JPH01130656A - Communication method of nontelephone system terminal equipment through public telephone network - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain communication with a nontelephone system terminal without changing a conventional exchange system by applying calling by a telephone number to an incoming side by a reserved system in advance and identifying it by the incoming side to connect the telephone line to the nontelephone system terminal set automatically. CONSTITUTION:With a call of a telephone number of a telephone set 2 from a management center 11, a control circuit 14 receives a call tone to start a timer. The management center 11 monitors a call signal sent from a public telephone network (local exchange) 1 during the call and stops the calling immediately after the call signal is confirmed to restore the line 18. When the call tone is confirmed before the timer expires the first time, the control circuit 14 regards it as a call of a metering terminal 3 to apply calling depending on the telephone number of the management center 11, and with the management center 11 responding to the call, the timer is reset and the line 18 is connected to the metering terminal 3. Thus, the communication between the management center and the nontelephone system terminals is attained.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a communication method between a non-telephone terminal connected to a public telephone network and a management center that manages a plurality of non-telephone terminals. be.

(Prior art) As a method for automating LP gas meter reading, a meter reading terminal is provided that uses a common line with a telephone, and a meter reading terminal is read by communicating with a management center that manages the meter reading terminal via a public telephone network. Some devices are designed to collect terminal data, transmit alarm information, etc. In order to realize the above communication relatively easily, an end-to-end transmission method is generally adopted as the communication method.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a communication system based on the conventional call-out system. In the figure, 1 is a public telephone network, 2 is a telephone 6, 3 is an LP gas meter reading terminal, and 4 is a telephone 2 and a meter reading terminal 3. a terminal adapter for selectively connecting the terminal to the public telephone network 1;
A management center 5 is connected to the public telephone network 1 and manages the meter reading terminal 3.

When operating the LP gas supply business, the meter reading terminal 3 periodically transfers various data such as meter reading data to the management center 5, and the management center 5 can also transfer each data to the meter reading terminal 3. required. Management center 5
Items managed by data transfer include, for example,
Checking the meter reading terminal 3 when an abnormal value is found in the collected data, on/off control of the gas valve when the user is absent for a long time, checking the usage status of LP gas at any time, zeroing the meter reading counter These include resetting, notification of a change in the telephone number of the management center 5, and adjusting the time of the clock built into the terminal adapter 4. These are handled by the meter reading terminal 3 and the management center 5.
There are some cases in which it is sufficient to send instructions by transferring data by utilizing the communication path that is set up when a call is made to the destination, and there are cases in which instructions from the control center 5 are required at any time. . However, with this terminal transmission method, calls cannot be made from the control center 5, so for the above-mentioned items that require instructions from time to time, it is necessary to rely on some alternative means, such as contacting by telephone or dispatching a staff member. .

In contrast, there is a center calling method proposed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation as a ``proposed no-ringing communication service interface'' that allows calls to be made at any time from a management center.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a communication system using the above-mentioned center calling method, in which 2 is a telephone, 5 is a management center, and 6 is a communication system using the center calling method.
is a local exchange on the originating side, 7 is a local exchange on the terminating side, 8 is a terminal adapter, 9 is a meter reading terminal, and 10 is a no-ringing trunk provided in the local exchange 7 on the terminating side.

The above-mentioned no-ringing trunk 10 is specially installed in the local exchange 6 on the receiving side to call the meter reading terminal 9, and when the meter reading terminal 9 is called and specified from the management center 5,
A calling signal of a specific frequency is sent from the no-ringing trunk 10 to the terminal adapter 8, and the terminal adapter 8 receives this, identifies that the call is to the meter reading terminal 9, and connects the telephone line to the meter reading terminal 9.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, in the center transmission system shown in Fig. 3,
It is necessary to provide a special no-ringing trunk in the receiving exchange, making the exchange expensive. Particularly when the number of non-telephone terminals installed is small, the cost burden of installing a no-ringing trunk of an exchange becomes large, which is an obstacle to popularizing the management of non-telephone terminals by a management center.

The present invention calls the called party using a telephone number according to a pre-arranged method, the called party identifies this, and the telephone line is automatically connected to a non-telephone terminal, thereby eliminating the need for conventional switching systems. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a communication method for non-telephone terminals that enables communication without changing the terminal.

(Means for Solving the Point of Connection) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides selective control of telephones and telephones by a management center connected to the public telephone network and a terminal adapter connected to the line of the public telephone network. In the communication method, the control center calls the control circuit using the telephone number of the telephone and confirms a ring signal in response to the call. The communication method is such that the calling is stopped and the line is restored, and when the calling is stopped within a predetermined time, the control circuit calls the management center and connects the non-telephone terminal to the line.

(Function) According to the present invention, when the management center calls a non-telephone terminal using the telephone number of the telephone paired with the non-telephone terminal, a calling signal is returned from the public telephone network. The management center confirms the calling signal, stops calling, and the line is restored. The terminal adapter is called by the call, and when the call is stopped within a predetermined time, the terminal adapter calls the management center and connects the non-telephone terminal to the line.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is the same public telephone network as in Figure 2, 2 is a telephone, and 3 is L as a non-telephone terminal.
This is a P gas meter reading terminal. Reference numeral 11 denotes a management center that manages the meter reading terminal 3, which calls the meter reading terminal 3 and waits for a call from a non-telephone terminal to continue communication. After going 1
, confirms the ringing signal, stops the ringing, and restores the line.

12 is a terminal adapter, and a station line interface circuit 13
, a control circuit 14, a selection signal sending circuit 15, a telephone interface circuit 16, a non-telephone terminal interface circuit 17, and the like. The office line interface circuit 13 is
A common line (office line) for this telephone 2 and meter reading terminal 3
18 to monitor the line and detect incoming calls. The control circuit 14 controls incoming and outgoing calls, monitors collisions, switches lines, etc. When switching lines, it starts a timer (not shown) when there is a call from the line 18. Then, when the calls stop within a predetermined time, the control center 11 is called, and when there is a response to the call, the line 18 is connected to the meter reading terminal 3, or when the calls from the line continue. connects to telephone 2. The timer is set with a first time to monitor the time from the above-mentioned call to its stop, and a second time to monitor the normal call time. The selection signal sending circuit 15 sends out the selection signal to the control circuits 1 and 4 based on the line switching designation by the control circuit 14. The telephone interface circuit 16 monitors a selection signal for the line 18 from the control circuit 14 and connects the line 18 to the telephone 2, or monitors a call made by the telephone 2 and connects the line 18 to the line 18 via the control circuit 14. . The non-telephone terminal interface circuit Q17 monitors the selection signal of the line 18 from the control circuit 14 and connects the line 18 to the meter reading terminal 3, or monitors the call from the meter reading terminal 3 and connects the line 18 to the control circuit 14.
It is connected to the line 18 via. Then, the procedure $lIm for transmitting data from the meter reading terminal 3 is performed again.

Next, the operation of the communication system shown in FIG. 1 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the communication system of FIG. Note that the flowchart in FIG.
The operation of the management center 11 is shown in parentheses in the figure.

First, when a call is made from the management center 11 using the telephone number of the telephone 2, the control circuit 14 receives the ring tone (step Sl) and starts a timer (not shown) (S
2). The management center 11 monitors the ring signal sent from the public telephone network (local exchange) 1 during the call, and immediately stops the call and restores the line 18 when the ring signal is confirmed.

When the control circuit 14 confirms the ringing tone before the timer reaches the first time-out (83, 84, the meter reading terminal 3
The telephone number of the management center 11 is assumed to be a call from the management center 11 (S5).

When the management center 11 responds to the call (SO)
, reset the timer (87), and connect the line 18 to the meter reading terminal 3 (S8). And from then on, the management center 1
Information is transmitted between the meter reading terminal 1 and the meter reading terminal 3 according to a set procedure. Since the above call from the meter reading terminal 3 is made without responding to the previous call from the management center 11, no charges are incurred for the call from the management center 11.

If there is no response in step S6 and the second time has elapsed (S9), the timer is reset (SlO) and a new ring tone is waited for (St).

When the first time-out occurs without stopping the ringing tone in step S3 (S4), the control circuit 14
assumes that the call is from outside, resets the timer (5ll), and connects line 18 to telephone 2 (S12).

In this embodiment, the meter reading terminal 3 is used as a non-telephone terminal.
The non-telephone type terminal may be a terminal in a home security system, a facsimile, a personal computer, or the like.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, when a non-telephone terminal is called from the management center, the call is made once and immediately stopped, and the terminal adapter on the called side confirms this calling and stopping. Since the call is treated as a call to a non-telephone terminal and the line is connected to the non-telephone terminal, it is possible to connect to the management center without changing the public telephone network (local exchange) system or adding functions. The configuration is simple because non-telephone terminals are connected and mutual communication is possible, and the connection is controlled by monitoring the time and switching. The system can be easily implemented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication system using a conventional terminal transmission method, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication system using a conventional center transmission method. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the communication system of FIG. 1... Public telephone network 2... Telephone 3... Meter reading terminal (non-telephone terminal) 11... Management center 12... Terminal adapter 18... Line patent applicant Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Communication between a management center connected to a public telephone network and a non-telephone terminal connected to a line of the public telephone network by being selectively controlled along with a telephone by a terminal adapter connected to the line. In the communication method, the management center calls the control circuit using the phone number of the telephone, and upon confirming a ring signal in response to the call, stops the call and restores the line, and the control circuit A communication method for a non-telephone terminal using a public telephone network, characterized in that when the call stops within a predetermined time, a call is made to the management center and the non-telephone terminal is connected to a line.