Patent ID: 6859646

Claim:
A method for adjusting gain of a received radio frequency (RF) input signal within a RF integrated circuit (IC), the method comprises: determining signal strength of the received RF input signal with respect to a first signal strength scale to produce a signal strength indication; determining whether the signal strength indication exceeds a first high power threshold; when the signal strength indication exceeds the first high power threshold, attenuating power of the received RF input signal to produce an attenuated RF input signal; shifting the first signal strength scale to produce a shifted signal strength scale; determining signal strength of the attenuated RF input signal with respect to the shifted signal strength scale to produce an attenuated signal strength indication; determining whether the attenuated signal strength indication is below a first low power threshold of the shifted signal strength scale, wherein the power of the received RF input signal at the first low power threshold is less than the power of the received RF input signal at the first high power threshold to provide hysteresis; when the attenuated signal strength indication is below a first low power threshold of the shifted signal strength scale: reversing the attenuating of the power of the received RF input signal; reversing the shifting of the first signal strength scale; and resuming the determining whether the signal strength indication exceeds a first high power threshold.