Public modular-telephone management system

• US 5,138,648 A
• Filed: 04/12/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonica SA
• Original Assignee: Telefonica de Espana
• Inventors: Palomeque, Francisco I., Cepria, Jose M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/684,375
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/219, 379/242, 379/245, 379/350, 379/457, 379/22
• US Class Current: 379/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths

Abstract

A public modular telephone management system. By using several units and systems, as well as ancillary elements for managing public modular telephones, it is possible to provide the public modular telephones with means of making payment for the service by using several types of cards such as: credit, prepayment, telephone subscriber or multiservice cards.

Claims

1. A public modular management system, comprising:

a variable number of public modular telephones;

validation and identification units of public modular telephones;

adaptation units of public modular telephones;

an operation system of public modular telephones on a provincial scale;

a center of validation and billing of credit cards and telephone subscriber cards;

a variable number of maintenance units of the validation and identification units of public modular telephones;

wherein said elements are framed in a hierarchical structure on a provincial and national scale, carrying out functions in real time.

2. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

communication between different elements constituting the system is made through the Switched Telephone Network and the Switched Packet Network, using two different communication protocols, each communication protocol operating at a different transmission rate.

3. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the validation and identification units of the public modular telephones facilitate connection of public modular telephones to the Switched Telephone Network after identifying the public modular telephone, as well as exchanging information with the validation and billing center of credit cards and telephone subscriber cards, the public modular telephones effecting calls using credit cards to validate or reject the calls.

4. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the validation and identification units of the public modular telephones facilitate teleprogram operation parameters in sending daily routine reports, the daily routine reports including reports of the validation and identification units themselves and those of the public modular telephones connected to them, so as to generate alarm reports from the validation and identification unit, and to concentrate messages from the public modular telephones connected to it, and to send the messages to the operation system.

5. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the adaptation units of the public modular telephones exchange information with the center of validation and billing of credit cards and telephone subscriber cards, and the public modular telephones effect calls with credit to validate or reject the calls, allowing teleprogramming of operation parameters and generation of alarm reports from the adaptation unit of the public modular telephones.

6. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the public modular telephone operation systems manage, on a provincial scale, the centralization of alarm reports from the public modular telephones, validation and identification units, and adaptation units.

7. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the public modular operation systems facilitate, on a provincial scale, generation of failure and repair reports, statistical reports, teleprogramming of public modular telephones, validation and identification units, and adaptation units, as well as preparing collection reports.

8. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the center of validation and billing of credit cards and telephone subscriber cards validates, on a national scale, credit cards, telephone subscriber cards, customer black and grey lists, and receives system information and generates billing reports.

9. The public modular telephone management system of claim 1, wherein:

the public modular telephone management system is fitted with a maintenance unit of the validation and identification units of public modular telephones of small size, including a module comprising a display and a keyboard, and other modules constituting an interface connecting the validation and identification units and the adaptation units so as to carry out test routines.