US Patent 7688211 Apparatus and method for enhancing face-to-face communication

A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.