JPH0646124Y2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a communication device that monitors a line usage fee.

[Prior Art] For example, in a public telephone line network or the like, in a communication line in which the communication time per unit serving as a charging unit changes depending on the distance between the terminals, a terminal that establishes the communication line (voice terminal (that is, telephone) or Non-voice terminal (eg facsimile machine)
The exchange generates a charging pulse at an interval according to the distance between them, and the line usage fee (charge) for the communication is determined by the integrated value of the charging pulse for that communication.

Further, in the case of Japan, for example, if the calling terminal is other than a public telephone, the charging pulse is not transmitted to the calling terminal, and the charging pulse is used only inside the exchange to calculate the charge for each calling terminal. To be done.

However, if a terminal located at one office is used by multiple departments, such as a facsimile machine, if you try to manage the charges of each department according to the usage in each department. Since the facsimile device side (terminal side) cannot receive the charging pulse as described above, conventionally, charge management is performed for each communication as follows.

FIG. 3 shows a conventional example of a facsimile apparatus capable of charge management.

In the figure, 1 is a scanner for reading a transmission original, 2 is a plotter for recording a received image, 3 is a control unit for controlling the entire facsimile apparatus, and 4 is a necessary for operating the facsimile apparatus. An operation display unit including various kinds of operation keys and a display unit, 5 is a modem for executing modulation / demodulation processing for transmitting digital data using an analog network such as a public telephone line, and 6 is a public telephone line network connection. This is a network control device for switching between the telephone 7 and the modem 5, and the control unit 3 includes a set time memory 8 that stores the communication time per number, which is the unit of billing, for each location centering on the own terminal. .

The network control device 6 has a built-in selection signal generator 9 for generating a selection signal for realizing the automatic transmission function, and the modem 5 has its own terminal which is first answered by the called facsimile terminal device. Represents a facsimile machine
A CED detector 10 for detecting a CED signal (terminal identification signal) is attached. The selection signal generator 9 is controlled by the control unit 3, and the detection signal S1 from the CED detector 10 is controlled by the control unit 3.
Has been output to.

Then, every time the control unit 3 transmits the image information, the control unit 3 executes the process shown in FIG. 4 to calculate the fee for the transmission.

That is, first, the network controller 6 connects the line to the modem 5
Then, the telephone number of the destination terminal designated by the operator is sequentially transferred to the selection signal generator 9 to call the destination terminal.

Then, the T1 timer that measures the predetermined time T1 that is internally formed is started (process 101), and the detection signal S1 monitors whether or not the CED signal is responded from the destination terminal until the T1 timer overflows. Yes (decision 102,10
3).

When the detection signal S1 is output from the CED detector 10 and the result of judgment 102 is YES, the T1 timer is reset (process 104), and then the set time corresponding to the area code of the destination terminal is set from the set time memory 8 It is read and set to an internally formed charging timer (soft timer), this charging timer is started (process 105), and communication with the destination terminal is completed (until the result of judgment 106 is YES), The overflow of the charging timer is monitored (decision 107), the charge counter is incremented every time the charging timer overflows (process 108), and the process returns to the process 105 to restart the charging timer.

In this way, the charge counter of each department is managed by counting the frequency corresponding to the line usage charge in the charge counter for each transmission, and totaling the value for each department that executed the transmission.

However, such a conventional method has the following disadvantages.

That is, when the telephone number entered by the operator is incorrect and the telephone terminal is called instead of the facsimile machine, the telephone terminal is off-hooked and the line is established.

However, at this time, the person picking up the handset of the telephone terminal that made the call cannot sense the voice from the other party.
Judge as a wrong call and go on-hook with the handset.

On the other hand, when calling a telephone terminal with an incorrect destination like this, as a matter of course, the CED signal cannot be detected.
The timer overflows and the result of the determination 103 becomes YES in the above-described processing, and the processing ends without calculating the charge.

Therefore, even if the time line from the off-hook to the on-hook is actually established with the telephone terminal making the call and the charge for that time is added at the exchange, the charge for this amount is added. As a result, the line usage fee calculated on the facsimile machine side does not match the actual line usage fee.

[Purpose] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described inconvenience of the conventional technology, and an object thereof is to provide a communication device capable of monitoring the same line usage fee as the actual line usage fee.

[Configuration] The present invention repeatedly starts a charging timer that counts a unit time according to the communication distance with the partner terminal from the time when the partner terminal responds to the incoming call and disconnects the communication line, and also activates the charging timer. By advancing the charge counter every time the engine is started, appropriate charge data is counted by the charge counter. Further, when the partner terminal does not respond to the incoming call, the line is disconnected at the time when a predetermined time has elapsed after the call was made, thereby preventing useless call origination. The charge counter is added only when it is actually used.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, the ringback tone detector 11 detects a ringback tone returned from the exchange when the destination terminal is not busy when the destination is called,
The busy tone detector 12 detects a busy tone to be answered from the exchange when the destination terminal is busy when the destination is called or when the destination terminal unilaterally disconnects the line after the line is established with the destination terminal. The detection signal S2 of the ringback tone detector 11 and the detection signal S3 of the busy tone detector 12 are output to the control unit 3.

With the above configuration, the control unit 3 executes the process shown in FIG. 2 every time the image information is transmitted, and calculates the fee for the transmission.

That is, first, the network controller 6 connects the line to the modem 5
Then, the telephone number of the destination terminal designated by the operator is sequentially transferred to the selection signal generator 9 to call the destination terminal.

Then, the T1 timer that measures the predetermined time T1 that is internally formed is started (process 201), and the ring back tone (RBT) is responded from the exchange until the T1 timer overflows, and the destination goes off-hook. Then, whether or not the line is established is monitored by the detection signal S2 (decisions 202, 203, 204).

When the result of judgment 203 is YES and it is confirmed that the line has been established with the destination terminal, the T1 timer is reset (step 205), and then the set time corresponding to the area code of the destination terminal is set in the set time memory. 8 is set to a billing timer (soft timer) that is internally read and started (step 206), and the busy tone detector 1
2 judges the busy tone (BST) based on the detection signal S3 (decision 207). If the result of this judgment 207 is NO, it is determined whether the CED detector 10 detects the CED signal. Judgment is made based on the detection signal S1 (decision 208), and if the result of this judgment 208 is NO, then it is judged whether or not the charging timer has overflowed (decision 209).

If the result of the determination 209 is NO, the process returns to the determination 207, and the determination 209
If the result is YES, the charge counter is incremented (process 210) and the process returns to process 206 to restart the charging timer.

Further, when the CED signal is responded from the destination terminal and the detection signal S1 is output from the CED detector 10 and the result of the determination 208 is YES, until the communication with the destination terminal is completed (determination 211
Until the result is YES), the charge timer overflow is monitored (decision 212), and the charge counter is incremented each time the charge timer overflows (process 213),
After restarting the charging timer (process 214),
Return to decision 211.

Therefore, the operator entered the wrong phone number,
Considering that the telephone terminal is called, if the telephone terminal is not busy at this time, a ringback tone is answered from the exchange, and a person picks up the handset of the calling telephone terminal and goes off-hook. Ringback tone is turned off.

As a result, the result of the determination 203 becomes YES, and the billing timer is started by the process 206.

At this time, since the voice from the other party is not sensed and the handset is hooked on the called telephone terminal, the exchange sends a busy tone to the facsimile device.

As a result, the result of determination 207 becomes YES, and this processing ends, so that the frequency corresponding to the time from when the telephone terminal goes off-hook to when it goes on-hook is properly added to the charge counter.

Further, considering that the facsimile machine is called, the result of judgment 203 is YES if it is not busy at this time, and the process 20
The charging timer is started by 6.

At this time, since the CED signal is returned from the facsimile machine, the result of the determination 208 is YES, whereby the frequency corresponding to the time during communication is added to the charge counter.

When the destination is busy, the ring back tone is not responded by the exchange, so T1 is used in the loop of determination 202 and 204.
Since the counter overflows and the result of determination 204 is YES, the process immediately exits at that point, and the frequency at that time is not added. If you make a call by mistake with the telephone terminal, and the telephone terminal is not busy and no one picks up the receiver when you are out, the ringback tone will be answered but the ringback tone will not be turned off. Since the T1 timer overflows, the result of judgment 204 becomes YES, the process immediately exits at that time, and the frequency at that time is not accumulated.

In this way, the frequency representing the line charge in one line connection is accumulated in the charge counter, and the usage charge of each department can be managed by totaling this for each department.

By the way, as the set time memory 8, a memory in which data corresponding to the area where the facsimile apparatus is installed is stored is used. Therefore, the contents stored in the set time memory 8 installed in different areas are different.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the CED detector is attached to the modem, but the CED detector can be built in the modem. Similarly, a ringback tone detector and a busy tone detector can be built into the modem.

Note that the present invention is not limited to a facsimile machine as long as it is a communication device that uses a line network such as a public telephone line whose communication time per unit becomes a charging unit depending on the distance between terminals as a communication line. Can be similarly applied to.

[Effect] As described above, according to the present invention, a billing timer that counts a unit time according to the communication distance with the partner terminal from the call reception of the partner terminal until the communication line is disconnected. Since the charge counter is incremented every time the charge timer is started, the charge counter can count appropriate charge data. Further, when the partner terminal does not respond to the incoming call, the line is disconnected at the time when a predetermined time has elapsed after the call was made, so that it is possible to prevent useless call origination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a processing example for calculating a usage fee, and FIG. 3 is an example of a conventional apparatus. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a conventional example of the process of calculating the usage fee. 3 ... control, 6 ... network control device, 8 ... set time memory, 10 ... CED (terminal identification signal) detector, 11 ... ringback tone detector, 12 ... busy tone detector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A storage means for storing a plurality of unit time data, the unit time is set based on the input partner terminal information, and is started when the line with the partner terminal is connected, and the time is set. When the charge timer means is restarted when it exceeds, a charge counter means that is incremented each time the charge timer means times out, and whether or not a predetermined identification signal indicating that it is a facsimile machine is sent from the partner terminal. That the judgment signal has been sent by the judging means, the detecting means for detecting the connection state of the line with the partner terminal, the communication end detecting means for detecting the end of the data communication, and the judging signal. When the communication end detecting means detects the end of the data communication, the time counting operation of the billing timer means is stopped, while the judging means determines the A facsimile apparatus comprising control means for stopping the time counting operation of the charging timer means when the detecting means detects a line disconnection of the other terminal when it is determined that no signal is sent. .