Method and apparatus to reduce latency in a data network wireless radio receiver

A radio receiver comprising:

• a receive processing pipeline for processing samples of a received packet of data, the samples entering the receive processing pipeline at a first sample rate, the pipeline including:
• a FIFO buffer in the pipeline to receive the samples at the first sample rate;
• and
• a transformer in the pipeline with an input coupled to the output of the buffer for performing time-to-frequency conversion on a block of input samples to produce converted samples, the transformer including an input buffer of length at least the number of samples in the block, the transformer further producing an indication of when the transformer input buffer is full with a block of input samples for time-to-frequency conversion,
• wherein the samples are read out of the FIFO at a second rate higher than the first sample rate until the indication signals that the transformer input buffer is full with a block of samples or until the FIFO is empty in the case that the FIFO is empty before the input buffer contains the block of samples.

A radio receiver comprising:

• a receive processing pipeline for processing samples of a received packet of data, the samples entering the receive processing pipeline at a first sample rate;
• and
• a clock generator to generate the clock signal for the receive processing pipeline to process samples at a first processing rate compatible with the first sample rate, the pipeline including:
• a end of packet detector coupled to the clock generator to determine when and to output an indication of when all the samples of the packet of data have been input into the receive pipeline;
• wherein the clock generator accepts the indication and in response the indication generates the clock signal for the receive processing pipeline to process samples at a second processing rate higher than the first processing rate until the last sample of the packet has been output by the pipeline.

A method for processing a packet of data samples received at a radio receiver, comprising the steps of:

• accepting samples from the receiver for processing;
• counting an indication of the number of samples accepted;
• processing the accepted samples at a first rate;
• determining the indication of length of the packet;
• determining when all the samples of the packet have been accepted;
• and
• after all the samples of the packet have been accepted, processing any remaining samples at a second rate higher than the first rate.

An apparatus for processing a packet of data samples received at a radio receiver, comprising the steps of:

• means for accepting samples from the receiver for processing;
• means for counting an indication of the number of samples accepted;
• means for processing the accepted samples;
• means for determining an indication of length of the packet;
• means for determining when all the samples of the packet have been accepted;
• and
• wherein the means for processing the accepted samples processes the accepted samples at a first rate until all the samples of the packet have been accepted, and thereafter, processing any remaining samples at a second rate higher than the first rate.