JPH0437355A - Relay station charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To inform a caller telephone number to a relay exchange and to allow the relay exchange to record charging information by sending a charge request dial to the relay exchange when an exchange detects it that a call from a caller telephone set requests a special service and sending/receiving a signal to/from the relay exchange. CONSTITUTION:When an exchange 11 uses a caller telephone number request means 113 to detect a call from a caller telephone set to be a signal requesting a caller telephone number, a caller telephone number transmission means 114 to extract a caller telephone number (-obtained based on a subscriber line accommodation terminal of caller telephone set) detected in advance when a caller telephone set 10 makes dialing from a memory 116 and sends the telephone number to a relay exchange 12. When the caller telephone number is received by a charging information registration means 123 of the relay exchange 12, the caller telephone number is stored in a charging information memory 125. Then the relay exchange 12 starts a registration end notice means 124 to inform the end of registration to the exchange 11. The exchange 11 receiving the notice uses a service registration means 115 to register the content of the service requested to the memory 116.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a relay station charging method in a telephone switching network in which communication calls within a local area are connected free of charge and charges are charged by a relay exchange that connects communication calls between networks, charges are only charged at the relay station. The purpose of this invention is to provide a relay station charging method that allows charging processing to be performed for special calls within the local area even in a telephone switching network where the switching equipment within the local area does not have a charging mechanism. The control device of the exchange in the local area sends a billing request dial to the relay exchange when a request for a special service within the local area occurs, and when it detects a request for a calling telephone number from the relay exchange, it sends out the calling telephone number and sends the calling telephone number to the relay exchange. The control device of the exchange is configured to request a calling telephone number when it detects a charging request dial, and when it receives a calling telephone number, stores charging information and charges a call requesting a special service within its own area. do.

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a relay station charging method in a telephone switching network in which communication calls within a local area are connected free of charge, and charges are charged by a relay exchange that connects communication calls between networks.

Generally, when using the public telephone network, calls are charged for calls within one's own local area (or within the local area) and calls to other local areas (or outside the area). Billing processing is executed for the calling subscriber for each call in the exchange (local station) within each local area.

However, in some countries, when using the public telephone network, calls within the same local area (local area) are free, and calls to other local areas (outside areas) are charged only. (e.g. oil producing countries in the Middle East)
.

When performing such billing, exchanges in each local area are not provided with a mechanism for performing billing processing, and only transit exchanges that connect to other local areas are provided with a billing mechanism.

However, when a subscriber requests a special service at an exchange within a local area, it is desired to charge two charges.

[Prior art] Traditionally, in most countries, when using the public telephone network, there are no call charges regardless of whether it is a local call (a call within a local area) or a long distance call (a call between different local areas). However, as mentioned above, local calls on the public telephone network (calls within the same local area) may be free of charge, and only long distance calls may be charged.

FIG. 4(a) shows a connection system diagram of a telephone network that charges charges for long-distance calls, and FIG. 4(b) is an explanatory diagram of charging processing for long-distance calls.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), local exchanges 50a and 50b
etc. are calls between telephones within each local area (local calls)
When performing connection processing, the call is made free of charge without being charged.

On the other hand, toll calls between local areas are connected via the relay exchange (or relay station) 51, and billing processing is executed at the relay exchange when the connection is made.

To explain the billing process performed as shown in FIG. 4(b), a subscriber of a local exchange (referred to as a calling station) 50a dials a subscriber of a local exchange 50b in another area, desiring a long-distance connection. The calling station 50a identifies that the call is a long-distance call based on the dial received. The originating station 50a captures the trunk line connected to the relay exchange 1a (relay station) 51 and transmits connection control information (dial information). Transmitting station 50a
teeth.

At this time, the calling phone number is also sent.

At the relay station 51, the receiver identifies the local exchange 1150b of the connection partner based on the received dial information, performs connection control, and records billing information in the memory 52 using one calling telephone number. In this way, billing corresponding to one calling telephone number is executed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional method described above, communication calls within the local area are made free of charge, and charges are charged only for long-distance calls between local areas at the relay station. Therefore, exchanges within the local area (city exchanges) were not equipped with billing functions.

However, if a subscriber wishes to provide special services (such as a wake-up call) using a two-local exchange, such special services must be provided for a fee, but only within the local area. There was a problem in that the switching equipment was not equipped with a billing processing mechanism.

The present invention provides relay station billing that allows billing processing to be performed for special calls within the local area even in a telephone switching network where billing is performed only at the relay station and no billing mechanism is provided in the exchanges within the local area. The purpose is to provide a method.

[Means to solve the problem] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 10 represents a calling telephone, 11 represents an exchange (originating station) in the local area, and 12 represents a relay exchange (relay station).

In the exchange 11 in the local area, 111 is special dial detection means, 112 is charge request dial generation means, and 113 is calling telephone number request means.

114 is a calling telephone number sending means, 115 is a service registration means, 116 is a memory, and in the relay exchange 12, 121 is a billing request dial detecting means, 122 is a calling telephone number requesting means, 123 is a billing information registering means, and 124 is a billing information registering means. Registration completion notification means 125 represents a billing information memory.

The present invention is applied to an exchange within a local area.

When it detects that a call from the originating telephone has requested a special service, it sends a billing request dial to the transit exchange, sends and receives signals to and from the transit exchange, notifies the transit exchange of the originating telephone number, and receives billing information. Recording is performed by a relay exchange.

[Operation] When a call is made from the calling telephone 10 to the exchange 11 in the local area and a dial is made to request a special service such as a wake-up call or a call forwarding, which is performed by the exchange in the local area, the exchange 11 The dial detection means 111 detects that a special service is requested and activates the 2-charging request dial generation means 112. Charging request dial generating means 112 sends a dial representing a request for charging to trunk exchange 12 via a trunk line connected to trunk exchange 12.

This dial signal is detected by billing request dial detecting means 121 of trunk exchange 12, and the detection output drives calling telephone number requesting means 122 to send a signal requesting a calling telephone number to exchange 11 via a trunk line. Send.

When the exchange 11 detects the signal requesting the calling telephone number by the calling telephone number requesting means 113, the switching equipment 11 sends the calling telephone number (calling telephone (based on the accommodating terminal of the subscriber line) is retrieved from the memory 116 and sent to the trunk exchange 12. When this calling telephone number is received by the billing information registration means 123 of the relay exchange 12, it is stored in the billing information memory 125. Next, the transit exchange 12 activates the registration completion notification means 124 and
1 to notify completion of registration. Upon receiving this, the exchange II registers the contents of the requested service in the memory 116 by the service registration means 115.

[Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a control flow of the embodiment.

In FIG. 2, 20 is a subscriber's telephone, 21.22 is a network and a control device that constitutes a local exchange (hereinafter referred to as a local exchange) 1; 23.24 is a network and a control device that constitutes a relay exchange 2; 25 represents a magnetic tape.

A large number of subscriber telephones 20 are accommodated in the local exchange 1,
Calls between subscribers within a local area are free of charge, and in the case of a call via a relay exchange 2 between local areas, billing processing is performed at the relay exchange 2.

FIG. 3 shows a control flow for billing a call requesting a special service from subscriber A's telephone in local exchange 1. Referring to the configuration of FIG. 2, the following describes a wake-up call as an example. explain. In addition, local exchange 1 is the originating station,
Relay exchange $l12 is assumed to be a relay station.

Special service (wake-up call) from a certain telephone 20
It is assumed that a special telephone number (dialing of the telephone number) requesting a call is received (30 in Fig. 3).

In this example, as shown in Figure 2, the telephone number for requesting wake-up call service is "*55*hour 1 minute#
” dial is used, and “hour 1 minute” is
Numbers representing the "hour" and "minute" of the wake-up call are set.

The received dial (number) is translated in the control device 22 of the originating station 1 (31).

The translation result is then identified as to whether it represents a service that should be subject to compulsory charges (see 32). ).

Note that when a request for special service is identified, it is also possible to perform a process of determining whether or not the calling telephone 9 is qualified to receive special service.

In that case, it is checked in advance against a registered table to see if the phone number is eligible to receive the service.

If the device is subject to forced charging, the process of reading out the 2-charging request dial is started (33). In that case, first, the trunk line device (trunk) connected to the relay station is captured and a transmission signal is sent out (34).

When this outgoing signal is received (41), the control device 24 of the relay station 2 is activated and prepares to receive the dial.

When the originating station sends out 3 outgoing signals, the dial number determined in advance as the billing request dial (in the example in Figure 2,
r149'') is stored in the memory, and sends that number to the relay station (35).

When the relay station receives this dial (43), it performs translation processing (44) and identifies that it is a 1 billing request dial.

Then, the control device of the relay station sends a request for two calling telephone numbers (45).

When the calling station receives the request for the calling telephone number (telephone number) (36), it returns the already detected calling telephone number (37).

When the relay station picks up the calling phone number, it calls the subscriber A.
The billing process is executed by adding 1 to the number of calls stored in the memory location of the billing memory corresponding to the telephone number.
7). When this billing process is completed, a one billing completion signal is sent from the relay station to the originating station (48), followed by a special call completion tone (49).

When this billing completion signal is received by the transmitting station (ibid. 38)
1 The transmission station registers the service content (see 39
). On the other hand, the 1 calling subscriber is notified of the special call completion tone sent from the relay station 2 (40), indicating that the wake-up call service has been accepted and registered.

In the control of the calling station described above, if in step 32 a local telephone number is indicated, a normal connection is made as a call without 9 charges. Furthermore, in the case of a long-distance connection call, a connection is made to a normal relay station, and billing is performed at the relay station in the same manner as in the past. Billing for billing is temporarily stored on the magnetic tape 25 from the billing registration memory 9, and billed to the subscriber based on the data.

10 in Figure 1: Calling telephone 11: Exchange in local area (originating station) 12: Relay exchange (relay station) Patent applicant Fujitsu Limited (1 other person) Representative patent attorney
Aiori Hosaka (2 others) [Effects of the invention] According to the present invention, even if only the relay exchange is equipped with a billing function, the exchange within the local area (local exchange) will forcefully charge the originating subscriber. You can perform billing processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram of the principle configuration of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the embodiment, Fig. 3 is the control flow of the embodiment, Fig. 4(a) is a diagram of the connection system of the conventional example, and Fig. 4 ( b) is an explanatory diagram of a conventional billing process. Figure 4 (a) Diagram of the connection system of the conventional example of the control system of the embodiment Figure 4 (b) An explanatory diagram of the charging process of the conventional example

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a telephone switching network in which communication calls within a local area are connected free of charge and charges are charged by a relay exchange connecting communication calls between networks, a control device of the exchange within the local area connects communication calls within the own area. When a request for a special service occurs, a billing request dial is sent to the relay exchange, and when a calling telephone number request from the trunk exchange is detected, the calling telephone number is sent. When the control device of the relay exchange detects a billing request dial, it sends a dialing request. A relay station billing method characterized in that a relay station charges a call requesting a special service within its own area by requesting a telephone number and storing billing information upon receiving a calling telephone number.