JPH0473340B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a billing system in an information communication system that allows a terminating subscriber to obtain fees for information provided to an originating subscriber.

Current call billing is a system in which the subscriber is billed based on the call frequency measured at the originating station.
When a receiving subscriber who has provided audio or image information to the calling subscriber charges the calling subscriber for the fee, the fee cannot be set arbitrarily depending on the value of the provided information, and there are various There is a problem that it is inconvenient to provide new services, etc.
For example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-35007,
It is necessary to install an information service transmitting device and an information service receiving device in the communication network, and to capture and connect the information service transmitting device and information service receiving device using special number dialing, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to send preset billing pulses to the frequency meter through the communication network, so the equipment,
There are problems with the increase in the number of devices, the increase in the number of dials, and the difficulty in setting detailed charges based on the information provided. It is thought that such problems will increase more and more in advanced information communication including various telephone services in the future, and an economical method of realization is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an economical billing method that allows a terminating subscriber who has provided voice and image information to an originating subscriber to bill the originating subscriber for the fees. It is in.

The present invention provides a terminating subscriber with an information transmitting device for providing voice or image information to the originating subscriber, and a charge information transmitting device for transmitting the charges for the information provided from the terminating subscriber to the originating subscriber, The rate information provided by the terminating subscriber to the originating subscriber is transmitted from the rate information transmitting device to the control device of the terminating station, and the control device of the terminating station transmits the terminating subscriber information and the originating station in advance along with the rate information. After the call ends, the calling subscriber information received from the calling station is transferred to the control device of the calling station, and the control device of the calling station transfers the fee information and called subscriber information to the storage unit corresponding to the calling subscriber information. By accumulating the information, the receiving subscriber charges a fee for the information provided to the calling subscriber.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. The figure is a relay system diagram showing an embodiment of the charging system according to the present invention.

Here, 1A is a telephone associated with subscriber A at the originating station, 1B is a telephone associated with information sending device B at the receiving station, and 2A and 2B are the originating station,
The switch network (NW) of the receiving station, 3, is
Originating station's outgoing register trunk (ORT), 4A,
4B is the trunk (TRK) at the originating station and the terminating station, 5A and 5B are the same scanning device (SCN), 6A and 6B are the same signal distribution device (SD),
7A, 7B are the same central control unit (CC), 8A, 8
B is the same storage device (MM), 9A and 9B are common line signaling devices (CSE) also related to the common line signaling system,
10 is a communication path for transmitting a dial tone at a transmitting station;
Reference numerals 1A and 11B refer to communication channels for voice/image information of the originating station and the receiving station, 12 an information transmission device (INF), and 13 a charge information transmission device (SND) for transmitting charges for the provided information. ), 14 is a charge information receiving device (REC) for receiving information charges, and 15 is a communication path for charge information.

Although this embodiment deals with audio information, the procedure is the same for image information if subscribers A and B are each equipped with a device for receiving and transmitting image information.

First, when telephone 1A is taken off-hook by subscriber A, scanning device 5A detects and identifies this and transmits this information to central controller 7A.

The central control unit 7A sends control signals via the signal distribution device 6A in a known manner to connect the telephone 1A and the calling register trunk 3 through the communication path 10 of the switch network 2A.

As a result, the dialing tone of the telephone 1A is transmitted from the calling register trunk 3.

After listening to this dial tone, subscriber A dials the subscriber number of telephone 1B associated with information sending device B of the desired receiving station.

This dial is received at the originating register trunk 3 and sent to the central controller 7A via the scanning device 5A.
is counted.

After counting all the digits on this dial, the central control device 7A selects an empty trunk 4A by a known method, and transmits the line number of the trunk 4A and the subscription of the telephone 1B in a predetermined signal format through the common line signaling device 9A. An address signal containing the telephone number and other necessary information is sent to the destination station.

At the destination station, the common line signaling device 9B receives the address signal and performs the necessary processing.
This information is transmitted to the central controller 7B.

The central control unit 7B checks the subscriber table in the storage device 8B and sends necessary information such as whether the telephone 1B is free or busy to the originating station through the common line signaling device 9B.

If telephone 1B is vacant, a connection is established between telephones 1A and 1B using a known method, and voice information is transmitted from information transmitting device B to subscriber A.

The central control unit 7B controls the information charges, the telephone 1B
and the previously received subscriber number of telephone 1A are sent to the originating station in a predetermined signal format through common line signaling device 9B.

At the originating station, the common line signaling device 9A receives the signal, performs necessary processing, and then transmits this information to the central control device 7A.

The central control device 7A is the telephone 1 of the storage device 8A.
The charge for the information and the subscriber number of telephone 1B (ie, the number of the subscriber who provided the information) are written in the charging information storage section corresponding to A.

The originating station periodically reads out the information regarding the charges written in the storage device 8A in this way, bills the subscriber for the charges, makes the payment, and transmits the information to the subscriber B of the receiving station who provided the information. Pay the fee.

When subscriber A turns on the telephone 1A after listening to the voice information that has been sent, this is transmitted to scanning device 5.
A detects it and transmits the information to the central controller 7A. The central control device 7A sends a control signal via the signal distribution device 6A to release the communication path 11A, and at the same time sends the line number of the trunk 4A to the destination station through the common line signaling device 9A in a predetermined signal format. .

At the receiving station, the common line signaling device 9B receives the signal, performs necessary processing, and then transmits this information to the central control device 7B.

The central control device 7B sends a control signal via the signal distribution device 6B, releases the communication path 11B, connects the charge information receiving device 14 and the telephone 1B, and further controls the charge information receiving device 14. Then, the fee information transmitting device 13 sends out a signal requesting the fee for the information provided so far.

Upon receiving this signal, the fee information transmitting device 13 sends the fee for the information provided to the subscriber A to the fee information receiving device 14. This information is read by the central control unit 7B via the scanning device 5B.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, information providers can obtain fees for the provided information, and a remarkable effect can be obtained in expanding audio/image information providing services.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a relay system diagram showing an embodiment of the charging system according to the present invention. 1A, 1B...Telephone, 2A, 2B...Switch network, 3...Outgoing register trunk,
4A, 4B... Trunk, 5A, 5B... Scanning device, 6A, 6B... Signal distribution device, 7A, 7B...
...Central control unit, 8A, 8B...Storage device, 9
A, 9B...Common line signaling device, 10...Tone transmission communication path, 11A, 11B...Information communication path,
12...Information sending device, 13...Charge information transmitting device, 14...Charge information receiving device, 15...Charge information communication path.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The receiving subscriber is provided with an information transmitting device for providing voice or image information to the calling subscriber and a charge information transmitting device for transmitting the charges for the information provided from the called subscriber to the calling subscriber. The rate information provided to the originating subscriber is transmitted from the rate information transmitting device to the control device of the terminating station, and the control device of the terminating station receives the terminating subscriber information and information previously received from the originating station along with the rate information. After the call ends, the calling subscriber information is transferred to a control device of the calling station, and the control device of the calling station stores the charge information and the called subscriber information in a storage unit corresponding to the calling subscriber information. A billing method characterized in that a terminating subscriber charges a fee for information provided to an originating subscriber.