Patent ID: 7639995

Claim:
A communication circuit operable with a data channel and a control channel, said communication circuit comprising: a changeable portion reconfigurable between a first mode associated with activity on the control channel only and a second mode associated with activity on both the data channel and the control channel, said first mode being selected for reduced power consumption compared to said second mode; and controller circuitry coupled to said changeable portion and configured to: (i) sense signals associated with the control channel to determine an appropriate configuration of said changeable portion corresponding to one of said first and second modes, and (ii) switch said changeable portion between said first and second modes; wherein: said controller circuitry comprises: a control channel module configured to sense the signals associated with the control channel to determine said appropriate configuration of said changeable portion corresponding to said one of said first and second modes; and a changeable portion controller coupled to said changeable portion and said control channel module, said changeable portion controller being configured to switch said changeable portion between said first and second modes responsive to input from said control channel module; said communication circuit comprises a receiver circuit; said changeable portion comprises an equalizer filter, and said changeable portion controller comprises an equalizer control; said changeable portion is further reconfigurable between said first mode, said second mode, a third mode, and a fourth mode, said second mode corresponding to activity on the control and data channels according to a quadrature phase shift keying scheme, said third mode corresponding to activity on the control channel according to a quadrature phase shift keying scheme and activity on the data channel according to 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation, said fourth mode corresponding to an idle state.