JP2674491B2 - Prepaid card pay phone - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a prepaid-card public telephone, and more particularly to a prepaid-card public telephone having a function of preventing unauthorized use of a prepaid card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional prepaid card public telephones are
As shown in FIG. 3, it has a prepaid card control unit 5 for controlling the prepaid card, and a connection control unit 4 for controlling the connection between the telephone unit 3 including the dial transmission circuit and the call circuit and the telephone line 1. . The prepaid card control unit 5 reads the data written in the inserted prepaid card to detect the remaining effective call frequency, and makes a call within the effective call frequency to a card having a valid call frequency of 1 or more, After accepting the call, after the call ends, the effective call frequency read at the start of the call is subtracted according to the call frequency up to the end of the call by an instruction sent from the central processing unit (not shown) through the telephone line 1. The original function is to write a new remaining effective call frequency to the prepaid card, punch a mark hole for displaying the remaining effective call frequency, and eject the prepaid card. The connection control unit 4 controls the connection between the telephone unit 3 and the telephone line 1 by controlling the ON / OFF of the hook switch 6 and the signal input from the prepaid card control unit 5 to control the ON / OFF of the line switch 2. ing.

Prepaid card public telephones have been widely used since the service started, and the number of cards sold has been enormous. As a method for using this prepaid card, the calling telephone number other than the effective call frequency, the call time, the call charge, etc. are written in the prepaid card, and the cardholder intends to use it as a usage statement record after the call is finished. "Public telephone" etc. are disclosed.

On the other hand, illegal acts such as forgery of a prepaid card, modification of a used prepaid card, or illegal use of a prepaid card public telephone by interfering with the subtraction process of the call frequency used by making it into a telephone. Has been increasing.

Various measures have been taken to prevent these illegal acts. First, the maximum value is set for the effective call frequency written in the prepaid card, and the card for which the record of the call frequency above this maximum value is detected is not a valid card, and the call and the call by that card are rejected. .

Even if the effective call frequency recorded on the card is within this maximum value, a means for detecting whether or not the record is a legally recorded card is, for example, the effective call frequency on the card. In addition to the value information, a fixed card number is recorded, and a memory for storing the value information at the end of service corresponding to this card number is equipped in the center device or public telephone, and the value information read from the card at the start of service is Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-160591 discloses a "prepaid card management system" in which a service is stopped when the value information is larger than the value information read from the memory.

In addition, when using an IC card in which value information such as banking and credit similar to a prepaid card is recorded, a legitimate user rewrites the personal identification number written on the card, so that the legitimate user's Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-159293 discloses a means for preventing an illegal user from using the wrong personal identification number by repeatedly making a mistake in inputting the personal identification number.

[0008]

The above fraud prevention means can prevent the use of an inserted fraudulent prepaid card, but if the valid call frequency of the card remains and it is deemed valid, dialing is started. And call use is allowed. On the other hand, in the conventional prepaid card public telephone, the remaining effective call frequency was written after the call ended, but the processing result was not confirmed. However, once inserted and read the effective call frequency, it is confirmed as a valid card,
After being connected to the interlocutor, there was a case in which the prepaid card was pulled out by some illegal method or the update processing of the effective call frequency was interrupted after the call ended before the use call frequency subtraction process was performed. . in this case,
The call service at that time cannot be stopped, and thereafter there is a risk that this card will be repeatedly illegally used as a valid prepaid card without being subtracted each time it is used.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a prepaid-card public telephone capable of preventing the write interruption of the subtraction data of the used call frequency by an illegal method after the prepaid card is inserted.

[0010]

The prepaid-card public telephone of the present invention uses the prepaid card after detecting the effective call frequency held by the prepaid card when the prepaid card is inserted, as a means for judging the availability of the call. A means for generating and writing predetermined data, a means for reading the written data from the prepaid card and collating it with the predetermined data generated, when the written data could not be read, or a mismatch of the matching result data is detected. When you do, you refuse to use the call with the prepaid card,
Means for ejecting the card as an abnormal card.

Further, it is preferable that the data to be generated is data of a value obtained by adding 1 to the effective call frequency held by the inserted prepaid card.

[0012]

In the prepaid card in which the updating process of the effective call frequency is disturbed, the use of the call by the prepaid card is rejected and the prepaid card is ejected from the inserted public telephone.

[0013]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the embodiment of FIG.

1 and 2, the prepaid card public telephone of this embodiment is a telephone line 1 connected to an exchange, which is a central control unit (not shown), a telephone section 3 including a dial and a call circuit, and a telephone. A line switch 2 for switching between connection and disconnection of the line 1 and the telephone unit 3, a prepaid card control unit 5 for controlling insertion and ejection of a prepaid card, reading and updating of the effective call frequency, and an ON / OFF signal for a hook switch 6. And the output signal of the prepaid card control unit 5 is input to transfer the effective call frequency read by the prepaid card control unit 5 to the exchange, and the operation of the line switch 2 and the prepaid card control unit 5 is controlled by the signal sent from the exchange. The control unit 4 and the prepaid card control unit 5 together with the control unit 4 are controlled so that the inserted prepaid card has a dummy data And a data writing confirmation control unit 9 for confirming the attachment of the prepaid card by writing the data.

The data writing confirmation control unit 9 controls the prepaid card control unit 5 to read the read effective call frequency D0.
Is added to the prepaid card as the dummy data D1 (steps S1 and S2), and then the dummy data D1 'is read (step S3). If the data cannot be read or the read dummy data value D1 'is different from the written value D1 (step S4)
Judges that the prepaid card is illegal, refuses to use the call, and ejects the card (step S9). If the value of the dummy data read from the prepaid card matches the written value, the original effective call frequency D0 of the prepaid card obtained by subtracting one frequency from the dummy data D1 as a valid card is sent to the exchange through the control unit 4. Sending (step S5), connection as a normal prepaid card public telephone and update of effective call frequency are performed (steps S6 to S9).

In this embodiment, since the value of the dummy data generated differs depending on the remaining effective call frequency of the inserted prepaid card, alteration can be easily detected. Also, the frequency to be added is not limited to 1 frequency, but if a too high frequency is used, when this data is erroneously transferred to the exchange,
If the unused prepaid card with the maximum call frequency is legally inserted, the call may be refused.

Further, this embodiment can be individually provided in each public telephone, and can be applied to a conventionally issued prepaid card in which a card number or the like is not recorded, so that the public telephone is illegally used. The equipment range can be gradually expanded from the place with the most.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the dummy data is written in the inserted prepaid card and read, and it is detected that the writing process is not disturbed. There is an effect that can prevent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of one embodiment of a prepaid card public telephone of the present invention.

2 is a flow chart of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional prepaid card public telephone.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 telephone line 2 line switch 3 telephone unit 4 connection control unit 5 prepaid card control unit 6 hook switch 7 handset 9 data writing confirmation control unit S1 to S9 steps

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. When the data of the inserted prepaid card is read to determine whether or not the call can be used. When it is determined that the call cannot be used, the call is rejected, the card is ejected, and the call is determined to be usable. Accepts the call and ends the call,
In a prepaid card public telephone that writes and discharges the remaining effective call frequency, which is subtracted from the value of the effective call frequency read at the beginning of the call according to the call frequency until the end of the call, the availability of the call is determined in the prepaid card public telephone The procedure is a procedure of writing predetermined data to the card after detecting the effective call frequency held by the prepaid card at the time of inserting the prepaid card, and reading the written data from the prepaid card and reading the predetermined data. When the written data could not be read, or when the mismatch of the verification result data was detected, the use of the call by the prepaid card is rejected and the card is ejected as an abnormal card. And a prepaid-card public telephone characterized by including . 2. A prepaid card control unit for controlling storage and discharge of a prepaid card, and reading and writing operations of the effective call frequency of the prepaid card, and the effective call frequency read by the prepaid card control unit is transferred to an exchange. Controlling the line switch between the telephone line and the telephone unit including the dial transmission circuit and the communication circuit according to the instruction of the exchange, and instructing the prepaid card control unit to write the remaining effective call frequency at the end of the call. In a prepaid-card public telephone having a connection control unit that operates, after detecting the effective call frequency held by the prepaid card when the prepaid card is inserted, the predetermined data is generated and written to the prepaid card, and the data is held. And a means for reading the written data from the prepaid card. And means for collating with the generated and held data, when the written data could not be read, or when a mismatch of the collation result data was detected, the use of the call by the prepaid card is rejected, and A prepaid-card public telephone having a means for ejecting the card as a normal card. 3. The predetermined data generated when the prepaid card is inserted is generated by adding 1 to the effective call frequency initially read from the card.
Prepaid card public telephone as described in.