FI104932B - Method and apparatus for producing counting pulses - Google Patents

Description

! 104932

Method and apparatus for producing counting pulses

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for providing counting pulses to a signal to a subscriber of a telephone system comprising several subscribers connected to at least one exchange and a plurality of subscriber lines, whereby a subscriber having a payload indicating device is charged during a call to charge a call. .

One accessory that can be connected to a telephone in a subscriber line of a telephone system is a charge indicator device. The payment indicating device can indicate to the subscriber the number of call counting beats and thus the cost of the call immediately upon termination of the call. Typical applications of a payment indicating device include kiosks and bars where the customer can use the telephone for a fee. With the pay-per-view device, the actual cost of the call can be charged to the customer immediately after the call.

The payment indicating device is usually connected to the subscriber's interface as the first device viewed from the exchange. The payment indicating device operates on the basis of counting pulses from the exchange. In Finland, computing pulses are usually pulses of 16 kHz with a frequency of about 200 ms. The Mak-20 sun pointing device includes a filter which further filters the pulses out of the signal point to the telephone or similar subscriber device through the pay point device. ta.

«M * • \ ·: Counting pulses are produced, for example, at the exchange or other: V .. at the appropriate location and the number of pulses depends on the charge of the call. The higher the call charge, the greater the number of counting pulses per unit of time. For example, according to the principles commonly used in Finland: * ·! / The cost of a call may depend on both the duration of the call and the • length of the connection. The call may be charged as a time charge, whereby counting pulses are transmitted at regular intervals. Another method of charging is a one-time charge, which • · ·:: γ: 30 is created at the beginning or end of a call to send a call-dependent amount • · · *. *.: *. metering pulses. Further, a combination of the previous methods can be used, whereby, for example, a certain start-up fee is charged at the beginning of the call and thereafter the time-based charging continues until the end of the call.

v ·; In known solutions for the subscriber's payment indicating device • «V»; 35 computational pulses are produced per subscriber line interface, whereby the resolution is relatively complex if, for example, there is a separate calculator pulse generator for each of the wide-wire connections.

The problem with the arrangement described above is the high equipment costs due to the complexity of the arrangement.

5 Brief Description of the Invention

It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus implementing the method so that the above problems can be solved. The objects of the invention are achieved by a method characterized in that a counting pulse signal containing count pulses at predetermined intervals is generated centrally per plurality of subscriber line interfaces and that a plurality of counted pulse pulses that are generated centrally are coupled centrally to the space and line interface.

The invention is based on the idea that the counting pulses for multi-subscriber charge indicator devices are produced centrally by a continuous counting pulse signal having predetermined intervals of counting pulses from a generating pulse-to-pulse pulse signal.

An advantage of the method according to the invention is that only one generator of counting pulse signal per multiple subscribers is needed. In addition, the generator can produce a standard signal because the required computing pulses for each subscriber line interface are connected to the subscriber. With these features, the necessary hardware becomes simple and inexpensive.

: V :. The invention also relates to an apparatus for providing counting pulses to a signal to a subscriber of a telephone system, the telephone system: · · ·. [· * ·. comprising at least one exchange and a plurality of subscriber line interfaces: multiple subscribers connected by means of which, during a call, subscribers having a pay-per-view device are sent a call charge dependent · · · * · [/ number to indicate the cost of the call; 30, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a counting pulse generator, which produces a counting pulse which contains counting pulses at predetermined intervals; v. a single signal per multiple subscriber line connections, and the switching means required 'y *. to switch the counting pulse rate from the counting pulse signal to the subscriber.

With such an apparatus, the advantages of the process of the invention can be achieved by a simple construction.

3, 104932

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an arrangement according to the invention for producing counting pulses to a subscriber, and

Figure 2 shows a envelope of a signal produced by a counting pulse generator according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows an arrangement according to the invention for producing counting pulses for a subscriber. The subscriber unit 12 is connected to the subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) by means of the subscriber line wires a and b. The audio frequencies on the wires a and b are routed to the SLIC circuit 10 which sets the subscriber line's main impedance and separates the transmit and receive signals. The audio signal from the SLIC circuit to the exchange passes through a filter 13 to codes 15 to 11. The A / D converter 111 in codec 11 converts the signal to a digital PCM encoded format, after which the PCM encoded signal is forwarded to the exchange. Similarly, the PCM encoded signal from the exchange is converted to analog form in the D / A converter 112 of the codec 11 and passed through a filter 14 to the access line connection circuit 10. Other functions of the access line connection circuit 20 10 include: subscriber line power supply, ring voltage supply «;: and subscriber loop activation indication.

· / ·· Figure 1 further shows a counting pulse generator 15 for producing a continuous standard counting pulse signal. The counting pulse generator 15 may be located, for example, in a switching center or other suitable location, and the signal produced by it will be distributed to a plurality of subscriber line connections.

The basic form of the counting pulse signal generated by the counting pulse generator 15 is shown in Figure 2 in the form of a envelope. Pattern !; in part, the horizontal axis 24 indicates the time and the vertical axis 25 the signal amplitude.

The signal consists of substantially identical pulses 20 (counting pulses) of 16 kHz and about 200 msec · · ·: and breaks of about 200 / tr ".: ms between them 21. Lengths of pauses 21 and counting pulses 20 and: ** · '*: The counting pulse rates may be different for different telephone systems.

1 shows the connection of the counting pulse generator 15 to the wired broadband interface circuit 10. The signal generated by the generator 15 is fed to the SLIC-35 circuit 10 via a subscriber line interface circuit switching device 16, which is controlled by the terminal cont. In the SLIC circuit 10, the counting pulse signal is coupled to an audio signal to the subscriber. The control signal may come from, for example, the call control of the exchange.

The subscriber line interface-specific counting pulse signal is generated from a standard count-pulse signal generated by the field-pulse generator 15 by providing the required number of count pulses 20 at required intervals to the subscriber-line interface by means of the subscriber line interface switching device 16. The counting pulse generator 15 continuously produces a standard counting pulse signal. When the counting pulses 20 are coupled from this light-shaped signal to the subscriber line connection, switching is started, i.e., the switching device 16 is guided to a conductive state (closed) substantially midway between the counting pulses 20. The counting pulse signal is then transmitted to the access line a, b through the switching device 16 and the SLIC 10. After the required number of counting pulses have been transmitted to the subscriber line connection, the switching is terminated, i.e. the switching device 16 is led to a non-conducting state (open) after the last transmitted counting pulse, substantially halfway through the next break. In this case, the counting pulse signal cannot be transmitted to the subscriber line via the switching device 16. The countdown pulse (s) are repeatedly switched on as needed. As described above, a plurality of independent subscriber line interface-specific counting pulse signals are output from a single standard counting pulse signal 20.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above, but may vary within the scope of the claims.

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Claims (7)

A method for generating counting pulses (20) in a signal to a subscriber of a telephone system, the telephone system comprising a plurality of 5 subscribers connected via at least one exchange and a plurality of subscriber line interfaces, sending to said subscribers having a charge indicator device cost, the method being characterized in that the counting pulse signal containing the counting pulses at predetermined intervals is generated centrally for a plurality of subscriber line interfaces and that the number of counting pulses from the centrally generated counting pulse signal is connected centrally to the subscriber line interface. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the centrally generated counting pulse signal preferably consists of 200 15 ms computing pulses (20) of 12 kHz / 16 kHz frequency and preferably 200 ms breaks between them (21). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when switching counting pulses from a centrally generated counting pulse signal to a subscriber, the switching is started substantially mid-break (21) in the counting pulse signal and terminated after one or more counting pulses (20) substantially midway. Apparatus for producing counting pulses (20) in a signal to a subscriber of a telephone system, the telephone system comprising at least one exchange and a plurality of subscriber line interfaces connected to it by transmitting to the subscribers having a payload indicating device. * S \ during a call, the number of counting pulses dependent on the charge of the call · * · · • ·· to indicate the cost of the call, characterized in that the apparatus comprises: T; ^ a counting pulse generator (15) generating a counting pulse signal at predetermined intervals for each subscriber • · · 30 per wiring connection, and the switching means (16) for switching the required count pulse rate from the count pulse signal to the subscriber. * ·. ··. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by: * ·· '' ·; the switching means (16) for switching the required count pulse rate from the count pulse signal to the subscriber according to the subscriber line interface. • · 6 104932 5 104932 Apparatus according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, when switching counting pulses from a centrally generated counting pulse signal to a subscriber, the apparatus is arranged to start switching substantially mid-break (21) in the counting pulse signal and stop switching after one or more counting pulses. the next break is essentially halfway. II · «I t '·!».': I · I · · 4 * * I • «· •% *« · • · ·% · · • v <: \ • · · · · I · • · · · I »I> · · t · • • • • • • •: • • * • * 4111 •. * ·> ·· »> • ·« ·% · • «# · '• ·« • · 7 104932