Power estimation of a transmission

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a transmitter portion configured to transmit a signal; and

a transmitter power control configured to estimate power of the signal, wherein the transmitter power control utilizes:

a sampler that utilizes a sub-sampling technique to tap a voltage output of a power amplifier included in the transmitter portion and operates at a frequency that is significantly lower than a frequency, at which, the power amplifier operates; and

a mixer to estimate power of the signal;

a low pass filter (LPF), wherein the LPF utilizes a switched capacitor scheme to estimate power of the wireless signal;

a comparator, wherein the comparator compares an output of the LPF to a band gap reference;

an up/down counter;

a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal and wherein operation of the mixer is shared by the receiver; and

wherein the transmitter power control employs an averaging technique to estimate power of the signal, wherein the averaging technique utilizes an absolute value of a voltage signal with respect to a common mode signal to produce a DC average to the common mode signal.

2. An integrated circuit as described in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter portion and the transmitter power control are formed using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor device (CMOS).

3. An integrated circuit as described in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter power control is further configured to manage transmission power of the signal.

4. An integrated circuit as described in claim 1 , wherein the mixer employs a mean-square technique to estimate power of the wireless signal.

5. An integrated circuit as described in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter power control utilizes digital processing to estimate power of the signal.

6. An integrated circuit as described in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter power control employs a mean of absolute value technique to estimate power of the signal.

7. A system comprising:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit having:

a power amplifier configured to amplify a signal for wireless transmission;

a sampler configured to sample the signal, wherein a frequency of the sampler utilized to sample the output is significantly lower than a frequency of the power amplifier;

a low pass filter (LPF), wherein the LPF utilizes a switched capacitor scheme to estimate power of the wireless signal;

a comparator, wherein the comparator compares an output of the LPF to a band gap reference;

an up/down counter, wherein the up/down counter is implemented utilizing a capacitor which is cleared at an end of a duration specified by a wireless standard; and

a mixer configured to estimate power of the signal based on the sample, wherein the mixer is also utilized in a receiver included on the integrated circuit.

8. A system as described in claim 7 , wherein the mixer employs a mean-square technique to estimate power of the signal.

9. A system as described in claim 7 , wherein the power amplifier, the sampler, the mixer, the low pass filter, the comparator, and the up/down counter are formed using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor device (CMOS).

10. A system as described in claim 7 embodied in a wireless phone, wireless router, computing device or peripheral device.

11. A method comprising operating a single integrated circuit to:

sample an output of a component of the single integrated circuit, wherein the component is configured to amplify a signal to be transmitted; and

estimate power of the signal based on the sample, wherein the estimation is performed using a mixer, the operation of which is shared by a receiver of the single integrated circuit

wherein the single integrated circuit includes:

a power amplifier; and

a sampler to sample the wireless signal;

a comparator to produce indications of a relationship of the wireless signal

to a common mode level;

an up/down counter, wherein the up/down counter is implemented utilizing a capacitor which is cleared at an end of a duration specified by a wireless standard; and

a device to provide the estimate, which is an average estimate of transmission power of the signal, wherein one or more switches of the device are controlled based on the indications.

12. A method as described in claim 11 , wherein the estimation is performed using a mean-square technique.

13. A method as described in claim 11 , wherein the estimation is performed using digital processing.

14. A method as described in claim 11 , wherein the estimation is performed using a mean of absolute value technique.

15. A method as described in claim 11 , wherein the operating of the single integrated circuit includes managing transmission power of the signal based on the estimate.

16. A method as described in claim 15 , wherein the managing includes managing gain of a variable gain amplifier of the single integrated circuit.