JPH0218619Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a telephone device, and more particularly to a telephone device having a billing display function.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, a service has been provided that sends billing signals from telephone stations to general subscriber telephone lines in response to applications from subscribers.Using this service, telephones with display devices can display call charges and remaining time for each call. It is now possible to perform display operations.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in this case, if some noise is mixed into the billing signal, the noise may be mistaken for the billing signal and billing processing may be performed.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes a measuring means for measuring the charging signal period from the charging signal, a control means for setting a predicted time period for the arrival of the charging signal based on the period, and allowing charging signal reception processing only during the period. It has been established.

[Effect]

When the billing signal period is measured by the measuring means, the control circuit sets a time period in which a subsequent billing signal is expected to arrive based on the period. The reception of the billing signal is allowed as valid only during that time period, and is ignored outside the above time period.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention applied to a button telephone device. In the figure, 1 indicates the main device. This main device 1 includes station line terminals L,
External lines 2, _{2 1} - 2 _o , such as central office lines from the central office or telephone lines from a private branch exchange, are connected via L ₁ - L _o , and connectors CN, CN ₁ - _{CN n} , and each pair of Line 3 with communication lines and signal lines,
Key phone (handset) 4, 4 ₁ via 3 ₁ to 3 _n
- 4 _n are connected, and outside lines 2 ₁ - 2 _o are connected to the communication path switch 12 via outside line interfaces 11, _{11 1} - 11 _o , respectively. on the other hand,
Lines 3 1 to _{3 n} from the communication path switch 12 and each handset 4 ₁ to 4 _n refer to telephone interfaces 13 and 1.
3 ₁ to 13 _n , and the communication path switch 1
Exchange connections are made using cross points such as analog switches or relay contacts in 2.

In addition, the outside line interfaces 11 ₁ to 11 _o are
It has functions such as detecting incoming calls, forming a DC loop for outside lines, holding calls, and dialing out calls using pulse signals or DTMF signals.
has an exchange connection function between the outside lines 2 ₁ to 2 _o and the handsets 4 ₁ to 4 _n and between the handsets 4 ₁ to 4 _n . Further, the telephone interfaces 13 ₁ to 13 _n supply telephone power to the handsets 4 ₁ to 4 _n via communication lines, transmit and receive data signals via signals, and supply control power to the slave units 4 1 to 4 n.

Furthermore, the main device 1 includes a processor unit 14 such as a well-known microprocessor, a fixed memory (ROM) 15 and a variable memory (RAM) 1.
A control unit consisting of 6 and a fixed memory 15 is provided.
The processor unit 14 executes a program stored in advance while accessing the variable memory 16 as appropriate, thereby controlling each section.

On the other hand, in each of the slave units 4 ₁ to 4 _n , a communication circuit 42 is connected to the communication line 41A. Further, the signal line 41B is connected via a transmission circuit 43 to a processor unit 44, which is similar to the control section of the main device 1, but smaller in scale, and a fixed memory 45A.
A control section consisting of a variable memory 45B is connected, and it emits an incoming ring tone in response to a control signal sent from the main device 1 via the transmission circuit 43, and also controls the sound in the keyboard 46 in accordance with a control signal from the main device. Controls lighting, turning off, and blinking of each indicator light, and transmits operation data indicating these conditions to the main device 1 via the transmission circuit 43 in response to the operation of each button on the keyboard 46 and the operation of the switch HS. do.

Note that the transmission circuit 43 has a power supply separation function,
The power supplied from the main device 1 side via the signal line 41B is extracted, stabilized, and then supplied as local power V to each section that requires it.

In addition, in this embodiment, the specified handset 4 ₁ connected to the connector CN ₁ , that is, in the accommodation position "1" is a button telephone with a display, and has a multi-digit number (16 in this embodiment).
digit) is provided with a dot matrix type display 47,
Settings of various operational data that define the basic operation of the system are performed on this slave unit ₄₁ while looking at the display on the display 47. Furthermore, the display 47 displays the outgoing dial while dialing, and after the called party answers, that is, after the first polarity reversal signal (billing signal) is detected, the call charge and the remaining call time for each call are displayed. Is displayed.

In the above configuration, the main device 1 transmits and receives data to and from each of the child devices 4 ₁ to 4 _n at regular intervals. Therefore, when off-hook is performed in any slave device, this operation data is received by the processor unit 14. The same applies to key input operations on the keyboard 46, and the processor unit 14 controls the call path switch 12 in accordance with the operations of the outside line button, extension line button, dial button, etc.
Make an exchange connection. At the same time, if an external call is being made, the selected outside line interface 11 is controlled to make the dial call, and if an extension call is being made, an extension ring tone is emitted via the processor unit 44 of the slave unit on the other party's side. , if there is a response from the other party, the call status is established.

Further, incoming calls from the outside lines 2 ₁ to 2 _o are detected by the outside line interfaces 11 ₁ to 11 _o , and in response to this, the processor unit 14 connects the outside lines via the processor unit 44 of each handset 4 ₁ to 4 _n . Emit an incoming ringtone. If any handset responds with an off-hook, this causes the processor unit 14 to
controls the call path switch 12 and completes the call path.

Here, the main device 1 is equipped with billing signal detection circuits 17, ₁₇₁ to _17o for each of the outside lines ₂₁ to _2o , which detect billing signals, that is, polarity reversal signals. . Each detection circuit 17 is constituted by a unidirectional current detection circuit equipped with a photocoupler consisting of a light emitting diode connected to only one of a pair of external line terminals and a phototransistor, for example, and is configured with a unidirectional current detection circuit equipped with a photocoupler made of a phototransistor. Depending on which side of the signal terminal is the positive terminal, the photocoupler lights up or goes out, and the processor unit 1
4, outputs of different levels are sent out.

Next, billing processing will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, when an outside line call request is received and an outside line is captured (step 101), the processor unit 14, when the acquired outside line is an outside line from which a billing signal arrives (step 102),
When a polarity reversal signal indicating a called party response (i.e., the first billing signal) is detected (step 103),
The count value of a call frequency counter provided using a predetermined area of the RAM 16 is counted up by "1" (step 104).

Then, the processor unit 14 similarly
A first timer provided using a predetermined area of the RAM 16 is activated (step 105). From then on,
The contents of this timer are incremented by "1" in a timer process (not shown) that is repeated at a constant cycle, and the billing signal cycle is measured.
Of course, an independent timer circuit can also be used instead of such a so-called soft timer.

When the next billing signal is detected (step 106), the processor unit 14
stop the timer (step 107), and subtract a predetermined margin time x from the measured value T1, which is the value T2.
is also set in a second timer provided using a predetermined area of the RAM 16 (step 10).
8).

Next, the processor unit 14 starts this second timer (step 109) and counts up the call frequency counter (step 11).
0). Then, only when the second timer times up (step 111), it is checked whether or not a billing signal has been detected (step 112), and if detected, the second timer is restarted (step 10).
9) Count up the call frequency counter (step 110). Thereafter, each time the second timer times up, that is, each time a time period in which the arrival of a charging signal is predicted based on the initially measured charging signal period, a charging signal is detected and the number of calls is counted. Count up. As a result, before the second timer times up,
Even if noise similar to a billing signal is introduced, it is ignored without being detected as a billing signal, and the possibility that erroneous billing processing will be performed is reduced accordingly.

When the conversation ends (steps 113, 114, 1)
15, 116), this billing process is immediately ended.

In this embodiment, only in the time period after the predetermined time x before the arrival time of the charging signal predicted from the charging signal cycle measured as described above,
Although it is assumed that charging signals are detected, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy if charging signals are detected only during a time period with a certain width before and after the above predicted arrival time. .

Further, although the case of a button telephone device has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be similarly applied to a stand-alone telephone equipped with a display.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a means for measuring the billing signal cycle, a means for setting a billing signal arrival predicted time period based on the period, and a method for setting a billing signal arrival predicted time zone set based on the period. By providing the control means that allows charging signal reception processing only during the period, it is possible to reduce the risk that charging processing will be performed by mistake due to noise.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation. 1... Main device, 4... Key telephone, 14...
Processor unit 17... Charging signal detection circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A telephone device with a billing function that manages call charges by receiving periodic billing signals that arrive on a telephone line includes a measuring device that measures a billing signal cycle from the received billing signal, and a billing signal that measures a billing signal cycle based on the measured billing signal cycle. What is claimed is: 1. A telephone device with a billing function, comprising: a control means for setting a time slot for predicting the arrival of the billing signal, and for allowing billing signal reception processing only during the set time slot for predicting the arrival of the billing signal.