Patent ID: 7760417

Claim:
A reflective display, comprising: (a) a plurality of inwardly protruding transparent hemi-beads, each hemi-bead having a reflective region surrounding a non-reflective region; (b) a substrate spaced inwardly from the hemi-beads; (c) for substantially each one of the hemi-beads an associated first fluid droplet having a normally relaxed shape in contact with the non-reflective region of the one of the hemi-beads; (d) an electrical potential source electrically connected to apply an electrical potential across any selected one or more of the droplets; wherein: (i) application of an electrical potential across any selected one of the droplets deforms the selected one of the droplets into a deformed shape away from the one of the hemi-beads associated with the selected one of the droplets; and (ii) removal of the electrical potential allows the selected one of the droplets to resume the relaxed shape.