JPH0453345B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

(Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic line selection type public telephone that can be connected to the communication line networks of a plurality of companies with different fee structures. (Conventional technology) In the past, only NTT was authorized to operate communications networks, but with the revision of the Telecommunications Business Law, the telecommunications business was liberalized in April 1985, and private companies It has become possible to operate communication networks using the latest technology, and companies are trying to provide low-cost calling services using the latest technology. Therefore, if you use these companies' communications networks, you can receive call services at lower rates than if you use NTT's communications network, depending on the destination. This method of connecting to a communication network outside NTT via a switch allows the use of conventional equipment as is in terms of hardware, and when making a call, in addition to the conventional telephone dial number, the Just add an identification number. In other words, the conventional NTT telephone number was "0+
The structure consists of "area code + local code + subscriber number", but when using a communication network other than NTT, the structure is "company identification number + area code + local code +
By dialing the telephone number called ``Subscriber Number'', you can use the desired communication network. (Problem to be solved by the invention) However, compared to conventional telephone numbers, the addition of a company identification number increases the number of digits in the telephone number, making dialing extremely cumbersome and If you do not know the identification number of each company, you will not be able to use it. As a way to avoid this hassle, you can add a button to your phone to select which company's line you want to use. Since the company's identification number is dialed, the user could then dial the same phone number as before, but even with this, there is still the hassle of choosing which communication network to use. However, users must decide on a case-by-case basis which communication line network offers the cheapest charges. stomach. Furthermore, when a public telephone is connected to a communication network other than NTT, it becomes impossible to use billing signals sent from conventional exchanges because each communication network has a different fee structure. It is an object of the present invention to automatically connect to a communication line network with low charges even with conventional dialing operations without increasing the number of dialing operations, and to collect call charges according to the connection destination and connection line. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a public telephone that allows users to use public telephones appropriately. (Means for Solving the Problems) The automatic line selection type public telephone of the present invention outputs a series of dial signals indicating an area code, a local code, and a subscriber number in response to a dialing operation. a dialing device; dialing signal storage means for storing the series of dialing signals; and a usage fee table storing usage fees for a plurality of communication line networks with different fee structures in correspondence with the area code. usage fee storage means;; identification number storage means storing identification numbers for identifying the plurality of communication line networks;; detecting the dial signal output in response to the dial operation; dialed number identification means for identifying a number; upon receiving an output signal from said dialed number identification means, each use of said plurality of communication line networks corresponding to said identified toll number from said usage fee table; a usage fee search means for searching for fees; a communication line selection means for comparing the usage fees of each of the searched plurality of communication line networks and selecting a communication line network with a cheaper fee; and the identification number storage means. identification number reading means for reading out the identification number of the selected communication line network; adding a signal corresponding to the identification number to the series of dial signals stored in the dial signal storage means to generate a new series of dial signals; dialing signal sending means for sending out a dialing signal to the exchange; billing signal generating means for outputting a billing signal for regulating the actual callable time determined based on a call charge system that can be specifically determined; The apparatus further includes a call charge collection means for receiving the charge signal from the charge signal generation means and collecting a call charge commensurate with the usage time of the selected communication line network. That is, in the present invention, the telephone is provided with the following information in advance.
All charge information for each company for the call destination is stored in a memory circuit, and by identifying the user's dialed number, the line of the company with the lowest charge is selected, and the company's identification number is sent to the user. It is added to the dialed number and sent out, and charges are collected depending on the connection destination and line. (Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a switch is connected to the central office line L1 and L2.
A dial signal sending circuit 1 is connected to the HS via a loop opening/closing relay contact 1p, and a telephone call circuit 2 for making a telephone call is connected via this dial signal sending circuit 1. a curing processing mechanism 3 that detects input curing and collects curing based on a billing signal;
Keyboard 4 and loop opening/closing relay LP-5 are
It is connected to the control circuit 6. This control circuit 6
receives input hardening information from the hard processing mechanism 3, and if the amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, it sends out a control signal to operate the loop opening/closing relay LP5 to form a call loop.
When the user operates the push-button dial and inputs a series of dial numbers, the line with the lowest charge is searched from the usage fee table for each communication line stored in the usage fee storage means in advance, and the line with the lowest fee is selected. The identification number is added to the telephone and a control signal is outputted to send it from the dialing signal sending circuit 1. Based on the charge information obtained from the dialing number, coins are sent from the coin processing mechanism 3 at regular intervals. Outputs a charging signal for collection. This is constituted by a stored program type arithmetic processing unit CPU, such as a microprocessor.
The internal ROM stores programs for internal control as shown in the flowchart in Figure 2, and the RAM stores programs for each toll office number in NTT's communication network as shown in the table. Correspondingly, usage fees per unit time for each company's line at the destination of the call are stored in advance in a table format so that they can be compared with NTT's usage fees, and billing cycles are determined and stored.

[Table] In addition, the usage fee in this usage fee table means what can be practically compared economically when making a call, and is not limited to the usage amount per unit time, but the usage fee that allows you to make a call at a fixed amount. It does not matter if it is based on the time of day or a fee structure that changes depending on the time of day. Regarding the operation of the device in this embodiment, the second
This will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in the figure. When the handset is raised and off-hooked, the hook switch HS is closed, and when a coin is inserted into the coin handling mechanism 4, the control circuit 6 determines whether the amount is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount in step 100, and if it is less than or equal to the amount. For example, wait for re-input, and if the call loop opening/closing relay is turned on in step 103.
Operate LP5 to form a transmission loop. When dialing is performed using the numeric buttons on the keyboard 4, the control circuit 6 takes in the dial information in step 104, and draws up a charge table corresponding to the dialed number in step 105. Then, in step 106, first
In step 107, the NTT fee is imported into the buffer, and then the usage fee of Company A is imported.
Compare Company A's rates and the details of the buffer. As a result of the comparison, the lowest rate is put into the buffer, and then the line is compared with companies B and C in order, and the line with the cheapest rate is selected. As a result, if the line with the lowest rate is found, the company's identification number is added to the dial number input in step 103, and the dial signal is sent out as a changed dial signal from the dial signal sending circuit 1. Step 110). The dial signal sending circuit 1 is connected to the central office line L1.
- A dial signal is sent to the exchange through L2, and at the same time, in step 111, based on the result selected by the communication network selection means, a billing cycle corresponding to the selected communication network is set. When the other party answers, a charging signal is sent to the coin processing mechanism 3 according to the charging cycle obtained in step 112, and the call fee is collected. In the embodiment, the dial is a push-button type dial, but a rotary dial mechanism may also be used, and the coin handling mechanism is
It goes without saying that the card processing mechanism may be used together with a card processing mechanism that can use cards that have expired usage points or a coin processing mechanism. Also, set the billing cycle. The charge table for each line decline may be used as is, or may be a charge table unique to this public telephone. (Effect of the invention) As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention,
Instead of the user dialing the same way as when using the conventional NTT communication network, the system automatically selects a substantially cheaper communication network and connects the call.
Users can judge and select inexpensive communication networks by themselves.
There is no need to dial a company identification number, which has more digits than traditional telephone numbers.
You can make calls economically. Furthermore, even if a charging signal cannot be obtained from the exchange, appropriate call charges can be collected based on the charge system unique to this public telephone.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Dial signal sending circuit, 2...Telephone circuit, 3...Coin processing mechanism, 4...Push button dial, 5...Loop opening/closing relay, 6...Control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A dialing device for outputting a series of dialing signals indicating an area code, a local office number, and a subscriber number in response to a dialing operation; dialing signal storage means for storing the series of dialing signals;
a usage fee storage means having a usage fee table that stores usage fees for a plurality of communication line networks with different fee structures in correspondence with the area code;
an identification number storage means storing an identification number for identifying the plurality of communication line networks; and a dial number identification means for detecting a dial signal output in response to the dial operation and identifying an area code. ,; a usage charge search means for receiving the output signal of the dial number identification means and searching the usage charge table for each usage charge of the plurality of communication line networks corresponding to the identified area code; ; a communication line selection means for comparing usage fees of each of the plurality of searched communication line networks and selecting a communication line network with a cheaper fee; and; an identification number reading means for reading out an identification number; a dialing signal for adding a signal corresponding to the identification number to the series of dialing signals stored in the dialing signal storage means and sending the resultant signal to the exchange as a new series of dialing signals; a charging signal generating means for outputting a charging signal for regulating the actual callable time determined based on a call charge system that can be determined separately; a charging signal from the charging signal generating means; an automatic line selection type public telephone set, comprising a call charge collection means for collecting a call charge commensurate with the usage time of the selected communication line network.