Voltage-controlled oscillator

Claim 2

A voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal, including first and second means for integrating the input signal, third and fourth means coupled to the first and second means respectively for producing output signals when the outputs of the first and second means reach a predetermined level, fifth and sixth means coupled to the first and second means respectively for individually controlling the operation of the first and second means, and seventh means coupled to the outputs of the third and fourth means for producing control signals to control the fifth and sixth means and with the fifth and sixth means controlled Oppositely to each other to have one of the first and second means operating while the other is not operating and with the other of the first and second means preset while in the nonoperating state.

Claim 3

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1 wherein the seventh means is a flip-flop having set and reset input and with the outputs of the third and fourth means coupled to the set and reset inputs respectively.

Claim 4

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1 wherein the fifth and sixth means are switches coupled across the first and second means.

Claim 5

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1 wherein the third and fourth means are voltage comparators for comparing the outputs of the first and second means with a reference potential.

Claim 6

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1 additionally including eighth means responsive to the input signal for coupling a feed forward signal to the third and fourth means for varying the predetermined level in accordance with the input signal to compensate for delays in operation of the various means in the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 7

A voltage-controlled oscillator of the type for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal and including an integrator responsive to the input signal for integrating the input signal and a detector responsive to the output of the integrator to produce a control signal when the output of the integrator reaches a predetermined level to control the operation of the integrator, including first means responsive to the input signal for producing a feed forward signal having characteristics in accordance with the amplitude of the input signal, and second means for coupling the feed forward signal to the detector for varying the predetermined level to compensate for delays in the operation of the various components of the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 8

A voltage-controlled oscillator of the type for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal and including an integrator responsive to the input signal for integrating the input signal and a detector responsive to the output of the integrator to produce a control signal when the output of the integrator reaches a predetermined level to control the operation of the integrator, including first means responsive to the input signal for producing a feed forward signal having characteristics in accordance with the amplitude of the input signal, and second means for coupling the feed forward signal to the detector for varying the predetermined level to compensate for delays in the operation of the various components of the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 9

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 6 wherein the detector is a voltage comparator including a pair of input terminals and wherein the feed forward signal is coupled to one of the input terminals.

Claim 10

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 6 wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator includes a delay in the starting of the operation of the integrator and a delay in the stopping of the operation of the integrator and wherein the feed forward signal compensates for these delays as they affect the straight line linearity between the frequency of the output signal and the amplitude of the input signal.

Claim 11

A voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal, including first means for integrating the input signal with reference to a reference potential, second means for integrating the input signal with reference to the reference potential, third means coupled to the first means for producing a first control signal when the output from the first means exceeds a predetermined level, fourth means coupled to the second means for producing a second control signal when the output from the first means exceeds the predetermined level, and fifth means coupled to the first, second, third and fourth means for controlling the first means to integrate when the fourth means produces the second control signal and for controlling the first means to return to the reference potential when the third means produces the first control signal and for controlling the second means to integrate when the third means produces the first control signal and for controlling the second means to return to the reference potential when the fourth means produces the second control signal.

Claim 12

A voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal, including first means for integrating the input signal with reference to a reference potential, second means for integrating the input signal with reference to the reference potential, third means coupled to the first means for producing a first control signal when the output from the first means exceeds a predetermined level, fourth means coupled to the second means for producing a second control signal when the output from the first means exceeds the predetermined level, and fifth means coupled to the first, second, third and fourth means for controlling the first means to integrate when the fourth means produces the second control signal and for controlling the first means to return to the reference potential when the third means produces the first control signal and for controlling the second means to integrate when the third means produces the first control signal and for controlling the second means to return to the reference potential when the fourth means produces the second control signal.

Claim 13

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9 wherein the fifth means includes a flip-flop having set and reset inputs and with the outputs of the third and fourth means coupled to the set and reset inputs respectively.

Claim 14

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9 wherein the fifth means inclUdes switches coupled across the first and second means.

Claim 15

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9 wherein the third and fourth means are voltage comparators for comparing the outputs of the first and second means with a reference potential.

Claim 16

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9 additionally including sixth means responsive to the input signal for coupling a feed forward signal to the third and fourth means for varying the predetermined level in accordance with the input signal to compensate for delays in operation of the various means in the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 17

A voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal and including an integrator responsive to the input signal for integrating the input signal, including a detector responsive to the output of the integrator for producing a control signal when the output of the integrator exceeds a predetermined level to control the operation of the integrator, and means responsive to the input signal for producing a feed forward signal coupled to the detector for varying the predetermined level to compensate for delays in the operation of the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 18

A voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output signal having a frequency in accordance with the amplitude of an input signal and including an integrator responsive to the input signal for integrating the input signal, including a detector responsive to the output of the integrator for producing a control signal when the output of the integrator exceeds a predetermined level to control the operation of the integrator, and means responsive to the input signal for producing a feed forward signal coupled to the detector for varying the predetermined level to compensate for delays in the operation of the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Claim 19

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 14 wherein the detector is a voltage comparator including a pair of input terminals and wherein the feed forward signal is coupled to one of the input terminals.

Claim 20

The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 14 wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator includes a delay in the starting of the operation of the integrator and a delay in the stopping of the operation of the integrator and wherein the feed forward signal compensates for these delays as they affect the straight line linearity between the frequency of the output signal and the amplitude of the input signal.