| US 7,551,239 B2 | ||
| Viewing angle control element and image display based on same | ||
| Hiroshi Fukushima, Yamatokoriyama (Japan); Koji Yabuta, Kashiba (Japan); Tomoo Takatani, Nara (Japan); and Masakazu Wada, Soraku-gun (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 01, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/46,731. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-029428 (JP), filed on Feb. 05, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0174529 A1, Aug. 11, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02F 1/1335 (2006.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 349—16 [349/196; 359/613] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A viewing angle control element placed between a light source and a viewer to switch an image display between wide viewing
angle mode and narrow viewing angle mode, the element comprising:
first regions having a transmittance T1; and
second regions capable of switching between a transmittance T2 and a transmittance T3 which is less than T1 and T2,
each of the first and second regions being positioned opposite to one of pixels, wherein
said first regions are transparent, composed of a transparent resin layer, said second regions are composed of liquid crystal,
and the first and second regions are adjacent to each other alternatively, on a common plane, said element further comprising
a first substrate and a second substrate, both of which being opposite to the light source, wherein:
the first and second regions are positioned at positions divided by an interface connecting the first and second substrates,
and
said first and second regions are composed of materials different from each other.
|