JP2959451B2 - Charge collection method using mobile communication terminals - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a toll collection system, and more particularly to a toll collection method using a mobile communication terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A technique for using a mobile communication terminal for purposes other than communication is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-231529. However, this is for notifying the position information of the mobile communication terminal, and is not for collecting the fee. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when collecting various service usage fees, a manual or automatic fee collection machine has been used.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the toll collection method using a manual or automatic toll collector, the user must prepare cash in advance, and the collecting side has a large amount of coins and the like in advance for change. Must be prepared. Not only does it take time to transfer cash, but also when paying a user, the user has to approach a toll collector or an automatic toll collector. These problems have resulted in queues at pay stations, contributing, for example, to highway traffic.

[0004] Furthermore, at the toll collection point, it takes time to collect / confirm the collected cash, and it is necessary to transport the collected cash to a financial institution or the like. It has disadvantages.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toll collection system that does not involve the delivery of cash by using a mobile communication terminal in view of the above problems.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A toll collection method according to the present invention is directed to a communication system comprising a plurality of gates and a mobile communication exchange connected to these gates and a line, wherein a certain mobile communication terminal is connected to one of the gates. Detecting the entry, based on the identification information received from the mobile communication terminal,
Identifying the user information including the user passing through the gate and the user's fee payment account, displaying information to be input by the user through the mobile communication terminal to obtain data required for the fee calculation, The charge is calculated based on the data required for the charge calculation entered by the key operation of the terminal, the user information, the gate identification number and the calculated charge are recorded in the database of the mobile communication exchange, and the calculated charge is used by the user. After confirming, permitting the user to pass through the first gate, and transferring a notification for debiting the fee from the user's fee payment account from the mobile communication exchange to the financial institution that owns the fee payment account. I do.

[0007] A toll collection method according to the present invention comprises a first gate provided at an entrance for providing a service in a communication system comprising a plurality of gates and a plurality of mobile communication exchanges connected to these gates by lines. Detecting that a certain mobile communication terminal has entered the first gate, and identifying user information including a user passing through the gate and a fee payment account of the user based on the identification information received from the mobile communication terminal, Indicating to the user that the charge calculation to be performed according to the set criteria is to be started, permitting the user to pass through the gate after the user confirms the start of the charge calculation, and setting the user information and the first gate identification number to the first. Record in the database of the mobile communication exchange to which the gate belongs.

[0008] Further, at a second gate provided at an exit for terminating the service, it is detected that a certain mobile communication terminal has entered the second gate, and based on the identification information received from the mobile communication terminal, the user is allowed to enter the second gate. The user information and the first gate identification number specified at the time of passing through the first gate are retrieved from the databases of the plurality of mobile communication exchanges, and based on the user information and the first gate identification number, a fee is set according to a predetermined standard. Perform a calculation, allow the user to pass through the second gate after the user confirms the calculated fee, and sends a notification from the mobile communication exchange to the user to pay the fee from the user's fee payment account. Is transferred to the owning financial institution.

According to the present invention, a mobile communication terminal (for example, a PHS terminal) owned by a user communicates with an exchange having a subscriber database and confirms the charge, thereby paying the charge later. The service can be received without the transfer of cash.

[0010]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a fee collection system according to the present invention. This system includes a plurality of gates 101 and a PHS (Personal Handy Phone System) exchange 106 including a control system for controlling the gates. The gate 101 includes a cell site 102 and a permanent PHS terminal 103. The cell site 102 forms a cell 104 that is a wireless area of the gate 101, and a permanent PHS 103 is installed in the cell 104. When the user PHS terminal 105 possessed by the user enters the cell 104, a charge collection procedure described later is started.

The PHS exchange 106 includes a transmitting / receiving unit (or subscriber circuit) 107 connected to a plurality of cell sites 102 via an ISDN line (4B + D), a control unit 108 for performing exchange control, a database 109 for storing subscriber information,
It comprises an announcement device 110 for notifying a user of information by voice, and other necessary circuits (such as a switch SW). The control unit 108 exchanges data with the permanent PHS 103 and the user PHS 105 through the cell site 102 to collect a fee. At this time, it is also possible to link data between a plurality of gates. For example, by installing a gate at the entrance and another gate at the exit, for example, a toll collection system for an expressway can be configured. A description will be given below of a movie theater as an example using one gate and a toll collection procedure on an expressway as an example using two gates.

(Case of Movie Theater) A case of a movie theater is shown as an example of a method of collecting an entrance fee when a customer enters a theater or the like.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fee collection system in a movie theater. When the user PHS 105 owned by the user enters the cell 104 of the gate 101, the user PHS 105 automatically calls the PHS exchange 106. This call signal is transmitted to the user PH
The call may be manually originated from S105 to the specific number of the exchange 106. When the call signal is received (Yes in S201), the control unit 1 of the PHS exchange 106
08 is the number of the cell site 101 registered in advance and / or
Alternatively, it is identified from the specific arrival number that the service is a fee payment service (S202). Further, the control unit 108 reads the telephone number of the user PHS terminal 105 included in the call signal (S203), and based on the telephone number, the database 1
09 (S204), and determines whether the user of the user PHS105 has subscribed to the present system (S2).
05). If the user of the user PHS 105 has subscribed to the service of the present system (Yes in S205),
Using one B channel of the ISDN line (4B + D), a voice path is set between the announcement device 110 and the user PHS 105 (S206), and the user PHS1
05 is notified that the service has started (S20).
7). Subsequently, the control unit 08 searches the database 109 and reads out the charge table (S208), and sets a data path between the permanent PHS 103 permanently installed in the gate 101 and the control unit 108 using another B channel. (S20
9) The permanent PHS 103 is notified of a charge table and input numbers for various charges (S210).

The service user operates the keypad of the user PHS 105 according to the display of the permanent PHS 103,
For example, in the case of 2 adults and 3 children, 1 * 2 # 2 * 3 ##
(1 = adult, * = number of people, 2 = number of people, # = connection identifier, 2 = child, * = number of people, 3 = number of people, ## = end identifier). When this input data is received (S
In step 211, the control unit 108 calculates the fee based on the data on the fee, and temporarily stores the calculation result (S212). Subsequently, the control unit 108 sets the permanent PHS 10
3, for example, "2 adults and 3 children Price xxxxxx
After the display of "yen", the announcement device 110 is controlled to play a voice prompting the user PHS 105 to judge acceptance / cancellation of the fee payment, and the input method is displayed on the permanent PHS 103 (S213).

When the service user operates the keypad of the user PHS 105 according to the display of the input number of the permanent PHS 103 and inputs, for example, 1 (= approval) (Yes in S214)
s), the control unit 108 that has received this stores the temporarily stored fee in the telephone number of the user PHS 105 and the cell site 1
02 in the database 109 (S2
15). Subsequently, the control unit 108 controls the announcement device 110 to play a sound for notifying the user PHS 105 of the completion of the entrance procedure, and notifies the permanent PHS 103 of the completion of the fee payment (S216). As described above, the service user and the fee collector confirm payment of the fee, and
End the procedure at.

Thereafter, the PHS exchange 106 pays a fee from the account of the financial institution registered in advance for each user's telephone number to the account of the financial institution preset for each cell site number. A charge table is created so as to be transmitted, and this is transferred to each financial institution (S217).

(Case of Expressway) Next, a case of an expressway will be described as an example of toll collection in which tolls are calculated based on information such as the positions and times of entrances and exits. However,
The basic operation is the same as that of FIG. 2 except that the gate 101 is installed at the entrance and the exit, respectively, and the procedure for a plurality of users is determined.

First, the user PH owned by the user in the car
When S105 enters the range of the cell 104 in the gate 101, which is the entrance, the user PHS105 automatically makes a call. This call signal may be a signal manually transmitted from the user PHS 105 to a specific number of the exchange 106. When this call signal is received, the PHS exchange 10
6 branches processing according to the number of service subscribers.

When there is only one service subscriber in the vehicle (ie, one user PHS), the control unit 108 is a fee payment service based on the registered number of the cell site 102 and / or a specific arrival number. The telephone number of the calling terminal included in the call signal is read out, the database 109 is searched based on the telephone number, and the user PHS 105
It is determined whether or not the user has subscribed to the service.
After searching the database 109 and reading the price list,
The control unit 108 uses one B channel of the ISDN line (4B + D) to provide a voice path between the announcement device 110 and the user PHS 105, and uses another B channel to provide a voice path between the permanent PHS 103 and the control unit 108. A data path is set to the user PHS 105 and the permanent PHS 1
03 is notified that the entry information has been recorded.

On the other hand, a plurality of user PHSs
If the service user having the service 105 rides in the area of the cell 104 in the gate 101 almost at the same time and receives a plurality of valid call signals, the control unit 108 sets the number and the number of the cell site 102 registered in advance. And / or identify the charge payment service from the specific arrival number. Further, the control unit 10
8 reads out the telephone number of the calling terminal included in the call signal, searches the database 109 based on the telephone number, and determines whether or not the users of the plurality of users PHS 105 have subscribed to the service. The control unit 108 selects up to three user PHSs 105 according to a procedure registered in advance, sets a voice path between the announcement device 110 and the user PHS 105 using three B channels of the ISDN line, The PHS 105 is notified that a plurality of calling signals have been received. Based on the telephone numbers of the callers included in all the valid calling signals received within a certain time using the remaining B channels, the database 109 is searched for a selection number corresponding to each telephone number on a one-to-one basis. The obtained information is notified to the permanent PHS 103. The service user operates the keypad of any one of the maximum of three connected user PHSs 105 according to the input number display of the permanent PHS 103 and inputs the selection number according to the above selection number. Upon receiving this, the control unit 108 recognizes that the specific service user has been selected as the fee payer, controls the transmission / reception unit 107 and the announcement device 110, and notifies the specified service user of the user PHS 105 Then, the permanent PHS 103 is notified that the entry information is recorded to the payer of the selected telephone number.

After confirming that the entry information of the service user has been recorded, the passage of the gate is permitted by appropriate means. Further, the control unit 108 transfers the number of the cell site 102 of the entrance fee collection gate 101 and the telephone number of the payee (user who has passed through the gate) to the database of the other station.

When the user PHS 105 owned by the user of the service according to the present invention enters the area of the cell 104 in the gate 101 which is the exit, the user PHS 105 automatically makes a call. As in the case of the entrance, the outgoing call signal may be a signal manually transmitted from the user PHS 105 to a specific destination of the exchange 106. When receiving this call signal, control unit 108 of PHS exchange 106
Identifies the toll payment service from the pre-registered number of the cell site 102 and / or the specific arrival number, and reads out the telephone number of the calling terminal included in all outgoing call signals received within a certain period of time. , Search their own database based on those phone numbers.

If a telephone number accompanied by entrance information at the entrance gate exists in the database 109 of the own station, the telephone number and the entrance information are read. If there is no telephone number with the entrance information of the entrance gate in the database 109, a database of another station is searched by inter-office communication according to a predetermined procedure, and the telephone number with the entrance information in the database of the other station is found. If it exists, its telephone number and admission information are read. If all registered stations do not have a telephone number with entry information, either select a terminal again according to a predetermined procedure, select an entrance gate number according to preset conditions, or And notifies the maintenance person of the failure to perform a failure process such as stopping the service.

If there is a telephone number accompanied by the entrance information of the entrance gate, the control unit 108 calculates a fee based on the entrance information of the entrance gate, and the user PHS 105 and the permanent P
Notify the HS 103 of the fee. Then, the user PH
When the fee confirmation is input from S105, the fact that the fee has been collected is notified to the user PHS105 and the permanent PHS.
The number of the exit gate cell site 102 and the number of the entrance gate cell site 102 are stored in the database 109.
Is recorded in its own database 109, and then the entry information of all registered stations is invalidated. As described above, the user PHS1
When the charge collection notice is displayed on the 05 and the permanent PHS 103, the user is permitted to pass through the gate by appropriate means.

Finally, the PHS exchange 106 periodically reads out the billing information in the database 109, and sets in advance for each cell site number from a financial institution account registered in advance for each user's telephone number. A charge table is created so that the payment is made to the account of the financial institution, and this is transferred to various financial institutions.

As a system similar to the case of a highway, there is a case of a parking lot, but time information is main information for toll calculation instead of position information at an entrance and an exit. That is, the control unit 108 enters the entry time and the telephone number of the user at the entrance gate in the database 109 of the PHS exchange 106.
At the exit gate, the entry time is searched from the database 109 by the telephone number of the user, and a fee can be calculated and collected from the entry time and the exit time at the exit gate.

[0027]

As described in detail above, the toll collection system according to the present invention allows a user to perform charge calculation, payment, and confirmation of a charge using a mobile communication terminal subscribed to the system. The service can be performed without payment of cash as a postpaid fee. As a result, queues and the like can be eliminated, and the labor and risks involved in cash transfer can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a fee collection system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the PHS exchange when the present embodiment is applied to a movie theater entrance.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 Gate 102 Cell site 103 Permanent PHS 104 Cell 105 User PHS 106 PHS exchange 107 Transmitter / receiver unit 108 Control unit 109 Database 110 Announcement device

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G07B 15/00 501 G06F 17/60 H04M 3/42 H04M 15/00

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A toll collection method using a mobile communication terminal in a communication system including a plurality of gates and a mobile communication switch connected to the gates, wherein a certain mobile communication terminal is connected to one of the gates. Detecting the entry, based on the identification information received from the mobile communication terminal,
Identifying the user information including the user passing through the gate and the user's fee payment account, and displaying information to be input by the user through the mobile communication terminal in order to obtain data necessary for fee calculation; A charge is calculated based on data necessary for the charge calculation input by a user through a key operation of the mobile communication terminal, and the user information, the gate identification number, and the calculated charge are stored in a database of the mobile communication exchange. After the user confirms the calculated fee, the user is allowed to pass through the first gate, and a notification for debiting the fee from the user's fee payment account is sent to the mobile unit. Transferring from a communication exchange to a financial institution that owns the fee payment account. 2. When there are a plurality of mobile communication terminals entering the gate, a charge paying account of a user who pays a charge is set to one.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the fees is selected. 3. A toll collection method using a mobile communication terminal in a communication system including a plurality of gates and a plurality of mobile communication exchanges connected to these gates through lines, wherein the method is provided at an entrance for providing a certain service. In the first gate, detecting that a plurality of mobile communication terminals have entered the first gate, based on identification information received from the plurality of mobile communication terminals, a plurality of users passing through the gate, The user information including the fee payment account of the user selected from the plurality of users is specified, and the start of the fee calculation performed according to a predetermined standard is displayed to the selected user, and the start of the fee calculation is performed. After the selected user confirms, allowing the plurality of users to pass through the gate, the user information and the first gate identification Another number to the first
A second gate provided at an exit for terminating the service is recorded in a database of the mobile communication exchange to which the gate belongs, and detects that a plurality of mobile communication terminals have entered the second gate. Based on the identification information received from the mobile communication terminal, the user information and the first gate identification number specified when the plurality of users have passed through the first gate from a database of the mobile communication exchange. Searching, performing a charge calculation based on the predetermined criteria based on the user information and the first gate identification number, and after the selected user confirms the calculated charge, the plurality of users Allowing the user to pass through the second gate and notifying the selected user of the fee payment account with a notice for debiting the fee. Toll collection system, characterized in that the transfer from the mobile communication exchange to the financial institution that owns the fee payment account. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined criterion is a distance from the first gate to the second gate. 5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined criterion is a time from passing through the first gate to reaching the second gate.