Patent ID: 6908033

Claim:
A method of writing an electrically writable tag using a hand-held writing device, comprising the steps of: a) providing an electrically writable tag having: a display element having a single flexible transparent substrate, one or more first transparent conductors located on the substrate, a layer of polymer dispersed material located over the first conductor(s), the polymer dispersed material being responsive to an applied electric field for displaying information and having first and second optical states that are both stable in the absence of an electrical field, one or more second conductors located over the polymer dispersed layer for applying the electric field to the polymer dispersed material between the first and second conductors and a plurality of display contacts located on the backside of the display for making electrical connection to the first and second conductors of the display, and a sheet of adhesive print medium having a die cut label area, and defining a window in the label area, the display element being mounted substrate side down in the window; a plurality of electrical conductors located on a display surface of the tag; and a mechanical alignment feature including a detent for locating the tag with respect to a hand-held writing device; b) providing a single hand-held writing device comprising a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts for simultaneously making contact with the electrical conductors of the tag, a bar code scanner, and a complementary alignment feature with a detent for locating the hand-held writing device with respect to the tag; and c) locating the hand-held writing device with respect to the tag, using the alignment features, and activating the hand-held writing device to write information on the tag.