JP3394615B2 - Billing device for communication - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a billing device by which an information provider can effectively collect an information usage fee from an information user in the case of value-added information communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a value-added charging line, a provider of value-added information is registered with a specific telephone number,
When a user makes a call to that particular telephone number, in addition to the normal line usage fee, the information usage fee is charged for a fixed second, and the telephone station collects these together from the user and uses it as the information usage fee. There is a widespread collection system in which a portion of the collected amount is deducted as a fee and then paid to the information provider.

If such a telephone line is used, the information provider side can collect the information use fee from the amount that the telephone station adds the information use fee to the telephone line use fee and collects the fee instead. There is an advantage that the cost related to toll collection can be dramatically reduced.

[0004]

However, the currently popular apparatus uses the telephone line itself as a means for transmitting value-added information, and the telephone of the user is the telephone of the information provider or the response device. The connection time was charged by using the value-added information as the connection time.

By the way, recently, information transmission techniques have been developed in various ways, such as satellite communication using a communication satellite and optical communication using an optical cable and a coaxial cable as represented by CATV. Here, if satellite communication is taken as an example, since this communication form is wireless communication, if the information provider tries to effectively charge the user, the information provider uses the The person must perform the billing process on the assumption that he will receive valid radio waves. However, in such a form, a fee is charged even when the user cannot effectively obtain the information due to radio interference, etc., and there is an inconvenience that an appropriate fee cannot be guaranteed for the user.
In particular, in the case of broadcasting radio waves from an information provider with an emphasis on broadcastability, the information provider side completely manages which user effectively received the radio waves and used the information. There is a fatal problem that you cannot do it. Therefore, in radio broadcasting, a fixed monthly fee is generally set, but detailed broadcasting services are difficult. On the other hand, in CATV communication, the information provider and the user are physically connected by an optical cable. However, unless information is exchanged using a shake hand like bidirectional optical communication, how is the information usage fee charged? There is a problem similar to that of satellite communication regarding whether to charge the fee.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve these problems in the conventional fee charging, and effectively and efficiently provides information from the user by utilizing the fee collecting system currently provided in the telephone office. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fee charging device that can collect a usage fee.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, communication is performed in which value-added information is added with pay data such as a provider code of the information, a value-added amount of money, and a billing period. An apparatus, a terminal device that receives a signal from the communication device, and a fee collection device that can connect to the terminal device through a telephone network. An information processing device that receives and processes the value-added information is stored in the terminal device, and pay data added to the value-added information received by the information processing device is stored in the terminal device.
A billing processing device for determining a connection time with the proxy collecting device and for calling the proxy collecting device to perform a fee payment process. Further, as a configuration of the billing processing device, an external storage device for storing pay data, a network control unit for connecting to a telephone line, an analog / digital converter, and a connection to the information processing device are provided. Interface and control of these and connection with the above-mentioned proxy collecting device
And a billing control unit for determining time . Then, the billing control unit constantly manages the pay data stored in the external storage device, and when the billing time written in the pay data comes, the value added amount and the connection unit of the proxy collecting device are connected.
Calculate the price and determine the time corresponding to the added value
Signal sent from the network control unit after calling the above-mentioned proxy collection device via the network control unit and transmitting the pay data.
According to the above method, the connection with the surrogate collection device is maintained for a time commensurate with the value added amount.

Also, whether a modem is used as the network control unit,
Equipped with a tone signal generator used for push dials,
Communication with the proxy collecting device is performed by a combination of tone signals or as a selective means.

[0009]

The communication device has a function of transmitting the added value information to the terminal user, and the terminal device confirms and processes the pay data commensurate with the added value to perform proper billing. The surrogate collection device charges a fee commensurate with the added value,
The terminal device collects the value-added charge by adding it to the telephone charge according to the time when the line is connected to the proxy collecting device. The information processing device, which is an internal block of the terminal device, has a function of receiving and processing the value-added information, and the billing device stores the pay data, and at the time when the pay data is written, the proxy collecting device is operated. It has a function to call and collect charges automatically. Further, inside the billing device, the billing control unit centrally manages the processing of pay data.
Although controlled, an analog-to-digital converter converts a digital signal inside the billing device into an analog signal and connects it to the proxy collecting device. The selectively employed tone signal performs well enough to transmit a small amount of data.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a transmission path of value-added information applied in this embodiment, and shows a case where a communication satellite is used. Here, 1 is a communication device on the information provider side, 2
Is a communication satellite, 3 is a terminal device on the information user side, and 4 is a value-added agent collecting device connected through a telephone station. 5
Is a telephone line network, and is connected to the proxy collecting device 4 by calling a specific number from the terminal device 3. It should be noted that the proxy collecting device 4 is based on the well-known communication technology currently used. That is, when the user calls a number registered as a proxy collection line at the telephone station and the user's telephone is connected to the device corresponding to that number, the telephone is registered in seconds or minutes registered in advance. This is a technology that counts the information usage fee added to the usage fee.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the terminal device 3,
Reference numeral 6 is an information processing device, 7 is an external output device such as a monitor or speaker, 8 is a billing processing device, and 9 is a telephone. An antenna for receiving a satellite signal is connected to the information processing device 6, and the billing processing device 8 is connected to the telephone line network 5. Of course, the terminal device 3 can be remotely operated by the remote controller 10. In addition,
Although the billing processing device 8 has a block configuration that is separate and independent from the information processing device 6 in FIG. 2, there is no problem in physically storing both in one box.

FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the charging processing device 8 provided in the terminal device 3, 11 is a charging control unit, and 12 is a charging control unit.
Is an external storage device, 13 is a network control unit for connecting the device to a telephone network, 14 is an analog / digital converter, and 15
Is an interface for connecting to the information processing device 6.

Next, an actual example of charging with the above configuration will be described. The value-added information is transmitted from the communication device 1 of the information provider, but the pay data regarding the information is added together with the value-added information. Here, the pay data includes an IP code that is an identification code of the information provider, an IP telephone number that is a surrogate collection line number registered in the telephone office as the information provider, an amount of added value, and the terminal device 3 that received the data. The date information indicating the time when the agency collection line is called is serially written. Further, when adopting a mode in which the terminal device 3 requests the value-added information on demand, the pay data is the identification code I of the terminal device.
A D code and password are added. When transmitting the value-added information, packet communication is adopted in order to secure the reliability of the transmission and facilitate the management.

When the terminal device 3 receives the value-added information, the terminal device 3 collates with the identification code of the terminal device or the password of the terminal device if it is added thereto, and further prompts the user to enter the password. If it does, the value-added information is read, and if they do not match, the received information is skipped. When the value-added information is free, a code indicating that fact is added, but in this case, all the terminal devices should be able to receive and process the information unconditionally. Appropriate processing is performed on the read information according to its type, but the pay data is stored in the external storage device 12 of the billing device 8. Then, the terminal device 3 receives the value-added information according to these series of procedures.
It can be processed.

Next, the procedure for performing the charging process according to the pay data stored in the charging device 8 will be described. The external storage device 12 stores pay data relating to pay information received and processed by the terminal device. The pay data may be singular or plural. This depends on the number of times the terminal device has performed reception processing. Although the IP telephone number and the due date information are written in each pay data, the billing control unit 11 always reads the due date information of each pay data and compares the due date information with the clock managed by itself. , Retrieve matched pay data. Then, the written IP telephone number is called from the network control unit 13 to connect to the designated proxy collecting device 4. The charging control unit 11 calculates the amount of money written in the pay data and the charge of the connection time unit of the proxy collecting device 4, and determines how much time the line should be connected to collect the charge of the pay data. The network control unit 13 is controlled during this period to maintain the line connection. For example, the amount of money written in the pay data is 1000 yen, and the charge per connection time of the designated proxy collecting device is 100 per 10 seconds.
If it is a yen, the charging control unit 11 sets the connection time to 10
It calculates 0 seconds and manages connections with an effective time of 100 seconds. As a result, the information provider side can collect the fee by the proxy collection, and the terminal user can complete the procedure for paying the fee.

Next, in the present embodiment, it goes without saying that a modem is used as the network control unit, but a tone signal may be used in place of the modem without using a conventionally known modem for billing processing. . This technique will be described below. Although it is necessary to use a modem for data communication by an analog telephone line, the proxy collecting line in this embodiment is generally an analog line. And
As described above, in order for the billing control unit 11 to perform billing processing, the billing time is calculated in the internal circuit, the proxy collecting device 4 is called, the necessary data is transmitted, and then the billing connection is established. Since it is only done, the amount of signal for that is small and there is no need to use a modem. For example, in addition to securing the line connection time by calling the delegation collection device 4, the delegation collection device 4 is called to transmit its own ID code, password, and charging connection time from now on. After that, the amount of data is small even if the connection time is secured. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tone signal adopted in the push-type telephone is used instead of the transmission by the modem. Currently defined tone signals are numbers from 0 to 9 and * and #,
Furthermore, there are four capital letters from A to D. Therefore, if the ID code and the password are composed of numbers A to D, it is possible to transmit them all as tone signals. Specifically, when the billing control unit 11 reads out fee data from the external storage device 12 and performs processing, the network control unit 1
After controlling the tone signal generator (not shown) mounted on the device 3, the proxy collecting device 4 is called by the tone signal, and after transmitting the tone signal corresponding to the ID code, the proxy collecting is started. In this way, the agent collecting device 4 can also manage the fee payment of the terminal user. Here, for the start timing of the proxy collection, if a combination of tone signals is decided in advance and the tone signal is confirmed by the proxy collecting device 4, it is possible to proceed.
The connection time calculated by the billing control unit 11 can be reliably set.

In this way, the terminal device is connected to the surrogate collecting device 4 and proper billing is carried out. However, by the time the terminal device reaches the surrogate collecting device 4 by the tone signal, for example, the line is intentionally changed. In the present embodiment, the security function is set to operate when the billing is terminated halfway due to disconnection or the like. That is, the charging control unit 11 monitors the state change of the charging device 8, and distinguishes the subsequent processing depending on whether the charging processing ends normally or abnormally. The billing control unit 11 constantly monitors the operation of the network control unit 13 during the billing process, and the proxy collecting device 4 also collates the data transmitted in advance with the connection time, and confirms the connection time transmitted in advance. When the terminal device connects the line to the terminal device, the proxy collecting device 4 transmits a charging completion code to the terminal device by a tone signal. The billing control unit 11 judges that the normal connection is completed when the billing completion code is received, while the billing is abnormal regardless of the reason when the line is disconnected before the billing completion code is received. It judges that there is, and stops the function of the terminal device itself thereafter. By doing so, it becomes possible to reliably pay the charge from the terminal device via the proxy collecting device 4.

Note that it is inconvenient for the terminal user to stop the function of the terminal if there is an abnormal termination even once, so if the line is disconnected midway, the line is connected again, and the error still occurs. It is also possible to stop only the pay information receiving function of the terminal device only when it is the end.

[0019]

According to the present invention, since the means as described above is used, the billing device mounted on the terminal device calls the surrogate collection device according to the pay data added to the value-added information, and the fee is automatically charged. It was possible to collect on behalf of, and it was possible for both the information provider and the user to make a reliable payment. In addition to a device that uses a modem as a network control unit, a device that uses a tone signal to call a surrogate collection device does not require the installation of a modem and can be manufactured at low cost. Since the amount of information transmitted to the collecting device is small, the burden on the terminal device is small, and the defect of switching the tone signal of the modem is not at all in the device of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a device of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device,

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a charging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 communication device 2 communication satellites 3 terminal devices 4 agent collection device 5 telephone network 6 Information processing equipment 7 External output device 8 Charge processing device 9 telephones 11 Charge control unit 12 External storage device 13 Network control unit 14 Analog-to-digital converter 15 Interface

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A communication device for transmitting value-added information by adding pay data such as a provider code of the information, a value-added amount of money, a billing period, a terminal device for receiving a signal from the communication device, An information processing device for receiving and processing the value-added information is provided to the terminal device, and an agent collecting device for charges that can be connected to the terminal device by a telephone line network, and an information processing device connected to the information processing device.
Stores the pay data added to the value-added information received by the device, determines the connection time with the above-mentioned agent collection device, and calls the above-mentioned agent collection device to perform the fee payment processing
The billing processing device further includes a processing device, and the billing processing device further connects to an external storage device for storing pay data, a network control unit for connecting to a telephone line, an analog / digital converter, and the information processing device. Interface and a billing control unit that controls these and determines the connection time with the surrogate collection device.The billing control unit constantly manages the pay data stored in the external storage device, At the billing time written in the pay data, the connection of the value added amount and the above-mentioned agent collection device
Calculate the unit price and the time corresponding to the added value
Judgment, call the above proxy collecting device via the network control unit,
After sending the above pay data, send it from the network control unit
A charge charging device in communication, characterized in that the connection with the proxy collecting device is maintained for a time commensurate with the value added amount according to a signal . 2. The charge accounting device for communication according to claim 1, wherein the network control unit is a modem. 3. The charge billing device for communication according to claim 1, wherein the network control unit includes a tone signal generator used for a push dial and communicates with the proxy collecting device by a combination of the tone signals.