JPH04200061A - Charge system for telephone exchange system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set optionally a charge form by deciding a data including a type of the charge method for each telephone set and identifying a charge method based on the data at talking so as to implement charge processing corresponding to each telephone set. CONSTITUTION:An extension file SU prepared corresponding to each of telephone sets To-Tn is provided with an extension number area 1 to store an extension number, a charge immediate notice presence flag area 2 to identify whether or not immediate notice of the utility charge is required to the telephone sets To-Tn, a charge identification flag area 3 to identify whether the charge form is the subtractive charge system or the additive charge system and a charge information area 4 to charge the talking charge. Then a data including the type of the charge method is decided for each of the telephone sets To-Tn and the charge system corresponding to a telephone set is identified based on the data and the processing in response to the identified charge method during talking is implemented. Thus, the charge form is optionally set for each of the telephone sets To-Tn.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a billing method for a private telephone exchange system installed in facilities such as dormitories, company housing, and hospitals.

[Conventional technology]

The conventional billing method is to attach a prepaid card to the phone or insert currency (coins) into the phone before making a call, and during the call, the switching device charges the phone for each call. Billing information is sent to the phone, and the phone subtracts the frequency of the prepaid cart or drops (collects) coins according to the billing information.
There is a so-called subtraction billing method used in public telephones.

In addition, in telephone exchange systems used for general business purposes and telephone exchange systems installed in hotel facilities, the so-called accretive billing method is used, in which the number of calls is registered in a storage device when a call is being made. It is used.

Note that, as related to this type of billing method, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-320851 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-320851,
109953 and the like.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

One of the two billing methods, the conventional subtraction charging method and the addition charging method, is determined depending on the operation mode of the telephone exchange system. That is, a telephone exchange system used for business uses an additive billing method, and a telephone exchange system used for facilities such as dormitories uses a subtractive billing method.

However, in recent years, one set of telephone exchange systems may be used in various ways in facilities such as dormitories. For example, the telephones in each room of the dormitory may be charged by prepaid cards, etc.).

For telephones in manager's rooms, it is necessary to charge different charges depending on the location where the telephones are installed and the manner in which they are used, just as additional charges are applied to telephones used for business purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a billing system for a telephone exchange system that can arbitrarily set a billing format depending on the location where the telephone is installed and the manner in which the telephone is used.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention defines data including the type of charging method for each telephone, and identifies the charging method based on the data during one call.
It is characterized by performing billing processing that corresponds to each telephone.

[Effect]

Data including the type of charging method is determined for each telephone, and at the time of a call, the charging method corresponding to the telephone is identified based on the data. Then, during the call, processing corresponding to the identified billing method is performed. This allows the charging form to be set arbitrarily for each telephone.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the telephone exchange system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a telephone exchange (P B
), an extension circuit (LIF) that controls or monitors the
Central office trunk (CO) interfaces with the public network.
T), a central processing bag M (CP) that controls the entire telephone exchange (P B A memory device (MM) and a card insertion device (ET) for inserting cards or currency (coins).
), and a console controller (CSC) that controls a console (CS) that performs maintenance of station data and the like. In addition, the central processing unit (CP), the storage device (M-M)
, the card input device controller (ETC), and the console controller (C8C) are connected by a bidirectional bus (BUS).

FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2('b) are diagrams showing the structure of a data file necessary for carrying out the billing method according to the present invention.

Figure 2(a) shows an extension file (S'U) prepared for each telephone (TO to Tn).
b) shows a trunk file (TU') prepared for each central office line trunk (COT).

In FIG. 2(a), the extension file (SU) includes an extension number area 1 that stores extension numbers, and telephones (To to T
n) A charge immediate notification flag area 2 for identifying whether or not there is a need to immediately notify usage charges of usage charges, and a charging identification for identifying whether the charging method is a subtractive charging method or an additional charging method. It includes a flag area 3 and a charging information area 4 for charging call charges. Note that the billing information area 4 stores information on the paid fee when the content of the billing identification flag area 3 indicates the subtractive billing method, and also stores the information of the paid fee when the content of the billing identification flag area 3 indicates the additive billing method. If indicated, accumulated information on call charges is stored.

In Figure 2(b), the trunk file (TU) is
A charge immediate notification flag area 2 is used to identify whether or not there is a need to notify the usage fee immediately to the telephone (T o = T n ), and a charge type identification flag area 2 is used to identify the billing form of the telephone.
charging identification flag area 3, charging band index area 5 for storing the charging index determined by the location of the destination, used call charge area 6 for storing the used call charge, Remaining amount charge area 7 showing the remaining amount
and a unit call time 8 indicating the call time per degree.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

When the telephone (To) performs an operation to send a destination dial to the public network, the telephone exchange equipment (PBX) captures the central office trunk (COT) and
T) sends the destination dial information. At this time, the trunk file (TU) corresponding to the captured office line trunk (COT) and the extension file (SU) corresponding to the calling telephone (To) are extracted, and the extension The charging identification flag and the immediate charge information flag stored in the file (SO) are set, and the charging band index determined by the dialed number of the destination is set. Next, the set billing identification flag is analyzed to determine whether the extension is for addition charge processing or for subtraction charge processing. If the extension is recognized as one that performs additional billing processing, the telephone enters a state of waiting for a response from the other party, and if it is recognized that the extension is one that performs subtractive billing processing, the charge required for the call to the other party is applied to the telephone. (To
), based on the charging band index that has been deposited in advance from the card insertion device (ET) or stored in the trunk file (TU) and the charging information stored in the extension file (S - U ). When the charge required for the call has been paid, the system waits for a response from the other party, and when the charge necessary for the call has not been paid, the telephone (TO) uses the central office trunk (COT) line captured by the telephone (TO). The process is terminated by disconnecting (step 301).

Next, when the other party's response is detected and the call status is recognized (
Step 302), based on the charging band index stored in the trunk file (TU), calculate the call charge per call (unit call charge) and the call time per call (unit call time), and Based on the trunk file (
The information is stored in the usage call charge area 6 and unit call time area 8 of the TU (step 303). Next, the CPU 11 reads the immediate charge information flag stored in the trunk file (TU) to determine whether the call charge needs to be immediately displayed on the display device (not shown) of the telephone set (step 304).

As a result of the identification in step 304, if it is recognized that it is necessary to immediately notify the call charge and the charging identification flag indicates additional charging processing (step 3o5), the flag is set in the trunk file (TU). The call charges used are displayed on the telephone (TO) (step 306). Further, as a result of the identification in step 304, if it is recognized that it is necessary to immediately notify the call charge and the charging identification flag indicates subtractive charging processing (step 305), the flag is set in the trunk file (TU). The remaining charge (remaining number of calls) is calculated based on the current call charge and the billing information set in the extension file (SU), and the calculated charge is stored in the remaining charge area 7 of the trunk file (TU). At the same time, the remaining charge is displayed on the telephone (TO) (step 307).

Next, a process is performed to detect whether the call has ended (step 308), and if it is recognized that the call has ended, refer to the 1 charge identification flag (step 309), and if additional charge processing is performed as a result of the reference, the trunk file ( The call charges recorded in the extension file (SU)
) to register charges in the billing information area of Step 310).
The billing process for the telephone (To) ends. Further, in step 309, if the result of referring to the charging identification flag is a subtractive charging process, the remaining charge set in the remaining charge area 7 of the trunk file (TO) is transferred to the charging information area 4 of the extension file (SU). At step 315), the charging process for the telephone (TO) is completed.

As a result of the determination in step 308, if it is recognized that a call is in progress, the time and trunk file (T
Based on the unit call time stored in U), it is determined whether the call time per degree has elapsed.Step 311)
If the call has not yet elapsed, end-of-call detection processing in step 308 is performed. Also, if it has elapsed, the trunk file (TU)
Referring to the charge identification flag set in step 312), if it is additional charge processing, processing is performed sequentially from step 303 where registration processing is performed (step 30).
3 to step 311).

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step 312, if the charging identification flag indicates subtraction charging processing, the trunk file (T
Step 313: It is determined whether the necessary call charge for the next unit call time has been paid based on the call charge used, the charge band index set in U), and the charge information stored in the extension file (SU). ), if the call charge remains, the process is performed sequentially from step 303 where registration processing is performed (steps 303 to 312),
If there is no call charge required for the next unit call time, the telephone (To) disconnects the line of the central office trunk (COT) captured by the telephone (To). Step 314), the trunk file (T
The remaining charge of U) is stored in the charging information area 4 of the extension file (SU) (step 315), and the money processing ends.

Through the above operations, the charging method for each telephone can be arbitrarily set.

Incidentally, when performing the subtractive charging process, the fee can also be input from the console (CS) without using the cart insertion device (ET).

Furthermore, if the telephone (To-Tn) is equipped with a cart reading device, the card reading device can be used to deposit the call fee at the time of the call and perform the above-mentioned billing process.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to arbitrarily set and process billing forms for each telephone (according to the installation location and usage pattern). Furthermore, regardless of whether the billing method is additive billing or subtractive billing processing, it is possible to set whether or not to immediately display the call charge during a call.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a telephone switching system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of an extension file prepared for each telephone, and FIG. )
3 is a diagram showing the structure of a trunk file prepared for each central office line trunk, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention. PBX...telephone exchange equipment, TO~Tn...telephone, SW...switch, LIF...extension circuit,
COT: Office line trunk, CP: Central processing unit, MM: Storage device, ET: Card input device, C8: Console, ETC: Card input device Controller, C8C...console controller, BUS...control system bus.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A telephone characterized in that data including the type of charging method is determined for each telephone, and during a call, the charging method is identified based on the data, and charging processing corresponding to each telephone is performed. Charging method of exchange system. 2. The data includes information that determines whether or not to display billing information on the telephone during a call, and in the case of information that analyzes the information and displays billing information on the telephone during a call, billing information is displayed on the telephone. 2. A billing method for a telephone switching system according to claim 1, wherein the information is displayed on a telephone.