An improved electrostatic angle resolver is disclosed which eliminates capacitive coupling surfaces from rotor and stator device components of the invention, thus reducing over all space necessary for the resolver. Additionally, the concept disclosed also eliminates the need for rotor guarding techniques to prevent signal loss due to stray and parasitic capacitances. Essentially, current required to maintain capacitor plates at a particular voltage is monitored, and the variations in the current are transformed into voltages, and supplied to an amplifier which, in turn, provides isolation between the sensor, and associated angular decoding circuitry.

A digital angular velocity detection device, including a stat or formed on a substrate. A rotor operable to rotate in response to an external force is provided. The rotor has a plurality of electrodes formed at regular intervals on a curve at a predetermined radius away from a center of the rotor. A detector having detection electrodes facing the plurality of electrodes is provided. The detection electrodes are operable to detect a rotation frequency of the rotor based on a number of electrostatic capacitance variations generated between the plurality of electrodes and the detection electrodes.

An integral information and energy storage system is disclosed comprising a disk drive having a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and a disk platter coupled to the shaft. A flywheel is also coupled to the shaft and includes, embedded in the flywheel, magnets having magnetic fields emanating therefrom. Electrical coils are positioned in the housing for receiving electrical energy from a power supply line and generating an electromagnetic field effective for selectively repulsing or attracting the magnets to thereby rotate the flywheel and convert electrical energy in the coils into kinetic energy in the flywheel. Alternatively, if power is not available on the power supply line, the coils generate electrical energy as the magnetic field is caused from rotation of the flywheel and the magnet embedded therein to move across the coil, thereby converting kinetic energy in the flywheel back into electrical energy in the coil and to the power supply line.

An electrostatic angle resolver has a stator for producing a patterned electrostatic field, a rotor having sensivitity to the electrostatic field, a capacitive coupling providing a signal interconnection between the rotor and the stator, and an active shield supplied with a voltage signal substantially identical to that signal present on the stator thereby diminishing degradation in the strength of the signal coupled between the rotor and the stator.