Patent ID: 8463252

Claim:
A method of visually signaling the identity of an individual contacting a Smartphone operated by a user, said Smartphone comprising a cellular phone transceiver, processor, software, memory, graphical user interface, and at least one light emitting diode (LED) capable of emitting light in a first plurality of software controlled colors, said method comprising: determining at least one of said individuals telephone numbers, email addresses, social network postings, or SMS addresses, and assigning said telephone numbers, email addresses, or SMS addresses into a contact group associated with said individual; wherein the steps of determining at least one of said individuals telephone numbers, email addresses, or SMS addresses and assigning said telephone numbers, email addresses, or SMS addresses into a contact group associated with said individual is done by an outside messaging server; wherein said outside messaging server exposes said contact group to said Smartphone by way of an outside messaging server API; wherein determining said contact group associated with said individual is done by directing said Smartphone to use said outside messaging server API to query said outside messaging server for said contact group; using said graphical user interface to assign at least one LED color to said contact group associated with said individual producing a contact group LED color assignment; saving said contact group LED color assignment in said memory; wherein for each incoming telephone call, email, or SMS message from said contact group associated with said individual, then flashing said LED according to said contact group LED color assignment; wherein said Smartphone further comprises phone listing software; and further flashing said LED according to said contact group LED color assignment until said user opens said phone listing software and determines the identity of said individual.