JPH03190357A - Public telephone charging meter initializing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the collection of coins, to confirm a metering value and clearing of the meter at the telephone station side simultaneously by clearing a charge meter to a public telephone set being a collection object in response to the dialing of a specific dial code by a charge collecting person at the station side and displaying the charge meter value before the clearing and the telephone number of the public telephone set being a collection object. CONSTITUTION:A special charge collection specific dial code able to clear a charge meter of a telephone set in a station is preset from each public telephone set. A telephone charge collection person dials the special dial code for the charge collection specific to a public telephone set or in common to all public telephone sets from the public telephone set being a collection object every time the charge is collected from the telephone set, the telephone station side clears the charging meter to the public telephone set being a collection object and the value of the charging meter before clearing and the telephone number of the public telephone set being a collection object are displayed by means of, e.g. printout by a printer. Thus, the collection of coins of the public telephone set, the confirmation of the meter value at the station side and the clearing of the meter are implemented simultaneously.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a public telephone charging meter initialization method for simultaneously collecting coins at public telephones and initializing the charging meter at the central office side. In order to confirm and clear the value at the same time, a special dialing code for toll collection is set in advance in the billing system for public telephones, and the toll collector dials the special dialing code from the public telephone to be collected, and calls the central telephone office. The billing meter for the public telephone to be collected is cleared on the side in response to the dialing of the special dial code by the charge collector, and the billing meter value before the clearing and the public telephone number to be collected are displayed.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a billing system for a telephone exchange, and more particularly to a public telephone billing meter initialization method for simultaneously collecting coins from a public telephone and initializing the billing meter on the central office side.

The purpose is to simultaneously check and clear meter values on the side.

[Problems to be solved by conventional techniques and inventions] Conventionally,
There were two methods for collecting coins at public telephones and checking the billing meter at the station.

The first method is for a coin collector to go around each public phone and collect coins, then return to the telephone office and check the meter value before clearing the billing meter.The second method is to collect coins at the time of coin collection. The method was to call the station and ask the station's maintenance personnel to confirm the meter value and clear the meter.

However, according to the first method, there is a possibility that the billing meter value at the time of collection is different from the meter value at the time of checking at the station, and there is a problem that accurate collection check is impossible. In addition, the second method has the problem that a person is always on standby at the station during fee collection, and it is necessary to operate the billing meter every time a call is received from a coin collector.

The present invention is directed to coin collection and exchange in public telephones. [Means and effects for solving the problem] Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention. This figure is a functional block diagram of the public telephone billing meter initialization method in the billing system for public telephones. First, in step 1, each public telephone set up a special charge collection system that allows each public telephone to clear the billing meter of that telephone within the station. The dial code is preset. Here, this special dialing code may be common to all public telephones, or may be unique to each telephone.

Then, each time an adult collects charges from a telephone, he or she dials a special dial code for charge collection that is unique to that phone or common to all public telephones from the public telephone to be collected. The charging meter for the public telephone to be collected is cleared, and the value of the charging meter before clearing and the public telephone number to be collected are displayed by printing out, for example, with a printer. Here, if the special dial code for charge collection is common to all public telephones, the central office searches for the number of the calling public telephone. Further, this special dial code can be changed by, for example, a command on the telephone station side.

As described above, in the present invention, the collection of charges for a telephone and the clearing of the charge meter for that telephone are performed simultaneously.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the public telephone billing meter initialization method of the present invention. In the figure, ■ to ■ indicate the procedure in the example, and in ■, the fee collector has a direct number "1000", for example.
To collect coins from a public telephone, a special number "XXXX", which is a preset special dialing code for fee collection, is dialed from the public telephone.

When the exchange receives the special number "XXXX" from a public telephone that is eligible for charge collection, the translator analyzes that it means that the public telephone billing meter has been cleared, and at the same time sends the direct dial number "
Confirm that the subscriber class of "1000" is "public phone", clear the billing meter of the direct dial number "1000" with ■, and use the printer to print the direct dial number "1000" and the billing meter up to that point with ■. Print out the frequency “ABC”.

The toll collector visits each public telephone in turn and dials the special number "XXX" as shown in ■ each time he collects coins, and the exchange repeats operations from ■ to ■.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of a telephone exchange system using the public telephone billing meter initialization method of the present invention. In the figure, the switching system includes a public telephone 10, a network (
NW) 11, a subscriber circuit (SLC) 12 between the public telephone 10 and the network 11, and a line concentration switch (L
C) 13, a line processor (LPR) 14 that controls the line concentration switch 13, a dual tone receiver (DTR) 15 that receives a telephone number when the public telephone 10 is a push button (PB) type, a public A tone generator (TNG) 16 for returning a billing meter clear completion tone etc. to the telephone 10, a call processor (CPR) 17 for controlling call processing of the network 11, a main memory (MM) 1B for the call processor, and a file memory (F).
M) 19. Main processor that controls the entire system (
MPR) 20, main memory for the main processor (
MM) 21, file memory (FM) 22, typewriter (TYP) 23, typewriter input/output control device (
It consists of a T-YPIOC) 24 and channel-to-channel adapters (CCA) 25 and 26 for connecting channels between the main processor 20 and the call processor 17.

The flow of the public telephone charge meter initialization process in the system of FIG. 3 will be explained using the flowchart of FIG. 4. Note that the numbers inside the circle in FIG. 3 indicate the processing of the corresponding numbers in FIG. In FIG. 4, the processing on the left side of the broken line shows the processing of the toll collector, and the processing on the right side shows the processing on the exchange side.

In Figure 4, first in S27, when the charge collector off-footers the public telephone from which the charge was collected, the exchanger side
A call is detected by line processor 14 at 28;
The subscriber accommodation location, that is, the calling telephone number is notified to the call processor 17, and in S29 the call processor 17
The call control block (
CCB) is set and the calling telephone number is stored.

On the other hand, when the charge collector dials the area number for clearing the billing meter at 330, the exchange determines in S31 whether the public telephone is a pushbutton (PB) type or not.
In the case of type B, the special number for clearing is received by the dual tone receiver 15 in 332, and if it is not PB2, the number is received by the line processor 14 in S33, and both are notified to the call processor 17. Ru. and S
The number received at 34 is stored in the CCB set at 329 in the main memory 18 of the call processor 17,
In S35, the number is translated by the originating translator of the call processor 17, and in S36 it is determined whether or not the translation result is in the billing meter clearing class.If it is not in the billing meter clearing class, the number is translated as a normal call in S37. Move to processing.

If the translation result is a billing meter clear class in S36, the calling telephone number and billing meter '0' clear instruction recorded in the CCB are sent to the call processor 1 in 33B.
Universal Transaction (UTR) by 7
In step S39, the contents are transferred to the main memory 21 of the main processor 20 via the channel-to-channel adapters 25 and 26.

On the main processor 20 side, the current billing meter value in the file memory 22 is transferred to the main memory 21 at S40, and the billing meter for the calling telephone number in the file memory 22 is cleared, ie, 0'' is written in S41. @, In S42, the main processor 20 returns to the call processor 17 a notification of completion of writing "0" to the file memory 22.

In response to this, in S43, the tone generator 16 returns a billing meter clear completion tone to the calling telephone 10 under the control of the call processor 17, and in S44, the bill collector turns the telephone on the footer and returns the telephone to the bill collector. Processing ends. On the other hand, on the exchange side, following the process of S41, 34
5, the main processor 20 sends the meter value and message editing/output command of the telephone to be collected before writing 0゛ to the typewriter input/output control device! 124, and in S46, a billing meter clear message is outputted to the typewriter 23, the public telephone number to be collected and the billing meter value are displayed, and all processing ends.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the billing meter value at the time of bill collection is accurately displayed, it is possible to accurately check the bill collection, and fraud by the bill collector can be prevented. In addition, it is possible to print out the number of charges on the billing meter and clear the meter even when no one is on standby at the telephone office, and in addition, the exchange can search for the originating subscriber who dialed the special number, allowing the exchange to search for the calling subscriber who dialed the special number. Misidentification is prevented and trustworthiness is increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the public telephone billing meter initialization method of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a telephone exchange using the public telephone billing meter initialization method of the present invention. A block diagram showing the overall configuration of the system. FIGS. 4fa) and 4(b) are detailed flowcharts of an embodiment of the public telephone billing meter initialization process. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Public telephone, 11... Network, 14... Line processor, 17... Call processor, 20... Main processor, 24... Typewriter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a billing system for public telephones, a special dialing code for charge collection is set in advance (1
), the toll collector dials the special dial code from the public telephone to be collected (2), and the telephone office clears the charge meter for the public telephone to be collected in response to the toll collector's dialing of the special dial code (2). (3) A public telephone billing meter initialization method characterized in that the billing meter value before clearing and the public telephone number to be collected are displayed.