Multi-range voltage controlled resonant circuit

A voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit having at least two resonant frequency ranges and reduced self modulation, comprising:

• a resonant element;
• a variable reactance element, capacitively coupled to said resonant element;
• a first voltage variable capacitor (VVC) having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element;
• and
• one or more additional VVC's, each having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, and each capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element,
• wherein said first VVC is controlled by a first DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance, and
• wherein each of said one or more additional VVC's is controlled by a DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the at least two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance element.

A voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit having at least two resonant frequency ranges and reduced self modulation, comprising:

• a resonant element;
• a variable reactance element, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element;
• and
• a first voltage variable capacitor (VVC) having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element,
• wherein said first VVC is controlled by a first DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance element, and
• wherein a largest average sensitivity of a capacitance of said first VVC to voltage variations within the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges is substantially less than a maximum sensitivity of the capacitance of said first VVC to voltage variations.

A selective call receiver for receiving a radio signal which includes an address, the selective call receiver comprising:

• a receiver element for receiving and demodulating the radio signal, including the address;
• a controller, coupled to said receiver element, for comparing the address received in the radio signal with a predetermined address stored in said selective call receiver;
• a sensible alert, coupled and responsive to said controller, for presenting an alert indication when the address compares to the predetermined address,
• wherein at least a portion of said receiver element and said controller comprises a voltage controlled oscillator circuit operable within two or more resonant frequency ranges and having reduced self modulation, comprising:
• an amplifier having gain;
• and
• a voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit having at least two resonant frequency ranges and reduced self modulation, comprising:
• a resonant element;
• a first and a second voltage variable capacitors (VVC), each having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, and each being capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element;
• wherein said first VVC is controlled by a first DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by setting a second DC bias voltage between the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges of said second VVC.

A selective call receiver for receiving a radio signal which includes an address, the selective call receiver comprising:

• a receiver element for receiving and demodulating the radio signal, including the address;
• a controller, coupled to said receiver element, for comparing the address received in the radio signal with a predetermined address stored in said selective call receiver;
• a sensible alert, coupled and responsive to said controller, for presenting an alert indication when the address compares to the predetermined address,
• wherein at least a portion of said receiver element and said controller comprises a voltage controlled oscillator circuit operable within two or more resonant frequency ranges and having reduced self modulation, comprising:
• an amplifier having gain;
• and
• a voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit having at least two resonant frequency ranges and reduced self modulation, comprising:
• a resonant element;
• a variable reactance element, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element;
• a first voltage variable capacitor (VVC) having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element;
• and
• one or more additional VVC's, each having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, each being capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element, and
• wherein said first VVC is controlled by a first DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance, and
• wherein each of said one or more additional VVC's is controlled by a DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the at least two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance element.

A selective call receiver for receiving a radio signal which includes an address, the selective call receiver comprising:

• a receiver element for receiving and demodulating the radio signal, including the address;
• a controller, coupled to said receiver element, for comparing the address received in the radio signal with a predetermined address stored in said selective call receiver;
• a sensible alert, coupled and responsive to said controller, for presenting an alert indication when the address compares to the predetermined address,
• wherein at least a portion of said receiver element and said controller comprises a voltage controlled oscillator circuit operable within two or more resonant frequency ranges and having reduced self modulation, comprising:
• an amplifier having gain;
• and
• a voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit having at least two resonant frequency ranges and reduced self modulation, comprising:
• a resonant element;
• a variable reactance element, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element;
• and
• a first voltage variable capacitor (VVC) having two fixed capacitance values corresponding to two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges, capacitively coupled to resonate with said resonant element and said variable reactance element, and
• wherein said first VVC is controlled by a first DC bias voltage selected to be within one of the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges to establish one of the two resonant frequency ranges over which the voltage controlled tunable resonant circuit is tuned by variation of said variable reactance element, and
• wherein a largest average sensitivity of a capacitance of said first VVC to voltage variations within the two fixed capacitance bias voltage ranges is substantially less than a maximum sensitivity of the capacitance of said first VVC to voltage variations.