Low-power listen in wireless communications

An apparatus implementable in a first multi-link device (MLD), comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly;
• and
• a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to reduce power consumption while supporting a latency-sensitive application by performing operations, as a non-access point (non-AP) station (STA), comprising:
• listening, via the transceiver, at a lower power in a narrower bandwidth to receive an initial physical-layer protocol data unit (PPDU) from a second MLD as part of a frame exchange;
• and
• responsive to receiving the initial PPDU, switching the transceiver from the narrower bandwidth to a wider bandwidth to complete the frame exchange with the second MLD in the wider bandwidth,
• wherein the reducing the power consumption comprises reducing the power consumption by the first MLD to the lower power when operating in the narrower bandwidth compared to a higher power used by the first MLD when operating in the wider bandwidth,
• wherein the listening comprises informing the second MLD that the first MLD is capable of low-power listening in a bandwidth power-save (BWPS) mode,
• wherein the listening further comprises listening on one or more enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) links by having one or more affiliated STAs corresponding to the one or more EMLSR links in an awake state,
• wherein the initial PPDU is received with a non-high-throughput (non-HT) duplicate format with a buffer status report poll (BSRP) in a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) service data unit (PSDU), and
• wherein the listening is performed while the first MLD is operating as a non-AP MLD in an EMLSR mode, and comprises performing clear channel assessment and receiving an initial control frame transmitted in a non-high-throughput (non-HT) format or a non-HT duplicate PPDU format.