Patent ID: 8149867

Claim:
A physical (“PHY”) layer signal processing circuit for utilization in a communication system, the PHY layer signal processing circuit comprising: a PHY layer signal processing module that operates primarily to perform a PHY layer signal processing operation on an input PHY layer signal, where the PHY layer signal processing module operates to, at least: receive the input PHY layer signal; determine, based at least in part on analysis of non-content related characteristics of the received input PHY layer signal, a communication protocol with which the received input PHY layer signal is associated; if the received input PHY layer signal is associated with a first communication protocol, then: perform the PHY layer signal processing operation on the received input PHY layer signal by operating in a first operating mode, the first operating mode associated with performing the PHY layer signal processing operation on a PHY layer signal associated with the first communication protocol; and output the processed PHY layer signal; and if the received input PHY layer signal is associated with a second communication protocol, different from the first communication protocol, then: perform the PHY layer signal processing operation on the received input PHY layer signal by operating in a second operating mode, the second operating mode different from the first operating mode and associated with performing the PHY layer signal processing operation on a PHY layer signal associated with the second communication protocol; and output the processed PHY layer signal.