System for managing modular public telephone networks

The subject of the invention is the arrangement of modular public telephones, especially for the nationwide integral management of modular public telephones, whereby this integral management means the initialization of telephones, taking over of emergency signals, repairing damages, collecting receivables and performing daily activities, temporary or permanent disconnection of subscriber stations, cooperation in preparation statistical reports and reports made on demand.

The solution according to the invention is applicable in telecommunications and is intended in particular for use in the improved modular networks of public telephones for services offered to users of these devices.

Although various systems currently exist to coordinate efforts to ensure the operation and maintenance of public telephones, an integrated management system has not yet been developed in the field of telephony.

For the management of telephone services, the enterprise must use various departments that perform the tasks entrusted to them together, and at present there is no multi-task management system for modular public telephones, providing services to users, and at the same time serving to improve the ongoing service, using its advantages.

In the publication Telkom Report vol. 13, no. 1. January 1990, Munchen, DE pp. 28-31, XP 127514 Koster et al. "Offentliche Kommunikation 'a la carte'und'a conto'" gives a general description of a known system for the management and operation of public telephone networks that are supported by using cards. The layout is presented with emphasis on its functional character, without specifying the structure of the layout.

The task of the modular public telephone management system is completely effective, from a national point of view, the integrated management of modular public telephones, for which there is no doubt as to the need to improve the services provided through them, in particular to speed up access to the switched telephone network and increase the number of services offered .

The services offered take advantage of the opportunities that are currently offered by public telephones, in the form of fees for services using various types of cards, e.g. credit cards, cash cards, telephone subscriber cards, payment cards for services, etc.

The modular public telephone system according to the Invention operates in a nationwide network and includes modular public telephones, operating devices and maintenance units. The system is characterized by the fact that the communication signals are distributed, through a switched telephone network and a switched packet network, between a specified number of modular public telephones and blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones, and between adaptive blocks via a digital service line, between district operational devices, a center for the validation and invoicing of modular public telephone credit cards and subscriber telephone cards, as well as between a specified number of maintenance teams for the approval and identification of modular public telephone through blocks for the approval and identification of modular public telephone. Layout blocks are incorporated into a hierarchical district and nationwide structure when performing functions in real time.

Communication signals between individual blocks of the system are distributed using two different telecommunications protocols, each of which has a different transmission speed.

From the blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones, signals are attached to connect modular public telephones to the switched telephone network and information identification signals of the modular public telephony to the center for the validation and invoicing of credit cards and telephone subscriber cards, via the switched packet network.

The blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones are fed signals of remote programming of operational parameters and transmission of routine daily reports as well as signals of signals from the modular public telephones connected to it, as well as alarm signals for a specific block of attestation and identification. The attestation and identification blocks concentrate the message signals from the modular public telephones attached to them, which are fed to the operating device of the modular public telephones.

Information signals are exchanged between the modular public telephone adaptation block, the center for the validation and invoicing of modular public telephone credit cards and subscriber telephone cards, and modular public telephones.

Alarm signals reported by modular public telephones, blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones and adaptive blocks of modular public telephones are fed to the district operating device of modular public telephones.

From regional operating devices of modular public telephones, signals of failure and repair reports, signals of statistical reports, signals of remote programming of modular public telephones, blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones and from adaptive blocks of modular public telephones are sent.

Credit card approval, telephone subscriber cards, black and gray customer list signals are transmitted from the credit card approval and invoicing center for modular public telephones and telephone subscriber cards, and system report signals are sent to this center and load reports are generated throughout country.

Control procedure signals from the maintenance block equipped with a display and keyboard are connected to the blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones and to the block of modular public telephones.

The invention will be explained in the embodiment in the drawing, which is a block diagram of the subject matter illustrating the interrelationship between its various blocks.

As shown in the attached drawing, the modular public telephone service system according to the invention includes a plurality of modular public telephones 1, blocks for attestation and identification of modular public telephones 2, an adaptive block for modular public telephones 3, an operating device for modular public telephones 4, credit card validation and billing center for modular public telephones and telephone subscriber cards 5, and a maintenance team for modular public telephone attestation and identification blocks 14.

It is understandable that each district has one operating device for modular public telephones 4, while the center for the approval and invoicing of credit cards for modular public telephones and telephone subscriber cards 5 is one for the whole country.

Communication between different system blocks takes place via two different telecommunications protocols.

The first of these protocols is used in connections over a switched telephone network, using a V.23 modem at a speed of 1200 bits / sec, between modular public telephones 1 and between modular public telephones 1 and a switched telephone network 6, as well as between validation and identification blocks modular public telephones 2 and the switched telephone network 6, between the operating device of modular public telephones 4 and the switched telephone network 6, between the switched telephone network 6 and the special digital service line 7, and also between the special digital service line 7 and the adaptive block of modular public phones 3.

The second protocol is used in connections via the switched packet network 8, as X.25 at 2400 bit / s, between the blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones 2 and the switched packet network 8, between the adaptive block of modular public telephones 3 and the switched packet network 8 , or between the operating device of modular public telephones 4 and the switched packet network 8.

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The second protocol is also used in connections via the switched packet network 8, with the establishment of real connections as X.25 at speeds different from those used in the mentioned protocols between the center for the validation and invoicing of credit cards, modular public telephones and telephone subscriber cards 5, and the switched packet network 8.

The modular public telephone management system has a hierarchical, nationwide and district structure, with the modular public telephone operating device 4 having the highest degree of district hierarchy, and the credit card attestation and invoicing center for modular public phones and telephone subscriber cards 5 has the highest level of the national hierarchy.

Modular public telephones 1 are smart public telephones that allow you to pay with tokens, cash cards, credit cards and subscriber cards.

Modular public telephone 2 validation and identification blocks are used to attach modular public telephone 1 to each modular public telephone 2 validation and identification block, sixteen modular public telephone 1 can be connected, in modules of two such telephones.

Modification public telephone 2 validation and identification blocks allow the identification and authorization of the connection of modular public telephone 1 to the switched telephone network 6. If the terminal device is identified as not being a modular public telephone 1, this block 2 prevents its connection to the switched telephone network 6. It is also possible through the block of attestation and identification of modular public telephones 2, validation of connections ordered based on credit cards.

The block for the validation and identification of modular public telephones 2 receives information from the credit card from the modular public telephone 1 and sends them to the credit card validation and invoicing center 5, which, after checking their correctness, reports it to the block of validation and identification 2, which in turn transmits report to modular public telephone 1.

In other words, the modular public telephone 1 and the attestation and identification block 2 may allow or deny the connection, depending on this report.

The blocks of attestation and identification of modular public telephones 2 are also used for operation and maintenance, among others for such as: remote programming of operational parameters, sending both own routine daily reports and reports received from connected modular public telephones 1, transmission of alarms for attestation and identification blocks 2, concentrating modular messages of public telephones 1.

The attestation and identification blocks 2 communicate with the district operating device of 4 modular public telephones via a switched telephone network 6, using a V.23 modem at a speed of 1200 bits / s. However, with the credit card approval and invoicing center 5 via the switched packet network 8, as X.25 at a speed of 2400 bits / s.

The adaptive block of modular public telephones 3 is designed for attesting credit connections from those modular public telephones 1 which are not connected to the switched telephone network 6 by the attestation and identification block 2.

Communication with modular public telephones 1 takes place via a switched telephone network 6 using a V.23 modem at a speed of 1200 bits / s, and with a credit card validation and invoicing center 5 through a switched packet network 8 as X.25 at a speed of 2400 bits / s. .

The adaptive block for modular public telephones 3 is also used for operation and maintenance, for the transmission of daily routine and emergency reports to the district operating device of modular public telephones 4.

The adaptive block of modular public telephones 3 can be remotely programmed with its operational parameters and is connected to the switched telephone network 6 via a special digital service line 7 whose layout elements are similar to those of the blocks

167 305 attestation and identification 2, and are suitable for mutual function change with minor modifications.

The circular operating device of modular pub telephones 4 consists of two blocks, namely the block of message concentration and the central operating computer.

The operating device for modular public telephones 4 manages many district functions, namely: centralization of alarms transmitted by modular public telephones 1, blocks of attestation and identification 2 and adaptive blocks of modular public telephones 3, reporting of failures and repairs, sending statistical reports, remote programming of modular public telephones 1, blocks of attestation and identification 2 and blocks of adaptive modular phones public 3, as well as preparing and sending reports on demand, to the management company 9.

Communication with modular public telephones 1, attestation and identification blocks 2 and adaptive blocks of modular public telephones 3 takes place via a switched telephone network 6 using a V.23 modem at a speed of 1200 bits / s, while communication with a credit card attestation and invoicing center telephone subscriber cards 5 are made via switched packet network 8 as X.25, at a speed of 2400 bits / s.

Communication between the various terminal devices 10 and the operational devices of the modular public telephones 4 can take place via the switched packet network 8.

The credit card attestation and invoicing center 5 deals with nationwide credit card attestation, and at the same time prepares and updates the so-called black lists containing lists of indebted customers and the so-called gray lists containing a list of all customers who have already used their credit, specifying the remaining credit of each of them.

In addition, the card validation and invoicing center 5 receives and generates payment reports for cooperating credit institutions 12, using for this purpose a data processing center 13 and end devices 10 equipped with tape storage 11.

The card validation and invoicing center 5 communicates with the attestation and identification blocks 2 and the adaptive blocks of modular public telephones 3, via switched packet network 8, as X.25, at a speed of 2400 bits / s and with credit institutions 12 and data processing center 13, through the same switched packet network 8 as X.25 at 64kbps.

The maintenance team for the certification and identification blocks of 14 modular public telephones is a terminal device consisting of two modules, one of which is equipped with a display and keyboard, while the other is equipped with an interface for connecting it to the blocks for attestation and identification of modular public telephones 2 and to adaptation blocks modular public telephones 3.

It is small in terms of external dimensions and is attached directly to these blocks, enabling the performance of verification procedures.

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