Patent ID: 8023175

Claim:
A device for generating an image comprising: a substrate; an array of image elements operatively connected to the substrate, each image element comprising first and second electrodes, the first and second electrodes adapted to be connected to a power source; each of the image elements having an inactive state in which the image elements operate to reflect light in a first direction when no voltage potential is applied to the first and second electrodes; and an active state where the image element reflects light other than the first direction when a voltage potential is applied to at least one of the first and second electrodes; programming circuitry connected to each of the image elements to program whether or not the image element is in an active or inactive state; the programming circuitry comprising a switch, a first terminal operatively connected to the actuating terminal of the switch; a second terminal operatively connected to a second terminal of the switch; and a frangible element connected to one of the first or second electrodes; the programming circuit being such when determined voltage potentials are applied to the first and second terminals, the current flowing through the switch causes the frangible element to melt and thereby deactivate the pixel such that it will remain in the inactive state when the activation circuitry receives power from a power source; activation circuitry interconnecting at least one of the first or second electrodes; the activation circuitry adapted to be connected to a power source; whereby when the activation circuitry receives power from a power source, the image elements in the array which are not in an active state will reflect light in predominately in a first direction; and those image elements in an active state will reflect light predominately in a direction other than the first direction to thereby display an image.