FR2566118A1 - Device for accounting telephone calls - Google Patents

Abstract

This device for accounting telephone calls, at the home of the subscriber, comprises a microprocessor 1 associated with a non-volatile memory 3 containing the data relating to the tariffs which apply according to the category of the call, and with a circuit 4 for interface with, firstly, the telephone line 7, in order to collect the signalling data transmitted by the subscriber, defining the category of the call, secondly an instrument 9 for triggering the accounting, actuated by the subscriber when the recipient of the call answers, and thirdly a counter 10 for counting the accounting total. Application to accounting telephone calls.

Description

TELEPHONE CALLING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a device for charging telephone calls, that is to say a device intended to determine the fee payable for a telephone call, as a function of various parameters influencing the pricing such as the distance between the subscribers. , the duration of the conversation, the time and day when the call was established.

 Charging can be carried out either centrally, in telephone exchanges, or in a quasi-centralized manner, by telexaxation, by advancing a counter located at the subscriber's home, by means of charging pulses developed and transmitted by his PABX. attachment.

 The device according to the invention makes it possible to carry out charging at the subscriber, in a completely decentralized manner.

 According to the invention, the device for charging telephone calls, at the subscriber's home, comprises a microprocessor associated on the one hand with a read only memory containing the data relating to the applicable tariff according to the category of call, on the other hand to an interface circuit with, firstly, the subscriber's telephone line, to collect the signaling information sent by the subscriber, defining the category of call, secondly, a charging triggering device, actuated by the subscriber to the correspondent's response, and thirdly a counter to record the amount of the tax.

The objects and characteristics of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, made in relation to the attached drawings in which:
- Figure 1 is a diagram of the charging device according to the invention.

 - Figure 2 shows the organization of data relating to the various applicable tariffs.

 - Figures 3 to 8 are flowcharts illustrating the progress of the different processing steps.

 The charging device according to the invention performs the charging of telephone communications, independently of the PABX, at the end of the subscriber line, for so-called "dial" stations. This device, installed at the subscriber's home, allows the subscriber to instantly have the cost of his communications; it also enables him to check the invoices drawn up by the Administration. This device is inserted between the subscriber station and the arrival of the telephone line from the PABX.

 The charging device according to the invention comprises a microprocessor 1 which communicates with a random access memory 2, or working memory, with a read-only memory 3 containing the processing programs and all the data relating to pricing, and with a circuit 4 d 'interface with peripherals; this communication takes place by means of a data bus BD and an address bus BA.

 Only one of these elements communicates at a given time with the microprocessor 1, this element being selected by an address decoder 5 which itself receives information from the microprocessor I by the address bus BA.

 The microprocessor 1 is for example of the MC 6800 type and the interface circuit 4 of the MC 6850 type. The address decoder 5 is for example produced by means of logic gates assembled so as to decode the address of the random access memory 2 , read only memory 3 or interface circuit 4.

The peripherals are:
a photocoupler 6 coupled to the telephone line 7 by a light-emitting diode 8, intended to collect the signaling information transmitted by the calling subscriber, and thus to allow the determination of the applicable tariffs,
- A switch 9 actuated by the requesting subscriber during the response of the requested subscriber, to trigger the actual charging.

 - a counter 10 for recording the amount of the tax.

 - a switch II actuated by the requesting subscriber when the communication takes place at hours or days giving entitlement to a reduced rate.

 - A light-emitting diode 12 indicating in particular that the device is in service or not.

 a display member 13 making it possible in particular to display the figures selected during the numbering.

 The charging device also includes a clock 14 supplying the clock signals necessary for the operation of the microprocessor 1 and a power supply circuit 15 for the various components listed.

 The pricing data are stored in the read-only memory 3 in the form of tables each allowing, by a partial analysis of the numbering, as and when it is issued, to conclude either directly with the determination of the applicable pricing if this partial analysis is sufficient, either to refer to another table for the analysis of the following figures if necessary.

 A first table Tg is thus provided for the analysis of the first two digits Cg and C1. The table Tg contains one hundred words (as many as possible numbers to form with two digits) of eight binary elements, denoted ebO to eb7. If the binary element eb7 is at "1", this means that the first two digits C0 and C1 are sufficient and the binary elements ebO to eb6 then directly indicate the applicable charging frequency. This is the case for so-called "special" calls such as "12" (information), "17" (police), or "18" (firefighters). If the binary element eb7 is at "0", this means that the first two digits C0 and C1 are not sufficient and the binary elements ebO to eb6 then indicate the number of the table to be consulted for the analysis of the following digits.

 If the number "Cg C1" is "16", that is to say if it is a long distance call, the table to be consulted is a second table T1, which allows, by an analysis of the third and fourth figures (C2 and C3) to determine the pricing applicable to this kind of call.

The table T1 also includes a hundred words of eight binary elements also denoted ebO to eb7. The binary element eb7 is at "0", indicating that it is not an international call, and the binary elements ebO to eb6 indicate the charging frequency, expressed in seconds, applicable to this call.

 If the number "Co C1" is "19"; that is to say if it is an international call, the table to which the table Tg refers is a third table T2 which allows, by an analysis of the third and fourth digits (C2 and C3) to determine the pricing applicable to this call. The table T2 also includes a hundred words of eight binary elements, denoted ebO to eb7. The binary element eb7 is at "1", indicating that it is an international call, and the binary elements ebO to eb6 indicate the applicable charging frequency, expressed in tenths of seconds.

 If the number "Cg C1" is other than "16" (long distance), "19" (international) or numbers such as "12" reserved for "special" calls, in other words if they are a regional call, the table to which the Tg table refers is a fourth table T3, making it possible to analyze the first three digits C0 C1 C2. The table T3 contains a thousand words of eight binary elements, also denoted ebO to eb7. The binary element eb7 is at "0", indicating that it is not an international call, and the binary elements ebO to eb6 indicate the applicable charging frequency, expressed in seconds.

 The operation of the charging device according to the invention is now explained in relation to a main flowchart titled DTX, represented in FIG. 3.

 This flowchart begins with an initialization phase corresponding to the powering up of the device. This initialization is followed by a detection of the dropout of the calling subscriber. If the calling subscriber picks up, a phase of determining the applicable pricing, DPT, (described later) is then implemented. This phase ended, a possible hanging up of the calling subscriber is again detected, as well as a possible indeterminacy of the pricing.

 In the event that the calling subscriber has not hung up and the pricing is not indefinite, the nature of the communication (national or international) is sought. In each case, compliance of the pricing with applicable standards is sought.

If compliance is found, the response of the requested subscriber (simulated by the operation of switch 9 by the requesting subscriber) is detected, and in the event of an affirmative response, a charging phase proper, TXT ( described later) is then implemented. End of communication ends phase
TXT, which itself completes the DTX organization chart.

 An indication of an incident or malfunction, for example by means of the diode 12, is emitted in the following cases: negative response to the detection of the caller's subscriber going off-hook, positive response to the test of indetermination of the applicable tariffs , negative response to the verification of conformity of the pricing, negative response to the detection of response from the subscriber requested.

 Hanging up on the calling subscriber after determining the applicable tariffs also puts an end to the DTX organization chart.

 We now describe in relation to Figure 4 the DPT flowchart corresponding to the determination of the applicable pricing.

 This flowchart begins with a phase of taking into account the first two digits, PCN, (described later). This phase completed, the first table Tg is read. As we have seen above, depending on the nature of the call, this first reading may or may not directly determine the applicable pricing.

In the first case, the compliance of the pricing with
applicable standards is sought. If this conformity is detected, the pricing thus determined is saved in memory and an indication of normal operation can be emitted, for example by means of the diode 12. If the conformity is not detected, an indication of abnormal operation is emitted, for example by means of the diode 12.

 In the second case, reading the first table Tg provides a table number to consult. A first test is then carried out to verify that it is not again the To table (otherwise, an incident indication is issued). A second test is then carried out to determine whether they are tables T1 or T2, or table T3.

 In the case of tables T1 or T2, (long distance or international call) a PCN phase of taking into account the following two digits is then implemented. The taking into account of these two figures, and the reading of the corresponding table then make it possible to obtain the pricing applicable to this call.

 In the case of table T3, (regional call), a PCN phase for taking the third digit into account is implemented. Taking this figure into account, and reading this table, the pricing applicable to this call can then be obtained.

 In both cases, the determined pricing is saved in memory, and an indication of normal operation is issued.

 We will now describe, in relation to FIG. 5, the PCN flowchart corresponding to the taking into account of the numbering.

Before describing this flowchart, it is necessary to remember that the numbering "on the dial" results in a succession of openings and closings of buckle, of standardized durations, in number equal to the number chosen (except the number "0" which results in a succession of 10 loop openings and closings). The PCN flowchart begins with an OBCL phase for measuring the duration of loop opening T1 (described later). When this phase is complete, the value T1 is compared with the two extreme values between which it must lie: 32 ms and 100 ms. If the duration T1 is greater than 100 ms, we conclude that the calling subscriber is on the hook and the processing is ended.
PCN. If the duration T1 is less than 32 ms, an incident is concluded and the PCN processing is also terminated. If the duration T1 is between 32 ms and 100 ms, a variable N corresponding to the digit transmitted, and previously initialized to " 0 ", is incremented. Since the digit sent must be between 0 and 9, the variable N is then compared with the value 11, and, in the event of a tie, an incident indication is issued.

 Otherwise, an FBCL phase for measuring the duration of loop closure T2, (described later) is implemented.

When the FBCL phase is finished, the T2 value is compared with extreme values. Thus, a T2 value greater than 100 ms means that the loop opening-closing assembly previously analyzed will not be followed by others and that it is therefore an end of digit. The value N is then compared with the value 10 and, in the event of a tie, is reset to "0", thus ending in this case the PCN phase of taking into account the numbering. Similarly, a T2 value between 50 ms and 100 ms indicates an incident, which is reported to the user. Similarly, a T2 value of less than 16 ms is interpreted as an incident, and is reported to the user. On the other hand, a T2 value between 16 ms and 50 rns is considered acceptable. An OBCL phase for measuring the opening time of the loop is then triggered again, and so on until the end of the series of openings and of loop closures representative of the figure considered.

 A description will now be given in relation to FIG. 6 of the OBCL flowchart corresponding to the measurement of the loop opening time.

 This processing begins with the initialization of a variable "N" to "0". It continues by assigning a variable A to the representation of the state (open or closed) of the telephone line 7, previously coded by the interface circuit 4. A loop opening is then detected by a load condition of variable A.

In this case, the rest of the processing is devoted to measuring the duration of loop opening, that is to say the duration separating this change of state from the reverse change of state corresponding to a loop close. . For this, a time delay of 2 ms is carried out, followed by an analysis of a possible change of state of variable A. A detection of change of state ends the phase
OBCL. On the other hand, a contrary detection results in a new execution of the delay-detection phase of change of state, and this until the detection of a change of state, with the limit that the variable N, incremented at each new execution, reaches the value 50, which results in time by exceeding the value 100 ms, and then ends the OBCL phase.

 The FBCL phase (following flowchart, Figure 7) is analogous to the OBCL phase, - the only difference being - in the complementarity of the values A of the variables A and B respectively representing the state of the line in the OBCL phase and in the PBCL phase.

 A description will now be given, in relation to FIG. 8, of the TXT flowchart corresponding to the charging phase proper.

This flowchart essentially consists in having the following cycle run until the hang up of the requesting subscriber:
- execution a number of times, of a time delay of
Tms, where T is the smallest divisor common to all possible charging frequency (with T = 100 ms or 500 ms depending on whether it is an international or national call), this number M of times being equal to the applicable charging frequency, divided, as the case may be, by 100 ms or 500 ms,
- sending a pulse to counter 10.

 The detection of the caller's hanging up ends the DTX flowchart.

 Auxiliary treatments are grafted onto this basic organization chart. Thus, in the case of special calls which do not give rise to the payment of a charge, the processing described above is not executed and the TXT flowchart is reduced to the permanent hang-up test of the calling subscriber.

 Likewise, in the case of calls entitling to a reduced rate (half-rate), the delay phase of M x 100 ms or M x 500 ms is renewed.

Likewise, in the case of calls giving rise to a single charge, independent of the duration of the call, the processing described above is also not carried out and the organization chart
TXT is reduced to sending a single pulse to counter 10 and to the hang-up test of the calling subscriber.

Claims (3)

 1. Device for charging telephone calls, at the subscriber's home, characterized in that it comprises a microprocessor (1) associated with a read-only memory (3) containing the data relating to the pricing applicable according to the category of call, and to an interface circuit (4) with, firstly, the telephone line (7), for collecting the signaling information transmitted by the subscriber, defining the category of call, secondly a triggering device (9) of taxation, activated by the subscriber at the response of his correspondent, and thirdly a counter (10) for recording the amount of the tax.  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the data relating to the applicable tariff according to the category of call are stored in the read-only memory (3) in the form of tables, a first table (Tg) addressed by the first two digits of the numbering, providing either directly the applicable pricing if it is a so-called "special" call or the number of the table to consult for the analysis of the following digits if it is another call category, a second table (T1) addressed by the third and fourth digit, providing the pricing applicable to long distance calls, a third table (T2) addressed by the third and fourth digit, providing the pricing applicable to international calls , a fourth table (T3) addressed by the first three digits, providing the pricing applicable to regional calls.  3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that a phototransistor (6) is inserted between the telephone line (7) and the interface circuit (4).