JPH0332152A - Two-way communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid a general caller from being kept waiting in vain by receiving a call arrived within a prescribed time as a call from a management center from a point of time when the call tone is interrupted within a prescribed time in the presence of a call within a set time. CONSTITUTION:A terminal equipment 12 is provided with a communication section 122 generating a dial signal through a command of a control section 128 and communicating with a management center, a call tone detection section 123, a metering section 127 integrating pulses from a gas meter 15 with a pulse oscillator to manage the metering value, a memory 124 and a clock 125. When a call comes within a set time and the call tone is interrupted within a prescribed time, the call coming within a prescribed time is received as a call from the management center and a telephone set 13 connects to a telephone line at a time other than the set time and only when the call keeps for a prescribed time or over, it is discriminated to be a call from the management center and received. Thus, two-way communication is easily attained without giving effect on a general user.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a two-way communication device that performs two-way communication with a management center using a public telephone line, and in particular - a device installed in a general home and connected to a telephone. The present invention relates to two-way communication devices such as gas meter reading terminal devices.

[Prior art]

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional two-way communication device of this type. In this example, a terminal device in an automatic meter reading system for LP gas or the like will be described.

In FIG. 3, 31 is the public telephone network, and the terminal device 3
2 is connected to the public telephone network 31 via a telephone line TL. The telephone 33 is connected to the terminal device 32 and connected to or disconnected from the public telephone network 31 by a line switching relay RL. A gas cutoff valve 34, a gas meter 35 with a pulse oscillator, and a sensor 37 are connected to the terminal device 32. The terminal device 32 includes a control section 327 that controls each section.
, a ring detection section 321, a communication section 322 that generates a dial signal according to instructions from the control section 327 and communicates with a management center (not shown), an off-hook detection section 323 that detects off-hook of the telephone 33, and a cutoff valve 34. an output section 324 that generates an output for the gas meter 35 with a pulse oscillator;
It is equipped with a meter reading section 325 and a memory 326 that manage meter values by integrating pulses from the meter. The line switching rule RL switches the telephone line TL to the telephone side or the communication side according to instructions from the control unit 327. In the two-way communication device having the above configuration, the two-way communication operation is performed as follows.

First, for the outgoing call operation, when a condition for outgoing outgoing action occurs, such as when the external sensor 37 is activated, the control unit 327 confirms that the telephone 33 is in an on-hook state (unused state), and then
The communication unit 322 is instructed to make a call to a telephone number stored in the memory 326 in advance. Upon receiving the instruction, the communication unit 322 performs a calling operation and communicates with a management center (not shown).

The incoming call operation will be explained using broach me 1 in FIG.

This figure is a flowchart for explaining the incoming call operation.Normally, in step STI, the line switching relay R
L is on the communication side. When the ringing tone is detected in step ST2, timer 1 is started in step ST3, and whether the ringing tone continues for the time set by timer 1 is monitored in step ST4. When the ringer is cut off within the time set by timer 1, timer 2 is activated in step ST8,
In step ST9, it is monitored whether or not the ring tone comes again within the time set by the timer 2.

If the time set by timer 2 is reached, then step ST
IO determines whether there is a ring tone from the management center, and if there is a ring tone, the call is received in step 5TII and communication is performed (
In step 5T12), since the line switching relay RL is always on the communication side, the telephone 33 does not ring, and the bell does not ring.

Note that if the time set by the timer 2 is exceeded in step ST9, the process returns to step STI.

In step ST5, if the ringing tone continues for more than the time set in timer 1, it is determined that the ringing tone is coming from a source other than the management center, and in step T-3T6, the line switching relay R is activated.
Switch L to the telephone side.

Only then does the telephone 33 ring and a call is made.

When an automatic gas meter reading terminal device receives a call from the management center, it is in the normal mode. One is automatic meter reading, which sends the meter values managed by the meter reading section to the management center upon receiving an instruction from the management center after receiving a call. This is usually done about once a month, usually in the middle of the night when the telephone 33 is not used often. The other is the cutoff control of the cutoff valve 34, and when an instruction is received from the management center after receiving a call, the output section 324
provides a cutoff output to the cutoff valve 34. When a resident of the house where the terminal device 32 is installed forgets to turn off the main gas valve and goes out, they can contact the management center and the service will be shut off. Most of them are.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional two-way communication device, the bell of the telephone 33 does not ring during the time set by timer 1, so when a general subscriber makes a call from the telephone for the purpose of talking, the caller uses the timer 1 unnecessarily. There was a problem in that the user had to wait for the set time, and it was not satisfactory as a two-way communication device installed in ordinary homes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and eliminates the problem that ordinary callers are forced to wait unnecessarily in the conventional two-way communication devices, and enables two-way communication using public telephone lines. To provide a two-way communication device that allows a general caller to wait unnecessarily.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a two-way communication device that connects to a management center via a public telephone network and is capable of two-way communication with the management center. As in the past, when the ringer is disconnected within a certain period of time, there is a means to receive calls from the management center as calls from the management center, and a method that connects the telephone to the telephone line outside of the set period. The present invention is characterized in that a means is provided for determining that the call is from a management center and receiving the call only when the call continues for a certain period of time or more.

[Effect]

By configuring the two-way communication device as described above, if a call is received within a set time, and the ringing tone is interrupted within a certain period of time, as in the past, the calls that have come within a specified period of time from that point on will be managed. The call is received as a call from the center, communication is performed, and the telephone is connected to the telephone line outside of the set time.Only when the call continues for a certain period of time, the call is determined to be from the management center and the call is received. Therefore, unlike conventional devices, the telephone bell does not ring during the set time.
A caller who makes a call from a general subscriber telephone for the purpose of talking will no longer be forced to wait for an unnecessarily set time.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a two-way communication device according to the present invention, and in this example, a gas meter reading terminal device is shown.
is a public telephone network, and the terminal device 12 is connected to the public telephone network 11 via a telephone line TL. The telephone 13 is connected to the terminal device 12 and connected to and disconnected from the public telephone network 11 by a single-switch relay RL. A gas cutoff valve 14, a gas meter 15 with a pulse oscillator, and a sensor 16 are connected to the terminal device 12.

The terminal device 12 includes a control section 128 that controls each section, an off-hook detection section 121 that detects off-hook of the telephone 13,
A communication section 122 that generates a dial signal and communicates with a management center (not shown) according to instructions from the control section 128: a ringing detection section 123, an output section 126 that generates an output to the cutoff valve 14, and a gas meter with a pulse oscillator. A meter reading unit 127 that integrates pulses from 15 and manages meter values.
, a memory 124 and a clock 125. In the two-way communication device having the above configuration, the transmission operation is the same as that of the conventional device described above, so a description thereof will be omitted. The incoming call operation will be explained below based on the front sheet of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the incoming call operation.

The set time is stored in the memory 124 in advance. 0 Normally 1 The time is read from the clock 125 and step STI
Determine whether the current time is within the preset time zone or not, and if it is outside the time zone, set the relay RL for line switching to the telephone side (step 5T12), and if it is within the preset time zone. If relay RL is set to the communication side (step 5T2),
At step ST3, a ring tone is waited for. If the ringtone comes within the specified time, the same operation as before will occur. That is, step S
Timer 1 is started at T4, and if the ringing tone is cut off within the time set in timer 1 at the next step ST5, timer 2 is started from there at step ST9, followed by step 5.
TIO determines whether the time set in timer 2 has exceeded, and step 5T11 determines whether there is a ring tone.
A ring tone that comes within the time set in timer 2 is determined to be a call from the management center, and the call is received and communication is performed (step 5).
T19).

Note that in step 5T10, if the time set in the timer 2 is exceeded, the process returns to step ST1.

If the ringing tone is not cut off in step ST5, it is determined in the next step ST6 whether or not the set time of timer 1 has been exceeded, and if it has exceeded, the line switching relay RL is activated in the next step ST7. From there, the telephone bell rings and a call can be made (step 5T8).

Next, we will explain what happens when a ringing tone comes outside of the set time. In step ST1, if the current time is outside the preset time in step ST1, the line switching relay RL is set to the telephone side as described above (step 5T).
12). In this state, it is determined whether or not there is a ring tone in step 5T13. If there is a ring tone, timer 3 is activated in step 5T14, it is determined in step 15 whether hook-off is detected, and the ring tone is detected in step 5T16. In step 5T17, it is determined whether the time set by the timer 3 has been exceeded. If hook-off is not detected in each of the above steps, the ringing tone is not cut off, and the time set by timer 3 is exceeded, that is, if the ringing tone continues for the time set by timer 3, the line switching relay RL is activated in step 5T18. Switch to the communication side and receive the call. Also,
If telephone 13 goes off-hook within the time set by timer 3 (if there is a hook-off in step 17)
, the call can be made as is (step 5T8).

Note that if the ringing tone is turned off in step STI 6, the process returns to step STI.

If there is a call for the purpose of talking outside of the time set in the memory 124, the bell of the telephone 13 will ring without the ring tone being absorbed by the above operation. If the resident hooks off within the time set in the timer 3, the call can be made without having to wait unnecessarily for the ringing tone. If the resident does not hook-off within the time set in the timer 3, the terminal device 12 will receive a call, but by increasing the time set in the timer 3, this will prevent general callers from being bothered.

Normally, in an automatic gas meter reading terminal device, the time set in the memory 124 is 2.00am at midnight. OO~4.00, etc.
It is set for a time period when there are almost no telephone calls, and when a call from the management center is called to read the meter, it is only done within this set time. In other words, even if a general caller makes a call for the purpose of talking, he or she will not be forced to wait unnecessarily, and it is also possible to construct a two-way communication system in which automatic meter reading can be performed upon a call from the management center.

Furthermore, when the gas cutoff valve 14 is shut off in response to a call from the management center, it is often outside the time set in the memory 124, but since the resident is usually out of the house, the time set in the timer 3 is Even if it is large, the telephone 13 will not hook off within the set time of the timer 3.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, if there is a call within a set time, when the ringing tone is cut off within a certain time as in the conventional case, the next call within a predetermined time The call is received as a call from the management center, the phone is connected to the telephone line outside of the set time, and only when the ring continues for a certain period of time, the call is determined to be from the management center and the call is received. An excellent effect can be obtained in that a general caller is not forced to wait unnecessarily, and a two-way communication device that can easily perform two-way communication without affecting general users can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a two-way communication device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the incoming call operation of the two-way communication device according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a two-way communication device. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a call receiving operation of a conventional two-way communication device. In the figure, 11...Public telephone network, 12...Terminal device, 13...Telephone, 14...Gas cutoff valve, 1
5...Gas meter with pulse oscillator, 16...Sensor, 121...Off-hook detection section, 122...
・Communication section, 123...Ring tone detection section, 124...
- Memory, 125... Clock, 126... Output unit, 127... Meter reading unit, 128... Control unit. Car JF Akenobu 1τ Nyoko #7 Kou Eat Fig. 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A two-way communication device that is connected to a management center via a public telephone network and capable of two-way communication with the management center, comprising a time zone setting means for setting a predetermined time zone in advance; , within the time zone set in the time zone setting means, means to terminate the call within a certain time after the first call, and to receive the call within a predetermined time; A two-way communication device characterized by having a means for receiving a call when the call continues for more than a certain period of time.