Patent ID: 7551239

Claim:
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 T 1 ; and second regions capable of switching between a transmittance T 2 and a transmittance T 3 which is less than T 1 and T 2 , 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.