JPH0113671B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a billing control system for public telephones. In the known public telephone system, during a call, the public telephone receives a coin collection signal that is sent periodically from the exchange at a fixed number of seconds determined by the destination of the other party, and each time it receives one coin. It is known that the public telephone is stored one by one, and each time the storage is completed, the charge for the public telephone is registered on the exchange side. If the above-mentioned known method is applied to a mobile public telephone service, the exchange will periodically send a money collection signal to the public telephone during a call, and the public telephone will send a collection completion signal to the exchange. It is necessary.

In the mobile telephone system, a radio line is interposed between the telephone and the exchange, and therefore, although it is possible to transmit voice band AC signals between the two, it is not possible to pass DC signals. For this reason, in wired public telephone systems, it is possible to store money without affecting the call by using a direct current coin storage signal from the telephone line's current berth, but it is necessary to use a wireless line. In the mobile public telephone system, in order to store money during a call, it is necessary to use a signal within the voice band, so it is necessary to temporarily interrupt the call and perform instantaneous call control during which money storage is controlled. Countermeasures have been taken, such as a band deletion method that cuts part of the voice band and uses the cut part as the coin storage signal and storage completion signal to control currency storage without interrupting the call. However, in both cases, a coin storage signal is sent out at regular intervals and one coin is stored each time. Therefore, in the former method, there is a temporary interruption of the call every time money storage control is performed, so if the other party's ground is far away and the storage cycle becomes short, the negative effect on the call increases. This had the disadvantage that call quality deteriorated due to deletion of parts.

In particular, the present invention enables the exchanger and the telephone to be connected by a voice line through which direct current signals cannot pass, by periodically storing one coin at a time in the telephone at a fixed number of seconds determined by the destination of the call during a telephone call. When
This prevents deterioration in call quality due to the temporary suspension of calls or voice band reduction due to the conventional method of transmitting money storage signals, and if the call spans a time period where different billing seconds are charged, it is possible to The object of the present invention is to provide a billing control system for public telephones, particularly mobile public telephones, in which billing can be performed by switching to the billing seconds corresponding to the time period after the rate switching time.

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a connection diagram of an example in which the present invention is implemented in a mobile public telephone terminal.

In the figure, 1 is an exchange, 2 is a wireless base station, and 3 is a mobile public telephone terminal, which is mounted on a mobile object such as a ship. In addition, in the mobile public telephone terminal 3, 4 is a duplexer, 5 is a transmitter,
6 is a receiver, 7 is a control unit, 13 is a handset unit 11
This is a public telephone (money telephone) having a money storage section 12, and numerals 8, 9, and 10 respectively indicate a timing monitoring section, a money storage control section, and a cycle switching determination control section added according to the present invention. In addition,
As the devices 4 to 7 and 11 to 13, devices known in the art for mobile public telephone terminals can be used.

Next, an explanation will be given of the operation when the mobile public telephone terminal 3 calls a subscriber's telephone set S accommodated in a general telephone exchange network via the exchange 1 and makes a call.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sequence of signals exchanged between exchange 1 and public telephone terminal 3 in one call connection.
indicates public telephone terminal 3.

The sequence from taking off the handset to dialing the other party's number at the public telephone set 13, ie, the calling sequence, is carried out in the same manner as in the prior art. That is, due to off-hook, the controller 7 is activated from the public telephone 13 in FIG. 1, and the controller 7 activates the transmitter 5.
Activate and emit radio waves. These radio waves are received by the wireless base station 2, and a communication line is set up between the calling public telephone terminal 3 and the exchange 1 via a wireless line, and via this line, the calling public telephone terminal The identification number is automatically sent, and the telephone number of the other subscriber S is also sent by dialing the telephone, and these are received by the exchange 1. Since the above sequence is known as a calling sequence, detailed explanation will be omitted. The signals during this period are shown as signals 1, 2, . . . 3 in FIG.

Next, public key identification is performed. As is well known, public telephones are equipped with a key, and when this key is not operated, a call is made by inserting coins, and when this key is being operated, a call is made by inserting coins in the same way as a normal telephone. It is done without any trouble. Exchange 1
identifies that the call is from a public telephone terminal by means of the calling subscriber identification number received by the party;
In order to identify the state of the above-mentioned key of the public telephone, the exchange 1 sends a billing preparation signal 4, and the public telephone terminal 3 receives this and, if the key is in the operated state, sends a billing control unnecessary signal as the signal 5. , if the key is not operated, a billing control request signal is similarly sent back as signal 5. At this time, if the exchange 1 receives the billing control unnecessary signal, no money storage control is performed thereafter, and charges are registered only in the exchange 1 in the same way as for outgoing calls from a normal telephone. but,
If the key is not operated at this time and a billing control request signal is sent back as signal 5, exchange 1 receives this and sends a billing preparation signal as signal 6. When the public telephone terminal 3 receives this, the control section 7 starts the timing monitoring section 8, money storage control section 9, and cycle switching determination section 10 related to billing control to prepare for billing, and sends the signal 7 as the signal 7. A billing preparation completion signal is sent back to the exchange 1. The above is the public key identification sequence, which is performed in the same manner as in the known system.

The exchange 1 determines the number of seconds that a call can be made using one currency, that is, the number of billing seconds, which is determined by the location of the other subscriber S, and sends this information to the public telephone terminal 3 as a PB ₁ signal 8. do. At this time,
If the rate system is such that calls are charged differently during the day and at night, and calls are expected to include rate switching times, the current number of billed seconds T ₀ , the current number of billed seconds T ₀
The exchange 1 calculates the number of coins n that can be stored by the rate switching time and the new number of billing seconds _T1 after the rate switching time, and uses these billing control information.
It is sent as a PB ₁ signal 8 from the exchange 1 to the public telephone terminal 3 via the wireless base station 2.

The public telephone terminal 3 receives this PB ₁ signal 8 and sends it to the control unit 7 via the duplexer 4 and the receiver 6. The control unit 7 detects this PB ₁ signal 8 and sends the information, that is, the current number of billing seconds T ₀ and the new number of billing seconds T ₁ after the rate switching time, to the timing monitoring unit 8. Information on the number n of coins that can be stored by the time is sent to the cycle switching determination control section 10. The timing monitoring unit 8 has two storage means, the above-mentioned current billing seconds T ₀ is stored in the first storage means, and the new billing seconds after the rate switching time is stored in the first storage means.
T ₁ is stored in the second storage means, and the cycle switching determination control unit 10 is also provided with a storage means, and the transferred information on the number of coins n that can be stored by the above-mentioned rate switching time is stored in the second storage means. It is stored in this storage means. When the control unit 7 receives the above PB ₁ signal 8 and detects this signal, the control unit 7 generates a signal with the same content as this received signal.
The PB ₁ signal 9 is used as a confirmation signal and is sent back to the exchange 1 via the transmitter 5 and duplexer 4. This signal sequence is shown in FIG. 2 as the billing information notification sequence.

Next, when the other party (called party) subscriber S responds, the exchange 1 detects this and sends a response signal 10 to the public telephone terminal 3. This signal reaches the control unit 7 via the transmitter/receiver 4 and the receiver 6, and the control unit 7 detects the response signal 10, and thereby sends a coin storage start signal to the coin storage control unit 9. When receiving this coin storage start signal, it sends a coin storage signal to the money storage section 12 of the telephone 13, operates the coin storage electromagnet, and stores one of the coins that has already been inserted. When the money storage is completed, the money storage section 12
A money storage completion signal corresponding to the above-mentioned money storage signal is sent to the money storage control section 9 from there.

When the money storage control section 9 receives this money storage completion signal, it transfers this information to the control section 7. Upon receiving this information, the control section 7 sends a confirmation signal 11 to the exchange 1, and also connects the transmitter 5 and receiver 6 to the transceiver section 11 of the telephone 13, where the public telephone terminal 3 is connected to the other subscriber. You can now talk to S.

On the other hand, when the money storage control section 9 receives the money storage completion signal, it performs the following operation in addition to the above. The coin storage control unit 9 is provided with a stored coin number register that accumulates and stores the number of stored coins, and is cleared at the start of a new call, and its content N is set to 0. Now, when receiving the above money storage completion signal, its contents N (0 in this case)
, and sends the new content N (1 in this case) to the cycle switching determination control section 10.

The cycle switching determination control unit 10 compares this newly sent information N with the number n of coins that can be stored by the time of charge switching at the current number of billing seconds _T0 , which is already stored here. , n≧N, a signal is sent to the timing monitoring unit 8 to select the first storage means that stores the current number of billing seconds T ₀ , and the call time timing is monitored using this number of billing seconds T ₀ . order to implement the same. That is, the timing monitoring section 8 is activated by the above-mentioned selection signal and command, and when _T0 seconds have elapsed after activation, a new money storage start signal is sent to the money storage control section 9.

Store the first coin as described above,
The call begins.

During a call, after the first coin is collected, the current billing seconds T ₀ seconds have elapsed for the call as described above.
As described above, a new money storage start signal is sent from the timing monitoring section 8 to the money storage control section 9.
The money storage control section 9 uses this signal to control the telephone 13.
A coin storage signal is sent to the coin storage section 12 of the coin storage section 1 to operate the coin storage electromagnet to store the coins.
2 returns a storage completion signal to the money storage control section 9 upon completion of the storage of money. When the coin storage control section 9 receives this storage completion signal, it adds 1 to the content N of the stored coin number register in the same manner as described above, and sends the added new content N to the cycle switching determination control section 10.

The cycle switching determination control unit 10 compares this new information N that has been sent with the stored n. If n≧N, in the same manner as described above, a signal is sent to the timing monitoring unit 8 to select the first storage means that stores the current number of billing seconds T _{0 and} Command to carry out call time timing monitoring. At this time, if n<N, then the call charge switching time has already passed, so the second storage means stores the new billing seconds _T1 after the call charge switching time for the timing monitoring unit 8. It sends a signal to select , and instructs to carry out call time timing monitoring at this billing seconds _T1 .
In this way, the second coin is stored.

The storage of the third and subsequent coins is performed in the same sequence of operations as the storage of the second coin.

When it is expected that the call time will not exceed the call rate switching time, the exchange 1 only needs to determine the current billing seconds T ₀ and notify the public telephone terminal 3 of this. In this case, this billing seconds T ₀ is stored in, for example, the first storage means of the timing monitoring section 8, and when the money storage control section 9 receives the money storage completion signal, the billing seconds T 0 is stored in the timing monitoring section 8. It is possible to directly give a command to the timing monitoring section 8 and start it up without going through the switching determination control section 10.

Assuming that the call charges are the same during the daytime and at night, and the charge system cannot be switched, billing control can be carried out in the same manner as described above in this case as well. In the case of this rate system, the second storage means of the timing monitoring section 8 and the period switching determination control section 1
0 is not required.

When the call ends and you turn on the public telephone terminal 3, this information is transferred to the handset section 1 of the telephone 13.
1 to the control unit 7. When the control unit 7 receives this on-hook information, it causes the timing monitoring unit 8 to stop timing monitoring, and sends a call termination signal 12 to the transmitter 5, the duplexer 4, and the exchange 1.
Send to. When the exchange 1 receives this call termination signal 12, it sends a confirmation signal 13 to the public telephone terminal 3. This confirmation signal 13 reaches the control unit 7 via the duplexer 4 and the receiver 6 in the public telephone terminal 3, and when the control unit 7 detects it, it issues a command to the money storage control unit 9, and the control unit 9 The contents of the stored coin number register are read, and the information on this content is sent to the exchange 1 via the control section 7, transmitter 5, and duplex device 4 as a PB ₂ signal 14 indicating the number of stored coins. As can be easily understood from the above explanation, the contents of the stored coin number register at this time indicate the total number of coins stored during this call.

When the exchange 1 receives the above PB ₂ signal 14, it sends a confirmation signal with the same content as the PB ₂ signal 15,
In addition to sending the signal back to the public telephone terminal 3, the above signal 1
The number of coins collected in this call transmitted by No. 4 is stored.

When the public telephone terminal 3 receives the PB ₂ signal 15 sent as the confirmation signal, it checks whether it matches the PB ₂ signal 14 previously sent from the public telephone terminal 3, and if it matches, it issues a confirmation signal. 16 to clear the stored coin number register of the coin storage control section 9.

When the exchange 1 receives the confirmation signal 16, based on the stored contents of the PB ₂ signal 14, that is, the number of coins stored in this call,
The call rate meter is registered in the subscriber rate meter corresponding to the public telephone terminal 3 (charging meter registration).

When this registration is completed, exchange 1 sends a termination signal 1.
7 to the public telephone terminal 3 to recover.

The public telephone terminal 3 receives this termination signal 17 and is restored as well.

In addition, in the above, when the money storage control unit 9 sends a money storage signal to the money storage unit 12 of the telephone 13 and a coin storage completion signal is not returned in response, the money storage control unit 9 sends a money storage signal to the money storage unit 12 of the telephone 13, and if a coin storage completion signal is not returned in response, the coin is not inserted or the inserted coin It is determined that all of the files have been stored, and the controller 7 is notified. As a result, the control section 7 immediately sends the above call termination signal 12 to the exchange 1, and at the same time, the control section 7 disconnects the telephone set 13 from the handset section 11. Thereafter, billing meter registration is performed according to the same signal sequence as above, and the call connection is terminated.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the billing control signal to the public telephone is transmitted before the start of the call and after the end of the call, and there is no need to transmit it during the call, so this does not adversely affect the call. This is particularly effective in cases where exchanges and public telephone terminals cannot pass DC signals such as wireless lines.

In addition, in the present invention, when a call extends over a time period in which charges are made using different billing seconds, after the charge switching time,
It is possible to perform billing by switching to the billing seconds corresponding to the time zone after this rate switching time, and in the case of a rate system in which call rates differ between daytime and nighttime, it is possible to switch to the billing seconds corresponding to the time zone after this rate switching time. This has the effect of allowing correct call charges to be collected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a signal sequence between an exchange and a public telephone terminal in this embodiment. 1... Switchboard, 2... Wireless base station, 3... Public telephone terminal, 4... Transmission/reception duplexer, 5... Transmitter,
6... Receiver, 7... Control unit, 8... Timing monitoring unit, 9... Money storage control unit, 10... Cycle switching determination control unit, 11... Handset unit, 12... Money storage unit, 13...Telephone, S...Subscriber telephone.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A first storage means for storing the current billing seconds and a second storage means for storing the billing seconds after switching the call rate, and after activation, the above two memories are a timing monitoring section that sends out a coin storage start signal after the elapse of the billing seconds stored in a selected one of the means; and a storage coin number register; Upon receiving the signal, a coin storage signal is sent to the telephone, and when a storage completion signal corresponding to this signal is received, the number of stored coins is accumulated and stored in the above register, and is also sent to the cycle switching determination control section described later. a currency storage control unit that newly notifies the contents N of the register; a means for storing the number n of coins that can be stored from the start of the call to the rate switching time; and the contents n stored in the storage means and the currency storage. It has a comparator that compares the number of stored coins N notified from the control unit and sends a signal to select the first or second storage means of the timing monitoring unit depending on n≧N and n<N, respectively. and a cycle switching determination control unit that sends an activation signal to the timing monitoring unit together with the selection signal when receiving a new notification of the number of stored coins N from the money storage control unit. , prior to the start of a call, the current number of billing seconds, the number of billing seconds after the rate switching time, and the number of coins n that can be stored by the rate switching time, determined by the destination of the other subscriber selected from the public telephone terminal at the exchange.
are determined and sent to the public telephone terminal, stored in the first and second storage means of the timing monitoring section and the storage means of the cycle switching determination control section, and after the call is over, the stored coins are sent from the public telephone terminal. A billing control system for a public telephone, characterized in that the number of stored coins set in a number register is notified to an exchange, and the exchange registers charges corresponding to the number of coins.