Apparatuses and methods for timing-based power level control

A cochlear implant system comprising:

• a headpiece configured to be worn externally by a recipient of the cochlear implant system and to provide a wireless transmission of output power and output data;
• a cochlear implant configured to be implanted within the recipient and to receive the wireless transmission from the headpiece;
• a signal generation circuit included within the headpiece and configured to generate a carrier signal for the wireless transmission, the carrier signal associated with a first fundamental component having a particular frequency, a particular phase, and a first amplitude associated with a maximum supported power level for the output power;
• and
• a power control circuit included within the headpiece and configured to generate, based on timing control data corresponding to a target power level for the output power that is lower than the maximum supported power level for the output power, a time-adjusted version of the carrier signal that maintains an amplitude of the carrier signal and adjusts a timing profile of the carrier signal such that a second fundamental component associated with the time-adjusted version of the carrier signal has the particular frequency, the particular phase, and a second amplitude lower than the first amplitude and associated with the target power level for the output power;
• wherein:
• the carrier signal includes a series of pulses generated at the particular frequency;
• and
• the timing profile of the carrier signal is adjusted for the time-adjusted version of the carrier signal by at least one of:
• skipping a first sub-series of pulses from the series of pulses, the first sub-series of pulses having a first frequency lower than the particular frequency, or
• symmetrically shortening a second sub-series of pulses from the series of pulses, the second sub-series of pulses having a second frequency lower than or equal to the particular frequency.