WLAN device with preamble decode-based receive suspend during undesired packets

A wireless local area network (WLAN) device, comprising:

• a transceiver comprising a receive chain, comprising an analog portion and a digital portion;
• and
• a controller comprising a processor coupled to the transceiver, the controller comprising:
• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for execution by the processor, the program including instructions to:
• receive a packet comprising a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) header, a media access control (MAC) header, and data;
• determine whether the packet is an undesignated packet, based on a length field of the PLCP header of the packet;
• determine whether there is sufficient time remaining for turning off and on the analog portion of the receive chain, to avoid missing detection of a next received packet, based on the length field of the PLCP header of the packet;
• and
• turn off the analog portion of the receive chain, in response to determining that the packet is an undesignated packet and that there is sufficient time remaining for turning off and on the analog portion of the receive chain.

A method of power conservation for a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a digital logic of the WLAN device, a packet, comprising a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) header, a media access control (MAC) header, and data;
• determining, by the digital logic, whether the packet is an undesignated packet, based on a length field of the PLCP header of the packet;
• determining, by the digital, whether there is sufficient time remaining for turning off and on an analog portion of a receive chain of the WLAN device, to avoid missing detection of a next received packet, based on the length field of the PLCP header of the packet;
• and
• turning off the analog portion of the receive chain, in response to determining that the packet is an undesignated packet and that there is sufficient time remaining for turning off and on the analog portion of the receive chain of the WLAN device.