Sharp have developed the Triple Directional Viewing LCD, a display that controls the viewing angle so that you can view different images from the left, right, and center - all on the same screen.

Last year, the company developed two world-first products for controlled viewing angle: the two-way viewing-angle LCD and the switchable viewing-angle LCD. These concepts are already in use in some car navigation systems and mobile phones.

It works using a proprietary parallax barrier on a standard TFT LCD, splitting light in three directions - left, right, and centre - and displays three separate images on the same screen at the same time.

Imagine, for example, people taking a drive in a van. The driver uses a car navigation system screen, the person in the passenger seat checks out tourist sites and restaurants, and the person in the back seat enjoys a movie on DVD, all in full-screen view. Just the one LCD display plays all three at the same time.

The device will have advertising and promotional applications. For example, it could display three different ads for stores or restaurants, each aimed at people walking in a certain direction.