KR19990068258A - Communication terminal with telephone bill information - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention receives the telephone bill information for each telecommunication network operator, which is a telephone bill information that charges different usage fees according to the call environment, and automatically enters the network operator network corresponding to the lowest rate when inputting a phone number according to a user's call request. The communication terminal according to the present invention includes a switch (Sw) for controlling a connection with a switch; A connection state detection unit 1 for detecting a connection state of an external telephone line; A DTMF tone generating unit 2 for generating a DTMF signal corresponding to a dial key of a user; A transceiver for separating the transmission and reception data (3); A transmit / receive voice signal processor (10,20) for voice signal processing of the separated transmit / receive data; A received text signal processor 21 for restoring text data included in the separated received data to original text data; A timer 60 that counts the current time; A memory 52 storing telephone fee information for each communication network operator according to a call environment; An interface unit 51 connected to and connected to the memory 52; A keypad 70 including a mode key, numeric keys, up and down navigation keys, and the like; A counter 30 for counting call durations; An on-screen display 40 for displaying the telephone bill information; And a microcomputer 100 for controlling the operation of all components, which is a very useful invention that greatly improves the convenience and economy of use.

Description

Communication terminal with telephone bill information

The present invention relates to a communication terminal having a telephone fee information that charges different usage fees according to the call environment, and more particularly, charges different call charges according to the call environment, that is, by user's use time, day of week, or holiday. Stores the telephone billing information for each communication network operator in the communication terminal, and detects the current time, day of the week or a public holiday when inputting a phone number according to a user's call request, and optimally stores the telephone bill information. The present invention relates to a communication terminal equipped with telephone bill information for automatically selecting and adding an identification number corresponding thereto to automatically connect to the selected network operator network.

DACOM, which became able to provide international telephone service by the introduction of competition in December 1991, recently gave a separate identification number (082) to the head of the existing telephone number (area code + subscriber number). With the advent of this technology and by adding Once Telecom, competition among network operators has accelerated.

In this fierce competition, A and B companies, which are network operators, provide the long distance discount information shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, respectively. 2c has developed and provided international call discount rate service options, so that users can use a wider range of services at lower prices.

However, in the future, due to the accelerated competition among many network operators due to the increased specification (selectable) of the network operators, the call environment [hours (usual hours, discount time, midnight discount), day of week (weekdays, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday), distance (30Km, 100Km, 110Km or more), country (Japan, USA, etc.)], different discount rate service will be presented for each network operator. There was considerable difficulty in acquiring vast information about the network operator who presented the lowest call fee according to each call environment, and it was necessary to select it directly if necessary.

Therefore, the present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned difficulties, and stores telephone rate information for each communication network operator, which is telephone rate information that charges different usage fees according to the call environment of the user, in a communication terminal, A telephone that detects the current call environment according to the request of a call and selects an optimal communication network operator network corresponding thereto, and adds the corresponding identification number to the telephone number entered by the user so as to be connected to the selected network operator network. It is to provide a communication terminal with a charge information.

Figure 1a shows the A company's regulations for long distance telephone charges applied to landlines,

Figure 1b shows the B company's regulations for long distance telephone charges applied to landlines,

Figure 2a shows the A company's regulations for international calling rates applied to landlines,

Figure 2b shows the B company's regulations for international calling rates applied to landlines,

Figure 2c shows the company's provisions for the international telephone charges applied to the landline,

Figure 3 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a telephone implemented with a communication terminal with telephone bill information according to the present invention.

※ Explanation of code for main part of drawing

Ex: Switch Mic: Microphone

Sp: Speaker Sw: Switch

1: connection state detection unit 2: DTMF tone generating unit

3: transmitting and receiving separator 10: transmit voice signal processing unit

20: received voice signal processor 21: received text signal processor

30: counter 40: on-screen indicator (OSD)

51: interface unit 52: memory

60: timer 70: key pad

100: micom

Communication terminal equipped with the telephone bill information according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the receiving means for receiving telephone bill information for each operator; And it characterized in that it comprises a storage means for storing the received telephone bill information.

In addition, the communication terminal equipped with the telephone fee information according to the present invention, the environment information detection means for detecting a call environment in accordance with the call request key input of the user; Selecting means for selecting a telecommunication network operator network to impose the lowest telecommunication rate information from the pre-stored telecommunication rate information for each telecommunication network operator based on the detected call environment; And transmitting means for transmitting a DTMF corresponding to the selected communication network.

Communication terminal equipped with telephone bill information according to the present invention, the storage means for storing telephone bill information for each network operator; Fixed setting means for fixedly setting any one of the communication network operators; And a sending means for requesting a call by adding the identification number of the fixed network operator and the destination telephone number input by the user.

In the communication terminal equipped with the telephone bill information according to the present invention configured as described above, when the telephone bill information for each operator according to the call environment is first received through the receiving means, the received telephone bill information to the telephone It is stored in the storage means provided.

In addition, in the communication terminal equipped with the telephone fee information according to the present invention, first, when the call request by the user, the selection means is configured to input the telephone fee information for each operator to the current call environment provided by the environmental information providing means. Based on the lowest fee information based on the network operator network will automatically be selected. At this time, an identification number of the selected communication network operator is added to the telephone number input by the user, and the sending means sends a call destination number input by the user to the provider network to the added identification number. Done.

On the other hand, when the user fixedly set any one network operator network through the fixed setting means, the same call request operation as described above may be performed through the network operator network fixedly set by the user.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a communication terminal with telephone bill information according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a configuration of an embodiment in which a communication terminal having telephone bill information according to the present invention is implemented, the switch (Sw) for controlling the connection to the exchange; A connection state detection unit 1 for detecting a connection state of an external telephone line; A DTMF tone generating unit 2 for generating a DTMF signal corresponding to a dial key of a user; A transceiver for separating the transmission and reception data (3); A transmit / receive voice signal processor (10,20) for voice signal processing of the separated transmit / receive data; A received text signal processor 21 for restoring text data included in the separated received data to original text data; A timer 60 that counts the current time; A memory 52 storing telephone fee information for each communication network operator according to a call environment; An interface unit 51 connected to and connected to the memory 52; A keypad 70 including a mode key, numeric keys, up and down navigation keys, and the like; A counter 30 for counting call durations; An on-screen display 40 for displaying the telephone bill information; And a microcomputer 100 for controlling the operation of all components.

In the memory 52, telephone bill information presented by each network operator is stored by a user's key input. First, when a user selects a telephone bill information mode by pressing a mode key on the keypad 70, The on-screen display 40 displays a telephone fee information input box for each communication network operator. At this time, the user inputs the telephone fee information presented by each communication network operator using the numeric keys on the keypad 70 and the up and down moving keys in the corresponding input field, and the microcomputer 100 is operated by the user. Each input data is stored in the memory 52.

Unlike the operation of storing the telephone bill information by the user's key input, the communication operator of each communication network through the external switching network Ex is connected to the connected path in the state in which the microcomputer 100 is hooked on. It is also possible to receive the telephone bill information from the server and store it in the memory 52. The microcomputer 100 repeatedly performs the above operation every predetermined period so that the telephone bill information proposed by the network operator is changed. It may be able to update and store or search whether there is an updated telephone bill information in the server, and optionally receive the telephone bill information according to the search result and store it in the memory 52.

In addition, when the memory 52 is manufactured and supplied separately from the phone in the form of a flash memory, the memory 52 selectively stores and stores telephone fee information for each communication network operator in the process. It is possible to receive the latest information by replacing the memory containing the more recent information and mounting it on the phone. As described above, when the memory 52 is detachable, the interface unit 51 is added as shown in FIG. 3 to perform a data interface between the memory 52 and the microcomputer 100.

In the communication terminal equipped with the telephone fee information according to the present invention configured as described above, first select the 'urban' or 'international' key separately provided according to the destination to which the user wants to access the call. When inputting (if there is no key input, the destination is recognized as 'city'), and the microcomputer 100 displays information on a network operator that supports the telephone network of the destination at the selected input key. It is checked whether or not it is stored in the memory 52 mounted inside (or outside).

Accordingly, when it is confirmed that the corresponding network operator information is stored, the microcomputer 100 is the lowest among the network operator confirmed by the current time information (day, time, holidays, etc.) provided by the timer 60. It will set up a network of operators who can receive the fee application.

For example, when the user selects and inputs the 'international' key in order to make an international call, the microcomputer 100 searches for the international telephone bill information corresponding to the selected input key through the memory 52. At this time, the microcomputer 100 receives current time information (Tuesday, 21:00) from the timer 60 and presents the searched company A, company B and company C based on the input time information. International telephone toll information of 2a, 2b and 2c will select the operator who provides the lowest rate.

In other words, Company A and Company C are subject to a discounted rate (30%) on weekdays, while Company B is subject to standard rates, so Company B is excluded, and Company A (of course, depending on the country) Although the phone charges are set differently, considering that the average is 15.2 won (one-minute fee) and C is an average of 14.25 won, C is selected as the network operator that offers the lowest rate. Of course, the user may check the country (1: USA, 2: Japan, etc.) corresponding to each numeric key guided through the on-screen display 40, and select and input a country corresponding to the destination in detail by using the same. (If this applies to 'out-of-town', 1: Seoul, 2: Busan, etc.), if the selected country is American, the operator selection of the network operator is A and C, respectively, 14 won (one-minute fee) and 13.1 won, which is set to C as above, but more precisely enables the operator of the network operator to whom the lowest rate applies.

As described above, the identification number according to the automatically selected operator network is transmitted to the DTMF tone generating unit 2 by the microcomputer 100, and the user hooks on the telephone line state by the switch Sw. After switching to the state, the corresponding telephone number of the destination is input using the numeric keys of the keypad 70. The microcomputer 100 transmits a dial key value of a number that is arbitrarily designated according to a telephone number that a user inputs through the keypad 70 to the DTMF tone generator 2, and the DTMF tone generator 2 ), As described above, generates a DTMF signal corresponding to the associated dial key (identification number + phone number) value while associating the corresponding identification number of the inputted operator network with the subsequent inputted telephone number value. Will be sent to.

Meanwhile, the network operator network automatically selected according to the search of the telephone fee information performed as described above is additionally displayed on the on-screen display 40. After the user confirms the selected operator network, the selected operator is confirmed. Even if the network provides the lowest rate, there may be a case where the call quality is low and you want to select another provider network.

At this time, a user presses a mode key on the keypad 70 to enter a forced setting mode, and on the on-screen display 40, other communication network operators searched by the microcomputer 100 (previously, automatic Except for the lowest priced network operator, the usage fee will be displayed in the lowest order (1: A, 2: B). When the user confirms this by moving the cursor to the desired operator network by using the up and down movement keys of the keypad 70 and then pressing the setting key to select it, the microcomputer 100 selects the operator network selected by the user's key input. By transmitting the dial key value corresponding to the identification number of the DTMF tone generating unit 2, the call is made to the destination through the corresponding operator network through the same process as in the above example.

During the call with the destination via the call request path, the call execution time is counted by the counter 30 and displayed on the on-screen display 40, and at the same time, the microcomputer 100 selects the selected communication network. Based on the information set by the operator, the calculated call execution time is converted into total call charges and displayed on the on-screen display 40 in addition to the call execution time, so that the user is currently performing call charges. Allows you to check the imposition of your

The communication terminal equipped with the telephone fee information according to the present invention configured and operated as described above includes a memory in which the telephone fee information for each communication network operator providing various discount services is stored in the communication terminal. It is possible to use the telephone network at a lower cost when requested, and to automatically connect to the network operator network applied to the lowest rate by using the telephone fee information transmitted and received on request, thereby rapidly increasing the telephone fee information for each operator of the network operator. It can automatically select the operator network that charges the lowest user fee corresponding to the user's call environment, ie hours of use, days of the week, etc. It is an invention.

Claims (12)

Receiving means for receiving telephone bill information for each operator; And Communication terminal with telephone billing information, characterized in that it comprises a storage means for storing the received telephone billing information. The method of claim 1, The telephone bill information, the communication terminal with the telephone bill information, characterized in that it includes information to charge different telephone bills in accordance with the telephone usage time and day of the week, and whether the holiday. Connecting means for connecting to a server of any network operator; Receiving means for receiving telephone fee information for each operator from the connected server; And Communication terminal with telephone billing information, characterized in that it comprises a storage means for storing the received telephone billing information. The method of claim 3, And a connection control means for controlling the access means to be connected to a server of the communication network operator at a predetermined time period. The method of claim 3, And a search means for searching for the presence or absence of the telephone bill information updated from the server of the arbitrary network operator. Removable storage means for storing telephone charge information for each operator according to the call environment; And And communication means for interfacing data exchange between the storage means and the communication terminal. The method of claim 6, The removable storage means is a communication terminal with a telephone bill information, characterized in that the flash memory or a semiconductor chip. Environment information detecting means for detecting a call environment according to a user's call request key input; Selecting means for selecting a network operator network that charges the lowest telephone rate from telephone bill information for each operator stored in advance based on the detected call environment; And And a transmission means for transmitting a DTMF corresponding to the selected communication network. The method of claim 8, And said detecting means further comprises a destination area of a call request key input by a user. The method of claim 9, The destination region information, the communication terminal equipped with telephone bill information, characterized in that it comprises information of the domestic region and foreign countries. Environmental information providing means for providing a call environment; Key input means for requesting display of the telephone bill information; Reading means for reading telephone fee information for each communication network operator that is transmitted based on the provided call environment when the request key is input; And And a display means for displaying the telephone charge information corresponding to the read schedule call time according to the communication network operator. Storage means for storing telephone bill information for each network operator; Fixed setting means for fixedly setting any one of the communication network operators; And And a sending means for requesting a call by adding the identification number of the fixed network operator and the destination telephone number input by the user.