Techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on presence of speech

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems for techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech. Some aspects are more particularly directed to selecting packet lengths based on the presence or absence of speech in audio data. For example, a wireless audio device may determine whether a set of audio data contains speech, and may select a length of a corresponding packet based on whether the audio data contains speech. In accordance with the wireless audio device determining that there is no speech in the audio data, the wireless audio device may transmit a packet having a length associated with the absence of the payload portion. Alternatively, in accordance with the wireless audio device determining that the audio data contains speech, the wireless audio device may transmit a packet having a length associated with the presence of the payload portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more specifically to techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech.

[0002] Related technical descriptions

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, message sending and receiving, and broadcasting. These systems can be multiple access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources, such as time, frequency, and power. Wireless networks (such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), Wi-Fi (such as IEEE 802.11 networks) can include access points (APs) that can communicate with one or more wireless or mobile devices. APs can be coupled to networks such as the Internet and enable mobile devices to communicate via the network (or with other devices coupled to the AP). Wireless devices can communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, a device can communicate with an associated AP via a downlink (such as a communication link from the AP to the device) and an uplink (such as a communication link from the device to the AP). Wireless personal area networks (PANs) (which may include Bluetooth connectivity) can provide short-range wireless connections between two or more paired wireless devices. For example, a wireless device (such as a cellular phone) can use wireless PAN communication to exchange information such as audio signals with a wireless headset.

[0004] In some systems, two or more wireless devices can exchange audio data with each other, such as via a Bluetooth connection. For example, a first wireless device can generate and send one or more packets, and a second wireless device can receive and decode one or more packets. Packets can be associated with a length and a corresponding airtime, and other simultaneous communications via at least a similar frequency channel can be excluded during the duration of the airtime. In some examples, the exchange of audio data between wireless devices can also be associated with the power consumption at each of the wireless devices, including power consumption associated with packet generation and power consumption associated with packet decoding, both of which can be associated with the packet length. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein each have some innovative aspects, but no single aspect is solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication that can be performed by a first wireless audio device. The method may include: obtaining an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech; selecting, based on the indication, the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet; and transmitting the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

[0007] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless audio device. The first wireless audio device may include a processing system comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry for storing code. The processing system may be configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: obtain an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech; select, based on the indication, the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet; and transmit the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless audio device. The first wireless audio device may include: means for obtaining an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech; means for selecting the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet; and means for transmitting the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

[0009] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication by a first wireless audio device. The code may include instructions executable individually or jointly by one or more processors to: obtain an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech; select, based on the indication, the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet; and transmit the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

[0010] In some examples of the methods described herein, the first wireless audio device, and the nontransitory computer-readable medium, obtaining an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech may include operations, features, components, or instructions for obtaining an indication from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on speech activity detection results.

[0011] In some examples of the methods described herein, the first wireless audio device, and the nontransitory computer-readable medium, selecting the length of the first packet may include operations, features, components, or instructions for selecting the length of the first packet via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device.

[0012] In some examples of the methods described herein, the first wireless audio device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium, transmitting the first packet may include operations, features, components, or instructions for transmitting the first packet over the air between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device, wherein the airtime of the first packet may be associated with the length of the first packet.

[0013] The methods described herein, examples of the first wireless audio device, and some examples of nontransitory computer-readable media may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for: obtaining a first packet as a zero-length service data unit (SDU) from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set; and transmitting the first packet as a zero-length protocol data unit (PDU) via a wireless link based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

[0014] The methods described herein, examples of the first wireless audio device, and some examples of nontransitory computer-readable media may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for: receiving a second packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices; and generating comfort noise via an audio system of the first wireless audio device based on a second length of the second packet.

[0015] The methods described herein, examples of the first wireless audio device, and some examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for: decoding at least a portion of a second packet to determine a second length of the second packet, wherein the second length may be associated with either a second payload portion present in the second packet or a second payload portion not present in the second packet.

[0016] Details of one or more specific embodiments of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions in the following drawings may not be drawn to scale. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 and Figure 3 An example of a signaling diagram supporting a technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 An example of a component path is shown, illustrating packet generation, transmission, reception, and processing, and supporting techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech.

[0020] Figure 5 An example of a process flow supporting a technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown that supports a technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech.

[0022] Figures 7 to 9 A flowchart illustrating an example process that may be performed by or at a first wireless audio device that supports technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown.

[0023] The same reference numerals and names in the various figures indicate the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following description refers to certain specific examples in order to illustrate the innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. Some or all of the examples described can be applied in Bluetooth systems that meet the requirements of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, IEEE 802.15, or Bluetooth as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). ®This can be implemented in any device, system, or network that transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the following standards, or those published by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)). The described examples can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA), Rate Split Multiple Access (RSMA), Multi-User Shared Access (MUSA), Single-User (SU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU) MIMO (MU-MIMO). The described examples can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of the following networks: Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), or Internet of Things (IoT).

[0025] These aspects generally involve wireless communication, including Bluetooth communication between wireless audio devices. Some aspects are more specifically related to power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech. In some examples, two or more wireless audio devices can exchange audio data via one or more packets (such as audio packets), and can select the appropriate length of each of the one or more packets based on whether the audio data corresponding to that packet contains speech. In some aspects, the wireless audio devices can determine (such as identify, detect, or detect) whether the audio data contains speech based on indications received from the wireless audio device's audio system (such as an audio subsystem). For example, the wireless audio device's audio system can use a speech activity detection (VAD) algorithm to detect whether the audio data contains speech, and can provide an indication to the wireless audio device's Bluetooth controller of the detected speech presence or absence in the audio data, based on which the wireless audio device can select the packet length.

[0026] In an example where the wireless audio device determines that speech is absent from the audio data, the wireless audio device may send packets (such as empty packets) with a length associated with the absence of a payload portion. In other words, if speech is absent from the corresponding audio data, the wireless audio device may send empty packets. In an example where the wireless audio device determines that speech is present in the audio data, the wireless device may send packets with a length associated with the presence of a payload portion. In other words, if speech is present in the corresponding audio data, the wireless audio device may send non-empty packets (packets that include the data payload portion). Similarly, in an example where the wireless audio device receives packets with a length associated with the absence of a payload portion, the wireless audio device may determine that speech is absent from the corresponding audio data. In such examples, the wireless audio device (such as an audio system via the wireless audio device) may generate comfortable noise for the user.

[0027] Specific aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, the described techniques can be used to reduce power consumption at one or more wireless audio devices by selectively including packet payloads during a Bluetooth voice call (or any other scenario involving the transmission of audio packets) based on the presence of speech. For example, one or more wireless devices can reduce the length of one or more packets associated with audio data in the absence of speech, which can reduce power consumption associated with packet generation and transmission as well as power consumption associated with packet reception and decoding. Thus, by reducing the length of one or more packets associated with audio data in the absence of speech, the battery life of one or more wireless audio devices during a Bluetooth voice call can be increased. Furthermore, by reducing the length of one or more packets associated with audio data in the absence of speech, such one or more packets can occupy less airtime, resulting in more airtime and potentially more channel access opportunities for other transmissions in the system. By increasing the available airtime and channel access opportunities, the described techniques can be further implemented to achieve greater spectral efficiency, greater system capacity, and higher data rates, among other benefits.

[0028] Figure 1A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 is shown. In some examples, wireless communication network 100 may include or refer to a wireless personal area network (PAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), or Wi-Fi network configured according to various aspects of this disclosure. Wireless communication network 100 may include an access point (AP) 105, a device 110 (which may be referred to as a source device or central device), and a pairing device 115 (which may be referred to as a destination device or peripheral device) serving an example coverage area 108, enabling WLAN communication (such as Wi-Fi communication) and / or Bluetooth communication. For example, device 110 may include a cellular phone, user equipment (UE), radio station (STA), mobile station, personal digital assistant (PDA), other handheld device, netbook, laptop computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, or some other suitable term. Pairing device 115 may include a Bluetooth-enabled device capable of pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices (such as device 110), which may include wireless audio devices (such as headsets, earphones, speakers, handsets, headphones), display devices (such as televisions, computer monitors), microphones, meters, and / or valves.

[0029] Bluetooth communication can refer to a short-range communication protocol and can be used to connect and exchange information between device 110 and paired device 115, such as between mobile phones, computers, digital cameras, wireless headsets, speakers, keyboards, mice, or other input peripherals and similar devices. Bluetooth systems (such as aspects of wireless communication network 100) can be organized using a central-peripheral relationship employing a time-division duplex protocol with defined time slots of, for example, 625 microseconds, in which transmissions alternate between a central device (such as device 110) and one or more peripheral devices (such as paired device 115). In some examples, device 110 may generally refer to the central device, while paired device 115 may refer to a peripheral device in wireless communication network 100. Therefore, in some examples, a device may be referred to as device 110 or paired device 115 based on its Bluetooth role configuration. That is, designating a device as device 110 or paired device 115 may not necessarily indicate a difference in device capabilities, but may refer to or indicate the role the device plays in wireless communication network 100. Generally speaking, device 110 may refer to a wireless communication device capable of wirelessly exchanging data signals with another device (such as pairing device 115), while pairing device 115 may refer to a device operated from a peripheral role, or a short-range wireless communication device capable of exchanging data signals with device 110 (such as using the Bluetooth communication protocol).

[0030] Bluetooth-enabled devices are compatible with certain Bluetooth profiles to use the required services. A Bluetooth profile can refer to a specification about one aspect of Bluetooth-based wireless communication between devices. That is, a profile specification can refer to a set of instructions for using the Bluetooth protocol stack in a certain way, and can include information such as a suggested user interface format and / or specific options and parameters at each layer of the Bluetooth protocol stack. For example, the Bluetooth specification may include various profiles defining the behavior associated with each communication endpoint to implement a specific use case. Therefore, profiles are generally defined according to a protocol stack that facilitates and allows interoperability between endpoint devices from different manufacturers by enabling applications to discover and use services that other nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices may be providing. The Bluetooth specification defines device role pairs (such as roles for device 110 and paired device 115), which together form a single use case called a profile (such as for communication between device 110 and paired device 115). An example profile defined in the Bluetooth specification is the Hands-free profile (HFP) for voice telephony, where one device (such as device 110) implements the Audio Gateway (AG) role, and the other device (such as paired device 115) implements the Hands-free (HF) device role. Another example is the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for high-quality audio streaming, in which one device (such as device 110) implements the Audio Source Device (SRC) role, while another device (such as paired device 115) implements the Audio Destination Device (SNK) role.

[0031] For a commercially available Bluetooth-enabled device to function correctly in a configuration file that implements a role, another device implementing the corresponding role may be within the radio range of the first device. For example, for an HF device (such as a Bluetooth headset) to function according to a hands-free configuration file, a device implementing the AG role (such as a cellular phone) may need to be within the radio range. Similarly, for high-quality mono or stereo audio to be streamed according to A2DP, a device implementing the SNK role (such as a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speaker) may need to be within the radio range of a device implementing the SRC role (such as a stereo music player).

[0032] The Bluetooth specification defines a layered data transmission architecture and various protocols and procedures for handling data communicated between two devices implementing specific profile use cases. For example, various logical links can be used to support different application data transmission requirements, with each logical link associated with a logical transport having certain characteristics such as flow control, acknowledgment mechanisms, repetition mechanisms, sequence numbering, and / or scheduling behavior. The Bluetooth protocol stack can be divided into two parts: a controller stack comprising a timing-critical radio interface and a host stack handling high-level data. The controller stack is typically implemented in a low-cost silicon device comprising one or more Bluetooth radios and one or more microprocessors. The controller stack can be responsible for establishing connection links¹²⁵, such as asynchronous connectionless (ACL) links (or ACL connections), synchronous connection-oriented (SCO) links (or SCO connections), extended synchronous connection-oriented (eSCO) links (or eSCO connections), and other logical transport channel links, etc.

[0033] In some examples, the controller stack can implement Link Management Protocol (LMP) functionality and / or Low-Power Link Layer (LELL) functionality. The host stack can typically be implemented as part of the operating system or as an installable package on top of the operating system. The host stack can be responsible for Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) functionality, Bluetooth Network Encapsulation Protocol (BNEP) functionality, and / or Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) functionality. In some examples, the controller stack and host stack can communicate via a Host Controller Interface (HCI). In some other examples (such as for integrated devices like Bluetooth headsets), the host stack and controller stack can run on the same microprocessor to reduce mass production costs. For such hostless systems, the HCI can be optional and can be implemented as an internal software interface.

[0034] A connection link 125 can be established between two Bluetooth-enabled devices (such as device 110 and paired device 115), and this connection link can provide communication or services (e.g., according to a Bluetooth profile). For example, the Bluetooth connection could be an eSCO connection for voice calls (such as one that allows retransmission) and / or an ACL connection for music streaming (such as A2DP), etc. For example, eSCO packets can be sent in predetermined time slots (such as six Bluetooth time slots each for eSCO). When establishing a Bluetooth link, a rule interval between eSCO packets can be specified. eSCO packets destined for / from a specific peripheral device (such as paired device 115) are acknowledged and can be retransmitted during a retransmission window if unacknowledged. Furthermore, audio can be streamed between device 110 and paired device 115 using an ACL connection (A2DP profile). In some cases, an ACL connection can occupy one, three, or five Bluetooth time slots used for data or voice. Other Bluetooth profiles supported by Bluetooth-enabled devices may include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (such as providing significantly reduced power consumption and cost while maintaining similar communication range) and / or Human Interface Device Profiles (HID) (such as providing low-latency links with low power requirements).

[0035] In some examples, the device may be capable of both Bluetooth and WLAN communication. For instance, the WLAN and Bluetooth components may co-located within the device, enabling it to communicate according to both Bluetooth and WLAN communication protocols, as each technology offers different benefits or improves the user experience under different conditions. In some examples, Bluetooth and WLAN communication may share the same medium, such as the same unlicensed frequency medium. In such examples, device 110 may support WLAN communication via AP 105 (e.g., via communication link 120). AP 105 and associated device 110 may represent a Basic Service Set (BSS) or an Extended Service Set (ESS). Various devices 110 in the network may be able to communicate with each other via AP 105. In some cases, AP 105 may be associated with a coverage area, which may represent a Basic Service Area (BSA).

[0036] Device 110 and AP 105 can communicate using WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical and MAC layers from IEEE 802.11 and its various versions (including but not limited to 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn). In some other implementations, peer-to-peer or ad hoc networks can be implemented within the wireless communication network 100, and devices can communicate with each other via communication links 120 (such as Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Establishment (TDLS) links, peer-to-peer links, and other peer-to-peer or group connections). AP 105 can be coupled to a network (such as the Internet) and enables device 110 to communicate via that network (or with other devices 110 coupled to AP 105). Device 110 can communicate bidirectionally with network devices. For example, in a WLAN, device 110 can communicate with associated AP 105 via downlinks (such as communication links from AP 105 to device 110) and uplinks (such as communication links from device 110 to AP 105).

[0037] In some examples, the content, media, and / or audio exchanged between device 110 and paired device 115 may originate from a WLAN. For example, in some examples, device 110 may receive audio from AP 105 (e.g., via WLAN communication), and device 110 may relay or transmit audio (e.g., via Bluetooth communication) to paired device 115. In some examples, certain types of Bluetooth communication (such as high-quality or high-definition (HD) Bluetooth) may require enhanced quality of service. In some examples, latency-sensitive Bluetooth services may have a higher priority than WLAN services.

[0038] In some aspects, two or more wireless audio devices (such as one or more devices 110, one or more paired devices 115, or any combination thereof) can exchange one or more packets, such as wireless audio packets, based on an application or use case associated with expected type audio data. Such expected type audio data can be a subset of all audio data captured by the wireless audio devices. For example, expected type audio data during a voice call can be or includes speech. In such instances, speech may be of primary importance, while other audio data captured by the receiver or microphone of the wireless audio devices may be of lower importance. Typically, expected type audio data can be any type of audio data associated with a specific waveform or frequency that can be distinguished from other waveforms or frequencies. In some implementations, the wireless audio devices can select the packet length (e.g., based on a packet generation scheme) based on the presence of expected type audio data in the set of all captured audio data. The audio data set can refer to a specific (e.g., discrete) portion, quantity, or time span of audio data. Furthermore, although some example implementations are described in the example of a Bluetooth voice call, the described techniques can be applied to any application or use case where a particular (expected) type of audio data is of primary importance relative to other audio data that may be captured by the receiver or microphone. Furthermore, wireless audio devices can refer to devices that have at least the ability to send or receive, or both send and receive, wireless packets, and strictly speaking, do not necessarily refer to devices without a wired connection. For example, wireless audio devices can support and use both wired and wireless connections.

[0039] In some implementations, wireless audio devices (such as device 110, pairing device 115, etc.) may receive an indication of whether the audio data contains speech, and may select the length of the packets used for transmission based on the indication. For example, the wireless audio device may select a first length of packets (such as zero-length packets) based on the absence of speech in the audio data, or it may select a second length of packets (such as non-zero-length packets) based on the inclusion of speech in the audio data. The wireless audio device may be a central device, an initiator device, a source device, a peripheral device, a receiver device, a sink device, or may be associated with host and initiation layer functionality or host and response layer functionality.

[0040] Figure 2 An example of a signaling diagram 200 supporting a technique for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown. Signaling diagram 200 may implement one or more aspects of wireless communication network 100, or the signaling diagram may be implemented to implement one or more aspects. For example, signaling diagram 200 illustrates communication between wireless audio devices 205 and 210, which may be as follows: Figure 1 Examples and references Figure 1 The described device 110 or paired device 115, or examples of device 110 and paired device 115. In some examples, one of wireless audio device 205 and wireless audio device 210 may be a central device (such as a telephone), a starter, a source device, or a first host and starter layer, while the other of wireless audio device 205 and wireless audio device 210 may be a peripheral device (such as earbuds or wireless headsets), a receiver, a sink device, or a second host and response layer. In some specific implementations, One of the wireless audio devices 205 and 210 may support communication via one or more wireless links, such as ACL links and CIS links. For example, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 may communicate control information via an ACL link, which may be an example of a low-power (LE) audio link (such as according to the Bluetooth standard). Such communication may occur during one or more periodic ACL events, which may be separated by ACL intervals (e.g., in the time domain). During an ACL event, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 may communicate one or more ACL packets (such as control information packets). For example, one or more ACL packets may be examples of Protocol Data Units (PDUs) or control PDUs, which may refer to PDUs carrying control information.

[0041] In some examples, wireless audio device 205 and wireless audio device 210 may use an ACL link to establish a CIS link, which may be an example of an LE audio link. The CIS link may support data communication (such as point-to-point data transmission streams) between wireless audio device 205 and wireless audio device 210. Additionally or alternatively, the CIS link may be one of a set of CIS links, where the connected isochronous group (CIG) includes the set of CIS links. Data communication on the CIS link may occur during one or more periodic CIS events, which may be separated by CIS intervals. During a CIS event, wireless audio device 205 may send a first set of one or more CIS packets (such as one or more isochronous physical channel PDUs) to wireless audio device 210, and wireless audio device 210 may send a second set of one or more CIS packets to wireless audio device 205. In some examples, wireless audio device 205 and wireless audio device 210 may alternately send corresponding CIS packets, sending corresponding sets of CIS packets during corresponding portions of the CIS event, or a combination thereof.

[0042] In some implementations, wireless audio device 205 may send packet 220 to wireless audio device 210, and wireless audio device 210 may send packet 215 to wireless audio device 205. For example, wireless audio device 205 may send packets 220-a, 220-b, and 220-c, and wireless audio device 210 may send packets 215-a, 215-b, and 215-c. Packets 215 and 220 may be exchanged during a Bluetooth voice call, wherein only a subset of the exchanged packets 215 and 220 may contain speech. For example, packet 215-a may contain speech, while packet 220-a may not contain speech (such as silence or background noise). However, although packet 220-a does not contain speech, packets 215-a and 220-a may share the same airtime (such as approximately 300 microseconds) and length (such as 60 bytes). In other words, in some systems, the Bluetooth controller for a phone or headset can always transmit 60-byte voice packets, regardless of whether the modem signal actually includes speech.

[0043] In some scenarios, such as telephone conversations, approximately 40% of voice calls may include actual speech signals (such as audio from the user speaking), while the remaining approximately 60% may include silence or background noise. In such scenarios, wireless audio device 205, wireless audio device 210, or both, may consume excessive power by sending packets with the same airtime and length, regardless of whether the audio data carried by the packets actually includes speech (e.g., power waste even when the modem signal does not include speech).

[0044] To reduce power consumption at wireless audio devices 205 and 210, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can obtain indications as to whether packets in packet 215 and packet 220 respectively contain speech. For example, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can use a VAD algorithm (such as the VAD algorithm used by the audio systems of wireless audio devices 205 and 210) to obtain the indication.

[0045] In some implementations, the wireless audio device 205 can use the VAD algorithm on the audio data and select the packet length based on the VAD result. For example, the audio subsystem of the wireless audio device 205 can use the VAD algorithm to determine whether the audio data contains speech and send the VAD result to the controller of the wireless audio device 205 (such as a Bluetooth controller). The controller of the wireless audio device 205 can send empty packets based on a VAD result indicating that the audio data does not contain speech, or send non-empty packets (such as packets containing a payload) based on a VAD result indicating that the audio data includes speech. Such audio data, from which the VAD algorithm can output results, can be interpreted as a transmission direction signal, allowing the audio system to transmit a VAD result indicating whether the transmission direction signal includes speech.

[0046] In some implementations, upon receiving an empty packet, the wireless audio device 210 may generate or play comfort noise (such as via an audio system of the wireless audio device 210). For example, the reception of an empty packet may trigger comfort noise at the receiving device. The wireless audio device 210 may generate comfort noise instead of silence, so that the user of the wireless audio device 210 may not perceive that a technical error has occurred (such as a Bluetooth voice call being dropped, or the Bluetooth audio device being disconnected from the wireless device).

[0047] Figure 3 An example of a signaling diagram 300 supporting a technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown. Signaling diagram 300 may implement one or more aspects of wireless communication network 100, signaling diagram 200, or both, or the signaling diagram may be implemented to implement one or more of these aspects. For example, signaling diagram 300 illustrates communication between wireless audio devices 205 and 210, which may be as follows: Figure 1 Examples and references Figure 1 The device 110 or paired device 115 described, or device 110 and paired device 115, or as referenced Figure 2 Examples of wireless audio devices 205 and 210 are described.

[0048] Wireless audio device 205, wireless audio device 210, or both can determine whether a received signal (such as a modem signal or microphone signal) includes speech. In such examples, wireless audio device 205, wireless audio device 210, or both can select the length of a packet (such as a first packet length 305-a or a second packet length 305-b) corresponding to whether the received signal includes speech. For example, wireless audio device 205, wireless audio device 210, or both can determine that the received signal includes speech and select the first packet length 305-a. Additionally or alternatively, wireless audio device 205, wireless audio device 210, or both can determine that the received signal does not contain speech and select the second packet length 305-b. That is, the first packet length 305-a can be associated with a signal containing speech, while the second packet length 305-b can be associated with a signal that does not contain speech.

[0049] In the first scenario 310, the wireless audio device 205 may determine that a first received signal (such as a modem signal or microphone signal received by the wireless audio device 205 for transmission to the wireless audio device 210) contains speech for at least the duration shown, and transmits a first packet 325-a including a payload (such as a non-zero payload) and having a first packet length 305-a. However, the wireless audio device 210 may determine that a second received signal (such as a modem signal or microphone signal received by the wireless audio device 210 for transmission to the wireless audio device 205) does not contain speech for at least the duration shown. The wireless audio device 210 may select a second packet length 305-b (such as zero length) and an airtime (such as 44 microseconds) corresponding to the second packet length 305-b to be transmitted based on the determination that the second received signal does not contain speech. In such examples, each second packet in the second packet 325-b may include a preamble portion and may exclude a payload portion. The preamble portion may indicate that each second packet in the second packet 325-b does not contain a payload.

[0050] In the second scenario 315, the wireless audio device 205 may determine that the first received signal does not contain speech for at least the indicated duration. For example, the wireless audio device 205 may select a second packet length 305-b (e.g., zero length) and an airtime (e.g., 44 microseconds) corresponding to the second packet length 305-b for the first packet 325-a to be transmitted based on the determination that the first received signal does not contain speech. In such an example, each first packet in the first packet 325-a may include a preamble portion indicating that each packet does not contain a payload. The wireless audio device 210 may determine that the second received signal includes speech for at least the indicated duration and transmit a second packet 325-b including a payload (e.g., a non-zero payload) and having the first packet length 305-a. The second packet 325-b may include a preamble portion indicating that each packet includes a payload.

[0051] In the third scenario 320, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can determine that the first and second received signals are devoid of speech for at least the duration shown. In such examples, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can select a second packet length 305-b and an airtime corresponding to the second packet length 305-b for each packet to be transmitted (such as the first packet 325-a and the second packet 325-b, respectively) based on the determination that no speech is present in each signal. Each packet transmitted by both wireless audio devices 205 and 210 may include a preamble portion indicating that the packet does not contain a payload.

[0052] In some implementations, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can receive one or more packets. Wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can decode a portion of each of the one or more packets. For example, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can decode this portion to determine the length of the packet (such as a first packet length 305-a or a second packet length 305-b). This portion may correspond to a preamble portion, and the preamble portion may indicate whether the packet includes a payload. For example, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can decode the portion corresponding to the preamble portion and determine that the packet does not contain a payload. Alternatively, wireless audio devices 205 and 210 can decode the portion corresponding to the preamble portion and determine that the packet contains a payload.

[0053] Figure 4An example of component path 400 is shown, illustrating packet generation, transmission, reception, and processing, and supporting techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on speech presence. Component path 400 may implement one or more aspects of wireless communication network 100, signaling diagram 200, signaling diagram 300, or a combination thereof, or may be implemented to implement one or more of these aspects. Component path 400 may be composed of, for example,... Figure 1 Examples and references Figure 1 One or both of the described device 110 and pairing device 115, or as described by Figure 2 and Figure 3 Examples and references Figure 2 and Figure 3 One or both of the described wireless audio devices 205 and 210 are implemented or facilitated.

[0054] For example, a first wireless audio device (such as one of wireless audio device 205 or wireless audio device 210) may include an audio system 405 (such as a low-power audio subsystem (LPASS)), a controller 410, or both, and a second wireless audio device (such as the other of wireless audio device 205 or wireless audio device 210) may include a controller 415, an audio system 420, or both. In some examples, one of the first or second wireless audio devices may be a handheld device (or any other example of device 110), and the other of the first or second wireless audio device may be a wireless earbud (or any other example of pairing device 115).

[0055] For example, audio system 405 could be an example of a handheld LPASS, controller 410 could be an example of a handheld controller, controller 415 could be an example of an earphone controller, and audio system 420 could be an example of an earphone audio system. Component path 400 can exemplify communication between audio system 405, controller 410, controller 415, and audio system 420 in an example where the audio dataset is detected as not containing speech, but similar components could communicate in a similar manner in an example where the audio dataset includes speech.

[0056] Audio system 405 can receive signals (such as modem signals) that include audio data sets. In some implementations, audio system 405 can obtain an indication of whether the audio data set contains speech based on a VAD algorithm. Audio system 405 can send (such as to controller 410) an indication of whether the audio data set contains speech based on the VAD result according to the VAD algorithm.

[0057] Based on the VAD result, the audio system 405 or controller 410, or both, can determine the length of the first packet. For example, the audio system 405 or controller 410 can determine the length of the first packet based on whether the audio data contains speech. The length can be associated with either the presence of a payload portion corresponding to audio data containing speech or the absence of a payload portion corresponding to audio data without speech. The packet may include a preamble portion indicating whether the first packet is associated with either the presence or absence of a payload portion (such as via a length indication).

[0058] In some respects, the audio system 405 may send (e.g., provide or output) an indication to the controller 410 via a Service Data Unit (SDU) (e.g., by generating an SDU of a specific length). For example, the audio system 405 may send a first packet to the controller 410, wherein the first packet is a zero-length SDU 425 when the audio data set does not contain speech, and a non-zero-length SDU when the audio data set includes speech.

[0059] Controller 410 may send the first packet to controller 415. For example, controller 410 may forward the first packet to controller 415 via a wireless communication link between a first wireless audio device (such as the first of a central device or a peripheral device) and a second wireless audio device (such as the second of a central device or a peripheral device). The wireless communication link may be an example of a Bluetooth communication link. Controller 410 may send the first packet as a zero-length PDU 430 to controller 415. For example, controller 410 may send a zero-length PDU 430 to controller 415 if speech is not present in the audio data set. If the audio data set includes speech, controller 410 may send the first packet as a non-zero-length PDU.

[0060] The controller 415 may provide a first packet to the audio system 420. For example, the controller 415 may provide the first packet as a zero-length SDU 435 (or as a non-zero-length SDU) to the audio system 420 if the first packet does not contain speech (or if the first packet includes speech). Based on the received zero-length SDU 435, the audio system 420 may generate comfort noise 440. For example, the audio system 420 may generate comfort noise if the first packet is provided as a zero-length SDU 435.

[0061] Figure 5An example of process flow 500 supporting a technique for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown. The process flow may implement one or more aspects of wireless communication network 100, signaling diagram 200, signaling diagram 300, component path 400, or a combination thereof, or may be implemented by such one or more aspects. For example, process flow 500 illustrates communication between wireless audio device 505 and wireless audio device 510, which may be reference... Figures 1 to 4 Examples of the corresponding devices described.

[0062] In the following description of process flow 500, operations (such as reporting or providing) may be performed in a different order than those shown, or operations performed by the example device may be performed in a different order or at different times. For example, a particular operation may be omitted from process flow 500, or other operations may be added to process flow 500. Furthermore, although some operations or signaling are shown to occur at different times for discussion purposes, these operations may actually occur simultaneously.

[0063] At point 515, wireless audio device 505 can obtain an indication of whether the audio data set includes speech. The audio data set can be associated with a modem signal at wireless audio device 505. In some implementations, wireless audio device 505 can obtain an indication from its audio system (such as an audio subsystem) based on a VAD result. For example, the audio system can use a VAD algorithm to determine (such as detect, identify, or otherwise probe) whether the audio data set includes speech and generate a VAD result. The audio data set can be any discrete portion, quantity, or time span of audio data.

[0064] At 520, the wireless audio device 505 can select the length of the first packet. For example, the wireless audio device 505 can select the length of the first packet associated with the audio data set based on an indication. The length can be associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet. For example, based on the audio set including speech, the first packet may include a payload portion. Alternatively, based on the absence of speech in the audio set, the first packet may exclude a payload portion.

[0065] In some implementations, the wireless audio device 505 may select the length via its Bluetooth controller. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless audio device 505 may obtain a first packet from the audio system as a zero-length SDU based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set, or obtain a first packet from the audio system as a non-zero-length SDU based on the inclusion of speech in the first audio data set.

[0066] The first packet may include a preamble portion that includes information indicating the length of the first packet. For example, the preamble portion may indicate whether the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet.

[0067] At 525, wireless audio device 505 can send a first packet to wireless audio device 510. For example, wireless audio device 505 can send the first packet via the wireless link between wireless audio device 505 and wireless audio device 510, depending on the length of the first packet.

[0068] In some implementations, wireless audio device 505 may transmit the first packet over the air (OTA) between wireless audio device 505 and wireless audio device 510. For example, wireless audio device 505 may transmit the first packet OTA within the OTA time of the first packet, wherein the OTA time may be associated with the length of the first packet. Additionally or alternatively, wireless audio device 505 may transmit the first packet as a zero-length PDU via a wireless link when the audio data set does not contain speech, or transmit the first packet as a non-zero-length PDU via a wireless link when the audio data set includes speech.

[0069] At 530, wireless audio device 505 can receive the second packet from wireless audio device 510. For example, wireless audio device 505 can receive the second packet via a wireless link. In some embodiments, wireless audio device 505 can receive the second packet as a zero-length PDU via a wireless link, depending on whether the second packet is present. In such embodiments, wireless audio device 505 can provide the second packet as a zero-length SDU to its audio system.

[0070] At 535, the wireless audio device 505 can decode the second packet. For example, the wireless audio device 505 can decode at least a portion of the second packet to determine a second length of the second packet. The second length can be associated with either the presence of a second payload portion in the second packet or the absence of a second payload portion in the second packet. For example, the wireless audio device 505 can decode a second preamble portion of the second packet, wherein the second preamble portion can indicate whether the second packet includes a second payload portion or does not contain a second payload portion.

[0071] At 540, the wireless audio device 505 can generate comfortable noise. For example, the wireless audio device 505 can generate comfortable noise via its audio system based on the second length of the second group.

[0072] In some implementations, the wireless audio device 505 may generate comfort noise based on the association of a second length with the absence of a second payload portion within the second packet. For example, the absence of a second payload portion may indicate the absence of speech in the second audio data set corresponding to the second packet. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless audio device 505 may generate comfort noise based on decoding a second preamble portion, wherein the second preamble portion may indicate the absence of a second payload portion. In some implementations, the wireless audio device 505 may generate comfort noise based on the second packet being provided as a zero-length SDU (such as an audio system provided to the wireless audio device 505).

[0073] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 600 supporting a technology for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication device 600 is configured to perform respective references Figure 7 and Figure 8 Processes 700 and 800 are described. Wireless communication device 600 may include one or more chips, SoCs, chipsets, packages, components, or devices that individually or collectively constitute or include a processing system. The processing system may interface with other components of wireless communication device 600 and typically processes information (such as inputs or signals) received from and outputs information (such as outputs or signals) to such other components. In some aspects, an example chip may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting or transmitting information, and a second interface for receiving or acquiring information. For example, the first interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a transmitting component, enabling wireless communication device 600 to transmit information output from the chip. In such examples, the second interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a receiving component, enabling wireless communication device 600 to receive information, which is then passed to the processing system. In some such examples, the first interface may also, for example, acquire information from the transmitting component, and the second interface may also, for example, output information to the receiving component.

[0074] The processing system of the wireless communication device 600 includes processor (or “processing”) circuitry in the form of one or more processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or digital signal processor (DSP)), processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuits (all of which are generally referred to herein individually as “processors” or collectively as “processors” or “processor circuitry”). One or more of these processors may be individually or collectively configurable to perform the various functions or operations described herein. The processing system may also include memory circuitry in the form of one or more memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements, or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuitry, each of which may include tangible storage media such as random access memory (RAM) or ROM or combinations thereof (all of which are generally referred to herein individually as “memory” or collectively as “memory” or “memory circuitry”). One or more of these memories may be coupled to one or more processors and may store processor-executable code, individually or collectively, which, when executed by one or more processors, configures one or more processors to perform the various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more processors may be pre-configured to perform the various functions or operations described herein without software configuration. The processing system may also include one or more modems (such as Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE compliant) modems or cellular (e.g., 3GPP 4G LTE, 5G, or 6G compliant) modems), or be coupled to such modems. In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more modems. The processing system may also include, or be coupled to, multiple radio components (collectively, “radio components”), multiple RF chains, or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the radio components, RF chains, or transceivers.

[0075] In some examples, wireless communication device 600 may be configured for or be configured for use with wireless audio devices (such as reference 1000). Figure 1The wireless communication device 600 is used in the described device 110 or paired device 115. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 600 may be a wireless audio device that includes such a processing system as well as other components including multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 600 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device 600 may be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more standards in the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, including the Bluetooth communication protocol standard. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 600 may be configured to transmit and receive signals and communications conforming to one or more 3GPP specifications, including those for 5G NR or 6G. In some examples, the wireless communication device 600 also includes one or more application processors or may be coupled to one or more application processors, which may also be coupled to one or more other memories. In some examples, the wireless communication device 600 also includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touchscreen or keypad) and a display that may be integrated with the UI to form a touchscreen display coupled to the processing system. In some examples, the wireless communication device 600 may also include one or more sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors coupled to the processing system. In some examples, the wireless communication device 600 also includes at least one external network interface coupled to the processing system, which enables communication with a core network or backhaul network that allows the wireless communication device 600 to access external networks, including the Internet.

[0076] Wireless communication device 600 includes a speech detection component 625, a payload selection component 630, a Bluetooth communication component 635, and an audio system component 640. A portion of one or more of the speech detection component 625, payload selection component 630, Bluetooth communication component 635, and audio system component 640 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, one or more of the speech detection component 625, payload selection component 630, Bluetooth communication component 635, and audio system component 640 may be implemented at least partially by at least one processor or modem. In some examples, a portion of one or more of the speech detection component 625, payload selection component 630, Bluetooth communication component 635, and audio system component 640 may be implemented at least partially by a processor and software in the form of processor-executable code stored in memory.

[0077] According to the examples disclosed herein, wireless communication device 600 may support wireless communication. Speech detection component 625 may be configured to or be configured to obtain an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech. Payload selection component 630 may be configured to or be configured to select the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence or absence of a payload portion within the first packet. Bluetooth communication component 635 may be configured to or be configured to transmit the first packet via a wireless link between a first wireless audio device and a second wireless audio device, according to the length of the first packet.

[0078] In some examples, in order to support obtaining an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech, the speech detection component 625 can be configured to obtain an indication from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the speech activity detection result.

[0079] In some examples, to support the selection of the length of the first packet, the payload selection component 630 can be configured to select the length of the first packet via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device.

[0080] In some examples, in order to support the transmission of the first packet, the Bluetooth communication component 635 can be configured to transmit the first packet over the air between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device, wherein the air time of the first packet is associated with the length of the first packet.

[0081] In some examples, the audio system component 640 can be configured to obtain a first packet as a zero-length SDU from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set. In some examples, the Bluetooth communication component 635 can be configured to transmit the first packet as a zero-length PDU via a wireless link based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

[0082] In some examples, the Bluetooth communication component 635 can be configured to receive a second packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices. In some examples, the audio system component 640 can be configured to generate comfort noise via the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on a second length of the second packet.

[0083] In some examples, the Bluetooth communication component 635 can be configured to, or be configured to, decode at least a portion of the second packet to determine a second length of the second packet, wherein the second length is associated with either a second payload portion present in the second packet or a second payload portion absent in the second packet.

[0084] In some examples, comfort noise is generated based on a second length associated with the absence of a second payload portion within a second group, the absence of a second payload portion within a second group indicating the absence of speech in a second audio data set corresponding to the second group.

[0085] In some examples, the Bluetooth communication component 635 can be configured to receive the second packet as a zero-length PDU via a wireless link based on the second packet absence statement. In some examples, the audio system component 640 can be configured to provide the second packet as a zero-length SDU to the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the second packet absence statement, wherein the audio system generates comfort noise when the second packet is provided as a zero-length SDU.

[0086] In some examples, the first block includes a preamble portion that contains information indicating the length of the first block.

[0087] In some examples, the first audio data set includes speech, and the first grouping includes the payload portion.

[0088] In some examples, the first group excludes the payload portion based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

[0089] In some examples, the first audio data set is associated with a modem signal at a first wireless audio device.

[0090] In some examples, the wireless link includes a Bluetooth communication link. In some examples, the first wireless audio device is a central device or a peripheral device.

[0091] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example process 700 that may be performed by or at a first wireless audio device supporting a technology for power saving during a Bluetooth voice call based on the presence of speech is shown. Operation of process 700 may be implemented by the first wireless audio device or its components as described herein. For example, process 700 may be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference 1) operating as or within a wireless audio device. Figure 6 The described wireless communication device 600 performs the process. In some examples, process 700 may be performed by a wireless audio device (such as reference 600). Figure 1 One of the described devices 110 or paired devices 115, referenced Figure 2 and Figure 3 The described wireless audio device 205 or wireless audio device 210, or referenced Figure 5 The wireless audio device 505 or the wireless audio device 510 described herein shall be used.

[0092] In some examples, in block 705, the first wireless audio device may receive an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech. Operation of block 705 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 705 may be as described in the references... Figure 6 The speech detection component 625 described is executed.

[0093] In some examples, in block 710, the first wireless audio device may select the length of a first packet associated with a first audio data set based on an indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet. Operation of block 710 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 710 may be as described in references... Figure 6 The payload selection component 630 described is executed.

[0094] In some examples, in block 715, the first wireless audio device can transmit the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices, depending on the length of the first packet. Operation of block 715 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 715 can be derived from references... Figure 6 The Bluetooth communication component 635 described is implemented.

[0095] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an example process 800 that may be performed by or at a first wireless audio device supporting techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech. Operation of process 800 may be implemented by the first wireless audio device or its components as described herein. For example, process 800 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as reference 1) operating as or within a wireless audio device. Figure 6 The described wireless communication device 600 performs the process. In some examples, the process 800 may be performed by a wireless audio device (such as reference 600). Figure 1 One of the described devices 110 or paired devices 115, referenced Figure 2 and Figure 3 The described wireless audio device 205 or wireless audio device 210, or referenced Figure 5 The wireless audio device 505 or the wireless audio device 510 described herein shall be used.

[0096] In some examples, in block 805, the first wireless audio device can obtain an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech. In some examples, the first wireless audio device can obtain an indication from its audio system based on a VAD result. The operation of block 805 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 805 can be derived from references... Figure 6 The speech detection component 625 described is executed.

[0097] In some examples, in block 810, the first wireless audio device may select the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set based on an indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet. In some examples, the first wireless audio device may select the length of the first packet via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device. The operation of block 810 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 810 may be as described in references... Figure 6 The payload selection component 630 described is executed.

[0098] In some examples, in block 815, the first wireless audio device may transmit the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices, depending on the length of the first packet. Operation of block 815 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of operation of block 815 may be as described in references... Figure 6 The data communication component 635 described is used to perform this action.

[0099] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating an example process 900 that may be performed by or at a first wireless audio device supporting techniques for power saving during Bluetooth voice calls based on the presence of speech. Operation of process 900 may be implemented by the first wireless audio device or its components as described herein. For example, process 900 may be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference 1) operating as or within a wireless audio device. Figure 6 The described wireless communication device 600 performs the procedure. In some examples, the procedure 900 may be performed by a wireless audio device (such as reference 600). Figure 1 One of the described devices 110 or paired devices 115, referenced Figure 2 and Figure 3 The described wireless audio device 205 or wireless audio device 210, or referenced Figure 5 The wireless audio device 505 or the wireless audio device 510 described herein shall be used.

[0100] In some examples, in block 905, the first wireless audio device may receive an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech. Operation of block 905 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 905 may be as described in the references... Figure 6 The speech detection component 625 described is executed.

[0101] In some examples, in block 910, the first wireless audio device may select the length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set based on an indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first packet or the absence of a payload portion within the first packet. Operation of block 910 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 910 may be as described in references... Figure 6 The payload selection component 630 described is executed.

[0102] In some examples, in block 915, the first wireless audio device can transmit the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices, depending on the length of the first packet. Operation of block 915 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 915 can be derived from references... Figure 6 The data communication component 635 described is used to perform this action.

[0103] In some examples, in block 920, the first wireless audio device can receive the second packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices. Operation of block 920 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of the operation of block 920 can be derived from references... Figure 6 The data communication component 635 described is used to perform this action.

[0104] In some examples, in block 925, the first wireless audio device can generate comfort noise via its audio system based on a second length of the second packet. Operation of block 925 can be performed according to examples disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, aspects of operation of block 925 can be derived from references... Figure 6 The described audio system component 640 is executed.

[0105] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1: A method for wireless communication by a first wireless audio device, the method comprising: obtaining an indication of whether a first audio data set includes speech; selecting, at least in part, a length of a first packet associated with the first audio data set based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion in the first packet or the absence of the payload portion in the first packet; and transmitting the first packet via a wireless link between the first wireless audio device and a second wireless audio device according to the length of the first packet.

[0106] Clause 2: The method according to Clause 1, wherein obtaining the indication as to whether the first audio data set includes speech comprises: obtaining the indication from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on speech activity detection results.

[0107] Clause 3: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein selecting the length of the first group comprises: selecting the length of the first group via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device.

[0108] Clause 4: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein sending the first packet comprises: transmitting the first packet over the air between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device, wherein the air time of the first packet is associated with the length of the first packet.

[0109] Clause 5: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, the method further comprising: obtaining the first packet as a zero-length SDU from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set; and transmitting the first packet as a zero-length PDU via the wireless link based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

[0110] Clause 6: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5 further comprises: receiving a second packet via the wireless link between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device; and generating comfort noise via the audio system of the first wireless audio device based at least in part on a second length of the second packet.

[0111] Clause 7: The method according to Clause 6 further comprises: decoding at least a portion of the second packet to determine the second length of the second packet, wherein the second length is associated with either the presence of a second payload portion in the second packet or the absence of a second payload portion in the second packet.

[0112] Clause 8: The method of Clause 7, wherein the comfort noise is generated based on the second length and associated with the absence of the second payload portion within the second group, the absence of the second payload portion within the second group indicating the absence of speech in the second audio data set corresponding to the second group.

[0113] Clause 9: The method according to any one of Clauses 6 to 8, the method further comprising: receiving the second packet as a zero-length PDU via the wireless link according to the absence of the second packet speech; and providing the second packet as a zero-length SDU to the audio system of the first wireless audio device according to the absence of the second packet speech, wherein the audio system generates the comfort noise by providing the second packet as the zero-length SDU.

[0114] Clause 10: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the first group includes a preamble portion, the preamble portion including information indicating the length of the first group.

[0115] Clause 11: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein at least in part the first audio data set includes speech, and the first group includes the payload portion.

[0116] Clause 12: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, wherein the first group excludes the payload portion based at least in part on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

[0117] Clause 13: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the first audio data set is associated with a modem signal at the first wireless audio device.

[0118] Clause 14: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13, wherein the wireless link includes a Bluetooth communication link, and the first wireless audio device is a central device or a peripheral device.

[0119] Clause 15: A first wireless audio device, the first wireless audio device comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and capable of operating individually or jointly to execute the code, thereby causing the first wireless audio device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14.

[0120] Clause 16: A first wireless audio device, the first wireless audio device including a processing system, the processing system including processor circuitry and memory circuitry storing code, the processing system being configured to cause the first wireless audio device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14.

[0121] Clause 17: A first wireless audio device for wireless communication, the first wireless audio device comprising at least one component for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14.

[0122] Clause 18: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code including instructions executable individually or jointly by one or more processors to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14.

[0123] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and therefore, "determine" can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, estimation, investigation, searching (such as by searching in a table, database, or other data structure), reasoning, probing, or measurement, among other possibilities. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory), or sending (such as sending information), among other possibilities. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, obtaining, choosing, building, and other similar actions.

[0124] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” or “one or more of” refers to any combination of these items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted as inclusive unless otherwise explicitly stated. For example, “a or b” could include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase referring to “one” element means one or more of such elements that act individually or collectively to perform the stated function. Additionally, “set” refers to one or more items, and “subset” refers to less than the entire set, but not empty.

[0125] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated, “based on” is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “at least partially based on,” “associated with,” “associated with,” or “according to.” Specifically, unless the phrase in the context means “based on only one” or an equivalent, whether it is “based on one” or “at least partially based on one”, it may be based solely on “one” or based on a combination of “one” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information.

[0126] The various exemplary components, logic units, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of its functionality and exemplified in the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether this functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0127] Various modifications to the examples described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be granted the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0128] Furthermore, the various features described in the context of individual examples in this specification may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple examples. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination, and even initially claimed in this way, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may involve sub-combinations or variations of sub-combinations.

[0129] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the diagrams, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the accompanying figures may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of flowcharts or flow diagrams. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all examples, but rather should be understood as meaning that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated in multiple software products.

Claims

1. A first wireless audio device, the first wireless audio device comprising: A processing system, comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry for storing code, is configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: Obtain an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech; The length of the first group associated with the first audio data set is selected at least in part based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first group or the absence of the payload portion within the first group; as well as The first packet is transmitted via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

2. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein, in order to obtain the indication as to whether the first audio data set includes speech, the processing system is configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: The instruction is obtained from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the voice activity detection results.

3. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein, in order to select the length of the first group, the processing system is configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: The length of the first packet is selected via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device.

4. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein, in order to transmit the first packet, the processing system is configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: The first packet is transmitted over the air between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device, wherein the air time of the first packet is associated with the length of the first packet.

5. The first wireless audio device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: Based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set, the first packet is obtained as a zero-length service data unit (SDU) from the audio system of the first wireless audio device; and The first packet is transmitted as a zero-length Protocol Data Unit (PDU) via the wireless link, based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

6. The first wireless audio device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: Receive a second packet via the wireless link between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device; and Comfort noise is generated via the audio system of the first wireless audio device, at least in part based on the second length of the second group.

7. The first wireless audio device according to claim 6, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: Decoding at least a portion of the second packet to determine the second length of the second packet, wherein the second length is associated with either the presence of a second payload portion within the second packet or the absence of a second payload portion within the second packet.

8. The first wireless audio device of claim 7, wherein the comfort noise is generated based on the second length and the absence of the second payload portion within the second group, the absence of the second payload portion within the second group indicating the absence of speech in the second audio data set corresponding to the second group.

9. The first wireless audio device of claim 6, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless audio device to: The second packet is received as a zero-length Protocol Data Unit (PDU) via the wireless link based on the absence of speech in the second packet; and The audio system of the first wireless audio device provides the second packet as a zero-length service data unit (SDU) based on the absence of speech in the second packet, wherein the audio system generates the comfort noise based on the second packet as the zero-length SDU.

10. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein the first packet includes a preamble portion, the preamble portion including information indicating the length of the first packet.

11. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein speech is included at least in part based on the first audio data set, and the first packet includes the payload portion.

12. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein the first group excludes the payload portion based at least in part on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

13. The first wireless audio device of claim 1, wherein the first audio data set is associated with a modem signal at the first wireless audio device.

14. The first wireless audio device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless link includes a Bluetooth communication link, and wherein the first wireless audio device is a central device or a peripheral device.

15. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless audio device, the method comprising: Obtain an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech; The length of the first group associated with the first audio data set is selected at least in part based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first group or the absence of the payload portion within the first group; as well as The first packet is transmitted via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining the indication as to whether the first audio data set includes speech comprises: The instruction is obtained from the audio system of the first wireless audio device based on the voice activity detection results.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the length of the first group comprises: The length of the first packet is selected via the Bluetooth controller of the first wireless audio device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the first packet comprises: The first packet is transmitted over the air between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device, wherein the air time of the first packet is associated with the length of the first packet.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The first packet is obtained from the audio system of the first wireless audio device as a zero-length service data unit (SDU) based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set. as well as The first packet is transmitted as a zero-length Protocol Data Unit (PDU) via the wireless link, based on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: The second packet is received via the wireless link between the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device; as well as Comfort noise is generated via the audio system of the first wireless audio device, at least in part based on the second length of the second group.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: Decoding at least a portion of the second packet to determine the second length of the second packet, wherein the second length is associated with either the presence of a second payload portion within the second packet or the absence of a second payload portion within the second packet.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the comfort noise is generated based on the second length and the absence of the second payload portion within the second group, the absence of the second payload portion within the second group indicating the absence of speech in the second audio data set corresponding to the second group.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: The second packet is received as a zero-length Protocol Data Unit (PDU) via the wireless link if no speech is present in the second packet. as well as The audio system of the first wireless audio device provides the second packet as a zero-length service data unit (SDU) based on the absence of speech in the second packet, wherein the audio system generates the comfort noise based on the second packet as the zero-length SDU.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the first group includes a preamble portion, the preamble portion including information indicating the length of the first group.

25. A first wireless audio device for wireless communication, the first wireless audio device comprising: A component for obtaining an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech; A component for selecting the length of a first group associated with the first audio data set based at least in part on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first group or the absence of the payload portion within the first group; and A component for transmitting the first packet via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

26. The first wireless audio device of claim 25, wherein speech is included at least in part based on the first audio data set, and the first packet includes the payload portion.

27. The first wireless audio device of claim 25, wherein the first group excludes the payload portion based at least in part on the absence of speech in the first audio data set.

28. The first wireless audio device of claim 25, wherein the first audio data set is associated with a modem signal at the first wireless audio device.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable individually or jointly by one or more processors to: Obtain an indication of whether the first audio data set includes speech; The length of the first group associated with the first audio data set is selected at least in part based on the indication, wherein the length is associated with either the presence of a payload portion within the first group or the absence of the payload portion within the first group; as well as The first packet is transmitted via a wireless link between the first and second wireless audio devices according to the length of the first packet.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first audio data set is associated with a modem signal at the first wireless audio device.

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