JPH0783414B2 - Communication terminal - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention is used in fields requiring fee processing, such as public telephones and public-use type communication devices, which are used by an unspecified number of people after paying a fee. Communication terminal device.

[Prior Art] A conventional communication terminal device such as a public telephone that needs to handle charges is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-210764. A configuration example of a conventional communication terminal device is shown in FIG. In the conventional configuration, just like a telephone, if you have a telephone device,
The terminal control unit 2'performs communication control on both the fee processing hardware unit 3'for handling fee processing and the service-supporting hardware unit 4'for controlling telephone hardware. It was a thing.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional configuration, the charge processing procedure is programmed in the terminal control unit 2'only for a specific communication mode or service. Therefore, in order to support another communication mode, hardware and software are required. There was a problem that it was necessary to recreate all of them.

In view of this problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication terminal device that can handle a plurality of communication modes and the like.

[Means for solving problems]

In a communication terminal device that is connected to a communication network and performs communication or communication processing, the communication terminal device extracts and stores charge information from a charged charge settlement means, stores the charge information, and manages the charge, and a charge processing unit from the charge processing unit. The charge processing includes a communication control unit that controls the start, continuation, and end of communication to a communication network according to the charge information, and one or more service-compatible terminal device units that provide a user with a predetermined service. Section and the service-supporting terminal device section, and the communication control section are connected by a unique interface, and the communication control section stores unique information for each service-supporting terminal apparatus section. An attribute table is provided, and in response to the notification of the charge information from the charge processing unit, the connection of communication to the communication network is controlled according to the result of comparison between the specific information in the attribute table and the charge information. In addition, in response to the charge information from the service-compatible terminal device section or the notification of the charge information from the communication network, a charge request is issued to each of the charge processing sections, and a response result of the charge processing section to the charge request is displayed. The communication terminal device is configured to control continuation or termination of communication based on the above.

[Work]

According to the present invention, which is configured as described above, each of the fee processing unit and the service-compatible terminal device unit is connected to the communication control unit by a unique interface. Control of start, continuation, and end of communication is performed in accordance with information of exchange of fees and processing with the communication network,
In addition, the change of service is made by the service compatible terminal device section,
By exchanging the attribute table, it can be carried out without changing other parts of the charge processing unit and the communication control unit.

〔Example〕

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. The communication terminal device 1 includes a communication control unit 2, a charge processing unit 3, and a service-compatible terminal device unit 4. Service-compatible terminal unit 4
Is to provide a user with a certain service. The charge processing unit 3 has hardware for taking in and returning charge settlement means (for example, cards such as telephone cards and credit cards, currency, etc.) for the user to use the service. It controls and manages and processes charges.

The communication control unit 2 determines the start, continuation and end of the service performed by the service compatible terminal unit 4 or between the service compatible terminal unit 4 and the communication network 5 based on the charge information from the charge processing unit 3, The communication terminal device 1 and the communication network 5 are connected via a communication line 6.

These may be housed in separate housings to form the communication terminal device 1 as a whole, or may be housed in a single housing. The communication control unit 2 and the service-compatible terminal device unit 4 are connected via a service-compatible terminal device unit interface 7, and the communication control unit 2 and the charge processing unit 3 are connected via a charge processing unit interface 8.

Also, these software interfaces can be coded to be hardware independent. It is also possible to use the same hardware and software interface conditions as the communication line 6 for the service-compatible terminal device interface 7.
The communication control unit 2 also stores a service-compatible terminal device unit attribute table 9 storing unique information such as the type of the service-compatible terminal device unit 4, communication procedures, start conditions, continuation conditions, and end conditions.
Have

The operation of the above configuration will be described step by step.

First, when the power source of the communication control unit 2 is activated, the communication control unit 2 activates the power source of the fee processing unit 3 and checks the abnormality of the fee processing unit via the fee processing unit interface 8. The power-on sequence is not limited to this, and when the communication control unit 2 is turned on, the charge processing unit 3 and the service-supporting terminal device unit 4 are simultaneously turned on, and the charge processing unit 3 and the service-supporting terminal device unit 4 are turned on. It is obvious that the abnormality check of 1 may be performed via each interface. Here, at a minimum, it is a necessary condition that the charge processing unit 3 is normally started up when the communication control unit 2 is started up.

Next, in order to receive the service of the service-compatible terminal device unit 4, the user inserts into the charge processing unit 3 an object such as a telephone card or a coin that serves as means for payment of the use charge. The charge processing unit 3 extracts the charge information from the charged charge settlement means, stores the charge information in the charge management storage unit (not shown in the figure), and charges the communication controller 2 for charge processing. Notification is made via the partial interface 8.

The communication control unit 2 which has received the charge information notification from the charge processing unit 3
Then, referring to the attribute table corresponding to the service-supporting terminal device section that is held in advance, the minimum service start charge in the table is compared with the charge information sent from the charge processing unit 3, and if the service is available Permits the usage request from the service-supporting terminal unit 4, and the communication network 5
A service request is sent from the service-supporting terminal unit 4. At this time, if the hardware and software interface conditions of the communication line 6 and the service-compatible terminal device unit interface 7 are different, the communication line 6 and the service-compatible terminal device unit interface 7 in the communication control unit 2 are different.
Interface conversion between them is also performed. In this case, in the other steps as well, when the communication procedure is exchanged between the service-compatible terminal device unit 4 and the communication network 5, it is necessary to perform interface conversion in the communication control unit 2 as well.

After the communication procedure is started between the service-supporting terminal device unit 4 and the communication network 5, when a charging signal is sent from the communication network 5 as a charge for using the communication network 5, the charge information is extracted from the charging signal. Then, it is converted into a software interface of the charge processing unit interface 8 and a charge request is issued to the charge processing unit 3. At this time, if the charge processing unit 3 notifies that the charge is insufficient, the user is urged to add the charge for a certain period of time and waits until the charge processing unit 3 notifies that the charge has been added. After the lapse of time, the fact that the service cannot be provided is notified to the communication network 5 and the service supporting terminal device unit 4, and the service is terminated.

When the service-corresponding terminal device unit 4 sends the charge information such as the service-specific terminal usage fee and the expendable supplies fee, the charge information is not sent to the communication network 5, but is sent to the software interface of the charge processing unit interface 8. After conversion, a billing request is issued to the fee processing unit 3. At this time,
If there is a notification of insufficient charge from the charge processing unit 3,
While encouraging the user to add the charge and waiting until the charge processing unit 3 notifies that the charge has been added, it notifies the communication network 5 and the service supporting terminal device unit 4 that the service cannot be performed after a certain period of time. , End the service.

When the service end terminal unit 4 sends a service end notification, the communication control unit 2 notifies the charge processing unit 3 of the end of processing, and also notifies the charge processing unit 3 of the storage result for each charge type. Ask. Then, the communication network 5 is notified of the service end. At that time, when the communication network 5 side manages the charge of the communication terminal device 1, the storage result notified from the charge processing unit 3 is sent to the communication network 5. If not, it is temporarily stored in the storage result management storage unit (not shown) in the communication control unit 2. Obviously, this data can be retrieved via the communication line 6 or locally as required.

In addition, when changing the service to be provided, it is only necessary to rewrite the service-compatible terminal device section attribute table in the service-compatible terminal apparatus section 4 and the communication control section 2, and the other parts of the charge processing section 3 and the communication control section 2 are changed. You don't have to change.

In addition, since the communication control unit determines all relationships between the start, continuation, and end of communication and the charge of the charge processing unit, the service-compatible terminal device unit 4 may be a normal communication terminal device having no charge processing function. Further, when the service-supporting terminal device unit 4 takes a unique charge, the charge portion of the software allocation of the service-supporting terminal device unit interface 7 is expanded and the software for taking the charge of the service-supporting terminal device unit 4 is added. Should be done.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. In implementing the present invention, the number of service-supporting terminal device units 4 is not limited to one.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the service-compatible terminal unit is 4-1.
4 to N, the attribute table of the service compatible terminal device unit is registered with 9-1 to 9-N in the communication control unit 2 corresponding to each service. The same control operation is performed except for the points that are different from the above embodiment. In this case, it is obvious that the communication line 6 is not limited to one line and may be a plurality of lines.
Further, the number of charge processing units 3 may be one, but a plurality of charge processing units 3 may be provided corresponding to the service compatible terminal device units 4-1 to 4-N.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the exchange of the fee processing and the information of the result of the fee processing between the communication network, the terminal device section, and the fee processing section is performed through the communication control section, and the communication is started. Since continuation / termination is determined by the communication control unit, determination / control is performed based on the information of the result of the fee processing from the fee processing unit and the information of the attribute table 9 of the service compatible terminal device unit in the communication control unit. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a plurality of services.

Further, when changing the service, it is only necessary to replace the service compatible terminal device unit 4 and rewrite the attribute table of the service compatible terminal device unit in the communication control unit, and do not replace the other parts in the communication control unit. However, since it is easy to deal with the provision of multiple services and their changes,
There is an effect that it is possible to provide a communication terminal device adapted to diversifying needs in this field.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example according to a conventional technique, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... communication terminal device, 2 ... communication control unit, 2 '... terminal control unit, 3 ... price processing unit, 3' ... price processing hardware unit, 4,4-1, to 4-N ... ... service-supporting terminal device unit, 4 '... service-supporting hardware unit, 5 ... communication network, 6 ... communication line, 7 ... service-supporting terminal device unit interface, 7' ... service-supporting hardware interface, 8 ...... Charge processing interface, 8 '...
… Charge processing hardware interface, 9, 9-1, to 9
-N ... Service compatible terminal device section attribute table.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A communication terminal device which is connected to a communication network and performs communication or communication processing, wherein the communication terminal device extracts and stores the charge information from the charged charge settlement means, and manages the charge. A communication control unit that controls the start, continuation, and termination of communication to the communication network according to the charge information from the charge processing unit; and one or more service-compatible terminal device units that provide users with predetermined services. Each of the charge processing unit and the service compatible terminal device unit is connected to the communication control unit by a unique interface, and the communication control unit is connected to each of the service compatible terminal device units. An attribute table storing unique information for each is provided, and according to the comparison result of the unique information in the attribute table and the fee information in response to the notification of the fee information from the fee processing unit. Controls the connection of communication to the communication network, and issues a charging request to the charge processing unit in response to notification of charge information from the service compatible terminal device unit or charge information from the communication network, and the charge request. A communication terminal device, which is configured to control continuation or termination of communication based on a response result of the fee processing unit to the.