Patent Publication Number: US-2010124319-A1

Title: Call displaying system and method of using the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to call displaying systems and call displaying methods, particularly, to a call displaying system and a call displaying method for selectively displaying call displaying images. 
     Many mobile terminals for wireless communication, such as mobile phones, have the function of displaying call numbers. However, it is difficult for users to identify the callers based solely on the telephone numbers. Therefore, other information of callers, such as images/photos, can be displayed along with the telephone numbers allowing easier recognition to the users. 
     The images of contacts are generally stored in the mobile terminals. However, the memory capacities of most mobile terminals are generally small, thus may not be able to occupy a large amount of data e.g. numbers, images, and may also slow down the processing speed of the mobile terminal. 
     Therefore, there is a room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of a call displaying system and method of using the same can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present call displaying system and method using the same. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a call displaying system, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a method of displaying telephone numbers and call displaying images, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a call displaying system  100  includes a base station  10 , a calling terminal  20  and a plurality of receiving terminals  30  The calling terminal  20  and each receiving terminals  30  are wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc. When the calling terminal  20  communicates with the receiving terminals  30  via the base station  10 , photos of the user of the calling terminal  20  previously stored in the base station  10 , can be set as call displaying images, and the call displaying images are sent to the receiving terminals  30  via the base station  10 . 
     The base station  10  can be a conventional base station of cell phones and includes a signal controlling unit  12 , a signal communicating unit  14  and a signal storage unit  16 . The signal controlling unit  12  is a processor electronically connected to the signal communicating unit  14  and the signal storage unit  16 . 
     The signal controlling unit  12  controls the signal communicating unit  14  to receive the call displaying images and telephone numbers from the calling terminal  20  and send the call displaying images and telephone numbers to the receiving terminals  30 . The signal communicating unit  14  can be a conventional antenna device. The signal storage unit  16  is a memory for storing the call displaying images and telephone numbers set by the user of the calling terminal  20  under the control of the signal controlling unit  12 . 
     The calling terminal  20  includes an operating unit  22 , a storage unit  24  and a communicating unit  26 . The operating unit  22  is electronically connected to the storage unit  24  and the communicating unit  26 . 
     The operating unit  22  is configured for setting the call displaying images to be transferred by the calling terminal  20  to the base station  10 . The operating unit  22  can be a typical signal input device of the calling terminal  20 , such as a keypad. The storage unit  24  is a memory for temporary storing the call displaying images set by the operating unit  22  and the storage unit  24  can be a conventional storage device of the calling terminal  20 , such as a subscriber identify model (SIM) card. The calling terminal  20  sends a requesting signal to the signal controlling unit  12  through the communicating unit  26 . Then, the signal controlling unit  12  establishes a plurality of storage areas in the signal storage unit  16  in response to the requesting signal. Then, the call displaying images are sent to the storage areas and are stored in the storage areas of the signal storage unit  16 . The communicating unit  26  can be integrated with an existing transmission device, such as an antenna. 
     Each called terminal  30  includes a setting module  32 , a communicating module  34  and a display module  36 . The setting module  32  is electronically connected to the communicating module  34  and the displaying module  36 . The setting module  32  is used to select whether or not to use the call displaying images sent by the calling terminal  20 . If the setting module  32  selects to use the call displaying images, then the communicating module  34  receives the images and telephone numbers from the signal communicating unit  14 , and then both the images and the telephone numbers are displayed on the displaying module  36 . If the setting module  32  selects not to use the call displaying images, then the communicating module  34  only receives the telephone numbers sent from the signal communicating unit  14 , and the telephone numbers are displayed on the displaying module  36 . The setting module  32  can be a conventional signal input device of the called terminal  30 , such as a keypad. The communicating module  34  can be integrated with an existing transceiving device, such as an antenna. The displaying module  36  can a typical liquid crystal display module (LCM). 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , a call displaying method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is depicted. The call displaying method can use the aforementioned call displaying system  100  to transmit the call displaying images and telephone numbers. The call displaying method may at least include the following steps. 
     A call displaying system  100  is provided. 
     The calling terminal  20  sends a requesting signal to the signal controlling unit  12  through the communicating unit  26 . Then, the signal controlling unit  12  establishes a plurality of storage areas in the signal storage unit  16  in response to the requesting signal. 
     The call displaying images for each called terminal  30  are set in the calling terminal  20  via the operating unit  22 . 
     The call displaying images set by the operating unit  22  are sent to the signal communicating unit  14  via the communicating unit  26  of the calling terminal  20 . Understandably, the telephone numbers of the calling terminal  20  can be sent to the base station  10  via the communicating unit  26 . 
     The call displaying images set by the operating unit  22  and the telephone numbers of the calling terminal  20  are stored in the corresponding storage area of the signal storage unit  14  controlled by the controlling device  12 . 
     The calling terminal  20  sends a call request to the base station  10  and establishes a call connection with one called terminal  30  via the base station  10 . 
     The setting module  32  of one called terminal  30  chooses whether or not to use the call displaying images sent by the calling terminal  20 . If the setting module  32  chooses to use the call displaying images, then the calling terminal  20  establishes the call connection with the called terminal  30 , and the communicating module  34  receives the images and telephone numbers sent by the signal communicating unit  14  of the base station  10 , and the images and telephone numbers are displayed on the displaying module  36 . If the setting module  32  chooses not to use the call displaying images, then the calling terminal  20  still establishes the call connection with the called terminal  30  via the communicating module  34 . The communicating module  34  only receives the telephone numbers of the calling terminal  20 , and the telephone numbers and/or existing images stored in the called terminal  30  are displayed on the displaying module  36 . 
     Understandably, the images stored in the storage areas of signal storage unit  16  can be modified at anytime through the calling terminal  20 . 
     Understandably, in the call displaying system  100  of the exemplary embodiment, the call displaying images are not stored in the called terminal  30  and the storage unit  24  of the calling terminal  20  but in the signal storage unit  16  of the base station  10 , thus the calling terminal  20  and the called terminal  30  have more free memories. In this way, the processing speed of the calling terminal  20  and receiving terminals  30  are greatly increased. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.