Sharp Australia is looking at launching a unique two-way viewing-angle LCD display screen that allows a driver to view navigation information, and a passenger a movie on the same screen. The same technology can also be used in a commercial environment or as an advertising medium.
The device, which SmartHouse saw in Japan today,, allows both users to get a crystal clear image from the same LED screen using proprietary Sharp display technology.
 One angle NAVIGATION |
According to Sharp the technology could also be used on advertising display screens so that consumers walking one way get a different message than those walking the other way.
The technology that enables two split images to be seen from the same screen is called a “parallax barrier.” When superimposed on the LCD, it causes “the light from the backlight to separate into right and left directions, which makes it possible to display a multiple video sources at two different angles”.
Sharp says the technology, which it calls “two-way viewing-angle LCD,” is useful for a number of things. For instance, one person could watch a TV program while another surfs the Web with the same monitor. In a car, the monitor might display a map for the driver while playing a movie for passengers.
The screen could also function as a double-duty billboard, displaying different advertisements at the same time. A salesperson could use it for meetings with customers, keeping certain confidential data from view, Sharp said.
 MOVIE or TV for a passenger |
In a commercial environment a cashier at a checkout counter could put up an image for a customer while they are viewing different information on the same screen.
