Phase shift keying wireless communication apparatus and method

1. A baseband processor comprising:

an analog to digital converter configured to convert a baseband signal from an analog format into a corresponding digital format, wherein the baseband signal comprises a data packet having i) a preamble portion, ii) a header portion, and iii) a payload portion, wherein the payload portion of the data packet is in accordance with either i) a first format or ii) a second format, and wherein the second format is associated with a higher data rate than the first format;

a parallel demodulation pathway configured to receive the baseband signal in the corresponding digital format, wherein the parallel demodulation pathway includes

a first demodulation pathway configured to recover

i) the preamble portion of the data packet,

ii) the header portion of the data packet, and

iii) the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the first format; and

a second demodulation pathway configured to recover the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the second format.

2. The baseband processor of claim 1 , wherein the data packet is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11b.

3. The baseband processor of claim 1 , wherein:

a data rate of the first format corresponds to 11 Mbps; and

a data rate of the second format corresponds to 22 Mbps.

4. The baseband processor of claim 1 , further comprising a demodulator configured to demodulate the payload portion of the data packet in the first format or the second format.

5. A transceiver comprising the baseband processor of claim 1 .

6. A network interface apparatus comprising the transceiver of claim 5 .

7. The network interface apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the network transceiver apparatus comprises a PC card or a network interface card.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising the network interface apparatus of claim 7 .

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a laptop computer or a desktop computer.

10. A method comprising:

converting a baseband signal from an analog format into a corresponding digital format, wherein the baseband signal comprises a data packet having i) a preamble portion, ii) a header portion, and iii) a payload portion, wherein the payload portion of the data packet is in accordance with either i) a first format or ii) a second format, and wherein the second format is associated with a higher data rate than the first format; and

recovering, in a first demodulation pathway,

i) the preamble portion of the data packet,

ii) the header portion of the data packet, and

iii) the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the first format; and

recovering, in a second demodulation pathway, the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the second format.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first demodulation pathway is separate from the second demodulation pathway.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data packet is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11b.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

a data rate of the first format corresponds to 11 Mbps; and

a data rate of the second format corresponds to 22 Mbps.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising demodulating the payload portion of the data packet in the first format or the second format.