Patent ID: 8095091

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a transmitter to communicate a data transmit signal to a switch; and a processor configured to control the switch based on at least one parameter of a wireless communication channel, wherein the at least one parameter includes a transmit rate; wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether the transmit rate is equal or greater than the maximum target transmit rate; in a first state in which the transmit rate is equal or greater than the maximum target transmit rate, control communication of the data transmit signal to bypass a power amplifier, the power amplifier having an output power, in a second state, control communication of the data transmit signal to the power amplifier, control the power amplifier to decrease the output power if the transmit rate of the data transmit signal is approximately equal to the maximum target transmit rate and the output power is greater than a minimum output power threshold, and control communication of the data transmit signal to bypass the power amplifier if the output power is approximately equal to the minimum output power threshold.