Light beam direction controlling touch panel device

A light beam direction controlling touch panel device, comprising:

• an upper transparent substrate;
• a lower transparent substrate;
• a plurality of upper light beam direction controlling electrodes and a plurality of upper touch panel electrodes arranged alternately along a first direction on a bottom surface of the upper transparent substrate;
• a plurality of lower touch panel electrodes disposed on a top surface of the lower transparent substrate and facing the upper light beam direction controlling electrodes;
• a plurality of electrophoresis elements sandwiched between the plurality of upper light beam direction controlling electrodes and the plurality of lower touch panel electrodes, each of the plurality of electrophoresis elements including colored electrophoresis particles and dispersion medium;
• a plurality of light-transmissive regions sandwiched between the upper transparent substrate and the lower transparent substrate, the plurality of light-transmissive regions surrounded by the electrophoresis elements;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the plurality of upper light beam direction controlling electrodes each include an opening that overlaps in position with the light-transmissive region,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• supply a driving potential to the plurality of lower touch panel electrodes in capacitance measurement for detecting a touch position, thereby forming an electric field from the plurality of lower touch panel electrodes to the plurality of upper touch panel electrodes through the opening;
• and
• supply a driving potential to the plurality of upper light beam direction controlling electrodes in accordance with the driving potential given to the plurality of lower touch panel electrodes, thereby switching between a dispersed state and a concentrated state of the colored electrophoresis particles in the plurality of electrophoresis elements.