Method and apparatus for teleprinting public services data at the subscriber.

The present invention relates to a system and an apparatus allowing data and messages to be printed or written onto a paper support or the like, with a possibility of answer back or interaction, said data and messages serving for the delivery of bills or invoices, for interpersonal communi­cations or for requesting and supplying information between an agency and an individual user or between users.

At the present time the agecines supplying products or services to the public request the payment of said products or services through a network formed by an own burocratic organization, based on internal personnel, and through external organizations, such as mail delivery serivces and money collecting services like mail and/or banck services.

Among these agecines, those which are enabled to keep the measurement means of the products or services at their premises, in order to obtain data from which the bills to be sent to the users can be deduced, do not face particular difficulties apart from using a great deal of personnel for the preparation of said bills and from being compelled to make re­course to mail delivery services (such as mail services and delivery ser­vices) with all the possible drawbacks such as delays and/or misceria of mail as caused by these services.

The agencies which, owing to the nature of the services being supplied, such as the agencies distributing electricity, gas, tap water etc., are compelled to maintain the meter at the user house, suffer from the fur­ther drawbackof being compelled to use personnel attending to the meter reading, in order to periodically read the meters and obtain the data from which the bills to be sent to the users are drawn.

As for budget reasons said agencies have a limited number of employees attending to the meter reading, said readings are carried out at rather long time intervals, of about four to six months, whereas for financial reasons it is convenient to bill the sums for the services rendered every two months, mainly to avoid an excessive financial exposure and to keep the amounts of the single bills within reasonable limits.

However, in order to effect a billing every two months, against a rading of the effective consumption every four or six months, invoices are to be issued on alleged consumptions which, although well calculated, being ba­sed both on general statistical data for each category of user and on hi­storical consumption data of each user, may give place to a number of ra­ther trublesome problems, such as the alternation of bills of too much different amounts, the obligation of reimbursements to an user after a number of too high amount bills with respect to the effective consum­ptions, misunderstandings owing to the sudden stopping of the service supply etc.

Moreover the jurisprudence of several countires is oriented to consider as invalid the bills issued for presumptive consumptions, whereby a num­ber of agencies may be exposed to contests about the legal basis of these bills.

One object of the present invention is that of providing through a tele­printing apparatus at a telephone user information coming from public service agencies or the like, mainly relating to the amounts of bills which the user has to pay for a service supplied by one of said agencies. Another object of the present invention is that of providing an appara­tus, to be installed at a telephone user, to obtain thereat a printing of billing data both on a simple paper support and on forms suitable for the carrying out of payment of bills at money payment services, such as post offices or bank offices.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing an appara­tus , to being installed at a telephone user, provided with displaying optical means in order reproduce in not permanent manner information and messages for the user, coming from an agency or another user.

Another object of the present invention is that of providing an appara­tus, to be installed at a telephone user, provided with transmission means for printed message, such as an alpha-numeric key board, permitting the user to send messages to an agency or to another user.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing an appara­tus , to be installed at a telephone user, provided with reading optical-­ electronic means, adapted to read messages written on special forms to permit communication with other users or with agencies for the sending of instructions or for the request of information.

Another object of the invention is that of providing an apparatus to be installed at a telephone user, provided with interface and connection means with an outer computer (personal computer) owned by the user, in order to permitt a talk between said personal computer and one of said a­gencies (especially with the computer machine of said agency) as well as between personal computer or different users.

Another object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus to be installed at an user, provided with reading an interface means for meters of products or services, installed at the user, in order to permit a telereading or said message by the agencies supplying the product or services.

Shortly stated, the present invention, is realized by using an apparatus essentially comprising a microprocessor (12) and a modulating-demodula­ting system (14) commonly known as "modem" connecting a telephone line (16) to said microprocessor (12) or to a standard telephone set (18) de­pending on the type of ring signal received by said "modem" (14), charac­terized in that said microprocessor (12) is enabled to distinguished a ring signal for conversations from a ring signal for the data transmis­sion on the basis of some distinguishing parameters, such as for example the time duration of the first ring signal, by connecting the telephone line to the telephone set (18) or to the microprocessor (12), said micro­processor (12) attending to the acknowledgement of the received data, di­stinguishing between valid or legal data for which an action is carried out and non valid or illegal data for which no action is carried out a­part from warming about their illegality.

More specifically , when said microprocessor (12) receives a first valid or legal datum, it is recorded on, thereafter a second, a third, a fourth datum is waited for etc. an finally upon the arrival of a signal of end of transmission arrives, the microprocessor assess whether the data are transmitted with a redundant code mechanism, suitable to avoid the loss of information, sending an answer of non accepted data if said code is not presence and an answer of accepted data if it is present, then car­rying out the commands, considered legals, and transmitted with redundant code and lastly maintaining the procedus until a release signal arrives which through "modem" (14) disconnects the microprocessor (12) from the telephone line (16).

More specifically, said microprocessor (12) depending on legal data re­ceived, provides the driving of one of the peripheral units, connected thereto, such as a printer (22) or a display (38).

Alternatively , said microprocessor (12) depending on legal data recei­ved, provides to connect the line (16) with the interface (30) of a per­sonal computer at the user.

According to another preferred embodiment, the microprocessor (12) con­trolls the "modem" (14) to permit a transmission of answer of interaction from the user to an agency or an other user.

More specifically said answer can be provided by a key board peripheral unit (42) which permits messages to be composed and sent.

Alternatively said answer, may be provided by a peripheral unit with op­ticall reader (34) adapted to read messages written onto proper forms (180;200) provided with the pre-market zone (184;204) by which data are provided of sliding rate of said forms in order to generate signals for the synchronization of characters written in aligned boxes according to suitable lines (186;192-206;210).

Alternatively, said pre-market zone (184;204) , providing reading date, can be substituted for by wheels dragged by the sheet of said forms (180;200) and driving generators of synchronization signals.

According to a further alternative said opticall reader (34) can be used for the sending of messages of personal communication to other users or request of information to agencies instead than for providing an answer to request of an agency.

A method of utilization of the present invention which can be used to permit the invoicing and payments of services which can be metered by a meter according to which an agency (120) provides for the transmission of reading data of meters relating the measurement of products or services supplied to each single user to an accounting computer of the agency (126) by which through a telephone line (152) a billing message is sent to each user having an apparatus according to the present invention, said apparatus comprising a receiving "modem" (154) and a computing and prin­ting unit (156) adapted to print the billing data onto a form (157) use­ful to carry out a payment of bills using one of the standard means for said payment.

According to a preferred embodiment said, said payment means is a post account payment carried out by using the form (157) with the data issued by the computing and printing unit (156).

According to another embodiment , said payment means is a remittance at a bank service using the same form (157) with the date issued by the compu­ting and printing unit (156) in a form useful for a bank remittance.

Alternatively, the data written from the computing and printing unit (156) at the user may be used the sending, through whatever means of data transmission, instructions (160) to a bank agency (140) which takes care of bill payment.

More particularly, said information (160) can be composed by means of a key board and display assemly (162) and sent to said bank agency (140) through a telephone line using said computing and printing unit (156) and said "modem" (154).

Alternatively , said instructions (160) can be written onto a communica­tion form (180) to be read by an opticall reader (34) connected to the apparatus at the user.

The present method in order to permit the billing and payment of product and services which can be metered by a meter uses meters (122) present at said agency (120) which supply to said accounting computer (126) the data for the composition of billing messages to be sent to the computing and printing unit (156) at the user for the printing of bills and/or forms to be used for the payment of billed amount.

Moreover the accounting computers (126) at the agency (120) may send to said user special instruction (144a) such as commands of limitation or suspension or services owing to particular situation, such as the omitted payment of bills.

Alternatively the meters, (170) can be present at the user and an accoun­ting computer (126) at the supply agency (120a) may send to the user pe­riodical instructions (128b) to read said meters (170) and transmitt the reading data to said agency (120a), said accounting computer taking then care of sending billing data suitable for the printing of bills and/or payment forms by means of the computing and printing unit (156) at the u­ser.

According to a first alternative, the meters (170) and the user can be read directly by accounting computer (126) of the same agency (120a) through optical readers present in said meters and periodically actuated by said accounting computer (126) through an interface (172) between said meters (170) and said computing and printing unit (156) at the user.

In addition the computer (126) at the agency (120a) may send to said user special instructions (144a) such as commands of limitation or suspension of service owing to particular situation such as omitted payment of bil­ls.

The features and advantages of the present invention shall be made more evident from the description of the preferred embodiment thereof given as an example and provided with the enclosed drawings in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>figure 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus embodying the system accor­ding to the present invention;</li><li>figure 2A is a first portion of a flow chard for the "modem" portion of an apparatus embodying the system according to the present invention;</li><li>figure 2B is a second part of the same flow chard the first one being de­picted in figure 2A;</li><li>figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system for services billing such as a telephone service, carried out according to the prior art means;</li><li>figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a billing system, similar to that of figure 3, carried out with the apparatus of the system according to the present invention; figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a billing system for a service the me­ter device of which, such as a meter, is installed at the user and can be read by the same,</li><li>figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a billing system, like that of figure 5, in which moreover the meter can be directly read from the apparatus by means an interface system with the same;</li><li>figure 7 is a schematic picture of a form for message transmission which can be read by means of reading auxiliary device which can be applied to the apparatus of the present invention;</li><li>figure 8 is a schematic picture of a form for information request to a­gency or organization open to the public, which can be read by means of the same auxiliary reading device used for reading the form of figure 7.</li></ul>

Referring to figure 1 , it is seem that an apparatus embodying the system according to the invention consists of a microprocessor 12 connected by a multiple line 13 to a modulating and demodulating device 14 hereinafter called "modem" which provides the interface between a telephone line 16 and said microprocessor 12 as well as with a telephone set 18.

Said microprocessor 12 is also connected through a line 19 and a control apparatus 20 to a print 22 which, for example, carries out the printing onto a paper band 24 which is unrolled from a roll or suitable cartridge 26. Said paper band 24 can be a continous band of white paper or a series of pre-printed forms, connected to each other by weakened regions to per­mit their subsequent detatchment, of the type of forms to be used for mail account payments.

Said microprocessor 12 is also connected through a multiple line 28 to an interface circuit 30 for the further connection through the line 32 to an outer computer such as a personal computer (not shown).

To said microprocessor 12 can be possibly connected also an opticall read 34, through a line 36, a display 38 through a line 40 , and a keyboard 42 through a line 44.

A reserved battery 46, mantained under load from a power supply 48 con­nected to a main line 50, provides the supply through a reserved line 52, to the microprocessor 12 and the "modem" 14 to retain data and prevent an interruption of a possible connection in case of lack of main power.

As the microprocessor 12 a number of commercially available micropro­cessor can be used.

However it is particularly preferred in the present embodiment a micro­processor Toshiba TMP 84C 015 which has the advantage of integrating on the same "chip" also some peripheral components such as four timers, two adaptors for synchronous or asynchronous serial interface, two adaptor for 8 bit parallel interface and a so called watch dog timer. Obviously to the microprocessor there are connected and commonly supplied all the electronic components necessary for the operation thereof, such as for example ectrically programmable read only memories (EPROM), random access memories (RAM), oscillating quartzs, decoding circuits , etc.

As the printer 22 one of a number of presently commercially available printers can be used , with the only limitation imposed by the size and by the possibility of interface and by power requirements of the printing member, possibly requiring supplementary driver.

More specifically in the present embodiment a printer EPSON 3740 has been used, provided with an own control circuit which facilitate the task of the microprocessor 12 to carry out prints.

However said control circuit can be eliminated by having it function car­ried out by the microprocessor 12 itsef, using supplementary driver Also the "modem" 14 can be selected among several available "modem" typ­es, the only limitation being that said "modem" must be controlled from one of the serial adpators (gates) of the microprocessor 12.

Said "modem" has been foreseen to acknowledge a ring signal or "ring" with features different from the normal ring coming from telephone calls between normal users of the telephone service.

For example this ring can be of a different time duration with respect to the first ring or ring signal coming from the normal commutator and the system is then arranged for the filtering of said first ring preventing the ring signal for the apparatus from actuating the telephone ringing bell, by which the user would the disturbed with calls directed not to telephone communication but to communication with the apparatus of the present invention which consequently are of interest only for the "mo­dem".

For example and to understand the operation of said "modem" reference is made to the flow sheet illustrated in the figures 2A and 2B.

Said flow chard permits the "modem" to engage the telephone line when a ring signal or ring of the type indicating a call for data transmission and not for telephone conversation , for receiving data, for carrying out valid command and for releasing the line at the end of the transmission is received.

Among the commands accepted by the system of the present invention the following, for example , can be present: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>(a) diagnostic, such as: indication of paper reserve in the container or cartridge 26, printing correctiveness, bills taken out by the client, etc.</li><li>(b) memory initialization:</li><li>(c) data reception for the printing of postal account forms;</li><li>(d) data reception for message or bills;</li><li>(e) printing commands;</li><li>(f) line release.</li></ul>

The carrying out of the tasks of the "modem" is illustrated in a detailed manner in the flow chard of the figures 2A and 2B and particularly: the swtiching on the apparatus resets all the resettable circuits as illustrated in the beginning block 60, causes the initialition of the circuit of all the peripheral units and resets the "modem" 14 and the printer 22 bringing the head thereof in the normal starting position, as illustrated in the action blocks 62 and 64 respectively.

The arrival of the ring signal causes the length thereof to be evaulated by deciding through the decision block 66 whether it is the call for data transmission , or digital ring, or a normal call for telephone com­munication.

If the decision is that it is not a digital ring , the program comes back, immediately after to the block 64, otherwise it shifts to the ac­tion block 68 which causes the line to be engaged, namely the telephone line 16 is connected to the "modem" 14 and thus to the block 70 by which a local carrier signal is switched on permitting data transmission.

The next decision block 72 makes the decision whether the local carrier is received. If it is not received, a second decision block 74 control whether a waiting time is not lapsed. Until said waiting time is not lapsed a return to the block 72 takes place to possibly permit the opera­tion in the case of carrier reception.

When said time is lapsed , an action block 76 switches off the local car­rier signal and the neck block 78 releases the line by disconnecting it from the "modem" and making it available for the normal telephone calls. In the case in which the local carrier is received (affirmative answer to the decision block 72) the action of the block 80 is adopted namely to wait an inlet character. A next decision block 82 evaluates whether said inlet character is a character of transmission beginning .

If it is not the case, a return takes place to the waiting block 80, whereas if it is a transmission beginning character a waiting block 84 is enabled for a second inlet character.

A decision block 86 indicates if the arrived command is a valid or not valid command, if it is not valid , said non valid or illegal command is placed in byte of state in the block 88 and then discharged. If it is a valid command,it is recorded in the block 90.

Which ever is the destiny of the previous comand, the "modem" is shifted to the waiting of a next inlet character as indicated by the action block 92. After this action in the decision block 94 it is assessed whether the time is lapsed.

If the time is lapsed, a return takes place to the block 80 to wait for a next inlet character; if it is not lapsed , in the decision block 96, it is assessed whether the transmission is ended. If it is not ended, the datum is saved in an auxiliary memory or "receiving buffer" within the block 98 and a return takes place to the block 92 to wait for another in­let character.

If it is ended a string is waited for carrying a redundant transmission code in the action block 100. By means of the decision block 102 it is assessed whether the redunant code is valid. If it is not valid, an answer is sent with the non accepted character , according to the block 104 and the system returns to wait for an inlet character to the block 80. If it is valid, an answer is started with the accepted character ac­cording to the block 106 and the command is carried out, if legal, ac­cording to the block 108. At that point a decision block 110 thus verify whether the command is that of releasing the telephone line. If it is not so, the procedure comes back to the block 80 for waiting for an inlet character and the procedure is repeated from that point. If it is so, in the block 112 the switching off of the local carrier and the releasing of the telephone line 16 from the "modem" 14 are carried out and the pro­cedure is placed waiting list to evaluate through the decision block 66 whether the next ring signal is a digital ring or a normal call for telephone conversation.

Reference is now made to the figures 3 to 6 to understand how the system and the apparatus according to the present invention may operate in their essential version.

The example is considered as an actual reading and billing system of a service such as the telephone service. In this connection within the organization of an agency 120 for instance playing the telephone service, a plurality 122 of unit meters is present which are connected by somewhat interface system 124 with a central computer 126 of the agency by which there are periodically calculated bills 128 to be sent through a mail delivery service 130 to each user 132 said bills 128 usually comprising a sheet bearing the billing data joined to a payment form by means of postal account.

The user 132 takes the part 134 of the postal account form , contained in the bill 128, and takes care of the payment through the postal office 136, which postal office 136 informs a collecting center 138 of the agen­cy 120 about the payment which took place whereby the central computer 126 may have notice of the paid bills. Alternatively, the user 132 may give instructions 134a to a bank service 140 in order that it accept bills 128a coming from the agency 120 and takes care of payment at the collecting center 138 of the same agency.

On the basis of the information coming from the collecting center 138, the computer 126 takes further decision such as reminders, injunctions, orders of service suspensions and like in the case of omitted payments, said decision being transmitted to a public relation center 142 in form of messages 144 to be sent to the users 132 through the mail delivery service 130 or as interventions 146 on the same user.

With the system and apparatus according to the present invention the same agency 120 can be reorganized in the following manner indicated in figure 4: the unit meters 122 through the interface system 124 provide data to the central computer 126 by which billing messages 128 are periodically issued and sent through a proper "modem" 150 to a telephone line 152 con­nected to a receiving "modem" 154 at a user which controlls a computing and the printing unit 156, according to the present invention, by emit­ting messages 157 on a proper form or paper band.

To the said receiving "modem" 154 a normal telephone center 158 is also connected, which is useful both for the normal telephone trafic and for the exchange of information between the user and the agency or other organizations, such as the aforesaid bank service 140.

The message 157 relating to the service billings can be controlled by the user which through a whatsoever means may send timed instructions 160 to the bank service 140, said means possibly consisting of oral messages through the said telephone service 158, written messages composed by means of the key board and display assembly 162 , or by means of a com­mand for billing data forwarding , which are temporarily recorded in the computing unit 156 by means of a proper key on said key board.

As the obvious alternative , in order to take care of the aforesaid payments, the user can make use of the postal account form, issued from the printer 22 , at any postal office according to the standard practice. The computer 126, in the case of omitted payments , may inform the public relations center 142 , which may send reminders or injunctions messages 144a, or also commands of limitation or suspension of the service which may influence the operation of the apparatus at the user, up to the complete switching off of the same.

A definitely like procedure can be used for other service supplied by ag­ency dealing with the public, such as agencies supplying electric power, gas, water, etc.

According to a first and simplest embodiment of system and apparatus ac­cording to the present invention, illustrated in the figure 5, which can be adopted by an agency 120a, supplying electric power or gas, said agen­cy 120a is also provided with a central computer 126 issuing billing messages 128a to a transmission "modem" 150 which through the telephone line 152, transmits them to a receiving "modem" 154 which is present together with a computing and printing unit 156 as well as a normal tele­phone set 158 at one user, at which a meter 170 is also present for the measurement of the supplied produced or service.

The procedure for the user of the system of the apparatus according to the present invention in the simplified embodiment of figure 5 can be the following one: at periodical time intervals the center computer 126 of the agency 120a releases messages 128b requesting the reading of a meter 170 at the same user.

The user, upon receiving a message 157 requesting reading , which ob­viously comes through the telephone line 152, the receiving "modem" 154 and the computing and printing unit 156, provides to read of the meter 170 and or to send the reading data to the agency 120a using the tele­phone set 158 or, alternatively, the key board and display assembly 152, or by means an optical reader or analizer for message written on proper forms, more completely described hereinafter. The agency 120a, upon the reading data are received, takes care of the emission of a billing message 128a following the route and procedure like those illustrated in the embodiment of figure 4, including the payment procedure and/ or the action to be taken in the case of omitted payment. According to a more sofisticated version, shown in figure 6, the meter 120 and the user is provided with an optical-electronic reader which, through a connection 172 , forwards the reading to the computing unit 156 which in turn send them upon request to the central computer 126 of the agency 120a auto­matically providing it with the reading data.

Upon said reading data are acquired , billing and payment procedure fully similar to those illustrated in figure 4 can be followed.

An additional version of the apparatus according to the present invention may include an opticall reader of message written on proper forms, such as the reader 34 indicated in figure 1, said optical reader being one of many of opticall readers consisting of a linear assembly of photo diodes of a charge coupling device, (CCD) comprising suitable electronic comput­ing and code circuit for the signal so widespread diffused and not known in the field of the opto-electronics.

The forms for the use of said optical reader 34 can be for example of the two type respectively illustrated in the figures 7 and 8.

The form 180, illustrated in figure 7, can be used for the writing of simple communicationg message both from an user to service agency 120 or 120a or to bank institute 140 and between users provided with same ap­paratus according to the present invention.

Said form 180 is made to slide, for example in the direction of the har­row 182, under said optical reader 34. A pre-marked zone with short li­ness 184 provides to the reader 34 information relating the sliding rate of the sheet and consequently of reading of the characters written in small box or trains, within raws 186-192, printed onto said sheet 180. Alternatively, instead of the pre-market zone 184 a system of small wheels can be used, drawn by the paper of the form 180, and acuated pulse generators by which further information on the paper displacing rate are supplied.

As already stated, onto said form communication to agency, such as data of meter readings, observations and/or message or autorization and pay­ment instruction to bank institute can be written.

Another form, as the form 200 depicted in figure 8, can be particularly suitable to the request of information to a central agency such as a telephone service or a bank institute. Said form 200 always readable by means of an optical-electronic reader 34, is compelled to slide in the direction of the arrow 202 under the said reader 34. A pre-market zone with small lines 204 provides to the reader information on the sliding speed of the sheet and thus of the of character reading written in the small boxes of the raws 206-210.

As particularly illustrated in figure 8, this form can be especially suitable to get information from telephone books or the like for instance by writing in the first raw of small boxes 206 the name and surname or corporation name of a subscriber, in the second raw 208 the receiving place and in the first raw the address street and number, said data being more or less complete, it being means that in the case of incomplete data the information service would provide , instead of information relating to only one subscriber a list of information of all subscribers having in common the data indicated in the request.

The above described embodiment are only preferable embodiment as an ex­ample of the present invention and all the solution obviously equivalent which may be found for a skilled in art upon reading aforesaid description are covered.