JP2000013538A - Communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve convenience for the user of a communication terminal equipment and to simplify control in a communication center, in a communication system made into a prepaid charging system. SOLUTION: The communication center for connecting a line between portable telephone sets, controlling a base station and controlling and managing a charging processing or the like is provided with a data base for recording the balance of a prepaid communication charge at all times, together with the ID code of a subscriber. The controller of the communication center retrieves the balances of the prepaid communication charges on a call origination side and a call termination side (S1 and S4), when a call is terminated, and when even one of them is negative or zero, the call origination (S2 and S5) is denied and reports that effect to a call origination side (S3 and S6). When both balances are positive, communication is made possible (S7), and after the communication is ended, a communication charge corresponding to communication time is charged (the balance is subtracted) from the prepaid communication charge on the call origination side (S8). The balance of the prepaid communication charge is reported to the portable telephone set on the call origination side (S10 and S11).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system such as a mobile communication system of a prepaid billing system in which a subscriber pays a communication fee charged according to use of a communication terminal in advance.

[0002]

In recent years, mobile communication systems such as mobile telephone systems and PHS have become widespread.
Its subscribers are also increasing. In this case, for example, in a mobile telephone system, a usage fee is charged according to a talk time of a mobile phone, etc., and a business operator invoices a subscriber every month for a usage fee. And the subscriber pays the usage fee for the previous month in the following month. However, in such a billing method, tasks related to billing, such as issuing a bill, become complicated, and troubles such as unpaid fees have arisen in the case of a malicious subscriber or the like.

[0003] Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-312708, a subscriber of a mobile phone pays an appropriate amount as a usage fee in advance to use (call) according to the advance amount (balance). A prepaid billing method that enables the following is considered. According to this, it is possible to simplify the business related to charging, and it is possible to eliminate a malicious subscriber. In addition, for example, a parent having a child of a student can pay a fixed amount in advance every month, and the child can use the mobile phone within the range.

[0004] However, in the conventional method, during a call, the prepaid amount is reduced, such as how much per minute, and the call is terminated when the balance becomes zero. It has become. For this reason, in a state where the balance is low, it is necessary to make a call while worried that the call will be disconnected during the call, and the call may be actually cut off during the call, which is difficult for the user to use. Had become something. In addition, since the above usage fee (call fee) is generally borne by the sender, there is also an irrational aspect that it is possible to receive a call even if the balance is zero.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a prepaid billing system, which can improve the convenience for a user of a communication terminal, and can further improve communication. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication system capable of simplifying control in a center.

[0006]

A communication system according to the present invention is based on a prepaid billing system in which a communication fee is prepaid by a subscriber, and a communication center for controlling and managing communication is provided by a communication terminal. Management means for managing the balance of the prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal each time one communication is completed; and when the balance of the prepaid communication fee becomes minus or zero, the subsequent communication by the communication terminal is performed. The present invention is characterized in that a prohibition means for prohibition is provided (the invention of claim 1).

According to this, each time one communication by the communication terminal is completed, the management means manages the balance of the prepaid communication charge relating to the communication terminal, and the balance of the prepaid communication charge is managed. When the value becomes negative or zero, the prohibiting means prohibits the subsequent communication by the communication terminal. At this time, the communication fee charging process, that is, the balance management is performed every time one communication is completed, so that it is not necessary to determine the balance during the communication and the balance becomes zero during the communication by the communication terminal. However, only the communication can be continued without being disconnected.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the communication is not cut off during the communication, and a practical effect that the convenience for the user of the communication terminal can be improved can be achieved. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform balance management during communication, extra judgment and control are unnecessary,
The control in the communication center can be simplified.

In this case, when the balance of the prepaid communication fee becomes minus or zero, it is desirable to provide a notifying means for notifying the communication terminal of the fact that the balance of the prepaid communication fee becomes negative or zero (the invention of claim 2). . According to this, the user of the communication terminal can know that the communication terminal has become unusable, and can quickly take measures such as newly paying a prepaid communication fee.

In this type of communication system, when communication is performed between communication terminals, it is conceivable that a communication fee is charged only to the originating side. May be configured to prohibit calling when the balance of the prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal is minus or zero on either one of the calling side and the called side (the invention of claim 3). Further, it is possible to solve the irrationality that only the incoming call is possible even if the balance of the prepaid communication fee becomes negative or zero.

It is preferable that the communication terminal be configured so that the balance of the prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal can be confirmed (the invention of claim 4). The user of the machine can easily check the balance of the prepaid communication fee. The present invention can be applied to a mobile telephone system having a mobile telephone as a communication terminal (the invention of claim 5), and can solve some problems in the current mobile telephone system. , It will be effective.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a mobile telephone system will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a configuration of a communication system (mobile telephone system) according to the present embodiment. Here, this communication system includes a mobile telephone (mobile phone) 1 as a communication terminal owned by a number of system subscribers, and a communication center for controlling and managing communication of the communication terminal 1 on a communication carrier side. 2. It is provided with a plurality of base stations 3 provided for each predetermined zone and interposed between the mobile phone 1 and the communication center 2. Base station 3 and mobile phone 1
Are connected by radio waves.

The portable telephone 1 has a key operation unit 4 having dial keys and the like, a display unit 5 on which various messages are displayed, a microphone (transmitter) 6, a speaker (receiver) in a portable body. 7, having an antenna 8 and not shown in the figure, a control circuit mainly composed of a microcomputer for performing overall control, a memory, a transmission / reception circuit,
It is configured with a battery or the like serving as a power supply. Each mobile phone 1 is given an ID code such as a unique telephone number.

On the other hand, the communication center 2 has a control device (host computer) 9 and a database 10 connected to the control device 9. The control device 9 is connected to each of the base stations 3 and also connected to a communication system of different operators, a financial online system such as a bank, and the like via a network. The control device 9 performs connection (exchange) of a line between the mobile telephones 1 and controls the base station 3 and performs a billing process, and also controls and manages the entire system. It is configured as follows.

When a dial signal is transmitted from the mobile phone 1 on the transmitting side, the dial signal is transmitted to the control device of the communication center 2 via the base station 3 together with the ID code of the mobile phone 1 on the transmitting side. 9 and the communication center 2
A call signal is sent to the mobile phone 1 of the call destination (reception side) via the base station 3, and when a call reception operation is performed on the mobile phone 1 of the call destination, a line is connected to enable communication (call). And so on. Then, when the communication (call) is completed, the line is disconnected and a communication fee charging process is performed. In this embodiment, only the communication charge for each call (transmission) is charged as the communication charge.

In this billing process, the calling side is billed (for example, how much per minute) in accordance with the talk time. It is a prepaid billing system in which a subscriber pays a business operator in advance. At this time, the database 10 is provided with a subscriber memory for storing information of each subscriber, and together with the ID code (telephone number) of each subscriber (mobile phone 1), the balance of the prepaid call charge is always kept. The call charge is recorded, and the call charge is subtracted from the prepaid call charge of the subscriber of the mobile phone 1 that made the call.

As a method of prepayment of a call charge, for example, automatic debit of a fixed monthly amount from a subscriber's bank account,
Various methods are possible, such as using a CD machine of a financial institution such as a bank or a similar automatic payment machine, transferring money through a window of a financial institution, or paying at a window of a business branch, an agency, or an agency. And when there is a prepayment,
Information on the ID code and the prepaid amount of the mobile phone 1 of the subscriber is sent to the communication center 2 online or wirelessly via the network, and the amount is added to the balance in the database 10.

As will be described later in the description of the operation, the control device 9 of the communication center 2 sets the mobile phone 1 every time one communication (communication) by the mobile phone 1 ends.
Manages the balance of the prepayment by billing for,
When the balance becomes negative or zero, further use of the mobile phone 1, in this case both outgoing and incoming calls, is prohibited unless the balance becomes positive due to the payment of the prepaid amount of the subscriber. I have. Therefore, the control device 9 functions as the management means and the prohibition means according to the present invention.

When the balance of the prepaid amount becomes negative or zero, the control device 9 also functions as a notifying means for notifying the mobile phone 1 of the fact. Further, in this embodiment, the control device 9 transmits the data of the balance after the charging process to the mobile phone 1 at the end of the call.
In the mobile phone 1, the balance is displayed on the display unit 5 and the latest balance is always stored in the memory, so that the balance data at that time can be called and displayed on the display unit 5 at any time. I have.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 1 shows a procedure of a process executed by the control device 9 of the communication center 2 when a call is transmitted from the mobile phone 1. Now, when the user (subscriber) of the mobile phone 1 wants to make a call to another mobile phone 1, for example, he operates the key operation unit 4 to input the telephone number of the other party and performs a call operation. I do. As a result, the dial signal (and the caller ID)
Is transmitted to the communication center 2 via the base station 3.

Then, in step S1, the control device 9 searches the database 10 based on the ID code of the calling party, and determines whether or not the calling party has a prepaid call charge balance (plus). You. Here, if there is no prepaid call charge balance, that is, minus or zero (No in step S1), the control unit 9 rejects the call (step S2). , A notification signal indicating that there is no balance of the prepaid call charge is transmitted (step S3). With this notification signal, a warning message in characters is displayed on the display unit 5 of the mobile phone 1. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which a warning is notified by a voice message from the speaker 7 of the mobile phone 1.

On the other hand, if the calling party has a balance of the prepaid call charge (Yes in step S1), in the next step S4, the database 1 is stored based on the telephone number of the called party.
0 is searched, and it is similarly determined whether or not the called party has a balance of the prepaid call charge. Then, even when there is no prepaid call charge balance on the receiving side (N in step S4)
o), the call is rejected (step S5), and
The mobile phone 1 on the calling side is notified that the call cannot be made because the balance of the prepaid call charge is not at the called party (step S6).

As a result, when the balance of the prepaid call charge is minus or zero, not only outgoing calls by the communication terminal 1 but also incoming calls are prohibited.
Then, the user of the communication terminal 1 can easily know that the call cannot be made because the balance of the prepaid communication fee of the user or the other party is minus or zero.

On the other hand, if both the calling side and the called side have the balance of the prepaid call charge (Yes in step S4)
s) In step S7, normal processing is performed. In this normal processing, as described above, the mobile phone 1 on the called side
To the mobile phone 1 on the called side
When a call is received, a line is connected to enable a call, and when the call ends, the line is disconnected.

When the call is completed, the caller is charged for the call charge (step S8). As described above, this billing process is performed by calculating a call charge according to the call time (line connection time) and subtracting the call charge from the prepaid call charge balance stored in the database 10. Will be Then, in the next step S9, it is determined whether or not the balance of the calling party's prepaid call fee after the charging process still remains.

If the balance of the prepaid call fee is negative or zero (No in step S9), the fact that the balance of the prepaid call fee has been exhausted and the negative amount of the prepaid call fee have disappeared for the mobile phone 1 on the calling side. A notification is issued (step S11). If the balance of the prepaid call fee is positive (Yes in step S9), the balance of the prepaid call fee is notified to the mobile phone 1 on the calling side (step S10). In response to the notification, the mobile phone 1 displays the balance of the prepaid call charge on the display unit 5 and always stores the latest balance in the memory. Also,
The user can call the balance data at any time and display the balance data.
Can be displayed.

Since the management of the balance of the call fee is performed each time one call is completed, it is not necessary to determine the balance during the communication, and the management of the communication terminal 1 during the call is not required. Even if the balance of the prepaid call fee becomes equal to or less than zero, the communication can be continued without being cut off only for the communication. Therefore, even when the balance of the prepaid call fee is low, the user can make a call without worrying that the call will be disconnected during the call.

After the end of the call, the balance of the prepaid communication fee to the communication terminal 1 on the calling side is notified.
The user of the communication terminal 1 can easily check the balance of the prepaid communication fee, and can quickly take measures such as newly paying the prepaid communication fee. Further, since the latest balance of the prepaid communication fee is always stored in the communication terminal 1, the user can check the balance at any time, which is more convenient.

According to such a mobile telephone system of the present embodiment, the prepaid billing system can simplify the work relating to billing such as billing and collection, and can also be performed by a malicious system that does not pay a fee. It is possible to eliminate subscribers, and for example, a parent having a student's child can pay a fixed amount in advance every month and give the child a mobile phone 1 within that range. , You can enjoy various benefits.

Unlike the conventional method in which the prepaid amount is reduced during a call and the call is terminated when the balance becomes zero, the balance management of the call charge is performed once. Is performed each time the call is ended, it is not necessary to determine the balance during the call, and even if the balance becomes zero during the communication by the communication terminal 1, the call can be continued only for that call. As a result, the line is not disconnected during the call, and the convenience for the user of the communication terminal 1 can be improved. In addition, extra judgment and control in the control device 9 are not required, and control and management in the communication center 2 can be simplified.

Further, in the present embodiment, the balance of the prepaid call charge itself or the fact that the balance is minus or zero is appropriately notified to the communication terminal 1, so that the user of the communication terminal 1 The user can easily know the balance of the prepaid call charges, and can take a corresponding action promptly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, the call is prohibited even when the balance of the prepaid communication fee for the mobile phone 1 on the receiving side is minus or zero, so that the balance of the prepaid call fee becomes minus or zero. However, it is possible to eliminate the irrationality that only incoming calls are possible.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a mobile telephone system. However, the present invention is also applicable to general line telephones and facsimile machines as well as mobile communication systems such as PHS and car telephones. Can be
The present invention can be applied to various communication systems such as a computer network such as the Internet. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a basic usage fee may be charged in addition to the call fee for each call as a communication fee. It can be changed and implemented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by a control device when a mobile phone makes a call.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a mobile telephone system;

[Explanation of symbols]

In the drawings, 1 is a mobile phone (communication terminal), 2 is a communication center, 3 is a base station, 4 is a key operation unit, 5 is a display unit, 6 is a microphone, 7 is a speaker, and 9 is a control device (management means,
Prohibition means, notification means) and 10 indicate a database.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A prepaid accounting system in which a communication center controls and manages communication of a communication terminal by a communication center, and a subscriber pays a communication fee charged according to use of the communication terminal in advance. A communication means, wherein the communication center manages a balance of a prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal each time one communication is completed by the communication terminal; A communication system comprising a prohibiting means for prohibiting subsequent communication by the communication terminal when the balance becomes negative or zero. 2. The communication center according to claim 1, wherein said communication center includes a notifying means for notifying said communication terminal when said prepaid communication charge balance becomes negative or zero. Communications system. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prohibiting unit is configured to perform a communication between the communication terminals when the balance of the prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal is minus or zero on either one of the calling side and the called side. 3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein transmission is prohibited. 4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is configured to check a balance of a prepaid communication fee for the communication terminal. . 5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile phone.