JPS61287391A - Method for charging information receiving terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an indefinite time until the connection is completed from being calculated in the charged using time of a terminal equipment by setting a time counter after the terminal equipment is actually connected to a central computer. CONSTITUTION:The user of an information receiving terminal equipment 20 inputs amount of money relevant to an using charge corresponding to the unit using time of the terminal equipment 20, and then a charge receiving recognition means 14 generates a charge receiving signal R, and a control program is started in a microcomputer 16 receiving it. Then, a request signal transmitted from the information receiving terminal equipment 20 reaches to a central computer through a transmission route 3. When the carrier wave of an information transmission signal appears on the transmission route 3, a time counter is set, the respective operations of one subtraction of a charge counter and the closing of an information transmission signal opening and closing means 12 are carried out to operate an information receiving function of the information receiving terminal equipment 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] This invention provides an information receiving terminal device connected to an information communication network that can be used in accordance with the usage time when an unspecified number of people jointly use the information receiving terminal device. The present invention relates to a charging method for information receiving terminal devices in an information communication network for collecting fees.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY In recent years, so-called information technology has been introduced, in which a central computer that provides information services and an information receiving terminal device are connected via a transmission line, and information in a data bank stored in the central computer is retrieved and used through the information receiving terminal device. Practical use of communication networks is progressing. The most typical such information communication network is the Videotex communication network (CAPTAIN system) provided by the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company, which uses public communication lines as the transmission route for information. Therefore, regardless of the number of people operating the information receiving terminal device, the cost of calling the communication line to obtain information is borne by the subscriber to the Videotex communication network. is the current situation.

On the other hand, in such an information communication network, the information receiving terminal device is widely open to operation by an unspecified number of people, and a person who attempts to obtain information by operating the terminal device can use the terminal device including the call fee. There is a strong demand for payment of fees in terms of policies such as the spread of the system and the promotion of sales of terminal devices. As an example of such a system, a coin timer is used to turn on the power of the terminal device and make it operational when the user of the terminal device inserts the usage fee, and the amount of money input is turned on. It is conceivable to cut off the power supply and make the device unusable after the corresponding usage time has elapsed.

However, in this method, it is necessary to put the usage fee into the coin timer to make the information receiving terminal device available for use, and then call the central computer through the device, so depending on the situation of the public communication line, The considerable amount of time required for the actual connection between the information receiving terminal device and the central computer may also cause the inconvenience of forcing the user of the terminal device to pay a usage fee.

Purpose of the Invention In view of the actual state of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to send a request signal from an information receiving terminal device to a central computer after paying a usage fee, and to respond to user operations. By setting a time counter that determines the usage time of the terminal device after the terminal device and the central computer are actually connected, an indefinite period of time is elapsed from when the terminal device and the central computer are actually connected until the connection between the information receiving terminal device and the central computer is completed. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for charging information receiving terminal devices in an information communication network, which can eliminate the fact that the information is included in the paid usage time of the terminal device.

Structure of the Invention The structure of the present invention to achieve the above object is to open/close a request signal for opening/closing a request signal sent from the information receiving terminal device to the central computer when the usage fee for the information receiving terminal device is confirmed. means for closing the request signal to allow the request signal to reach the central computer, confirming the presence of the information transmission signal sent by the central computer in response to the request signal, and then opening and closing the information transmission signal. The information transmitting signal opening/closing means is closed to make the information receiving terminal device completely usable, and a time counter that determines the usage time of the terminal device is set and starts measuring the usage time, while the time counter times out. The gist of this is to open both the request signal opening/closing means and the information transmission signal opening/closing means to make the information receiving terminal device unusable.

Example Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The information receiving terminal device 20 is connected to a transmission line 3.3 including the exchange 2.
It is connected to the central computer 1 via a public communication line consisting of..., and a tolling device 10 is interposed between the information receiving terminal device 20 and the transmission path 3.
Figure 2). At the ends of the transmission lines 3.3..., a plurality of information receiving terminal devices 20 are connected with or without the toll charging device 10, forming an information communication network as a whole. shall be taken as a thing.

The information receiving terminal device 120 includes a terminal control device 21 connected to the transmission line 3 via the tolling device 10, and a display device (CRT) 22 that displays image information in the information transmission signal sent from the central computer 1. and an operating keyboard (KB>23), and the latter two are connected to the terminal control device 21 (Fig. 1). An image signal is extracted from the information transmission signal and transferred to the display device 22. At the same time, the terminal user's request information entered via the keyboard 23 is processed appropriately and sent to the transmission path 3 as a request signal. Send to.

In addition to the request signal opening/closing means 11 and the information transmission signal opening/closing means 12 inserted in series between the transmission line 3 and the information receiving terminal device 20, the tolling device 10 also includes a request signal switching means 11 and an information transmission signal opening/closing means 12 inserted in series between the transmission line 3 and the information receiving terminal device 20. It includes an information transmission signal carrier wave determination means 13 for determining whether there is a carrier wave for an information transmission signal, a fee receipt confirmation means 14 for prompting the user to input a usage fee, and a notice signal display device 15 for prompting the user to input an additional fee,
Each of these elements is connected to a microcomputer device 16 for control.

Request signal opening/closing means 11 and information transmission signal opening/closing means 1
2 are formed by connecting a band rejection filter and a switching element S in parallel (Fig. 3), and the center frequency f of each band rejection filter is equal to the information receiving terminal device 20.
The frequency of each carrier wave of the request signal sent from the central computer 1 to the central computer 1 via the transmission line 3 and the information transmission signal similarly sent from the central computer 1 to the information receiving terminal device 20 are made to match. It is assumed that the frequency band is also selected according to the required bandwidth of each signal. The switching element S includes a contact type or non-contact type switching element, and the switching element S includes a contact type or non-contact type switching element, and
It can be opened and closed by the control signal C from 6. That is, when the switching element S is opened, the request signal opening/closing means 11 or the information transmission signal opening/closing means 12 is closed, and when the switching element S is closed, each opening/closing means 11.
12 is open, while the request signal and the information transmission signal use carrier waves of different frequencies on the common transmission path 3, so the open/close states of both opening/closing means 11 and 12 do not affect each other. There is no.

The information transmission signal carrier wave determination means 13 includes, for example, a band pass filter (
It consists of a bandpass amplifier 13b including a BPF), a rectification stage 13C for rectifying its output, and a comparator 13d (Fig. 4), and when an information transmission signal is present on the transmission line 3, the carrier wave is The detection signal is obtained as the final stage output. The detection signal is input to the input/output port 16a of the microcomputer device 16 (FIG. 1).

The fee receipt confirmation means 14 has a mechanism for receiving and checking coins or banknotes, such as a well-known coin timer, and when it confirms that a predetermined amount of the unit usage fee has been input, the microcomputer device 16, and this signal R is transmitted to the microcomputer device 16.
It can also be reset from

The advance notice signal display device 15 includes a lamp display, a character display,
Alternatively, it is possible to warn the user that the usage time of the information receiving terminal device 20 is about to expire by using any display means such as an alarm sound or sound generation, and the microcomputer device 16 connected and can be activated or reset in operation by a warning signal A.

The operation of the charge system @10 of the information receiving terminal device 20 having such a configuration is as follows.

When the user of the information receiving terminal device 20 inputs an amount equivalent to the usage fee corresponding to the unit usage time of the terminal device 20 into the fee receipt confirmation means 14, the fee receipt confirmation means 1
4 generates a fare receipt signal R, and in the microcomputer device 16 that receives this, a control program (
Figure 5) starts.

First, the system is initialized (step (1) of the control program, hereinafter simply referred to as (1)), and since there is a charge receipt @R (2), the information receiving terminal device 2
After confirming that the contents of the time counter on the software to set the unit usage time of 0 is zero (3
), sends a control signal C to the request signal opening/closing means 11,
This is considered closed (4). This allows the request signal sent from the information receiving terminal device 20 to reach the central computer 1 via the transmission path 3. Roughly, 1 is added to the charge counter on the software, and the above-mentioned charge reception signal R is reset.

Next, when the presence or absence of the charge receipt signal R is checked (2), since this was reset in step (4) described above, step (5) for checking the contents of the charge counter is executed. Since the content of the charge counter has been incremented by 1, the content is not zero, so the program moves on to checking the presence or absence of the carrier wave of the information transmission signal on the transmission path 3 (6).

The presence of the carrier wave of the information transmission signal is detected by inputting it into the microcomputer device 16 as an output of the information transmission signal carrier wave determination means 13, and detects the presence of the carrier wave of the request signal closed in step (4). When the request information input from the keyboard 23 of the information receiving terminal device 20 through the means 11 reaches the central computer 1 as a request signal, only after the first information transmission signal in response is sent from the central computer 1, It is assumed that the carrier wave appears on the transmission path 3.

Therefore, in the first pass, since no information transmission signal is sent from the central computer 1, step (6)
The judgment result is negative (N>, and the information receiving terminal device 20
7), and return to step (2) for checking the fare receipt signal.

Thereafter, step (2) is performed until the connection between the information receiving terminal device 20 and the central computer 1 is completed through the transmission path 3 and the first carrier wave of the information transmission signal is confirmed.
, (5), (6), (7), and (2) while waiting for the appearance of the same carrier wave.

When the carrier wave of the information transmission signal appears on the transmission line 3, this fact is inputted to the microcomputer device 16 as a detection signal which is the output of the information transmission signal carrier wave determination means 13, so that the judgment result in step (6) Yes (Y) and check the contents of the time counter (step 8)
). Here, since the time counter has not been set and its contents are zero, the following operations are performed: setting the time counter, subtracting 1 from the charge counter, and closing the information transmission signal opening/closing means 12 to open the information receiving terminal device 20. Activate the information reception function and remember its start (9)
. The time length of the time counter set here is the length of the usage time of the information receiving terminal device 20 corresponding to the usage fee corresponding to the input unit usage time.

When the time counter is set, the timer program (FIG. 6), which is interrupt activated by the timer clock in the microcomputer device 16 at fixed time intervals (for example, every second), subtracts the contents by 1 and stores the information. Measurement of the usage time of the receiving terminal device 20 is started. That is, when the time counter is set (a), this program subtracts the contents of the time counter by 1 (b), and when the remaining usage time becomes less than the fixed time T (C), When there is no additional usage charge to be described later (d), a notice signal A for prompting the user to input additional charges can be sent to the notice signal display device 15 (e).

When the information receiving terminal device 20 is started (step (9) of the control program (FIG. 5)), the program thereafter executes steps (10), (2), (5), (7), and (1).
0) and waits for the time counter to time up.

The content of the time counter is periodically subtracted by 1 by the timer program (FIG. 6) (b), and when the content reaches zero, it means that the time counter has timed up. When this is detected in step (10) of the control program (Fig. 5), it is confirmed that the charge counter is zero (11), the system is initialized (1), and the information receiving terminal device 20 is used. Make it impossible.

Before the time counter times up, the advance notice signal A is transmitted as described above, so that the user can input additional charges accordingly. The input of the additional charge is detected by the charge receipt confirmation means 14, and when this is checked in step (2) of the control program waiting for time-up (Fig. 5), it is confirmed that the usage time has not expired. (3), add 1 to the charge counter (
12>, the process returns to the above-mentioned time-up waiting loop.

When the time counter times up (10) with the additional charge being input, the charge counter has been incremented by 1 and is not zero (11), so the time counter is set again (9), and the information receiving terminal device The usage time of 20 minutes is automatically extended, and the device is then placed in the above-mentioned time-up waiting state.

In the above explanation, it is assumed that the request signal opening/closing means 11 and the information transmission signal opening/closing means 12 are constituted by a parallel circuit of the band rejection filter shown in FIG. 3 and the switching element S. 12 is interposed in series between the transmission path 3 and the information receiving terminal device 20 (FIG. 1), but a band pass filter can be used instead of the band rejection filter K. In that case, , a switching element S inserted in series with the filter 11.
12 are interposed in parallel with each other.

In addition, although the control program was started by inputting the fee into the fee receipt confirmation means 14, the tolling device 1
The control program is started by turning on the power to 0, and is kept on standby in a loop consisting of steps (2), (5>, (7), and (2)), and charge input is performed in step (2).
Of course, the above-mentioned operation may also be started by detecting this.

As described in detail, according to the present invention, after confirming the input of the usage fee, the request signal opening/closing means for opening/closing the request signal sent from the information receiving terminal device to the central computer is closed; The central computer confirms the existence of the information transmission signal sent in response to this request signal, closes the information transmission signal opening/closing means, and sets a time counter that determines the usage time of the information receiving terminal device. By doing so, it is possible to enable the information receiving terminal device and start measuring its usage time immediately after the connection between the central computer and the information receiving terminal device is completed, so that the indefinite period required for this connection can be set. This has the excellent effect of reliably eliminating the inconvenience of time being included in the usage time of the information receiving terminal device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 6 show an embodiment, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a toll charging device and an information receiving terminal device, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an information communication network, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a signal opening/closing means. , FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the information transmission signal carrier wave determination means, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the control program, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the timer program. 1... Central computer 3... Transmission line 11... Request signal opening/closing means 12... Information transmission signal opening/closing means 20... Information receiving terminal device

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) Consisting of a central computer, a transmission path for transmitting information transmission signals sent from the central computer, and an information receiving terminal device connected to the transmission path and capable of sending a request signal to the central computer. When using the information receiving terminal device for a fee in an information communication network, a request is made to open/close the request signal provided between the transmission path and the information receiving terminal device after confirming that the usage fee has been paid. After closing the signal opening/closing means and confirming the existence of the information transmission signal sent from the central computer,
closing an information transmission signal opening/closing means for opening and closing the information transmission signal provided between the transmission path and the information receiving terminal device, and setting a time counter that determines the usage time of the information receiving terminal device; A method for charging an information receiving terminal device in an information communication network, characterized in that when the time counter times out, the request signal opening/closing means and the information transmission signal opening/closing means are opened. 2) When the time counter expires, the usage time of the information receiving terminal device is automatically extended by checking whether an additional charge has been input and resetting the time counter in accordance with the input amount of the additional charge. A method for charging an information receiving terminal device in an information communication network according to claim 1, which makes it possible to perform the following steps.