Patent attributes
Disclosed is a light distribution controllable touch panel device including: an upper transparent substrate; a lower transparent substrate; one or more lower light distribution control electrodes on a top face of the lower transparent substrate; touch panel electrodes on an underface of the upper transparent substrate; electrophoretic elements sandwiched between the one or more lower light distribution control electrodes and the touch panel electrodes, each of the electrophoretic elements including colored electrophoretic particles and dispersion medium; and a controller. The controller is configured to: provide driving potentials to the touch panel electrodes in measuring capacitances for detecting a touch point; and provide driving potentials to the one or more lower light distribution control electrodes with reference to the driving potentials given to the touch panel electrodes to control a state of the colored electrophoretic particles in the plurality of electrophoretic elements.