Patent ID: 7881755

Claim:
A wireless network device comprising: a base band processor (BBP) including a BBP receiver configured to determine whether a signal includes a frame, and a BBP transmitter; a media access controller (MAC) configured to communicate with the BBP, wherein the MAC includes a MAC receiver configured to identify a destination address in the frame, and a MAC transmitter; a processor configured to communicate with the MAC; and a power management module configured to transition the BBP receiver to an active mode based on an estimated energy level of the signal, wherein the power management module is configured to transition the BBP receiver to the active mode before transitioning the MAC receiver, the processor, the MAC transmitter, and the BBP transmitter to the active mode; transition the MAC receiver to the active mode when the frame is present, wherein the power management module is configured to transition the MAC receiver to the active mode (i) after transitioning the BBP receiver to the active mode and (ii) before transitioning the processor, the MAC transmitter, and the BBP transmitter to the active mode; and transition the processor to the active mode based on the destination address, wherein the power management module is configured to transition the processor to the active mode (i) after transitioning the BBP receiver and the MAC receiver to the active mode and (ii) before transitioning the MAC transmitter and the BBP transmitter to the active mode.