JP2917205B2 - Public telephone system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a public telephone system comprising a public telephone for making a telephone call using a card and a center device for managing a card used for each public telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a card-type public telephone of this type, which allows a telephone conversation by using a card, when a card is inserted, the frequency is read from the inserted card, and a talk time corresponding to the read frequency is allowed. It has become something.
That is, when a call is made after the card is inserted, the above frequency is reduced by one by an autonomous billing by a timer output inside the public telephone activated based on the dialed number transmitted or by an incoming billing signal. The remaining number is recorded on the card and discharged.

In such a public telephone, in order to prevent unauthorized use of a card, when a call is terminated, card information such as a card serial number and a card usage frequency is transmitted to a center device called a card validation system one by one. ing. Then, when the center device receives the card information, it searches for a card corresponding to the serial number registered in the database in advance and subtracts the number of usages from the balance of this card, and when the balance becomes negative,
This card is judged to have been used illegally and is registered in the blacklist to prohibit further use.

[0004]

As described above, in the center device which manages the cards used in each public telephone, it is impossible to delete the registration of the issued card once registered in the database as long as the number of uses does not become zero. I ca n’t,
Since the issuance of cards increases year by year, there is a problem that even if the memory capacity of the database is increased, registration cannot be eventually performed, and it is not possible to determine how much the memory capacity should be determined. There is also a problem that as the number of registered cards increases, it takes time to search for the card.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to easily determine the memory capacity of a database for managing cards in a public telephone system and to search for a card registered in the database in a short time.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a public telephone capable of making a telephone call with a card, and a card containing a database and showing the card number, issue date and value information. A public telephone system comprising: a center device for registering information in advance in a database, receiving card information from the public telephone via a switching network, receiving card information from the public telephone, checking the card information in the database, and determining whether or not a call can be made; Validity period for determining the validity of card information registered in the database
Setting means for setting limit data, first determining means for determining whether card information in the database is valid based on the set expiration date data, and invalidity by the first determining means. Means for deleting the card information determined to be from the database in the center device. In addition, Day
The validity of the card information registered in the database
Setting means for setting the order of the valid period data, setting of
Card information in the database based on the validity period data
First determining means for determining whether or not the information is valid;
Card information determined to be invalid by the
And a means for erasing from the center device .

Further, expiration data has been received valid or not the card information of the inserted card from the center device also
Is provided in a public telephone with second determining means for determining based on the validity period data and means for preventing transmission of the card information determined to be invalid by the second determining means to the center device. When the card information of the inserted card is determined to be invalid by the second determining means, the public telephone displays a predetermined message and returns the card. In addition, a card issuing device for issuing a card and transmitting the card information of the card to the center device at the time of issuing the card to register the card is provided. Expiration date data or expiration date data
Data is downloaded from the center device to the public telephone.

[0008]

When expiration date data for determining the validity of card information registered in the database is set,
It is determined whether the card information in the database is valid based on the expiration date data, and the card information determined to be invalid is deleted from the database. As a result, since the number of card information registered in the database can be reduced, the capacity of the database can be reduced, and therefore, the search time for searching for card information in the database can be reduced.
Further , when the memory capacity in the database is determined, it is sufficient to secure the card information of each card issued within this expiration date, so that the memory capacity of the database can be easily determined. Also the database
Data for determining the validity of the card information registered in the validity period data. As a result, it is possible to simplify the setting operation when setting the validity / invalidity of the card.

[0009] In the public telephone, the expiration date data received from the center device determines whether or not the inserted card is valid.
Alternatively, the card information is determined based on the validity period data , and if invalid, the card information of this card is not transmitted to the center device. As a result, the validity / invalidity of the card can be determined on the terminal side where the card is actually used, so that the search on the center device side can be made unnecessary. If the card inserted into the public telephone is determined to be invalid, a predetermined message is displayed and the card is returned. As a result, the card user can recognize the reason why the card cannot be used. In addition, a card issuing device is provided for transmitting card information to the center device and registering the card information when the card is issued. As a result,
Card information can be registered in the database in conjunction with new issuance of a card. Expiration date data or
The validity period data is downloaded from the center device to the public telephone. As a result, the expiration date and the expiration date of the card can be set simultaneously in each public telephone.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a public telephone system according to the present invention. In the figure, 11 to 1n are public telephones, 2 is an exchange, 3 is a card validation system (hereinafter referred to as a center device) for managing cards used in each public telephone, and 4 is a database housed in the center device 3. A hard disk 5 for managing each card information described later is a card issuing system 5 for issuing cards used in public telephones.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the public telephone 1 constituting the public telephone system. In the figure, LN1 is a public line, LN2 is a dedicated line, 11 is a reversal signal detection circuit for detecting a response of the other party, 12 is a billing signal detection circuit, and 13A and 13B are public lines LN1 and LN1, respectively.
A strong cutoff that forcibly cuts the DC loop of the dedicated line LN2 and outputs a DP (dial pulse) signal to each line.
A sending circuit, 14 is a communication circuit, and 15A and 15B are incoming call detection circuits for detecting incoming signals arriving at each line.

Further, 16 is a ringer circuit, 17 is a DTMF transmitting circuit for transmitting a DTMF signal to the public line LN1, 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a reminder sound transmission circuit for transmitting a reminder sound when the card runs out of residual frequencies during a call; 19, a card unit for transporting the inserted card and recording / reproducing the frequency;
A control unit 0 controls the entire public telephone. Also, 2
1 is a clock unit, 22 is a memory, 23 is a modem unit for transmitting and receiving card information via the dedicated line LN2, 24 is a display unit,
25 is a keyboard such as a dial key, 26 is a relay G
A relay drive circuit that drives S and RY, 27 is a power supply unit that supplies power to the above units, and HS is a hook switch.

As shown in FIG. 3, the center device 3 constituting the public telephone system includes a control unit 31, a display unit 32, a keyboard 33, and a silicon disk (semiconductor memory) 34 for storing blacklist information to be described later. , And a line interface 35. Here, the control unit 31 sends the modem or LA from the card issuing system 5.
In addition to receiving card issuance information via N, card information is transmitted / received to / from each of the public telephones 11 to 1n via the line interface 35 and the exchange 2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the card issuing system 5 constituting the public telephone system has a main unit 5A.
And the personal computer 5B, and data between the main body 5A and the personal computer 5B is communicated by the RS-232C signal a. The main unit 5A includes a control unit 51, a card unit 52 for performing data communication with the control unit 51 by a serial signal b, a display unit 53, a keyboard 54, and a memory 55.
It comprises a control unit 56, a display unit 57, a keyboard 58, and a hard disk 59. When a new card is issued, the control unit 56 transmits card issuing information to the center device 3 via a modem or a LAN.

Next, the operation of the main part of the public telephone system configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, the operation of the first embodiment of the center apparatus 3 constituting the public telephone system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As described above, when a new card is issued in the card issuing system 5 and the card issuing information is transmitted, the determination in step ST1 becomes “Y”. In this case, the control unit 31 performs step ST2.
The registration date, serial number, and frequency of the received new card are registered in the database (that is, the hard disk 4).

[0016] The newly issued card is registered in the database of the center device 3, and then the card is used when the public telephone 1 talks. In this case, the public telephone 1 transmits card information such as a serial number of a card to be used to the center device 3. Then, since the determination in step ST3 is “Y”, the control unit 3
In step ST4, 1 judges whether the card of this number is on the black list in the silicon disk 34 or not.
Here, in the case of a new card, since the card is not on the blacklist, the determination in step ST4 is "N". However, when the card has been illegally used last time, this number is registered on the blacklist. Step ST4
Is “Y”. In this case, the control unit 31 sends a step S to the public telephone that has transmitted the number of the unauthorized card.
At T7, the card unusable information is transmitted. As a result, the call using the card is blocked in the corresponding public telephone.

If the card used in the public telephone 1 is not on the blacklist, the remaining number of this card transmitted next is compared with the remaining number corresponding to this card number in the database in step ST5. I do. If the remaining frequencies do not match each other and are determined to be "N" in step ST6, card use disabling information is transmitted to the corresponding public telephone in step ST7. In cases other than the above, calls are allowed on the corresponding public telephone.

When card use frequency information is transmitted from the public telephone after the end of the call, step ST
The judgment of 8 is “Y”. In this case, the control unit 31 subtracts the received usage frequency from the remaining frequency of this card registered in the database in step ST9. Then, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount (remaining frequency) resulting from the subtraction in step ST10 is negative. Here, if the result of the subtraction is positive, the frequency is stored in the database, and if the remaining frequency becomes “0”, the frequency is deleted from the database, and
Otherwise (minus), it means that this card has been used illegally, and the card number is registered as a blacklist in the silicon disk 34 in step ST11, and each card managed by the center device 3 in step ST12. The number of the card and the blacklist information indicating that the card has been registered in the blacklist are transmitted to and stored in the public telephone. As a result, this card can no longer be used in each public telephone.

When the expiration date of the card is set by operating the console or the keyboard 33 (not shown) in the center device 3, the determination in step ST13 becomes "Y". In this case, the control unit 31
At T14, the expiration date information is transmitted to each public telephone. Then, it is determined in step ST15 whether or not an expired card exists in the database. If there is an expired card, the card information is deleted from the database in step ST16.

Next, the operation of the control unit 20 of the public telephone 1 according to the first embodiment, which responds to the operation of the center device 3 as described above, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. That is, when the card is inserted and the determination in step ST21 becomes “Y”,
In step ST22, the issue date, serial number and remaining frequency of the inserted card are read. Then, it is determined in step ST23 based on the current date of the clock unit 21 whether or not the read issue date is within the expiration date based on the expiration date information transmitted and stored from the center device 3 in advance. If there is, the process proceeds to step ST24 to determine whether or not there is a residual frequency. If there is no remaining number on the card, step ST2
In step 5, a message to that effect is displayed on the display unit 24, and step ST2
Return the card at 6. If the read expiration date is past the expiration date, a display to that effect is displayed on the display unit 24 in step ST25, and then the process proceeds to step ST26.
Return the card with.

The card is within the expiration date,
If the number still remains, the memory 22 is searched in step ST27 to determine whether or not the card number is on the black list. If it is on the black list, the display is displayed on the display unit 24 in step ST25, and the card is returned in step ST26. If the card is not on the black list, it is determined that this card can be used for a call. In this case, first, in step ST28, the card is transmitted to the center device 3 via the dedicated line LN2, and when the center device 3 responds, the serial number And the card information such as the issue date is transmitted from the modem unit 23. After that, it is determined in step 29 that the card information transmitted from the center device 3 via the dedicated line LN2 is returned to the transmitted card information in step 29, and if this is received, the card is returned in step ST26. If the card unusable information is not received, an outgoing call via public line LN1 is made in step ST30, and the number of cards is reduced by the charge signal arriving at public line LN1.

The control unit 20 performs step S during an outgoing call.
At T31, the on-hook is determined via the hook switch HS. If the on-hook is detected, the call is ended, and the number of times the card was used is subtracted from the number of cards inserted in step ST32 in step ST32. Record the remaining frequency on the card. Then step ST
In step ST35, the card used is returned to the center apparatus 3 via the leased line LN2 in step ST35. As a result, the center device 3 subtracts the received usage frequency from the frequency of this card registered in the database, and if the subtraction result becomes negative, registers this card as a fraudulent card in the blacklist.

If the remaining card number is lost during an outgoing call and the answer is "Y" in step ST36, the DC loop of the public line LN1 is forcibly cut off in step ST37, and the remaining card number is returned to the card in step ST38. Record "0". Then, similarly to the end of the on-hook call, the card is returned in step ST34 and the number of uses during this step ST35 is transmitted to the center device 3.

When the blacklist information is received from the center device 3 in response to the incoming call via the dedicated line LN2, the determination in step ST39 becomes "Y". In this case, the control unit 20 registers the received blacklist information in the memory 22 in step ST40. As a result, if a card is inserted in this public telephone, if it is a card currently registered in the blacklist, step S
At T27, the determination is "Y" and the card is returned. When the card expiration date information is received from the center device 3, the determination in step ST41 becomes “Y”.
In this case, the control unit 20 stores the expiration date of the card in the memory 22. This expiration date information is used to determine whether the card issuance date is valid or invalid in step ST23.

As described above, the date of issue is stored in the card, the expiration date is determined, and only the card information within the expiration date is stored in the database of the center device 3. Therefore, the capacity of the database can be determined. This makes it possible to search for the card in a short time since the capacity can be reduced. The unused frequency on the expired card is converted to cash or a new card by a predetermined organization and returned to the user, so that the user does not suffer any disadvantage.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the center apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment, and FIG.
6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment. In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the validity period of the card is input by operating the keyboard 33 and the like, and the validity period information is input in the center device 3, the card outside the validity period of the database is deleted. The configuration is as follows. The public telephone 1 receives and stores the validity period information,
When a card is inserted, the card is returned if the inserted card has expired.

First, the operation of the center apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only the operation of the main part will be described. That is, when the validity period of the card, for example, 5 years, is set in the center device 3 by operating the console or the keyboard 33, the determination in step ST71 becomes “Y”. In this case, the control unit 31 transmits the validity period information to each public telephone in step ST72. Then, in step S73, the validity period is added to the issuance date of each card registered in the database, and the added date and time of each card and the clock unit 3 are added.
By comparing the current date with the current date of No. 6 in step ST15, it is determined whether or not an expired card exists in the database.

That is, the current date of the clock unit 36 is set to
If the card is issued on the 20th and the validity period of 5 years is added to the issue date of each card in the database, if there is a card in the database whose added date is before the current date, , The determination in step ST15 is “Y”. Therefore, the card information of these cards is stored in step ST1.
In step 6, it is deleted from the database.

In response to such an operation of the center device 3, the public telephone 1 operates as follows. That is, when the validity period information of the card is transmitted from the center device 3, it is determined in step ST81 of the flowchart of FIG. 8 that the validity period information is received. When this becomes "Y", the validity period of the card is determined in step ST82. The information is stored in the memory 22. When a card is inserted into such a public telephone 1 and the answer is "Y" in step ST21, the issue date, serial number and remaining number of the inserted card are read in step ST22. Then, the validity period stored for the read issue date is added in step ST83,
By comparing the added date with the current date of the clock unit 21, it is determined in step ST23 whether or not the inserted card is within the expiration date.

Here, for example, five years are stored as validity period information in the memory 22, and if the inserted date of the inserted card is, for example, October 20, 1999, the added date is It will be October 20, 1994. The time of insertion of this card (the current date of the clock unit 21) is
If the date is October 10, it is within the validity period, so the determination in step ST23 is “Y”. So in this case,
The process proceeds to step ST24 to determine whether or not there is a remaining number. If there is no remaining number on the card, a display to that effect is displayed on the display unit 24 in step ST25, and the card is returned in step ST26. On the other hand, when the inserted card has expired, that is, when the card of the above-mentioned issue date is October 2, 1994
If it is inserted after one day, the determination in step ST23 will be "N", so a display to that effect is similarly displayed on the display unit 24 in step ST25, and then, in step ST2.
Return the card at 6.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the validity period of the card is input to delete the card whose validity period has expired in the database, and the inserted card has expired on the public telephone 1 side. If it is a card, the card is returned. As a result, the first
The operation of setting validity / invalidity of the card is simplified as compared with the embodiment.

Further, as a third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, expiration date information such as, for example, October 20, 1999 is input periodically (for example, every year) from the keyboard 33 or the like. The card information before the expiration date is deleted from the database. Then, the expiration date information is similarly transmitted to each public telephone and stored. In this case, the public telephone 1 is configured to compare the issued date of the inserted card with the stored expiration date information and return the card if issued before the expiration date. I do. With such a configuration, the clock units of the center device 3 and the public telephone 1 can be omitted.

In each of the above embodiments, the card information is registered in the hard disk 4. However, the card information of a card that has been issued for less than one year is registered in the silicon disk 34 having a high access speed. Card information of a card that has passed one year or more may be registered in the hard disk 4.
This is because cards that have been issued for less than one year have a high probability of being used frequently, and the number of cards is less than the number of cards that have been issued for one year or more. That is, when the card information of the used card is searched, the silicon disk 34 having a high access speed is accessed first and the card information is searched, so that the search time can be shortened.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the expiration date data for determining the validity of the card information registered in the database is set, this expiration date is set.
It is determined whether the card information in the database is valid based on the limit data, and the card information determined to be invalid is deleted from the database, so that the number of card information registered in the database can be reduced. The capacity can be reduced, and the search time for searching for card information in the database can be reduced. Further
When determining the memory capacity in the database, the memory capacity of the database can be easily determined because it is sufficient to secure the card information of each card issued before the expiration date. Also register in the database
Since the data for determining the validity of the inserted card information is set as the validity period data, the setting operation for setting the validity / invalidity of the card can be simplified.

In the public telephone, the expiration date data received from the center device is determined whether or not the inserted card is valid.
Or, it is determined based on the validity period data , and if it is determined that the card is invalid, the card information of this card is not transmitted to the center device, so the validity of the card can be determined on the terminal side where the card is actually used, Therefore, the search on the center device side can be omitted. When the card inserted into the public telephone is determined to be invalid, a predetermined message is displayed and this card is returned, so that the card user can recognize the reason why the card cannot be used. it can. In addition, a card issuing device is provided for transmitting and registering card information to the center device when the card is issued, so that the card information can be registered in the database in conjunction with the new issuance of the card. Also,
Since the expiration date data or the expiration date data is downloaded from the center device to the public telephone, the expiration date and the expiration date of the card can be set simultaneously in each public telephone.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a public telephone system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a public telephone constituting the public telephone system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a center device (card validation system) constituting a public telephone system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a card issuing system constituting the public telephone system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the first embodiment of the center device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the public telephone.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the center device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation of the second embodiment of the public telephone.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 to 1n public telephone, 2 exchange, 3 card validation system (center unit), 4 hard disk (database), 5 card issuing system, 12
Billing signal detection circuit, 13A, 13B: Strong cut-off / DP sending circuit, 15A, 15B: Incoming detection circuit, 19, 52: Card unit section, 20, 31, 51: Control section, 21, 36
... clock part, 22, 55 ... memory, 23 ... modem, 24,
32, 53 ... display unit, 34 ... silicon disk, LN1
... Public line, LN2 ... Dedicated line.

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04M 15/00 H04M 17/00

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A public telephone capable of making a telephone call with a card, and a card containing a database and card information indicating the card number, date of issue and value information are registered in the database in advance, and the public telephone is connected to the public telephone via an exchange network. A public telephone system comprising a center device connected to receive card information from a public telephone and collate the card information with the database in the database to determine whether or not a call can be made, and determine the validity of the card information registered in the database setting means for setting the expiration data for a first determination means for determining the card information is valid or not in the database based on the expiration date data set, disable the first determination means Means for deleting the card information determined to be from the database from the database. Phone system. 2. A public telephone capable of making a call using a card.
And the number of the card containing the database, date of issue
Register card information indicating value and value information in the database in advance
And connected to a public telephone via a switching network
Receives card information from the phone and
A center device that checks the card information to determine whether or not a call is possible
In public telephone system consisting of the effectiveness of the card information registered in the database
Setting means for setting the validity period data for judging
And the data based on the set validity period data
First judgment to determine whether card information in the base is valid
Determining means and a car determined to be invalid by the first determining means.
Means for deleting the password information from the database.
A public telephone system provided in a telephone device. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, valid or not the card information of the inserted the read card
The expiration date data received from the center device or
A second determination means determines based on the valid period data,
Card of the card determined to be invalid by the second determination means
Means for preventing transmission of information to the center device.
A public telephone system provided in the public telephone. 4. The method of claim 3, the card information of the public telephone inserted card is the second
If it is judged invalid by the judgment means,
A payphone system, which displays a message and returns the card . 5. The card according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the card is issued and the card information of the card is transmitted to the center device and registered when the card is issued.
A public telephone system comprising an issuing device . 6. The public telephone system according to claim 1 , wherein said expiration date data or validity period data is downloaded from said center device to a public telephone.