JPH04220057A - Telephone rate charging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize a telephone rate charging device not requiring a large capacity storage means for the storage of a tariff data and able to revise simply tariff information when a revision of increase/decrease or the like in the rate system takes place. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a tariff information index file 18 by a destination number to retrieve sequentially tariff information of each path reaching a telephone set of a talking destination based on a telephone number of the destination and with a tariff information file 19 to store charge information for each path, and a 1st retrieval means retrieves the tariff information index file 18 by a destination number for each path based on the telephone number of the destination and a 2nd retrieval means retrieves the tariff information file to calculate the telephone rate required for the talking.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone billing device that charges usage fees for outgoing calls from a private branch exchange to a central office line or to a dedicated line.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A billing device provided in a private branch exchange has conventionally been used to allocate fees generated by usage to each extension corresponding to each usage.

There are several types of fee structures for telephone calls. In other words, (a) a system in which the call time for a fixed call charge is determined by distance, (b) a system in which call charges for a fixed call time are determined by region of the call destination, and (c) a system in which the call charge for a fixed call time is determined by the region of the call destination. There are two types of charge systems: an information charge system in which charges are made in relation to the information on the content of the call without regard to the region, and (iv) a charge system in which charges are made sequentially through these different systems.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a fee system in which charging is performed sequentially through different systems. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that a call is being made between a calling station A and a receiving station B, and connecting stations C and D exist between these stations. Let X be the charge system between the originating station A and the connected station C, Y be the charge system between the connected station C and another connected station D, and Z be the charge system between the connected station D and the terminating station B. .

[0005] When using these different fee systems, the fee information (x1, x2
,...xn), (y1, y2,...yn), (
z1, z2,...zn). Here, for example, the charge information x1 is the charge information for a local call, and the charge information x2 is the charge for a daytime long-distance call within a short distance.

[0006] Conventionally, there have been the following two methods for generally managing such fee information.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the format of a data file used in the first method. In this first method, charge information for each charge system is stored in a storage means such as a data file for each call destination number of the receiving station B.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a second method. In this method, fee information for each fee system is linked according to the destination. In this example, there are three systems X, Y based on the destination number.
, Z are output in order, and information x of fee system X is linked first. As link information for fee system X, link information that links the remaining fee systems Y and Z in order is output, and thereby information y for fee system Y is linked. Finally, link information linking fee system Z is output as link information for fee system Y, and information z for fee system z is linked.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the telephone billing device that adopts the first method, data must be held for each destination number even if the call destinations have the same rate data. Therefore, the amount of data held in storage means such as data files becomes enormous, and a large-capacity storage means is required to store this data. Additionally, when updating when changing the fee structure, etc., there is a problem that processing time is required due to the large amount of data.

On the other hand, the telephone billing device that adopts the second method has the advantage that if the billing data is for the same call destination, it is sufficient to link to the same billing information, and the amount of data can be reduced. . However, when the fee structure changes, the link information itself has to be updated even if the information is changed only to one party. For this reason, there is a problem in that changing information often affects other parties, and it takes too much time to change the information.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for a large-capacity storage means to store charge data, and to easily change charge information when changes such as increases or decreases in the charge structure occur. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a telephone billing device that can

0012

[Means for Solving the Problem] In the invention as set forth in claim 1, the destination number stores information for sequentially searching charge information for each route leading to the destination phone based on the destination phone number. A separate charge information index file, a charge information file that stores the above-mentioned charge information for each route, a reception means for inputting billing information for the central office line call or leased line call from the private branch exchange, and a charge information file for storing the charge information for each route described above; A first search means searches a charge information index file by destination number for each route from the telephone number of the called party in the billing information, and charge information is searched based on the index data obtained for each route by the first search means. The telephone billing device is equipped with a second search means for searching files, and a telephone charge calculation means for calculating the telephone charge required for the call based on the charge information for each route searched by the second search means. let In other words, in the invention described in claim 1, by separately preparing a charge information index file by destination number and a charge information file, and obtaining index data from the former file and obtaining charge information from the latter file, the charge information can be calculated by Reduce the capacity of storage means for storing data.

In the invention as claimed in claim 2, the content of the rate information index file by destination number and the rate information file can be updated from the outside, so that changes such as increases and decreases in the rate system can be easily dealt with. do.

In the invention set forth in claim 3, the second search means determines whether index data for the next route exists each time calculation of telephone charges for one route is completed, and determines whether index data exists for the next route. Then, by searching the charge information file, the charge can be easily calculated even when the call is made through a complicated route.

[0015]

[Examples] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Examples. FIG. 1 shows a private branch exchange and a telephone billing device connected thereto in one embodiment of the present invention. The private branch exchange 11 is configured to send billing information 12 to a telephone billing device 13. The telephone billing device 13 includes a receiving section 15 that receives this billing information 12. The information received by the reception unit 15 is sent to the processing unit 1.
6 and output from the output section 17. The processing unit 16 is connected to a charge information index file 18 for each destination number for indexing by destination, and a charge information file 19 for holding charge information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the mutual relationship between these charge information index files classified by callee number and the charge information file for holding charge information. The call destination number-specific charge information index file 18 stores call destination numbers and index numbers of respective charge systems (x, y, z). In addition, in the fee information file 19,
Charge information (z, x, w,
y...) is stored.

FIG. 3 shows the control operation of this telephone billing device. This will be explained in conjunction with FIG.

The reception unit 15 of the telephone charge billing device 13 inputs billing information for the central office line call or leased line call from the private branch exchange (step S101). Here, the billing information refers to information such as the number of the called party, the duration of the call, or the end time of the call.

[0019] When the input is completed (step S102; Y
), the processing unit 16 searches the charge information index file 18 by call destination number shown in FIG. 2 based on the call destination telephone number (step S103). Then, check whether index information exists for the corresponding called number (
Step S104).

As a result, if index information exists in the charge information index file 18 for each called party number,
Step S105) of searching the fee information file 19 according to the index information. Then, based on the retrieved information, the telephone charges for the corresponding charge system are calculated (step S106).

[0021] When this billing calculation is completed, step S1
Returning to step 03, the next index information is searched. Then, if index information exists, repeat the process described above (
Steps S103 to S106). If index information does not exist (step S106; end), the calculation result is sent to the output unit 17 and output (step S107). Such a procedure allows calculation of fees for complex and variable fee structures.

[0022] Next, a case in which the fee structure is changed in this telephone billing device will be explained.

(a) If the telephone number of the other party is changed, the charge information index file 18 by number of the other party
Only updates will be made.

(b) When the call charge value is changed, only the charge information file 19 is updated.

[0025]

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when charging a call via a plurality of rate systems, the number of which is variable, the file for billing can be combined with the index section and information. I decided to use it separately. For this reason,
This has the effect of not only making file capacity more efficient, but also making it possible to quickly respond to changes in the fee structure.

[Detailed explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a private branch exchange and a telephone billing device connected thereto in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the interrelationship between a charge information index file by call destination number and a charge information file in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the telephone billing device in this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fee system in which charging is performed sequentially through different systems.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the format of a data file in a conventionally used first method.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which charge information for each charge system used in the past is linked according to destination.

[Explanation of symbols]

15 Reception unit 16 Processing unit 18 Charge information index file by call destination number 19
Charge information file

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1: A charge information index file by destination number that stores information for sequentially searching charge information for each route leading to the telephone number of the called party based on the telephone number, and a charge information index file for each of the routes. A receiving means for inputting the stored charge information file, billing information for the central office line call or leased line call from the private branch exchange, and the telephone number of the called party in the billing information input to the receiving means, for each route and for each destination number. A first search means for searching the charge information index file; and a second search means for searching the charge information file based on the index data obtained for each route by the first search means.
1. A telephone billing device comprising: a search means; and a telephone charge calculation means for calculating a telephone charge required for a call based on the charge information for each route searched by the second search means. 2. The telephone billing device according to claim 1, wherein the content of the rate information index file by destination number and the rate information file can be updated from outside. 3. The second search means determines whether index data for the next route exists each time calculation of telephone charges for one route is completed, and if the index data exists, the second search means searches the charge information file. 2. The telephone billing device according to claim 1, wherein the telephone billing device performs a search.