may employ target wake time (TWT) technology for communication between the WCD and the peripherals. In some systems, the peripherals and the WCD may exchange one or more Bluetooth messages, with full TWT teardown performed between the WCD and each of the peripherals. This exchange of Bluetooth messages and TWT teardown may introduce excessive latency for some applications, such as ULL gaming or streaming lossless audio applications.

[0033] In some implementations, the audio device may receive an indication from the WCD that the WCD is in silent mode. The audio device may send one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0034] Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of a WCD. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated and described with reference to process flows, audio data packets (e.g., audio data packet formats), communication timelines, encoding formats, and example XPAN topologies. Further, aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow charts relating to low-latency parameter updates for XPAN.

[0035] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a wireless communication system 100 (also known as a wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi network) configured in accordance with the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include an access point (AP) 105 and multiple associated devices 115 (such as stations (STAs) or SAPs, which may represent devices such as mobile stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptop computers, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, etc.), printers, and the like). The AP 105 and associated devices 115 (e.g., associated STAs) may represent a basic service set (BSS) or an extended service set (ESS). Devices 115 in the network can communicate with each other through the AP 105. Also shown is a coverage area 110 of the AP 105, which may represent a basic service area (BSA) of the wireless communication system 100. Extended network stations (not shown) associated with the wireless communication system 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system, which may allow multiple APs 105 to connect in an ESS.

[0036] although Figure 1Although not shown, a device 115 may be located at the intersection of more than one coverage area 110 and may be associated with more than one AP 105. A collection of individual APs 105 and associated devices 115 may be referred to as a BSS. An ESS is a collection of connected BSSs. A distribution system (not shown) may be used to connect the APs 105 in an ESS. In some cases, the coverage area 110 of an AP 105 may be divided into sectors (also not shown). The wireless communication system 100 may include APs 105 of different types (e.g., metropolitan area, home network, etc.) with varying and overlapping coverage areas 110. Two devices 115 may also communicate directly via a direct wireless communication link 125, regardless of whether the two devices 115 are located in the same coverage area 110. Examples of direct wireless communication links 120 may include Wi-Fi Direct connections, Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) links, and other group connections. Device 115 and AP 105 may communicate in accordance with WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical and MAC layers from IEEE 802.11, including but not limited to versions of 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ax, etc. In other implementations, peer-to-peer connections or ad hoc networks may be implemented within wireless communication system 100.

[0037] In some cases, a device 115 (or AP 105) may be detectable by the central AP 105 but undetectable by other devices 115 within the central AP's 105 coverage area 110. For example, one device 115 may be located at one end of the central AP's 105 coverage area 110, while another device 115 may be located at the other end. Consequently, both devices 115 may communicate with the AP 105 but may not receive each other's transmissions. This may result in colliding transmissions for the two devices 115 in a contention-based environment (e.g., Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA)), as the devices 115 may be unable to avoid transmitting over each other. A device 115 whose transmissions are unidentifiable but located within the same coverage area 110 may be referred to as a hidden node. CSMA / CA can be supplemented by exchanging request-to-send (RTS) packets sent by the transmitting device 115 (or AP 105) and clear-to-send (CTS) packets sent by the receiving device 115 (or AP 105). This can warn other devices within range of the transmitter and receiver not to transmit for the duration of the primary transmission.Thus, RTS and / or CTS can help alleviate the hidden node problem.

[0038] The wireless communication system 100 may include an AP 105, a device 115 (e.g., which may be referred to as a source device, a central device, etc.), and a paired device 115 (e.g., which may be referred to as a sink device, a peripheral device, etc.) that implements WLAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication) and / or Bluetooth communication. For example, the device 115 may include a cellular phone, a user equipment (UE), a wireless station (STA), a mobile station, a PDA, other handheld devices, a netbook, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or some other suitable terminology. The paired device 115 may include a Bluetooth-enabled device capable of pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., such as the device 115), and may include wireless audio devices (e.g., headsets, earbuds, speakers, handsets, headphones), display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors), microphones, meters, valves, etc.

[0039] "Bluetooth communication" may refer to a short-range communication protocol and may be used to connect and exchange information between device 115 and a paired device 115 (e.g., between a mobile phone, computer, digital camera, wireless headset, speaker, keyboard, mouse, or other input peripheral, and the like). A Bluetooth system (e.g., aspects of wireless communication system 100) may be organized using a central-peripheral relationship employing a time-division duplex protocol with defined time slots, such as 625 microseconds, where transmissions alternate between a central device (e.g., device 115) and one or more peripheral devices (e.g., paired devices 115). In some examples, "device" 115 may generally refer to a central device, and "paired device" 115 may refer to a peripheral device within wireless communication system 100. Thus, in some examples, a device may be referred to as either device 115 or paired device 115 based on its Bluetooth role configuration. That is, designating a device as device 115 or paired device 115 may not necessarily indicate a distinction in device capabilities, but rather may refer to or indicate the role the device plays within wireless communication system 100. In some cases, “device” 115 may refer to a WCD 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 peripheral role or to a short-range WCD capable of exchanging data signals with device 115 (e.g., using the Bluetooth communication protocol).

[0040] A communication link 125 may be established between two Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., between device 115 and paired device 115) and may provide communication or services (e.g., according to some Bluetooth profile). The controller stack may be responsible for establishing the communication link 125, such as an asynchronous connection-oriented link (or asynchronous connection-oriented connection), a synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) link (or SCO connection), an extended synchronous connection-oriented (eSCO) link (or eSCO connection), or other logical transport channel links. For example, a Bluetooth connection may be an eSCO connection for voice calls (e.g., which may allow retransmissions), an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) connection for music streaming (e.g., Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)), etc. eSCO packets may be sent in predetermined time slots (e.g., for eSCO, each packet is six Bluetooth time slots). Regular intervals between eSCO packets may be specified when establishing the Bluetooth link. eSCO packets to / from a particular device (e.g., paired device 115) are acknowledged and, if unacknowledged, may be retransmitted during a retransmission window. Additionally, audio may be streamed between the device 115 and the paired device 115 using an ACL connection (A2DP profile). In some cases, an ACL connection may occupy 1, 3, or 5 Bluetooth time slots used for data or voice. Other Bluetooth profiles supported by Bluetooth-enabled devices 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.

[0041] In some examples, a device may be capable of both Bluetooth and WLAN communications. For example, WLAN and Bluetooth components may be co-located within a device, enabling the device to communicate according to both Bluetooth and WLAN communication protocols, as each technology may provide different benefits or improve the user experience under different conditions. In some examples, Bluetooth and WLAN communications may share the same medium, such as the same unlicensed frequency medium. In such examples, device 115 may support WLAN communications via AP 105 (e.g., via communication link 120). AP 105 and associated devices 115 may represent a BSS or ESS. Various devices 115 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 BSA.

[0042] Devices 115 and AP 105 can communicate in accordance with WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical and MAC layers from IEEE 802.11, including but not limited to versions of 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ax, and the like. In other implementations, peer-to-peer connections or ad hoc networks can be implemented within wireless communication system 100, and devices can communicate with each other via communication links 120 (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct connections, Wi-Fi TDLS links, peer-to-peer communication links, other peer-to-peer or group connections). AP 105 can be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and can enable devices 115 to communicate via the network (or to communicate with other devices 115 coupled to AP 105). Devices 115 can communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, device 115 may communicate with an associated AP 105 via a downlink (eg, a communication link from the AP 105 to the device 115 ) and an uplink (eg, a communication link from the device 115 to the AP 105 ).

[0043] In some examples, the content, media, audio, etc. exchanged between device 115 and paired device 115 may originate from a WLAN. For example, in some examples, device 115 may receive audio from AP 105 (e.g., via WLAN communication), and device 115 may then relay or pass the audio to paired device 115 (e.g., via Bluetooth communication). In some examples, some types of Bluetooth communication (e.g., 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.

[0044] In some deployments, the WCD may support applications associated with low-latency or lossless audio to one or more other devices (such as one or more personal audio devices). For example, the WCD may support applications and use cases associated with ULL (such as ULL gaming) or streaming lossless audio to one or more personal audio devices (e.g., peripheral devices) of a user. In a scenario where a user uses two peripheral devices (e.g., wireless earbud 130-a and wireless earbud 130-b), the WCD may support XPAN, via which the WCD may communicate with both peripheral devices.

[0045] As mentioned above, Figure 1 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 1 An example of description.

[0046] Figure 2is an example diagram illustrating a wireless communication device 200 according to the present disclosure. In some instances, the wireless communication device 200 may be Figure 1 In other examples, the wireless communication device 200 may be Figure 1 In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 may be a Bluetooth enabled device (such as a BLE device).

[0047] As shown, wireless communication device 200 may include a processing element, such as processor(s) 202, which may execute program instructions for wireless communication device 200. Wireless communication device 200 may also include a display 242 that may perform graphics processing and present information to a user. Processor(s) 202 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240. MMU 240 may be configured to receive addresses from processor(s) 202 and translate the addresses into address locations in memory (such as memory 206, ROM 208, or flash memory 210) and / or other circuits or devices (such as display circuitry 204, radio 230, connector interface 220, and / or display 242). MMU 240 may also be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some aspects, MMU 240 may be included as part of processor(s) 202.

[0048] The processor(s) 202 may be coupled to other circuitry of the wireless communication device 200. For example, the wireless communication device 200 may include various types of memory, a connection interface 220 through which the wireless communication device 200 may communicate with a computer system, and a wireless communication subsystem that may send and receive data to and from other devices based on one or more wireless communication standards or protocols. For example, in some aspects, the wireless communication subsystem may include, but is not limited to, a wireless local area network (WLAN) subsystem, a Bluetooth subsystem, or a cellular subsystem (such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) subsystem). The wireless communication device 200 may include multiple antennas 235a, 235b, 235c, or 235d for performing wireless communications with wireless communication devices in, for example, a WPAN.

[0049] The wireless communication device 200 can be configured to implement part or all of the techniques described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), and / or through hardware or firmware operations. In other embodiments, the techniques described herein can be implemented at least in part by programmable hardware elements (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and / or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0050] In some aspects, radio 230 may include a separate controller configured to control communications for various corresponding radio access technology (RAT) protocols. Figure 2 As shown in , the radio 230 may include a WLAN controller 250 that manages WLAN communications, a Bluetooth controller 252 that manages Bluetooth and BLE communications, and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) controller 256 that manages WWAN communications. In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 may store and execute a WLAN software driver for controlling WLAN operations performed by the WLAN controller 250, a Bluetooth software driver for controlling Bluetooth operations performed by the Bluetooth controller 252, and / or a WWAN software driver for controlling WWAN operations performed by the WWAN controller 256.

[0051] In some implementations, a first coexistence interface 254 (such as a wired interface) can be used to transmit information between the WLAN controller 250 and the Bluetooth controller 252. In some other implementations, a second coexistence interface 258 can be used to transmit information between the WLAN controller 250 and the WWAN controller 256. In some other implementations, a third coexistence interface 260 can be used to transmit information between the Bluetooth controller 252 and the WWAN controller 256.

[0052] In some aspects, one or more of the WLAN controller 250, the Bluetooth controller 252, and / or the WWAN controller 256 may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or some combination thereof.

[0053] In some configurations, the WLAN controller 250 can be configured to use all of the antennas 235a, 235b, 235c, and 235d to communicate with a second device in the WPAN via a WLAN link. In some other configurations, the Bluetooth controller 252 can be configured to use one or more of the antennas 235a, 235b, 235c, and 235d to communicate with at least one second device in the WPAN. In some other configurations, the WWAN controller 256 can be configured to use all of the antennas 235a, 235b, 235c, and 235d to communicate with a second device in the WPAN. The WLAN controller 250, the Bluetooth controller 252, and / or the WWAN controller 256 can be configured to adjust the wake-up time interval and the shutdown time for the device.

[0054] Short-range wireless communication protocols such as BT, BLE and / or BR / EDR may include and / or use one or more other communication protocols, for example, to establish and maintain a communication link. Figure 1, the wireless communication device 200 may establish a communication link 125 with one or more audio devices (such as earbuds 130 - a or 130 - b ) according to at least one communication protocol for short-range wireless communication.

[0055] The communication link 125 may include a communication link that complies with protocols included and / or for use with BT, BLE, BR / EDR, etc. In one aspect, the communication link 125 may include an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) link. When operating as an ACL link, the communication link 125 may allow the device 115 (e.g., a source device) to connect or "pair" with a peripheral device (e.g., an audio device (e.g., earbuds 130-a or 130-b)). The connection is asynchronous because the two devices may not need to synchronize data communications with each other in time to allow communication of data packets via the communication link 125.

[0056] Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) can be used within the BT protocol stack (for simplicity, Figure 2 (not shown). The L2CAP connection may be established after the ACL link has been established. References to L2CAP in this disclosure may further apply to Enhanced L2CAP (EL2CAP), which may be an enhanced version of the L2CAP protocol that enables multiplexing of multiple logical data channels over a single radio connection.

[0057] In one aspect, communication link 125 may include an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) link. The A2DP link provides a point-to-point link between a source device, such as device 115, and a sync device, such as an audio device (e.g., earbuds 130-a or 130-b). Using the A2DP link, data packets including audio can be sent over an ACL data channel, and other information, such as for controlling the audio flow, can be sent over a separate control channel. This data packet can occur non-periodically.

[0058] In another aspect, the communication link 125 can support a synchronous logical transport mechanism between a source device (such as device 115) and a peripheral device (such as earbuds 130-a or 130-b). For example, the communication link 125 can include a synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) link that provides a symmetrical point-to-point link between the source device and the peripheral device using time slots reserved for BT communications. In some aspects, the SCO link may not support retransmission of data packets, which may be undesirable in audio streaming and / or voice use cases, where dropped audio or voice packets may reduce the quality of the user experience.

[0059] In yet another aspect, the communication link 125 may include an extended SCO (eSCO) link. The eSCO link may provide a symmetrical or asymmetrical point-to-point link between the source device and the peripheral device using time slots reserved for BT communications, and may also provide a retransmission window after the reserved time slots. Because the retransmission window may be used to facilitate retransmissions, the eSCO link may be suitable for audio streaming and / or voice use cases, as dropped audio or voice packets may be retransmitted, thereby increasing the probability of successfully receiving data packets.

[0060] In one aspect, communication link 125 may comprise an isochronous (ISO) link. When operating as an ISO link, communication link 125 may combine features of both synchronous and asynchronous links. For example, a stream on an ISO link may begin with a start packet, and data packets may be sent asynchronously thereafter. On an ISO link, the number of retransmission attempts by a transmitting device may be limited. Therefore, if a receiving device cannot decode a data packet within a limited number of retransmission attempts, the data packet may be discarded, and the receiving device may continue receiving the stream without the data from the discarded data packet.

[0061] In some aspects, the audio device includes: means for receiving an indication from a wireless communication device (WCD) that the WCD is in silent mode; and / or means for sending one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode. In some aspects, the means for the audio device to perform the operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of the Bluetooth controller 252 and the WWAN controller 256.

[0062] In some aspects, a wireless communication device (WCD) includes means for sending an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode; and / or means for receiving one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode. In some aspects, means for the wireless communication device (WCD) to perform the operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of the Bluetooth controller 252 and the WWAN controller 256.

[0063] As mentioned above, Figure 2 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 2 An example of description.

[0064] Figure 3 3 is a diagram illustrating an example 300 of a protocol stack (eg, a WPAN and / or Bluetooth protocol stack) according to the present disclosure. The protocol stack 300 may be implemented in a wireless communication device such as a Figure 1 For example, the BT protocol stack 300 may be provided by Figure 2 The BT protocol stack 300 is implemented by one or more of the processor(s) 202, memory 206, flash memory 210, ROM 208, radio 230, and / or Bluetooth controller 252. The BT protocol stack 300 may be organized into three layers, including an application layer 310, a host layer 320, and a controller layer 330.

[0065] The application layer 310 may be a user application that interfaces with other blocks and / or layers of the BT protocol stack 300. In some aspects, the application layer 310 may include one or more applications 312 and one or more Bluetooth profiles 314 that allow applications to communicate using Bluetooth and BLE. The host layer 320 may include upper layers of the BT protocol stack 300 and may use a host controller interface (HCI) 340 to communicate with controllers in wireless communication devices such as Figure 2 In some aspects, the host layer 320 may include a host stack 321 that can be used for application layer interface management to allow applications to access Bluetooth communications.

[0066] The controller layer 330 may comprise the lower layers of the BT protocol stack 300. The controller layer 330, which may be used for hardware interface management, link establishment, and link management, is shown as including a link manager (LM) 332, a link layer (LL) 334, and a physical (PHY) layer 336. The PHY layer 336 may include, for example, a radio and / or baseband processor. In some aspects, the PHY layer 336 may define the mechanisms for transmitting a bit stream over a physical link or channel connecting BT devices. The bit stream may be grouped into codewords or symbols and converted into data packets for transmission over a wireless transmission medium. The PHY layer 336 may provide an electrical, mechanical, and / or procedural interface to the wireless transmission medium. The PHY layer 336 may be responsible for modulating and demodulating data into radio frequency (RF) signals for over-the-air transmission. The PHY layer 336 may describe the physical characteristics of the wireless communication device's receiver / transmitter. These physical characteristics may include modulation characteristics, RF tolerance, sensitivity level, and the like.

[0067] The Link Layer 334 is responsible for low-level communications above the PHY Layer 336. It manages the sequence and timing for sending and receiving data packets and communicates connection parameters and data flow control with other devices using the Link Layer (LL) protocol. The Link Layer 334 also provides gatekeeping functionality to limit exposure and data exchange with other devices. If filtering is configured, the Link Layer 334 maintains a list of allowed devices and ignores all requests for data exchange from devices not on the list. The Link Layer 334 can also reduce power consumption. In some aspects, the Link Layer 334 may include a company-proprietary LL that can be used to discover peer devices and establish secure communication channels with them. In some aspects, the Link Layer 334 may be responsible for transmitting data packets between devices in the WPAN. Each data packet may include an access address that specifies the type of logical transport used to carry the data packet. Logical transports can exist between a master and a slave device. In addition, some logical transports can carry multiple logical links.

[0068] The link manager 332 may be responsible for establishing and configuring links, as well as managing tasks such as power change requests. Each type of logical link (such as an ACL link, an A2DP link, a SCO link, an eSCO link, an ISO link, etc.) may be associated with a specific packet type. For example, a SCO link may provide reserved channel bandwidth for communication between a master device and a slave device, and support regular, periodic exchange of data packets without retransmissions. An eSCO link may provide reserved channel bandwidth for communication between a source device and a peripheral device, and support regular, periodic exchange of data packets with retransmissions. From the time a connection is established between the source device and the peripheral device, an ACL link may exist between the source device and the peripheral device, and data packets for the ACL link may include encoded information in addition to the payload.

[0069] The link manager 332 can communicate with the host layer 320 using the HCI 340. In some instances, the link manager 332 can convert the HCI 340 commands into controller-level operations, such as baseband-level operations. The HCI 340 can act as a boundary between lower layers (such as between the controller layer 330, the host layer 320, and the application layer 310). The BT specification can define a standard HCI to support BT systems implemented across two separate processors. For example, a BT system on a computer can use the BT system's own processor to implement the lower layers of the BT protocol stack 300, such as the PHY layer 336, the link layer 334, and / or the link manager 332. In some aspects, the BT system can use the processor of the BT component to implement other layers of the BT protocol stack 300, such as, for example, the host layer 320 and the application layer 310.

[0070] Host layer 320 is shown as including Generic Access Profile (GAP) 322, Generic Attribute Protocol (GATT) 324, Security Manager (SM) 326, Attribute Protocol (ATT) 328, and L2CAP layer 329. GAP 322 can provide an interface for applications 312 to initiate, establish, and manage connections with other BT or BLE devices. GATT 324 can provide a service framework using an attribute protocol for discovering services and for reading and writing characteristic values ​​on peer devices. GATT 324 can interface with applications 312, for example, via a profile that can define a set of attributes and any permissions required to use the attributes in BT or BLE communications.

[0071] The security manager 326 may be responsible for device pairing and key distribution. The security manager protocol implemented by the security manager 326 may define how to perform communication with the security manager of the other BLE device. The security manager 326 provides additional cryptographic functionality that can be used by other components of the BT protocol stack 300. The architecture of the security manager 326 used in Bluetooth communication is designed to minimize resource requirements on peripheral devices by shifting work to a presumably more powerful central device. BLE uses a pairing mechanism for key distribution. The security manager 326 provides a mechanism for not only encrypting data but also providing data authentication.

[0072] ATT 328 comprises a client / server protocol based on attributes associated with BLE devices configured for specific purposes. Examples may include monitoring heart rate, temperature, broadcasting advertisements, etc. Attributes can be discovered, read, and written by peer devices. The set of operations performed by ATT 328 may include, but are not limited to, error handling, server configuration, looking up information, read operations, write operations, queuing writes, etc. ATT 328 can form the basis for data exchange between BT and BLE devices.

[0073] The L2CAP layer 329 may be implemented above the HCI 340 and may communicate with the controller layer 330 via the HCI 340. The L2CAP layer 329 may be primarily responsible for establishing connections across one or more existing logical links and for requesting additional links if a link does not exist. The L2CAP layer 329 may also implement multiplexing between different higher layer protocols, for example, to allow different applications to use a single link, such as a logical link, including an ACL link. In some implementations, the L2CAP layer 329 may encapsulate multiple protocols from upper layers into a data packet format (and vice versa). The L2CAP layer 329 may also split packets from upper layers with large data payloads into multiple packets, wherein the data payload is segmented into smaller data payloads that fit within the maximum payload size (e.g., 27 bytes) on the sending side.

[0074] In some standards and protocols, such as BLE and / or BR / EDR, device 115 may detect errors in packets and / or discarded / lost / unreceived packets by using cyclic redundancy check (CRC) verification and by using message integrity code (MIC) verification. MIC verification may be used when the packet is encrypted. For example, a failure of CRC verification may indicate one or more errors in the received packet, while a failure of MIC verification may indicate that another packet was not received (although a failure of CRC verification may also indicate that another packet was not received and / or a failure of MIC verification may also indicate one or more errors in the received packet).

[0075] CRC verification and MIC verification can be based on generating a CRC value and a MIC, respectively, based on a received packet, and comparing those generated CRC values ​​and MICs with the CRC and MICs, respectively, included in the received packet. Specifically, a receiving device (such as earbud 130-a or 130-b) receiving the packet can first generate a CRC value or CRC checksum based on the received packet (such as based on the payload included in the received packet and, if applicable, the MIC). The receiving device can compare the generated CRC value with the CRC value included in the received packet. If the generated CRC value matches the CRC value included in the received packet, the received packet passes CRC verification. The CRC-verified received packet can then be decrypted. However, if the generated CRC value does not match the CRC value included in the received packet, the receiving device can determine that the received packet failed CRC verification. If the receiving device determines that the received packet failed CRC verification, the received packet may contain errors and / or may be corrupted. In one configuration, the receiving device may discard received packets that fail CRC verification; however, in another configuration, the receiving device may attempt to recover the received packet, for example, using one or more error correction techniques.

[0076] If the received packet is encrypted and passes CRC verification, the receiving device can decrypt the received packet to obtain a decrypted payload and a decrypted MIC. For MIC verification, the receiving device can generate a MIC based on the decrypted payload and compare the generated MIC with the MIC obtained from the decrypted received packet. If the generated MIC matches the decrypted MIC, the receiving device can determine that the received packet was successfully decrypted. When the received packet is successfully decrypted, the decoded and decrypted payload of the received packet can be provided to another layer of the receiving device, such as a codec (codec) of the receiving device, which can cause the payload data of the received packet to be output by the receiving device as audio, for example, through a speaker of earbud 130-a or 130-b.

[0077] If the generated MIC does not match the decrypted MIC of the received packet, the receiving device may determine that the received packet was not successfully decrypted. When the received packet was not successfully decrypted, a different packet may have been lost, or the received packet may be erroneous or otherwise corrupted. In one configuration, the receiving device may discard the received packet that did not pass the MIC verification; however, in another configuration, the receiving device may attempt to recover the received packet.

[0078] As mentioned above, Figure 3 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 3 An example of description.

[0079] Figure 4 An example transmission 400 of data packets from a wireless communication device 410 to a peripheral device 420 over a communication link 430 is depicted in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 410 may be Figure 1 Device 115 or Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication device 200, and the peripheral device 420 may be Figure 1 130 - b or another audio device. In some cases, peripheral device 420 may be a pair of earbuds. Communication link 430 may be any suitable Bluetooth connection or link. In some instances, communication link 430 may be one or more of the following: an asynchronous connectionless (ACL) link, a logical link control and adaptation protocol (L2CAP) link, an advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) link, a synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) link, or an isochronous (ISO) link.

[0080] The wireless communication device 410 is shown as including an encoder 412 and a transmit buffer 414. The encoder 412 can be configured to encode data (such as audio or video data) using a specified bit rate. The transmit buffer 414 can be configured to queue data packets to be sent to the peripheral device 420 via the communication link 430. In some implementations, the data packets to be sent via the communication link 430 can have a predefined size based on, for example, the type of communication link 430 and / or the channel conditions associated with the communication link 430. In some aspects, the data encoded by the encoder 412 can be packetized into data packets of the predefined size. The wireless communication device 410 can dequeue the data packets from the transmit buffer 414 and send the data packets to the peripheral device 420 via the communication link 430.

[0081] The peripheral device 420 is shown as including a receive buffer 422 and a decoder 424. Data packets received via the communication link 430 may be queued or otherwise stored in the receive buffer 422. The data packets may be output from the receive buffer 422 and forwarded to the decoder 424. In some aspects, the decoder 424 may decode data (such as audio and / or video data) carried in the payload of the queued data packets and forward the decoded data to upper layers of the protocol stack for processing and playback to the user. In some implementations, the encoder 412 may encode a first encoder / decoder (codec) frame using a first bit rate and forward the first codec frame to the transmit buffer 414 for packetization for transmission to the peripheral device 420 via the communication link 430. The peripheral device 420 may queue the received data packets in the receive buffer 422 and may forward a first portion of the first codec frame to the decoder 424 for decoding.

[0082] As mentioned above, Figure 4 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 4 An example of description.

[0083] Figure 5 FIG2 is a block diagram illustrating another example wireless communication device 500 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 500 may be Figure 1 Equipment 115, Figure 2 Wireless communication device 200, or Figure 4 An example of a wireless communication device 410. Figure 5 In the example of the wireless communication device 500, a Figure 4 The peripheral device 420 establishes a communication link 430 (eg, a Bluetooth communication connection).

[0084] The wireless communication device 500 may include an application processing subsystem 510, an audio subsystem 520, a Bluetooth subsystem 530, and a host controller interface (HCI) 550. The application processing subsystem 510 (which may correspond to Figure 3 The BT protocol stack 300 (including at least some portions of the application layer 310 and the host layer 320) is shown to include a media player 511, an application layer (App) 512, a Bluetooth stack 513, and an audio interface 514. The media player 511 may be a suitable device or component capable of generating or receiving multimedia content including, for example, real-time audio streaming, real-time video streaming, real-time game streaming, and other latency-sensitive services. The App 512 (which may be Figure 3 An implementation of the application layer 310 of the present invention includes at least one Bluetooth profile that defines a set of properties and associated permissions to be used in Bluetooth or BLE communications. In some aspects, the application 512 may include processing resources, including (but not limited to) Figure 2 The Bluetooth stack 513 can be Figure 3 An implementation of the BT protocol stack 300.

[0085] The Bluetooth transmit driver 516 may include a split audio and packetization module (not shown for simplicity) that may packetize data, such as audio and / or video data, into Bluetooth frames that may be sent to the peripheral device 420 using the Bluetooth or BLE protocol.

[0086] The Bluetooth transmit driver 516 is connected to the audio subsystem 520 via an audio and control link 550. In some examples, the audio and control link 550 can be used to send encoded audio / video data and control signals between the Bluetooth transmit driver 516 and an audio / video digital signal processor (DSP) within the audio subsystem 520.

[0087] The Bluetooth transmit driver 516 is connected to a Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) controller 518 , which provides control of the transmission of information via the Bluetooth connection.

[0088] The audio subsystem 520 may include an encoder / decoder 522, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) 524, and one or more codecs 526. The encoder / decoder 522 may be used to sample audio / video data extracted from one or more packets received from another wireless communication device. The extracted audio / video data may be processed in the application processing subsystem 510 based at least in part on the Bluetooth profile. In some implementations, the encoder / decoder 522 may segment the sampled audio / video data into payloads that may be embedded within one or more Bluetooth packets for transmission to the peripheral device 420 via a Bluetooth or BLE connection. In some cases, the DSP 524 and / or the codec 526 may employ one or more encoding or decoding algorithms in conjunction with sampling the audio data.

[0089] The Bluetooth subsystem 530 may include baseband circuitry (CKT) 532 (e.g., Bluetooth baseband circuitry), Bluetooth firmware 534, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) circuitry 536, and PHY 538. The baseband circuitry 532 and Bluetooth firmware 534 may be used to generate baseband signals for constructing and deconstructing data frames based on the Bluetooth or BLE protocol. The baseband circuitry 532 and Bluetooth firmware 534 may also be used to generate carrier signals for upconverting baseband signals during data transmission and for downconverting received data signals to baseband. The A2DP circuitry 536 may be used to control or manage the A2DP link between the wireless communication device 500 and the peripheral device 420. Specifically, when the Bluetooth subsystem 530 is in receive mode, the PHY 538 may be used to receive, demodulate, and downconvert data packets received via the communication link 430, and forward the data packets to the application processing subsystem 510. When the Bluetooth subsystem 530 is in transmit mode, the PHY 538 may be used to encapsulate data provided from upper layers into one or more Bluetooth frames or packets for transmission to the peripheral device 420 over the communication link 430 .

[0090] As mentioned above, Figure 5 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 5 An example of description.

[0091] Figure 6 Figures illustrate examples 600 and 650 of wireless communication links according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 6 In the context of , a WCD (eg, device 105 ) may communicate with an audio device (eg, wireless earbuds 130 ) via an audio link.

[0092] As shown in example 600, a WCD and an audio device can communicate while the WCD is in an unmuted state. The WCD can provide downlink (DL) communications 602 to the audio device, and the audio device can provide uplink (UL) communications 604 to the WCD. UL communications 604 can include audio data obtained and encoded by the audio device for transmission as a packetized connected isochronous stream (CIS). For example, a microphone of the audio device can capture audio input via the microphone and can transmit the audio input to the WCD.

[0093] The WCD may use audio input in communicating with another device. For example, the WCD may connect to an additional device for audio and / or video calls (e.g., via the Internet or another network). As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD may provide audio input captured by the audio device to the additional device.

[0094] As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD and audio device may continue to exchange UL and DL communications, as shown by DL communication 606 , UL communication 608 , DL communication 610 , and UL communication 612 .

[0095] As shown in example 650, the WCD and the audio device can communicate while the WCD is in a muted state. The WCD can provide DL communications 652 to the audio device, and the audio device can provide UL communications 654 to the WCD. However, based at least in part on the WCD being in a muted state (e.g., for communicating with an additional device), the WCD can discard the audio input and not send it to the additional device.

[0096] As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD and audio device may continue to exchange UL and DL communications, as shown by DL communications 656 , UL communications 658 , DL communications 660 , and UL communications 662 .

[0097] Each of UL communications 654 and 658 may unnecessarily consume power, computing, and communication resources of the audio device based at least in part on capturing and transmitting audio data not intended for the WCD (based at least in part on the communication link being in silent mode).

[0098] As mentioned above, Figure 6 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 6 An example of description.

[0099] In some aspects described herein, a WCD (e.g., a central device, a host device, a STA, or another computer) can send an indication to an audio device (e.g., via a BLE link) that the WCD is initiating a silent mode or canceling a silent mode. For example, the WCD can initiate a silent mode or cancel a silent mode (e.g., return from a silent mode) based at least in part on receiving input from a user or an attached device communicating with the WCD via a communication stream (e.g., an audio and / or video call).

[0100] The audio device (e.g., a peripheral device such as an earbud) may transmit a null packet (e.g., a CIS packet), disable a microphone of the audio device, and / or disable an encoder and related algorithms based at least in part on receiving an indication that the WCD is initiating a silent mode. Similarly, the audio device may transmit audio data, enable a microphone of the audio device, and / or enable an encoder and related algorithms based at least in part on receiving an indication that the WCD is exiting a silent mode (e.g., initiating an unmute mode).

[0101] Based at least in part on the audio device disabling one or more functions and / or sending one or more null packets while the WCD is in silent mode, the audio device can conserve power, computing, and communication resources of the audio device that might otherwise be used to capture and transmit audio data for a communication link not intended for the WCD (based at least in part on being in silent mode).

[0102] Figure 7 is a diagram of an example 700 associated with silent mode operation of an audio device according to the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown in , a WCD (eg, a UE, a host device, and / or an audio source, among other examples) may communicate with an audio device (eg, 130 - a or 130 - b ).

[0103] The WCD and the audio device may establish a connection for audio data, as indicated by reference numeral 705. In some aspects, the connection may include a first link associated with BLE information (e.g., control information) and a second link associated with audio data (e.g., audio data for presentation by the audio device and audio data captured by the audio device for transmission to the WCD).

[0104] As shown in reference numeral 710, the WCD can establish a communication link including audio data. For example, the WCD can establish an audio and / or video call with one or more attached devices. In some aspects, the WCD can be a member of a virtual conference with multiple attached devices. In the virtual conference, when one of the multiple attached devices provides audio data for presentation to the WCD and the multiple attached devices, the WCD and / or one or more of the multiple attached devices can be muted (e.g., to stop transmitting audio data) to reduce background noise.

[0105] As shown at 715, the WCD may receive input to enter a silent mode. In some aspects, the WCD may receive input to enter a silent mode from a user of the WCD or from an attached device associated with the communication link (e.g., a conference host). The silent mode may be associated with an audio stream from the WCD to one or more attached devices.

[0106] As indicated by reference numeral 720 , the WCD may provide an indication of silent mode to the WCD's BLE host (eg, host layer 320 and / or host stack 321 , among other examples).

[0107] As shown in reference numeral 725, the audio device may receive and the WCD may send an indication that the WCD is in silent mode. In some aspects, the WCD may send the indication that the WCD is in silent mode via a first link (e.g., a low energy link, such as a BLE link) that is separate from a second link associated with communication of audio data. The first link may use a different communication protocol, a different frequency bandwidth, and / or a different channel than the second link.

[0108] As indicated by reference numeral 730 , the audio device may provide an indication of the silent mode to the BLE host of the audio device (eg, the host layer 320 and / or the host stack 321 , among other examples).

[0109] As shown at 735, the audio device may disable one or more functions for transmitting to the WCD. In some aspects, disabling the one or more functions of the audio device may include disabling one or more functions associated with communicating with the WCD (e.g., capturing and providing audio data to the WCD). In some aspects, the one or more functions may be associated with a microphone of the audio device, an encoder of the audio device, and / or an uplink audio data processor of the audio device.

[0110] As shown in reference numeral 740, during silent mode, audio equipment can send and WCD can receive one or more empty packets.In some aspects, audio equipment can send one or more empty packets via the second link.In some aspects, one or more empty packets can comprise one or more packets that do not have the audio data from the microphone of audio equipment.For example, one or more empty packets can comprise one or more headers, synchronization information and / or other information based on overhead.In some aspects, one or more empty packets do not comprise the audio data from the microphone of audio equipment, through coded data and / or at least partially based on the CIS data packet of captured audio data, and other examples.

[0111] In some aspects, one or more null packets can occupy reduced air time relative to packets with data. For example, an audio packet can comprise approximately 300 microseconds, while a null packet can comprise approximately 44 microseconds. Based at least in part on occupying reduced air time, the audio device and WCD can conserve network, power, computing, and communication resources that might otherwise be used to communicate the audio packets.

[0112] As shown at reference numeral 745, the audio device may receive and the WCD may send an indication that the WCD is no longer in silent mode. For example, the indication may initiate a cancellation of silent mode.

[0113] As shown at reference numeral 750, the audio device may provide an indication of a mute mode (e.g., an indication that the state of the WCD is in an unmute mode or that the WCD is no longer in mute mode) to the BLE host of the audio device (e.g., host layer 320 and / or host stack 321, among other examples).

[0114] As shown by reference numeral 755, the audio device can enable one or more functions for transmitting to the WCD. In some aspects, enabling the one or more functions of the audio device can include enabling one or more functions associated with communicating with the WCD (e.g., capturing and providing audio data to the WCD). In some aspects, the one or more functions can be associated with a microphone of the audio device, an encoder of the audio device, and / or an uplink audio data processor of the audio device.

[0115] As indicated by reference numeral 760, when not in mute mode (eg, in unmute mode), the audio device may transmit and the WCD may receive one or more audio packets.

[0116] Based at least in part on the audio device disabling one or more functions and / or sending one or more null packets while the WCD is in silent mode, the audio device can conserve power, computing, and communication resources of the audio device that might otherwise be used to capture and transmit audio data for a communication link not intended for the WCD (based at least in part on being in silent mode).

[0117] As mentioned above, Figure 7 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 7 An example of description.

[0118] Figure 8 Figures illustrate examples 800 and 850 of wireless communication links according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8 In the context of , a WCD (eg, device 105 ) may communicate with an audio device (eg, wireless earbuds 130 ) via an audio link.

[0119] As shown in example 800, a WCD and an audio device can communicate when the WCD is in an unmuted state. The WCD can provide DL communications 802 to the audio device, and the audio device can provide UL communications 804 to the WCD. UL communications 804 can include audio data obtained and encoded by the audio device for transmission as a packetized CIS. For example, a microphone of the audio device can capture audio input via the microphone and can send the audio input to the WCD.

[0120] The WCD may use audio input in communicating with another device. For example, the WCD may connect to an additional device for audio and / or video calls (e.g., via the Internet or another network). As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD may provide audio input captured by the audio device to the additional device.

[0121] As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD and audio device may continue to exchange UL and DL communications, as shown by DL communications 806 , UL communications 808 , DL communications 810 , and UL communications 812 .

[0122] As shown in example 850, the WCD and the audio device can communicate while the WCD is in a silent state. The WCD can provide DL communications 852 to the audio device, and the audio device can provide null packets 854 to the WCD. Null packets 854 can have reduced air time relative to UL communications 804 based, at least in part, on not carrying audio data in the payload. In this way, the WCD and the audio device can conserve power and computing resources that might otherwise have been used to communicate audio data that would be discarded based, at least in part, on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0123] As part of the audio and / or video call, the WCD and audio device may continue to exchange DL communications and null packets, as shown by DL communication 856 , null packet 858 , DL communication 860 , and null packet 862 .

[0124] As mentioned above, Figure 8 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 8 An example of description.

[0125] Figure 9 Figures illustrate examples 900 and 950 of wireless communication links according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 9 In the context of , a WCD (eg, device 105 ) may communicate with an audio device (eg, wireless earbuds 130 ) via an audio link.

[0126] As shown in example 900, a WCD may have a transmit chain for communicating with an audio device. The transmit chain may include providing audio data 902 to an encoder 904. The encoder 904 may encode the audio data 902 into a BLE CIS packet 906 for transmission to the audio device.

[0127] The WCD may also have a receive chain for communicating with an audio device. The receive chain may include receiving a BLE CIS packet 908 , which is provided to a decoder 910 , which decodes the BLE CIS packet 908 into audio data 912 .

[0128] The audio device may have a transmit chain for communicating with the WCD. The transmit chain may include providing audio data 914 to an encoder 916. The encoder 916 may encode the audio data 914 into a BLE CIS packet 918 for transmission to the WCD (eg, to the WCD's receive chain).

[0129] The audio device may also have a receive chain for communicating with the WCD. The receive chain may include receiving a BLE CIS packet 920 , which is provided to a decoder 922 , which decodes the BLE CIS packet 920 into audio data 924 .

[0130] As shown in example 950, the audio device can disable capturing and / or generating audio data 914. For example, the audio device can disable a microphone configured to capture audio data to provide to the WCD. Additionally or alternatively, the audio device can disable an encoder 916.

[0131] Based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode and the WCD indicating silent mode to the audio device, the audio device may send a BLE null packet 926 to the WCD in place of the BLE CIS packet 918 that may have been sent to the WCD. The BLE null packet 926 may occupy reduced air time and / or may exclude audio data relative to the BLE CIS packet 918.

[0132] As mentioned above, Figure 9 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those regarding Figure 9 An example of description.

[0133] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example process 1000 performed, for example, by an audio device in accordance with the present disclosure. The example process 1000 is an example in which an audio device (eg, earbud 130) performs operations associated with silent mode operation of the audio device.

[0134] like Figure 10As shown in FIG, in some aspects, process 1000 may include receiving an indication from a WCD that the WCD is in silent mode (block 1010). For example, as described above, an audio device (e.g., using Figure 12 Depicted receiving component 1202 and / or communications manager 1208) can receive an indication from a WCD that the WCD is in silent mode.

[0135] like Figure 10 As further shown in FIG, in some aspects, process 1000 may include sending one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode (block 1020). For example, as described above, an audio device (e.g., using Figure 12 Depicted transmitting component 1204 and / or communications manager 1208) can transmit one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0136] Process 1000 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0137] In a first aspect, receiving an indication that the WCD is in silent mode includes receiving the indication via a first link, and sending one or more null packets includes sending the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

[0138] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the first link comprises a low energy link and the second link comprises an audio link.

[0139] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, process 1000 includes disabling one or more of a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing for communications with a WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0140] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to third aspects, the one or more null packets include one or more packets having no audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

[0141] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fourth aspects, sending one or more null packets comprises sending one or more null packets with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

[0142] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fifth aspects, process 1000 comprises: receiving, from the WCD and after sending one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in silent mode; and sending one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0143] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to sixth aspects, a silent mode is associated with audio streaming from the WCD to the attached device.

[0144] Although Figure 10 Example blocks of process 1000 are shown, but in some aspects, Figure 10 Process 1000 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 1000 may be performed in parallel.

[0145] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example process 1100 performed, for example, by a WCD, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 1100 is an example in which a WCD (eg, WCD 115) performs operations associated with silent mode operation of an audio device.

[0146] like Figure 11 As shown in FIG, in some aspects, process 1100 may include sending an indication to the audio device that the WCD is in silent mode (block 1110). For example, as described above, the WCD (e.g., using Figure 13 Depicted sending component 1304 and / or communication manager 1308) can send an indication to the audio device that the WCD is in silent mode.

[0147] like Figure 11 As further shown in FIG, in some aspects, process 1100 may include receiving one or more null packets from an audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode (block 1120). For example, as described above, a WCD (e.g., using Figure 13 The depicted receiving component 1302 and / or communication manager 1308) can receive one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0148] Process 1100 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0149] In a first aspect, sending an indication that the WCD is in silent mode includes receiving the indication via a first link, wherein receiving one or more null packets includes sending the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

[0150] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the first link comprises a low energy link and the second link comprises an audio link.

[0151] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, process 1100 includes disabling one or more of a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing for communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0152] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to third aspects, the one or more null packets include one or more packets having no audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

[0153] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fourth aspects, sending one or more null packets comprises sending one or more null packets with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

[0154] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fifth aspects, process 1100 comprises: receiving, from the WCD and after sending one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in silent mode; and sending one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0155] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to sixth aspects, a silent mode is associated with audio streaming from the WCD to the attached device.

[0156] Although Figure 11 Example blocks of process 1100 are shown, but in some aspects, Figure 11 The process 1100 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of the process 1100 may be performed in parallel.

[0157] Figure 12 1 is a diagram of an example apparatus 1200 for wireless communication according to the present disclosure. Apparatus 1200 may be an audio device, or an audio device may include apparatus 1200. In some aspects, apparatus 1200 includes a receiving component 1202, a transmitting component 1204, and / or a communication manager 1208 that may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses and / or one or more other components). As shown, apparatus 1200 may communicate with another apparatus 1206, such as a UE or a network node (such as a CU, DU, RU, or base station), using receiving component 1202 and transmitting component 1204.

[0158] In some aspects, the apparatus 1200 may be configured to perform the Figure 7-9 Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 1200 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as Figure 10 Process 1000. In some aspects, Figure 12 The device 1200 and / or one or more components shown may include the above-mentioned Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of the audio device described. Figure 12 One or more of the components shown may be implemented in conjunction with Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, one or more components in the component set may be at least partially implemented as software stored in a memory. For example, a component (or portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by a controller or processor to perform the function or operation of the component.

[0159] The receiving component 1202 may receive communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, from the apparatus 1206. The receiving component 1202 may provide the received communications to one or more other components of the apparatus 1200. In some aspects, the receiving component 1202 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, demapping, equalization, interference cancellation, or decoding, etc.) on the received communications and may provide the processed signals to one or more other components of the apparatus 1200. In some aspects, the receiving component 1202 may include a processor coupled to a processor. Figure 2 The described audio device may include one or more antennas, modems, demodulators, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detectors, receive processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof.

[0160] The transmitting component 1204 may transmit communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, to the apparatus 1206. In some aspects, one or more other components of the apparatus 1200 may generate communications and may provide the generated communications to the transmitting component 1204 for transmission to the apparatus 1206. In some aspects, the transmitting component 1204 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, or encoding, etc.) on the generated communications and may transmit the processed signals to the apparatus 1206. In some aspects, the transmitting component 1204 may include a combination of Figure 2One or more antennas, modems, modulators, transmit MIMO processors, transmit processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof of the described audio devices. In some aspects, the transmit component 1204 can be co-located with the receive component 1202 in a transceiver.

[0161] The communication manager 1208 can support the operation of the receiving component 1202 and / or the sending component 1204. For example, the communication manager 1208 can receive information associated with configuring the reception of communications by the receiving component 1202 and / or the sending of communications by the sending component 1204. Additionally or alternatively, the communication manager 1208 can generate control information and / or provide control information to the receiving component 1202 and / or the sending component 1204 to control the reception and / or sending of communications.

[0162] Receiving component 1202 can receive an indication from the WCD that the WCD is in silent mode. Sending component 1204 can send one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0163] Communications manager 1208 may disable one or more of a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing for communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0164] Receiving component 1202 can receive, from the WCD and after sending one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in silent mode.

[0165] Sending component 1204 can send one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0166] Figure 12 The number and arrangement of components shown are provided as examples. Figure 12 There may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or components arranged differently than those shown. Figure 12 Two or more components shown may be implemented in a single component, or Figure 12 The single component shown may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 12 The illustrated set of component(s) may perform the operations described as being performed by Figure 12 Another collection of components shown performs one or more functions.

[0167] Figure 131 is a diagram of an example apparatus 1300 for wireless communication according to the present disclosure. Apparatus 1300 may be a WCD, or a WCD may include apparatus 1300. In some aspects, apparatus 1300 includes a receiving component 1302, a transmitting component 1304, and / or a communication manager 1308 that may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses and / or one or more other components). As shown, apparatus 1300 may communicate with another apparatus 1306 (such as a UE or a network node) using receiving component 1302 and transmitting component 1304.

[0168] In some aspects, the apparatus 1300 may be configured to perform the Figure 7-9 Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 1300 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as Figure 11 Process 1100. In some aspects, Figure 13 The illustrated apparatus 1300 and / or one or more components may include a combination of Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of the WCD described. Figure 13 One or more of the components shown may be implemented in conjunction with Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, one or more components in the component set may be at least partially implemented as software stored in a memory. For example, a component (or portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by a controller or processor to perform the function or operation of the component.

[0169] The receiving component 1302 may receive communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, from the apparatus 1306. The receiving component 1302 may provide the received communications to one or more other components of the apparatus 1300. In some aspects, the receiving component 1302 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, demapping, equalization, interference cancellation, or decoding, etc.) on the received communications and may provide the processed signals to one or more other components of the apparatus 1300. In some aspects, the receiving component 1302 may include a processor coupled to a processor. Figure 2 One or more antennas, modems, demodulators, MIMO detectors, receive processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof of the described WCDs.

[0170] Transmit component 1304 may transmit communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, to apparatus 1306. In some aspects, one or more other components of apparatus 1300 may generate communications and may provide the generated communications to transmit component 1304 for transmission to apparatus 1306. In some aspects, transmit component 1304 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, or encoding, etc.) on the generated communications and may transmit the processed signals to apparatus 1306. In some aspects, transmit component 1304 may include a combination of Figure 2 One or more antennas, modems, modulators, transmit MIMO processors, transmit processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof of the described WCD. In some aspects, transmit component 1304 can be co-located with receive component 1302 in a transceiver.

[0171] The communication manager 1308 can support the operation of the receiving component 1302 and / or the sending component 1304. For example, the communication manager 1308 can receive information associated with configuring the reception of communications by the receiving component 1302 and / or the sending of communications by the sending component 1304. Additionally or alternatively, the communication manager 1308 can generate control information and / or provide control information to the receiving component 1302 and / or the sending component 1304 to control the reception and / or sending of communications.

[0172] Sending component 1304 can send an indication to the audio device that the WCD is in silent mode.Receiving component 1302 can receive one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in silent mode.

[0173] Communications manager 1308 may disable one or more of a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing for communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0174] Receiving component 1302 can receive, from the WCD and after sending one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in silent mode.

[0175] Sending component 1304 can send one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0176] Figure 13 The number and arrangement of components shown are provided as examples. Figure 13 There may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or components arranged differently than those shown. Figure 13 Two or more components shown may be implemented in a single component, or Figure 13The single component shown may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 13 The illustrated set of component(s) may perform the operations described as being performed by Figure 13 Another collection of components shown performs one or more functions.

[0177] The following provides an overview of some aspects of the disclosure:

[0178] Aspect 1: A method of wireless communication performed by an audio device, comprising: receiving an indication from a wireless communication device (WCD) that the WCD is in a silent mode; and sending one or more null packets to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode.

[0179] Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1, wherein receiving an indication that the WCD is in silent mode comprises receiving the indication via a first link, and wherein sending one or more null packets comprises sending one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

[0180] Aspect 3: The method of aspect 2, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and wherein the second link comprises an audio link.

[0181] Aspect 4: The method of any of Aspects 1-3, further comprising disabling one or more of the following for communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode: a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing.

[0182] Aspect 5: The method of any of aspects 1-4, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

[0183] Aspect 6: The method of any of aspects 1-5, wherein sending one or more null packets comprises sending the one or more null packets with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

[0184] Aspect 7: The method of any of Aspects 1-6, further comprising: receiving an indication from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets that the WCD is no longer in silent mode; and sending the one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0185] Aspect 8: The method of any of Aspects 1-7, wherein the silent mode is associated with audio streaming from the WCD to the attached device.

[0186] Aspect 9: A method of wireless communication performed by a wireless communication device (WCD), comprising: sending an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in a silent mode; and receiving one or more null packets from the audio device based at least in part on being in the silent mode.

[0187] Aspect 10: The method of aspect 9, wherein sending the indication that the WCD is in silent mode comprises receiving the indication via a first link, wherein receiving the one or more null packets comprises sending the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

[0188] Aspect 11: The method of aspect 10, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and wherein the second link comprises an audio link.

[0189] Aspect 12: The method of any of Aspects 9-11, further comprising disabling one or more of: a microphone, an encoder, or uplink audio data processing for communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in silent mode.

[0190] Aspect 13: The method of any of aspects 9-12, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

[0191] Aspect 14: The method of any of aspects 9-13, wherein sending one or more null packets comprises sending the one or more null packets with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

[0192] Aspect 15: The method of any of Aspects 9-14, further comprising: receiving an indication from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets that the WCD is no longer in silent mode; and sending the one or more packets with audio data to the WCD.

[0193] Aspect 16: The method of any of Aspects 9-15, wherein the silent mode is associated with audio streaming from the WCD to the attached device.

[0194] Aspect 17: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, 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 the method of one or more of aspects 1-16.

[0195] Aspect 18: A device for wireless communication, comprising a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1-16.

[0196] Aspect 19: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising at least one component for performing the method of one or more of aspects 1-16.

[0197] Aspect 20: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1-16.

[0198] Aspect 21: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1-16.

[0199] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of these aspects.

[0200] Further disclosure is included in the appendix. The appendix is ​​provided as an example only and is considered part of the specification. The definitions, illustrations, or other descriptions in the appendix do not replace or override similar information included in the detailed description or the drawings. In addition, the definitions, illustrations, or other descriptions in the detailed description or the drawings do not replace or override similar information included in the appendix. In addition, the appendix is ​​not intended to limit the possible aspects of the disclosure.

[0201] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as a combination of hardware and / or hardware and software. Whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language or other, "software" should be broadly interpreted as meaning instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, processes and / or functions, etc. As used herein, a "processor" is implemented in a combination of hardware and / or hardware and software. It will be apparent that the system and / or method described herein can be implemented in different forms of hardware and / or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code for implementing these systems and / or methods is not a limitation to these aspects. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the system and / or method are described herein without reference to specific software code, as those skilled in the art will appreciate that software and hardware can be designed to implement the system and / or method at least in part based on the description herein.

[0202] As used herein, "satisfying a threshold" may refer to a value being greater than a threshold, greater than or equal to a threshold, less than a threshold, less than or equal to a threshold, equal to a threshold, not equal to a threshold, etc., depending on the context.

[0203] Even if a specific combination of features is stated in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various aspects. Many of these features can be combined in a manner not specifically stated in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. The disclosure of various aspects includes the combination of each dependent claim with each other claim in the claim set. As used herein, the phrase "at least one" in the list of reference items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of a, b or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, a+b, a+c, b+c and a+b+c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same elements (e.g., a+a, a+a+a, a+a+b, a+a+c, a+b+b, a+c+c, b+b, b+b+b, b+b+c, c+c and c+c+c, or any other arrangement of a, b and c).

[0204] As used herein, the elements, actions or instructions should not be interpreted as being critical or necessary unless explicitly described as such. In addition, as used herein, the articles "one" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the article "the" is intended to include one or more items cited in conjunction with the article "the" and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the terms "set" and "group" are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In the case of only one item being meant, the phrase "only one" or similar language is used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "having", "with", "containing" etc. are intended to be open terms, which do not limit the elements modified thereto (for example, an element "having" A may also have B). In addition, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "at least partially based on", unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" when used in a series is intended to be inclusive and may be used interchangeably with "and / or" unless expressly stated otherwise (e.g., if used in conjunction with "either" or "only one of").

Claims

1. An audio device for wireless communication, comprising: Memory; as well as one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to: receiving an indication from a wireless communication device (WCD) that the WCD is in a silent mode; and One or more null packets are sent to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode.

2. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein to receive the indication that the WCD is in the silent mode, the one or more processors are configured to receive the indication via a first link, and To transmit the one or more null packets, the one or more processors are configured to transmit the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

3. The audio device of claim 2, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and The second link includes an audio link.

4. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable, with respect to communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode, one or more of: microphone, encoder, or Uplink data processing.

5. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

6. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein to send the one or more null packets, the one or more processors are configured to: The one or more null packets are sent with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

7. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receiving, from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in the silent mode; and One or more packets with audio data are sent to the WCD.

8. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the silent mode is associated with audio streaming from the WCD to an attached device.

9. A wireless communication device (WCD) for wireless communication, comprising: Memory; as well as one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to: sending an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode; and One or more null packets are received from the audio device based at least in part on being in the silent mode.

10. The WCD of claim 9, wherein to send the indication that the WCD is in the silent mode, the one or more processors are configured to receive the indication via a first link, Wherein, to receive the one or more null packets, the one or more processors are configured to send the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

11. The WCD of claim 10, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and The second link includes an audio link.

12. The WCD of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable, with respect to communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode, one or more of: microphone, encoder, or Uplink data processing.

13. The WCD of claim 9, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

14. The WCD of claim 9, wherein to send the one or more null packets, the one or more processors are configured to: The one or more null packets are sent with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

15. The WCD of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receiving, from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in the silent mode; and One or more packets with audio data are sent to the WCD.

16. The WCD of claim 9, wherein the silent mode is associated with streaming audio from the WCD to an attached device.

17. A method of wireless communication performed by an audio device, comprising: receiving an indication from a wireless communication device (WCD) that the WCD is in a silent mode; as well as One or more null packets are sent to the WCD based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the indication that the WCD is in the silent mode comprises receiving the indication via a first link, and Wherein sending the one or more null packets comprises sending the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and The second link includes an audio link.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising disabling one or more of the following with respect to communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode: microphone, encoder, or Uplink data processing.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein sending the one or more null packets comprises: The one or more null packets are sent with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in the silent mode; as well as One or more packets with audio data are sent to the WCD.

24. A method of wireless communication performed by a wireless communication device (WCD), comprising: sending an indication to an audio device that the WCD is in silent mode; as well as One or more null packets are received from the audio device based at least in part on being in the silent mode.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein sending the indication that the WCD is in the silent mode comprises receiving the indication via a first link, Wherein receiving the one or more null packets comprises sending the one or more null packets via a second link different from the first link.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first link comprises a low energy link, and The second link includes an audio link.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising disabling one or more of the following with respect to communications with the WCD and based at least in part on the WCD being in the silent mode: microphone, encoder, or Uplink data processing.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more null packets include one or more packets without audio data from a microphone of the audio device.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein sending the one or more null packets comprises: The one or more null packets are sent with reduced air time relative to packets with audio data.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising: receiving, from the WCD and after sending the one or more null packets, an indication that the WCD is no longer in the silent mode; as well as One or more packets with audio data are sent to the WCD.

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