FR2656967A1

FR2656967A1 - Automatic unit and table for determining the cost of a communication in a network

Info

Publication number: FR2656967A1
Application number: FR9000405A
Authority: FR
Inventors: Bastiand Alexandre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-10
Filing date: 1990-01-10
Publication date: 1991-07-12

Abstract

The automatic unit consists of a memory 1, a receiver 2, a decoder 3, an output circuit 4 and an update device 5. The decoder 3 gives, at the output 4, the unit cost of the telephone communication with the aid of the code received by the receiver 2 and from the tarif table contained in the memory. Updating of this table is done either by remote loading or by a memory card.

Description

AUTOMATE ET TABLE POUR LA DETERMINATION
DU COUT D'UNE COMMUNICATION DANS UN
RESEAU
Les terminaux telephoniques connus a ce jour sont incapables
d'elaborer eux-meme le cout d'une communication. Les autocommutateurs prives en sont egalement incapables. Cela tient a la grande complexite des tarifs telephoniques a appliquer. Le tarif depend en effet d'un grand nombre de parametres: zones geographiques ou sont situees les correspondants, heure ou tranche horaire de la communication, "categorie d'acheminement et de taxation" du demandeur .... I1 peut egalement y avoir un certain nombre d'unites de tarif, ou quantum, a payer a la mise en relation. Cette situation se retrouve dans tous les reseaux de communication.AUTOMATE AND TABLE FOR DETERMINATION
THE COST OF COMMUNICATION IN A
NETWORK
The telephone terminals known to date are incapable
to develop the cost of a communication themselves. Private branch exchanges are also unable to do so. This is due to the great complexity of the telephone rates to be applied. The tariff depends on a large number of parameters: geographic areas where correspondents are located, hour or time slot of the call, "category of routing and charging" of the applicant .... There can also be a a certain number of tariff units, or quantum, to be paid to the connection. This situation is found in all communication networks.

L'invention se rapporte a un automate capable d'elaborer en local le cout d'une communication dans un reseau et en particulier dans le reseau telephonique. Dans un reseau de communication, le demandeur compose le code du terminal qu'il veut atteindre sur son terminal. The invention relates to an automaton capable of locally developing the cost of a communication in a network and in particular in the telephone network. In a communication network, the caller dials the terminal code he wants to reach on his terminal.

Le correspondant est appele "demandé". The correspondent is called "requested".

Un automate conforme a l'invention est caracterise en ce qu'il est constitue par une memoire, un recepteur de code et un decodeur donnant
le cout de la communication a un circuit de sortie. La memoire contient la table des tarifs. Le decodeur est programme pour determiner le cout en fonction des donnees de la table et du code ou numero du correspondant a atteindre. L'automate est egalement pourvu d'un dispositif pour la mise a jour de la table.An automaton according to the invention is characterized in that it is constituted by a memory, a code receiver and a decoder giving
the cost of communication has an output circuit. The memory contains the tariff table. The decoder is programmed to determine the cost according to the data of the table and the code or number of the correspondent to be reached. The automaton is also provided with a device for updating the table.

L'automate est pourvu d'un circuit d'horloge qui lui permet de donner le cout cumule de la communication a partir du debut de la mise en relation, cet instant etant determine par un circuit qui detecte le decroche du demandeur. The controller is provided with a clock circuit which allows it to give the cumulative cost of the communication from the beginning of the connection, this instant being determined by a circuit which detects the call of the caller.

La mise a jour de la table est realisee soit par telechargement
soit par carte a memoire.The update of the table is carried out either by download
either by memory card.

L'automate peut etre implante dans le terminal meme. La mise a jour est alors realisee de preference par telechargement en utilisant le reseau et apres appel du terminal. The automaton can be implanted in the terminal itself. The update is then performed preferably by downloading using the network and after calling the terminal.

L'automate peut etre implante egalement dans un boitier independant du terminal mais relie a la ligne qui le dessert de facon a avoir acces au code du demande compose sur le terminal par le demandeur. The automaton can also be implanted in a box independent of the terminal but connected to the line which serves it so as to have access to the code of the request dialed on the terminal by the applicant.

L'automate peut aussi etre implante dans un boitier autonome equipe
d'un clavier sur lequel le demandeur frappe le code du demande. Le cout
qui en decoule est affiche sur un ecran.The automaton can also be implanted in an autonomous box equipped
a keypad on which the requestor hits the request code. The cost
resulting from it is displayed on a screen.

Dans chacun des cas precedents, il est possible soit d'implanter l'ensemble de la table soit d'implanter seulement la partie de la table, ou
sous-table, qui correspond a la zone et a la categorie du demandeur.In each of the previous cases, it is possible either to implement the entire table or to implement only the part of the table, or
sub-table, which corresponds to the area and category of the applicant.

Ce dernier evite au demandeur d'entrer sa zone et sa categorie dans l'automate.This prevents the requester from entering his zone and category into the PLC.

L'automate peut encore etre implante dans un autocommutateur telephonique prive ou public. Dans le ce dernier cas la table d'acheminement de l'autocommutateur est divisee en plusieurs partie dont l'une est constituee par la table revendiquee. The automaton can still be implanted in a private or public telephone exchange. In the latter case the routing table of the switch is divided into several parts, one of which is constituted by the table claimed.

Pour fonctionner, l'automate necessite une table des tarifs. To operate, the controller requires a tariff table.

Un autocommutateur public possede une telle table qui fait correspondre un cout unitaire a chaque code ou partie de code demande. Cette partie est appelee analyse. Mais cette table est compliquee par le fait que la correspondance ne se limite pas seulement au cout mais precise plusieurs autres parametres comme le faisceau de circuits a utiliser, le nombre de chiffres a envoyer... Le nombre de cas a envisager s'en trouve considerablement augmente et la maintenance de la table, c'est-a-dire sa mise a jour, en devient tres delicate.A public switch has such a table that matches a unit cost to each code or part of the request code. This part is called analysis. But this table is complicated by the fact that the correspondence is not limited only to the cost but specifies several other parameters such as the circuit group to use, the number of digits to send ... The number of cases to consider is found considerably and the maintenance of the table, that is to say its updating, becomes very delicate.

Une table de correspondance selon l'invention donne le cout
unitaire de la communication en fonction de de la zone geographique du
demandeur et d'une partie du code du demande,ou sous-code,ou encore analyse.A correspondence table according to the invention gives the cost
unit of communication according to the geographical area of the
requestor and part of the request code, or subcode, or analysis.

Le code considere est celui que le demandeur doit effectivement composer
pour obtenir son correspondant.Elle est caracterisee en ce que le nombre
de caracteres retenus dans le sous-code est limite au strict necessaire
pour determiner la zone tarifaire correspondante sans ambiguite. Le
sous-code retenu est constitue par une partie des premiers caracteres que le demandeur doit composer,les caracteres du sous-code etant de plus, places de la meme facon que l'ordre dans lequel ils doivent etre composes.The code considered is the one that the applicant must actually compose
to get his correspondent.It is characterized in that the number
of characters retained in the sub-code is limited to the strict necessary
to determine the corresponding tariff zone without ambiguity. The
The selected subcode is constituted by a part of the first characters that the applicant must compose, the characters of the subcode being moreover placed in the same way as the order in which they are to be composed.

La table est constituee par un ensemble de sous-tables, une
pour chaque zone geographique demandeur. La sous-table fait correspondre
un cout par unite de temps pour chaque sous-code demande. La
sous-table est determinee a partir du sous-code du demandeur.The table is constituted by a set of sub-tables, a
for each requesting geographic area. The subtable matches
a cost per unit of time for each subcode request. The
subtable is determined from the requester's subcode.

Les sous-codes correspondants a un meme cout sont rassembles avec les sous-codes de la meme famille conduisants a un cout nul
de facon a limiter encore le nombre de caracteres a retenir et ainsi le nombre de cas distincts de la sous-table.The corresponding subcodes at the same cost are assembled with the sub-codes of the same family driving at zero cost
so as to further limit the number of characters to retain and thus the number of distinct cases of the sub-table.

Dans le reseau telephonique, le cout unitaire depend egalement du type de jour: jour ferie, jour ouvre... Il depend aussi de la tranche horaire consideree. Le jour est decoupe en plusieurs tranches pour chacune desquelles correspond un tarif particulier. In the telephone network, the unit cost also depends on the type of day: holiday, day opens ... It also depends on the time slot considered. The day is divided into several slices for each of which corresponds a particular tariff.

Enfin le cout est fonction de la "categorie d'acheminement et de taxation" du demande. Ainsi un demandeur qui dispose des services du
"reseau numerique a integration de service" se verra imposer un cout plus eleve.Finally, the cost depends on the "category of routing and taxation" of the request. Thus an applicant who has the services of the
"digital network with service integration" will be imposed at a higher cost.

Pour tenir compte de ces parametres, il y a une sous-table pour chaque couple zone demandeur,categorie d'acheminement. Chaque sous-table donne le cout en fonction de la tranche horaire et du type de jour. To account for these parameters, there is a subtable for each requesting zone pair, routing category. Each subtable gives the cost according to the time slot and the type of day.

La table peut etre presentee sur un support papier. Chaque
sous-table comporte alors autant de lignes que de sous-codes, ou analyses, susceptibles d'etre demandes et autant de colonnes qu'il est necessaire en fonction du nombre de tranches horaires et du nombre de types de jour.The table can be presented on a paper support. Each
The sub-table then has as many rows as sub-codes, or analyzes, which can be requested and as many columns as necessary depending on the number of time slots and the number of day types.

Les figures 1 a 8 illustrent une table selon l'invention:
- Fig. 1 : territoire desservi
- Fig. 2 : matrice des tarifs
- Fig. 3 : sous-table
- Fig. 4 : sous-table condensee
- Fig. 5 : automate
- Fig. 6 : poste telephonique
- Fig. 7 : boitier
- Fig. 8 : sous-table papier
Considerons un reseau telephonique desservant un territoire
decoupe en quatre zones de tarif (Fig.l). Chaque zone regroupe un certain nombre d'abonnes. Tous les abonnes d'une meme zone possedent un code ou numero qui commence par le meme chiffre. Les abonnes de la zone 1 ont un numero commencant par 1, ceux de la zone 2, par 2, etc...Figures 1 to 8 illustrate a table according to the invention:
- Fig. 1: served territory
- Fig. 2: tariff matrix
- Fig. 3: sub-table
- Fig. 4: condensed subtable
- Fig. 5: automaton
- Fig. 6: telephone extension
- Fig. 7: case
- Fig. 8: paper sub-table
Consider a telephone network serving a territory
cutting into four tariff zones (Fig.l). Each zone groups together a certain number of subscribers. All subscribers in the same area have a code or number that starts with the same number. Area 1 subscribers have a number beginning with 1, those in zone 2, 2, etc.

La matrice des tarifs est donnee par la figure 2. Elle correspond a une description geographique. Un abonne A appelant un abonne B devra connaitre
la situation de ce dernier pour savoir quel tarif utiliser. Ainsi si A appartient a la zone 1 et B a la zone 2, le tarif a appliquer sera de 2 Francs par minute.The tariff matrix is given in Figure 2. It corresponds to a geographical description. A subscriber A calling a subscriber B will have to know
the situation of the latter to know which rate to use. Thus if A belongs to zone 1 and B has zone 2, the tariff to be applied will be 2 Francs per minute.

Soit un abonne d'une zone consideree. Pour atteindre un autre abonne de la meme zone il compose directement le numero de ce dernier. Par contre, on suppose qu'il doit d'abord composer le 0 suivi du numero pour atteindre un abonne situe dans une autre zone. Either a subscriber of a considered area. To reach another subscriber of the same area he dials directly the number of the same. However, it is assumed that he must first dial 0 followed by the number to reach a subscriber in another zone.

La sous-table selon !'invention correspondant a ces hypotheses comporte 10 analyses (fig.3) au depart de la zone 1 car les codes 00,01,06,07,08 et 09 sont susceptibles d-'etre composes. Comme ces numeros sont inutilises, l'appel n'aboutit pas et le cout est de 0 Franc. La taille de cette sous-table peut alors etre reduite a deux analyses (Fig. 4), car la distinction des 10 analyses commencant par 0 n'est plus alors necessaire: la seule analyse 0 suffit a donner le cout a appliquer dans les dix cas, cout qui est ici de 2 F par unite. The sub-table according to the invention corresponding to these hypotheses comprises 10 analyzes (FIG. 3) starting from zone 1 because codes 00, 01, 06, 07, 08, and 09 are capable of being composed. As these numbers are unused, the call does not succeed and the cost is 0 Franc. The size of this sub-table can then be reduced to two analyzes (Fig. 4), since the distinction of the 10 analyzes starting with 0 is no longer then necessary: the only analysis 0 is enough to give the cost to be applied in the ten case, which is here 2 F per unit.

La table est implantee dans un automate constitue par un circuit
electronique. Ce circuit est pourvu d'une memoire 1 (Fig.5) qui contient
la table, d'un recepteur 2 qui recoit le numero demande et d'un decodeur 3 qui
fournit a la sortie 4 le cout unitaire a appliquer. Un dispositif 5 assure
la mise a jour de la table soit par telechargement soit encore a l'aide d'une carte a memoire.The table is implanted in a PLC constituted by a circuit
electronic. This circuit is provided with a memory 1 (Fig.5) which contains
the table, a receiver 2 which receives the request number and a decoder 3 which
provides at output 4 the unit cost to apply. A device 5 ensures
the update of the table is by download or still using a memory card.

Le circuit fait partie integrante d'un poste telephonique (Fig.6). The circuit is an integral part of a telephone set (Fig.6).

Le recepteur analyse directement le numero compose sur le poste. Celui-ci est equipe d'un ecran 1 sur lequel apparait le cout de la communication.The receiver analyzes directly the number dialed on the set. It is equipped with a screen 1 on which appears the cost of communication.

La mise a jour se fait par telechargement a travers le reseau, en appelant directement l'abonne.The update is done by downloading through the network, directly calling the subscriber.

Le circuit peut egalement etre integre dans un boitier 1 relie a la ligne 3 de l'abonne par un cable 2 (Fig. 7). Le boitier est equipe d'un lecteur de carte 5 et d'un ecran 4 sur lequel apparait le cout. The circuit can also be integrated in a box 1 connected to line 3 of the subscriber by a cable 2 (FIG 7). The box is equipped with a card reader 5 and a screen 4 on which appears the cost.

La table peut etre transcrite sur un support directement
lisible comme par exemple un support papier (Fig. 8). La sous-table 1 correspond a la zone 1 et a la categorie d'acheminement et de taxation 1. La sous-table 2 correspond a la categorie 2. Les sous-tables donnent le detail des tarifs pour deux types de jours: ferie, type 2, et ouvre, type 1. Deux tranches horaires sont considerees: 8H a 20H et 20H a 8H. La
tranche horaire 20H-8H conduit a un cout plus faible car le reseau telephonique est moins utilise la nuit.The table can be transcribed on a support directly
readable as for example a paper support (Fig. 8). Sub-Table 1 corresponds to Area 1 and to the category of routing and charging 1. Sub-Table 2 corresponds to Category 2. The sub-tables give details of tariffs for two types of days: type 2, and opens, type 1. Two time slots are considered: 8H to 20H and 20H to 8H. The
time band 20H-8H leads to a lower cost because the telephone network is less used at night.

En categorie 2, le tarif applique est plus eleve qu'en categorie 1. In category 2, the applied tariff is higher than in category 1.

La categorie 2 correspond par exemple a une ligne telephonique beneficiant des services du RNIS (Reseau Numerique a Integration de Service).Category 2 corresponds, for example, to a telephone line receiving ISDN (Digital Service Integration Network) services.

Enfin le type 2 correspond a un jour ferie. Le cout est moins eleve que pour un jour ouvre de type 1. Finally type 2 is a holiday. The cost is lower than for a day opener type 1.

Claims

An automaton for deteraination of the cost of a network connection characterized in that it is constituted by an antenna containing an analysis table, a receiver for receiving the request code, an output circuit delivering the cost,

an update circuit of the table and a decoder, the latter being prograaae to give the unit cost according to the code received and analyzes contained in the table;

2> An automaton according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit of ease a day is constituted either by a device allowing

the download from the table through the network is by a card reader a circuit, a clock circuit allowing the accumulation of the cost from the pick of the request;

3> PLC according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is an integral part of the terminal of the applicant while the ease of update is done by download with the help of the

line that serves the latter and that the receiver directly analyzes the code dialed at the terminal;

4> PLC according to any one of claims I to 2, characterized in that the circuit is installed in a box connected to the line of the terminal while the up-to-date is made by downloading with this line and that the receiver analyzes either directly the code dialed at the terminal, or the code dialed on a keyboard integrated in the receiver; ;

5> PLC according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the circuit is integrated in a telephone autochanger private telephone

or public, the routing table being then divided into several parts of which one gives the only correspondence analysis-tariff which allows a more comfortable maintenance;

6> PLC according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the iaplantation of the table is limited to the subtable that corresponds to the tariff zone and the category of the applicant, that is to say to the geographical location of the terminal;