Patent ID: 7753277

Claim:
A user-operable actuation device for use in a system, said user-operable actuation device comprising: a user-operable component supported within a support structure, and operated by said user, and having an electronic-ink display label for displaying graphical indicia representative of one or more symbols associated with the operation of said user-operable component within said system; and an activation module for transmitting electromagnetic data signals to said electronic-ink display label so as to provide instructions to said electronic-ink display label for use in determining graphic indicia to be displayed on said electronic-ink display label; wherein said electronic-ink display label includes: (1) an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material disposed between an activation layer and a transparent electrode layer located above said layer of electronic ink, for activating said layer of electronic ink at particular locations to display graphical indicia on the surface of said addressable display assembly, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia; (2) at least one antenna structure for receiving electromagnetic data signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data, and graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly; (3) an integrated circuit structure having (i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia; and (4) a signal receiving structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said at least one antenna structure, for receiving electromagnetic data signals from said activation module, using said at least one antenna structure; wherein said received electromagnetic data signals carry information corresponding to said programs, said instructions, said data or said graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly; wherein said integrated circuit structure is responsive to electromagnetic data signals received from said activation module, by said at least one antenna structure and said signal receiving structure; and wherein said addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display said determined graphical indicia.