Patent Publication Number: US-2015072665-A1

Title: Cloud Caller ID Display System and Method Thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of China Patent Application No. 201310408088.6, filed on Sep. 9, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a caller ID display system which shares contact lists of cell phones through the cloud, and more particularly, to a cloud caller ID display system and a method thereof, which shares contact lists of cell phones by a cloud server. 
     2. Related Art 
     With the society developing, people need to make contact with more and more people, and it becomes a problem to store and manage the information of contacts. 
     Generally speaking, for storing and managing the information of contacts, people mostly use keypads to input the information of contacts in cell phones. However, with the improving of electronic technologies, smart phones are widespread nowadays, and contact management systems for integrating various communication software, community websites and emails on smart phones are launched; therefore, as a result of wide using various communication software, community websites and emails, frauds increase day by day. In addition, except for contacts which have been stored, smart phones only display phone numbers, so that the identity of the caller will not be recognized. Thus, even if a call is from a known caller, it will be ignored because of no record in the contact list, which may lead to missing important phone calls. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a cloud caller ID display system and a method thereof, for improving the convenience of identifying caller identities by sharing contact list on the cloud. 
     The present invention provides a caller ID display system for use in a cloud or Internet, including a cloud serving apparatus, a first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device. The first mobile communication device is configured for transmitting a first contact list to the serving apparatus. The second mobile communication device is configured for obtaining the first contact list from the serving apparatus, wherein upon receiving a communication request from an external communication device, the second mobile communication device is configured to match a caller ID of the external communication device in the first contact list to search for a contact name corresponding to the caller ID, thereby enabling displaying the found contact name on the second mobile communication device. 
     In one embodiment, the first mobile communication device further comprises a first input unit used for selecting a plurality of contacts on the first mobile communication device to be included in the first contact list. And the first mobile communication device may further be configured to set through the first input unit whether the second mobile communication device have authority to access the first contact list. 
     In one embodiment, the first contact list is to be edited by the first mobile communication device only. 
     In one embodiment, the second mobile communication device has a second contact list, and the second mobile communication device can display the caller ID if a contact name corresponding to the caller ID is not found in the first and second contact lists. 
     The present invention also provides a caller ID display system for use in a cloud or Internet, comprising a serving apparatus and a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device is configured for obtaining a contact list from the serving apparatus which is transmitted by another mobile communication device, wherein upon receiving a communication request from an external communication device, the mobile communication device is configured to match a caller ID of the external communication device in the first contact list to search for a contact name corresponding to the caller ID, thereby enabling displaying the contact name on the mobile communication device. 
     The present invention further provides a method for use in a cloud or Internet for matching a caller ID, comprising connecting a mobile communication device to a serving apparatus; the mobile communication device obtaining a first contact list from the serving apparatus, to which the first contact list is transmitted from another mobile communication device; the mobile communication device receiving a communication request from an external communication device; and matching a caller ID of the external communication device in the first contact list to search for a contact name corresponding to the caller ID, wherein the found contact name may be displayed on the mobile communication device. 
     In one embodiment, the first contact list includes a plurality of contacts selected from the another mobile communication device, which sets whether the mobile communication device have authority to access the first contact list before transmitting the first contact list to the serving apparatus. 
     In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the first contact list by the mobile communication device comprises: checking whether the mobile communication device has authority to access the first contact list. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes the mobile communication device matching the caller ID of the external communication device in a second contact list available on the mobile communication device, to search for a contact name corresponding to the caller ID, wherein the found contact name may be displayed on the mobile communication device. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes displaying the caller ID on the mobile communication device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a caller ID display system for use in the cloud according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a drawing of  FIG. 1  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method for use in the cloud for matching a caller ID according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4-6  are flow charts of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     To understand the above feature and advantages of the present invention, reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are simplified drawings schematically drawn for the purpose of describing basic structure of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a caller ID display system for use in the cloud according to the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cloud caller ID display system  100  comprises a cloud serving apparatus  110 , a first mobile communication device  120  and a second mobile communication device  130 . The first mobile communication device  120  is configured for transmitting a first contact list  121  to the cloud serving apparatus  110 . The second mobile communication device  130  is configured for obtaining the first contact list  121  from the cloud serving apparatus  110 , wherein upon receiving a communication request from an external communication device  200 , the second mobile communication device  130  matches a caller ID of the external communication device  200  in the first contact list  121  to search for a contact name corresponding to the caller ID, thereby enabling displaying the found contact name on the second mobile communication device  130 . 
     In one embodiment, the first mobile communication device  120  further comprises an input unit used for selecting a plurality of contacts on the first mobile communication device  120  to be included in the first contact list  121 . Further, the first mobile communication device  120  sets through the first input unit whether the second mobile communication device  130  have authority to access the first contact list  121 , moreover, the first contact list  121  is to be edited by the first mobile communication device  120  only. 
     In one embodiment, the second mobile communication device  130  further has a second contact list, and the second mobile communication device  130  displays the caller ID if a contact name corresponding to the caller ID is not found in the first contact list  121  and the second contact list. Besides, the second mobile communication device  130  has a second input unit for selecting a plurality of contacts on the second mobile communication device  130  to be included in the second contact list, and the second mobile communication device  130  may transmit the second contact list to the cloud serving apparatus  110 . 
     In one embodiment, the second mobile communication device  130  is configured to set through the second input unit authority to access the second contact list, wherein the second contact list is to be edited by the second mobile communication device  130  only and the second mobile communication device  130  may share the second contact list with the cloud serving apparatus  110 . Referring to  FIGS. 2-6  together,  FIG. 2  is a drawing of  FIG. 1  according to the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a caller ID display system for use in the cloud according to the present invention.  FIGS. 4-6  are flow charts of  FIG. 3 , and please refer to flow charts in  FIGS. 3-6  corresponding to the drawing in  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 3 , the first mobile communication device  120  transmits a first contact list  121  to a cloud serving apparatus  110  (Step S 310 ). In the Step S 310 , it further comprises a plurality of contacts is selected to the first contact list  121  to be uploaded (Step S 301 ) and an access authority of the first contact list  121  is set up (Step S 302 ) as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Then, the second mobile communication device  130  is connected to a cloud serving apparatus  110  and the first contact list  121  is obtained by the second mobile communication device  130  (Step S 320 ). Referring to  FIG. 4 , the first mobile communication device  120  is configured to set an access authority of the uploaded the first contact list  121 . Therefore, if the second mobile communication device  130  requires the first contact list  121 , the access authority of the second mobile communication device  130  needs to be confirmed (Step S 321 ) so as to obtain corresponding first contact list  121  (Step S 322 ). 
     Next, a communication request of an external communication device  200  is received by the second mobile communication device  130  (Step S 330 ). Then, a caller ID of the external communication device  200  is matched to the first contact list  121  so as to search a corresponding contact name (Step S 340 ), and then the corresponding contact name is displayed on the second mobile communication device  130  (Step S 350 ). 
     Further, a method for use in the cloud for matching a caller ID may also comprise the steps as following: 
     Step S 610 : a caller ID is matched to the second contact list of the second mobile communication device  130 , and if the caller ID is matched in the second contact list, Step S 630  will be performed; otherwise, Step S 620  will be performed. 
     Step S 620 : the caller ID is matched to the first contact list  121 , and if the caller ID is matched in the first contact list  121 , Step S 630  will be performed; otherwise, Step S 640  will be performed. 
     Step S 630 : the contact name is displayed on the second mobile communication device  130 . 
     Step S 640 : the caller ID is displayed on the second mobile communication device  130 . 
     By using the cloud caller ID display system and the method thereof of the present invention, when a communication device receives a calling request from an external communication device, even though the communication device does not have identity information corresponding to a caller ID of the external communication device, the communication device may still obtain the identity information of the caller ID from the contact list of a cloud server in order to help the user of the communication device to identify whether the calling request is from a stranger. In addition, the contact lists stored in the cloud server according to the present invention allow an access authority setting, so that the communication device may obtain the contact identity information of the contact list only if the communication device is permitted so as to ensure the privacy of the contacts in the contact list. 
     The previous description of the preferred embodiment is provided to further describe the present invention, not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification apparent to those skilled in the art according to the disclosure within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.