JPS5846110B2 - Monitoring method for the number of coins stored in public telephones - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for monitoring the number of coins stored in a public telephone, and more particularly, to a system for monitoring at a telephone exchange whether or not the coin storage box of a public telephone is nearly full.

When the coin storage box of a public telephone is full, the inserted coins may not fall out of the coin path, or in extreme cases, the coins may become jammed, making it impossible to make a call.

For this reason, the maintenance person needs to collect the stored coins before the coin storage box becomes full.

A large number of public telephones are installed scattered over a wide area, and maintenance personnel stationed at exchange offices visit these public telephones and collect coins that have been inserted.

However, the money storage situation changes depending on the public telephone and from time to time.

Conventionally, there has been no known means for monitoring the state of money storage in public telephones at exchanges.

Therefore, it is necessary for exchange offices to be able to know the coin storage status of each public telephone, so efficient patrol collection is possible by collecting empty or nearly empty coin storage boxes, or delaying the collection of full coin storage boxes. This is not possible, and in some cases, there is a delay in collecting full items, which can result in payphones being out of service due to money jams.

The present invention provides a method for monitoring the money storage status of the money storage boxes of all public telephones housed in the exchange at the exchange, which enables efficient money collection and eliminates the amount of money generated when the money storage boxes are full. The purpose is to prevent clogging.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a method for registering call frequency in a conventional public telephone.

In the figure, an outgoing connection from a public telephone PT reaches a desired subscriber via a communication path network NW of an exchange, and a call is made.

The number of calls is cumulatively added to the counter MET corresponding to the public telephone PT.

The same number of coins as the call frequency, such as 10 yen coins, are stored here, but conventionally, this call frequency meter MET simply stores the call frequency,
In other words, just add up the number of stored coins,
This call frequency meter MET operates regardless of the state of the coin storage box, so it is unclear from the count value of this call frequency meter MET whether the coin storage box is empty or full. It was impossible to know the storage condition of the money collection box from this call frequency meter MET.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of connections in an example in which the present invention is implemented in a storage program controlled electronic exchange.

In the figure, PT is a public telephone, CRT is a public trunk,
NW is the communication path network of the exchange 5 PCE is the communication path control device CC
is a central control unit, and FM is a file storage device such as a large-capacity magnetic drum storage device, in which the number of calls for each telephone is accumulated and stored.

Here, as is well known, the file storage device FM is provided with a 1-word call frequency storage area A corresponding to each subscriber telephone set, where the call frequency is accumulated and stored and used as a call frequency meter.

In this embodiment, a public telephone is used as a counting means compatible with a public telephone, in which the money collection signal sent from the exchange to the public telephone is counted, and the counted value is reset to 0 by a special number dialed from the public telephone. In addition to the corresponding call frequency storage area A, a call frequency storage area B corresponding to the public telephone is further set in the file storage device FM.

The number of calls stored in area B returns to O as will be described later when the coin storage box of the corresponding public telephone is emptied.

As is well known, the outgoing connection from the public telephone PT is controlled by the central controller CC and reaches the receiving telephone via the communication path network NW and the public trunk CRT, and the call is made.During the call, the central controller CC At regular intervals determined by the distance between the calling telephone PT and the receiving telephone, the public trunk C
RT is controlled, a coin storage signal is sent to the calling public telephone PT, and a number of coins corresponding to the number of calls (for example, 1
0 yen coin) is stored.

When the call ends, the call rate meter of the call is calculated based on the call information of the above-mentioned call stored in the main storage device (not shown), and the area A and Each is added to the call frequency information already stored in area B.

The number of calls stored in area B indicates the number of coins stored after the coin storage box of the public telephone became empty.

In order to detect when the count value of the counting means including this region B exceeds a predetermined constant value, it can be carried out, for example, as follows.

A typewriter installed in the exchange compares the stored contents of area B corresponding to each public telephone with a certain value set in advance in the central control unit CC, and detects the number of the public telephone that exceeds this value. Have the command typed out.

The central control unit CC operates based on this command, and based on the type-out information outputted thereby, it is possible to detect a public telephone in which the number of coins already stored in the coin storage box exceeds a certain value.

If a value slightly smaller than the number of coins that can be stored in the coin storage box, for example, 80% value, is used as the preset constant value for the callout, it is possible to detect a public telephone whose coin storage box is almost full. Supervise the condition of the coin storage box.

Although the above-mentioned command input operation can of course be performed at any time, for example, it is performed once every morning, and based on the information typed out, the maintenance person visits public telephones and collects charges.

This makes it possible to collect charges efficiently, and prevents money from getting stuck in public telephones due to their coin storage boxes becoming full.

When a maintenance person collects coins from the coin storage box, he dials a special number from the public telephone PT.

This special number is detected and identified by the central control unit CC as is well known, and the information in the area B corresponding to the public telephone PT is returned to O, and the public telephone PT is connected to the public telephone PT via the communication network NW with a signal sound (not shown). Connect to trunk and send confirmation signal.

The maintenance person hears the above confirmation signal and puts down the handset.

In this way, the call frequency information of the area B corresponding to the public telephone which becomes empty after collecting the coins in the coin storage box becomes O.

When a call is made thereafter, the number of calls, in other words, the count value of the number of stored coins is stored in area B.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of connections in an example in which the present invention is implemented in a crossbar exchange.

In the figure, PT is a public telephone, RC is a reset circuit, NW is a telephone exchange network, K-TRK is a billing trunk, 5-TRK is a special trunk that resets T2 with a reset circuit RC, and M is a meter ring relay,
MET is the public telephone frequency side.

In this embodiment, a new frequency counter is used as a counting means compatible with public telephones, which counts the coin storage signal sent from the exchange to the public telephone, and returns the counted value to O by a special number dialed from the public telephone. MET2 is provided.

This frequency meter MET2 has a function of detecting when the counted value exceeds a predetermined constant value.

Further, a display device is provided to notify a maintenance person of a public telephone PT whose currency storage box is almost full.

Here, the frequency meter NET2 has the following features: a specific value can be set in advance, a signal can be taken out when the counted value reaches the above preset value (for example, a built-in switch turns on), and the counted value can be electrically 5E402 electromagnetic counter commercially available from Tamura Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd. satisfies these requirements. .

The display device has display elements compatible with public telephones, such as display lamps, and each display element is activated (ignited) by a signal taken out when the frequency meter MET2 exceeds a preset value. It is.

As is well-known, the outgoing connection from the public telephone PT is controlled by the marker shown in the diagram, and is transmitted to the telephone line NW, to the charging trunk via the TRK, to the terminating telephone, where the call is made, and during the call, to the charging trunk. From TRK, calling phone P
A coin storage signal is sent to the public telephone PT via the a and b lines at fixed intervals determined by the distance between T and the receiving telephone, and a number of coins (for example, 10 yen coins) corresponding to the number of calls are stored.

Along with the coin storage signal, a pressure increase pulse for registering the call frequency is applied to the metering relay M provided for the telephone set via the C line, and the metering relay M is activated.

Each time, the contact m closes temporarily, so the call frequency meter ME
T1 and speech frequency meter MET provided according to the invention
2 (money storage signal counting means) registers the number of calls rf
cormorant.

Here, the frequency meter MET2 is connected to the public telephone PT as described later.
Since the value of the frequency meter MET2 is set to O when the coin storage box is empty, the count value of the frequency meter MET2 indicates the number of coins in the money storage box.

The frequency meter MET2 is set in advance as a constant value to a value slightly smaller than the number of coins that can be accommodated in the coin storage box, for example, a value of 80%.

Then, the 80th bank of the coin storage box generates an output signal S to the frequency meter MET2 corresponding to the public telephone PT filled with coins, and this causes the display element corresponding to the public telephone PT of the display device to display the signal S. do.

A maintenance person can detect a public telephone whose coin storage box is almost full by the display on the display device, and thereby monitor the status of the coin storage box of each public telephone.

When a maintenance person visits a public telephone and collects coins from the coin storage box to empty it, he dials a special number from the public telephone PT.

Then, under the control of a marker (not shown) of the exchange, the public telephone PT is connected to the special trunk 5-TRK for resetting the frequency meter MET2 provided in accordance with the present invention via the communication path network NW as is well known.

A reset signal is sent from the reset special trunk 5-TRK.

This reset signal is detected in the frequency counter O reset circuit RC provided corresponding to the public telephone PT, and the circuit RC sends earth to the reset electromagnet R, which is operated to increase the count value of the frequency meter MET2. Return to O.

At the same time, an audible signal tone is sent from the reset special trunk 5-TRK to the public telephone, and the maintenance person listens to this signal tone and confirms that the frequency meter MET2 has returned to O.

In most cases, it is sufficient to provide one special trunk for reset as described above for one exchange.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, there is an advantage that the exchange can monitor whether the money boxes of all the public telephones housed in the exchange are nearly full at any time.

Furthermore, based on the results of this monitoring, it is possible to efficiently collect tolls (money), and also to prevent money jams due to the coin storage box of public telephones being full, and to prevent the public telephone from being unable to make calls due to coin jams. There is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the call frequency registration method for conventional public telephones, Fig. 2 is a connection diagram of an example in which the present invention is implemented in a storage program control electronic exchange, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of implementing the present invention in a storage program control electronic exchange. It is a connection diagram of an example implemented. PT...Public telephone, NW...Call network, MET. MET19MET2... Call frequency meter, FM... File storage device, CRT... Public trunk, 5PCE.
・・Communication path control device, CC・・Central control device, RC・
・・Call frequency meter O recovery circuit, K-TRK-charging trunk, 5-TRK...Special trunk for reset, M...
Metering relay, R...Returning electromagnet, D...
Display device, L...display element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Counting means compatible with public telephones that counts the money collection signal sent from the exchange to the public telephone and returns the counted value to O by a special number dialed from the public telephone, and the counted value of the above counting means is predetermined. 1. A method for monitoring the number of coins stored in a public telephone, characterized by comprising means for detecting when the number of coins exceeds a certain value.