Patent ID: 7812680

Claim:
A signal generator for communication of an information stream, the signal generator comprising: a MEMS resonator comprising a resonant structure, a drive electrode and a sense electrode and configured for activation by a DC bias voltage applied to the resonant structure and development of a resonator signal at the sense electrode having a resonant frequency determined by the DC bias voltage in response to an excitation signal applied to the drive electrode, wherein the resonant structure is spaced from the drive electrode by a gap; an oscillator circuit coupled to the MEMS resonator across the sense and drive electrodes to apply the excitation signal to the drive electrode to facilitate oscillation of the resonator signal and for generation of an output signal with a frequency based on the resonant frequency of the resonator signal; and, a port to receive a control signal representative of the information stream, the port being coupled to the MEMS resonator to modulate the DC bias voltage in accordance with the control signal such that the MEMS resonator is biased with the modulated DC bias voltage and both the resonant frequency and the frequency of the output signal are modulated to reflect the information stream.