JPH07143256A - Time meter rate type extra charge collection system terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To receive extra charges when communication time exceeds a fixed period of time so as to let the user of a terminal equipment be conscious of the length of the time during communication. CONSTITUTION:The terminals 12a and 12b of a telephone set 11 connected to an exchange 10 are connected through a hook switch 13, a dialling device 14 and a forced cut-off switch 15 to a speech circuit 16. A charging signal detection circuit 17 and a loop detection circuit 24 are parallelly connected between trunk lines L1 and L2. The output of the charging signal detection circuit 17 is transmitted to a communication time measurement part 18 and the time of the communication time measurement part 18 and a normal charge reception time setting part 20 are monitored in an extra charge reception time decision part 19. The output of the extra charge reception time decision part 19 is transmitted to a normal charge reception part 21 and an extra charge reception part 22 and transmitted to a charge reception device 23 along with the detection output of the loop detection circuit 24. Corresponding to signals from the charge reception device 23, a forced cut-off part 25 turns the forced cut-off switch 15 on and off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a time-based pay-per-charge terminal device for storing a unit charge set for each unit of time for a certain period of time from the start of a call and storing an additional charge after a certain period of time. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In commonly used telephones,
For example, in a terminal device that stores a unit fee for each unit time,
There is a public telephone. This public telephone has a function of storing a unit charge for several times based on a billing signal transmitted from the telephone line network.

[0003]

However, in such a public telephone, the call charge is always stored every unit time regardless of the length of the call time. For this reason, even when a call is available for a long time per unit charge such as a local call, the user who is talking may continue the call without being aware of the time. In such cases, other users who want to use the phone in an urgent business need to
You need to wait until the call ends.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a time-based pay-as-you-go type terminal device that allows the user of the terminal device to be aware of the length of time during a call. And

[0005]

In other words, the present invention is connected to a communication line network, and a network charge signal transmitted from the line network for collecting a usage charge is detected by a charge signal detecting means and detected. In a charge collection type terminal device for storing a usage charge based on a network charge signal, a call time for starting measurement of a call time based on the first count network charge signal detected by the charge signal detecting means. The measuring means, the normal charge storing time setting means for setting the call time for storing the basic frequency charge in the cycle of the network charging signal detected by the charging signal detecting means, and the call time for the normal charge storing time setting means. When the set talk time is exceeded,
An additional charge storage time determining means for collecting an additional use charge obtained by increasing the use charge based on the network charging signal.

[0006]

In the time-based pay-per-charge terminal device of the present invention, the charging signal detecting means detects the network charging signal which is connected to the communication line network and is transmitted from the line network for collecting the usage charge. Then, the usage fee is stored based on the detected network billing signal. Then, on the basis of the first number of network billing signals detected by the billing signal detecting means, the talk time measuring means starts measurement of the talk time. Further, the call charge time for storing the basic frequency charge is set by the normal charge storage time setting means at the cycle of the network charge signal detected by the charge signal detecting means. When the call time exceeds the call time set by the normal charge storage time setting means, the additional charge storage time determining means collects a premium use charge obtained by adding the use charge based on the network charging signal. It

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment according to the present invention, and is a block diagram of a time-based pay-type extra charge storage type telephone. In the figure, the telephone 11 is connected to an external exchange 10 via office lines L1 and L2 connected to its terminals 12a and 12b.

The office lines L1 and L2 are connected inside the telephone set 11 to a call circuit 16 via a hook switch 13, a dial device 14 and a forced disconnection switch 15. A billing signal detection circuit 17 and a loop detection circuit 24 are connected in parallel between the station lines L1 and L2.

The output of the billing signal detecting circuit 17 is sent to the talk time measuring section 18. Then, the extra charge storage time determination unit 19 including a switch or the like monitors the times of the call time measurement unit 18 and the normal charge storage time setting unit 20. The output of the additional charge storage time determination unit 19 is sent to the normal charge storage unit 21 and the additional charge storage unit 22, and further to the charge storage device 23.

A detection output is also sent from the loop detection circuit 24 to the charge storage device 23.
The forced disconnection unit 25 turns on / off the forced disconnection switch 15 in response to a signal from the charge storage device 23.

The hook switch 13 is turned on by off-hooking the handset, and the station lines L1 and L are turned on.
A loop is formed between 2 and the communication circuit 16. A loop current due to the power feeding of the exchange 10 flows through the telephone 11, and the exchange 10 determines that the telephone 11 has gone off-hook.

The dial device 14 sends a dial signal corresponding to the dial number operated by the user to the exchange 1.
It is for sending to 0. The exchange 10 receives this dial signal and calls the line of that number. If the number is a pay line according to the callee's response, the exchange 1
From 0, a billing signal is sent to the telephone 11. Telephone 11
When the billing signal detection circuit 17 therein detects the first billing signal sent from the exchange 10, the call time measuring unit 18 starts measuring the time from the start of the call. Also,
Each time the billing signal detection circuit 17 detects a billing signal, a storage signal is sent from the normal charge storage unit 21 and the charge is stored by the charge storage device 23.

The call duration measuring unit 18 is composed of a timer or the like, and measures the time from the start of billing (at the time when the first billing signal sent from the exchange 10 is detected) to the end of the call. It is a thing.

The normal charge storage time setting unit 20 is a device for setting the time for storing the normal charge. Although not shown, it is composed of, for example, a time setting unit and a storage unit.

If the call time measured by the call time measuring unit 18 exceeds the call time set by the normal charge storage time setting unit 20, the extra charge storage time determining unit 19 determines the normal charge storage unit 21. To switch to the extra charge storage unit 22.

The normal charge storage unit 21 and the extra charge storage unit 22 output a signal to the charge storage device 23 to inform the charge storage opportunity. Of these, the normal charge storage unit 21 outputs a signal when the charging signal detection circuit 17 detects a charging signal. On the other hand, in the extra charge storage unit 22, the extra time calculation unit (not shown) determines the extra time for the charging period, and when the extra time measurement timer reaches the extra time calculated previously, the extra charge storage signal is output. The extra time measurement timer is restarted.

The charge storage device 23 is a normal charge storage unit 2
1. This is a device for storing coins and the like previously inserted by the user every time the signal from the extra charge storing section 22 is received. Although not shown, the configuration thereof includes a coin insertion unit, a coin selection unit, a coin storage processing unit, a coin return unit, and a safe.

Here, the call time measured by the call time measuring unit 18 from the start of the call is monitored by the extra charge storage time determining unit 19, and the normal charge set by the normal charge storage time setting unit 20 in advance. When the storage time is exceeded, the extra charge storage time determination unit 19 operates, the operation of the normal charge storage unit 21 is stopped, and the extra charge storage unit 22 stores the charge.

Further, the loop detection circuit 24 detects whether or not a loop is formed between the station lines L1 and L2 and the communication circuit 16 and receives a signal indicating that the loop has been disconnected. The storage device 23 returns the unstored charge.

The forced disconnection unit 25 monitors a signal indicating whether there is a charging fee from the fee storage device 23 and a storage signal sent from the normal fee storage unit 21 or the extra charge storage unit 22 to the fee storage device 23. Then, when the charge storage signal is output in a state where there is no charge in the charge storage device 23, the forced disconnection switch 15 is opened and the loop with the office lines L1 and L2 is turned off.

The operation of the telephone having such a configuration will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The hook switch 13 is turned on by off-hooking a handset (not shown) (step S1). As a result, a loop is formed between the office lines L1 and L2 and the communication circuit 16, a loop current due to the power supply of the exchange 10 flows to the telephone 11, and the exchange 10 determines that the telephone 11 is in the off-hook state.

Then, if the called party determines that the number is a pay line, the exchange 10 sends a billing signal to the telephone 11 (step S2). Each time a billing signal detection circuit 17 in the telephone 11 detects a billing signal, a storage signal is sent from the normal charge storage unit 21 and the charge is stored by the charge storage device 23 (step S).
3). Here, when the charge is not stored in the charge storage device 23, a signal is output to the forced disconnection unit 25 (step S4), the forced disconnection switch 15 is driven to be opened, and the connection with the central lines L1 and L2 is performed. Loop is turned off.

On the other hand, in the billing signal detection circuit 17, the exchange 1
When the first charge signal transmitted from 0 is detected, the call time measuring unit 18 starts measuring the time from the start of the call (step S5). The call time from the start of the call is measured by a timer in the call time measuring unit 18, and is monitored by the extra charge storage time determining unit 19 (step S
6, S7).

Then, the normal charge storage time setting unit 20 is preset.
If the normal charge storage time (T _A ) set by the above is exceeded (step S8), the additional charge storage time determination unit 19 operates to stop the operation of the normal charge storage unit 21 and the additional charge storage unit 22. The fee will be stored according to.

Here, if the normal charge storage time (T _A ) is not exceeded, after the billing signal is sent to the telephone set 11 (step S9), the on / off state of the hook switch 13 is confirmed (step S9). S10). Then, if the call is still continued, it is determined whether or not the charge is stored next (step S11), and if it is stored, the process returns to step S7. When the charge is not stored, the charge storage device 23 outputs a signal to the forced disconnection unit 25 (step S12), the forced disconnection switch 15 is turned off, and the call ends.

On the other hand, when the normal charge storage time (T _A ) is exceeded in step S8, the extra charge storage time determination unit 19 operates, the operation of the normal charge storage unit 21 is stopped, and the extra charge storage unit 21 is stopped. Charges are stored in the charge storage unit 22. That is, after it is determined whether the line is on or off and whether or not there is a billing signal (steps S13 and S14), the charge storing signal is sent from the extra charge storing unit 22 to the charge storing device 23.
Is output (step S15).

Then, the extra time measuring timer in the extra charge storage section 22 is started (step S16). If the extra charge storage time (T _S ) is reached (step S1)
7) Looking at the state of the line (step S18), if it is off, the process ends, and if it is on, it is determined whether or not a charge has been stored in the charge storage device 23. If the charge is stored, the process returns to step S15. If the charge is not stored, the process proceeds to step S12 and the forced disconnection switch 15
Is turned off and the call ends.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a charge storage pattern that is charged by the premium charge storage unit 22. Figure 3
(A) is a billing signal transmitted from the exchange 10,
The stored signals are shown in FIGS. From the start of the call to the passage of the normal charge storage time A, the storage signal is sent so that the charges are stored in unit charges based on the charging signal shown in FIG. After the normal charge storage time has passed, that is, when the extra charge storage time has come,
The unit time or unit charge is changed to accommodate the extra charge.

FIG. 3 (b) shows an example in which the unit time is shortened. Assuming that the billing signal period is T ₀ , in the extra charge storage time, the storage signal is sent out by T _{m obtained} by multiplying T ₀ by a fixed reduction rate.

FIG. 3 (c) shows an example in which unit charges are added. During the normal charge storage time, the storage signal is sent so that the charges for one charge are stored, and during the extra charge storage time, the charges for two charges are stored.

FIG. 3 (d) shows an example in which unit charges are added. The difference from FIG. 3C is that the addition charge is constant in FIG. 3C, but the addition charge also increases with the passage of time in FIG. 3D.

Further, FIG. 3 (e) shows an example in which the unit time is shortened, but as in the case of FIG. 3 (d), the shortening rate changes with the passage of time and the charging cycle becomes shorter. It is something that goes.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, after the set time elapses, the charge will be increased, so that the user can be made aware of the excess time. It is possible to achieve sufficient effect in eliminating the waiting time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a time-based pay-type extra charge storage type telephone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the telephone having the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart for explaining an example of a premium charge storage pattern according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Exchanger, 11 ... Telephone, 12a, 12b ... Terminal,
13 ... Hook switch, 14 ... Dial device, 15 ... Forced disconnect switch, 16 ... Call circuit, 17 ... Billing signal detection circuit, 18 ... Call time measuring unit, 19 ... Extra charge storage time determination unit, 20 ... Normal charge storage time Setting unit, 21 ... Normal charge storage unit, 22 ... Extra charge storage unit, 23 ... Charge storage device, 24 ... Loop detection circuit, 25 ... Forced disconnection unit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A network charging signal which is connected to a communication line network and is transmitted from the line network for collecting a usage charge is detected by a charging signal detecting means, and the usage charge is calculated based on the detected network charging signal. In a toll collection type terminal device for storing, a call time measuring means for starting measurement of a call time based on the first number of network charging signals detected by the charging signal detecting means, and the charging signal detecting means. The normal charge storage time setting means for setting the call time for storing the basic frequency charge in the cycle of the network billing signal detected by the above, and when the call time exceeds the call time set by the normal charge storage time setting means. In addition, a time-based pay-per-charge terminal device is provided, further comprising: a surcharge charge storage time determining means for collecting a surcharge charge, which is a surcharge based on the network charging signal. 2. The time-based amount-based premium charge collection terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the premium charge storage time determining means collects a premium charge which is a premium of the basic charge. 3. The extra charge accommodating time determining means collects the extra charge at a premium charge period obtained by increasing the basic charge and the extra charge period at which the period of the network charge signal is increased. The time-based pay-as-you-go terminal device described in.