Patent ID: 8798562

Claim:
A wireless local area network (WLAN) integrated circuit chip configured to be implemented in a first device, wherein the first device is configured to wirelessly transmit data signals, via an antenna, over a communication channel to a second device, the WLAN integrated circuit chip comprising: a signal driver configured to output data signals; a switch configured to be controlled to provide the data signals output from the signal driver to at least one of (i) a power amplifier, wherein the power amplifier amplifies the data signals output from the signal driver prior to the data signals being transmitted, via the antenna, over the communication channel to the second device, or (ii) the antenna so as to bypass the power amplifier; and a transmit power control circuit configured to monitor a quality of the communication channel and to determine whether a transmit rate is at or above a target transmit rate threshold and, wherein in response to the quality of the communication channel being determined to be above a first predetermined threshold and the transmit rate being at or above the target transmit rate threshold, the transmit power control circuit is configured to control the switch to provide the data signals output from the signal driver to the antenna so as to bypass the power amplifier, and in response to the quality of the communication channel being determined to be below a second predetermined threshold, the transmit power control circuit is configured to control the switch to provide the data signals output from the signal driver to the power amplifier.