Patent ID: 6970285

Claim:
A method of forming or erasing an image on a rewritable medium for visual display comprising an electrophoretic coating on a substrate, wherein the electrophoretic coating comprises microcapsules comprising charged particles of one or more colors suspended in a phase change material that has a melting temperature in the range of between about 30Â° C. and about 200Â° C., wherein particles of at least one color have a positive or a negative charge, and a polymer matrix, wherein the microcapsules are distributed in the polymer matrix, comprising the steps of a) heating a first section of the electrophoretic coating that comprises one or more picture elements, thereby liquefying the phase change material in the first section; b) applying a directional electric field to each picture element of the heated section, thereby causing the charged particles in the liquefied phase change material to migrate; c) allowing the first section of the electrophoretic medium to cool, thereby solidifying the phase change material in the first section; and d) optionally repeating the steps a) through c) at one or more different sections of the electrophoretic coating.