Pay phone call control apparatus for allowing calls using pre-paid cards

• US 5,563,934 A
• Filed: 02/16/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tamura Electric Works., Ltd. (SAXA Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tamura Electric Works., Ltd. (SAXA Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eda, Shigehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/391,405
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/126, 379/127, 379/144, 379/143, 379/357, 235/375, 235/376, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 379/144.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675

Abstract

A call control apparatus for a pay phone includes a reading unit, a calculating unit, and a call enable unit. The reading unit reads out value information of an inserted card. The calculating unit calculates a call time corresponding to a ratio of the value information to a unit call fee when the value information read out by the reading unit does not reach the unit call fee. The call enable unit allows a call service by the call time calculated by the calculating unit.

Claims

1. A call control apparatus for a pay phone, comprising:

reading means for reading out a prepaid call value which is stored in an inserted prepaid card, the prepaid call value being obtained by repeatedly subtracting a unit call fee from an initial prepaid call value, the unit call fee being a fee for allowing a communication service for a unit call time;

memory means for storing a remaining prepaid call value obtained by repeatedly subtracting the unit call fee used for the communication service from the prepaid call value from said reading means every unit call time during the communication service;

first calculating means for calculating a first partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the prepaid call value from said reading means to an initial call fee for an initial call time as the unit call fee, when the prepaid call value from said reading means does not reach the initial call fee in the initial call time, the first partial call time being shorter than the initial call time;

second calculating means for calculating a second partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means to an additional call fee for an additional call time as the unit call fee, when the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means does not reach the additional call fee in the additional call time, the second partial call time being shorter than the additional call time; and

call enable means for allowing the communication service for the partial call time from said first calculating means and the second partial call time from said second calculating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the partial call time calculated by said first calculating means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising card returning means for returning the inserted prepaid card when the communication service allowed by said call enable means is started.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said call enable means allows the communication service for the partial call time as far as a local call.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reading means, first and second calculating means and call enable means are provided in said pay phone.

4. A pay phone for use with a prepaid card, comprising:

a card unit for performing card processing of an inserted prepaid card, said card unit including reading means for reading out a prepaid call value which is stored in the inserted prepaid card, the prepaid call value being obtained by repeatedly subtracting a unit call fee from an initial prepaid call value, the unit call fee being a fee for allowing a communication service for a unit call time; and

a call processing unit for performing call processing on the basis of the prepaid call value from said reading means,

said call processing unit including;

memory means for storing a remaining prepaid call value obtained by repeatedly subtracting the unit call fee used for the communication service from the prepaid call value from said reading means every unit call time during the communication service;

first calculating means for calculating a first partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the prepaid call value from said reading means to an initial call fee for an initial call time as the unit call fee, when the prepaid call value from said reading means does not reach the initial call fee in the initial call time, the first partial call time being shorter than the initial call time;

second calculating means for calculating a second partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means to an additional call fee for an additional call time as the unit call fee, when the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means does not reach the additional call fee in the additional call time, the second partial call time being shorter than the additional call time; and

call enable means for allowing the communication service for the partial call time from said first means and the second partial call time from said second calculation means.

6. A call control apparatus for a pay phone, comprising:

reading means for reading out a prepaid call value which is stored in an inserted prepaid card, the prepaid call value being obtained by repeatedly subtracting a unit call fee from an initial prepaid call value, the unit call fee being a fee for allowing a communication service for a unit call time;

memory means for storing a remaining prepaid call value obtained by repeatedly subtracting the unit call fee used for the communication service from the prepaid call value from said reading means every unit call time during the communication service;

first calculating means for calculating a first partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the prepaid call value from said reading means to an initial call fee for an initial call time as the unit call fee, when the prepaid call value from said reading means does not reach the initial call fee in the initial call time, the first partial call time being shorter than the initial call time;

second calculating means for calculating a second partial call time corresponding to a ratio of the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means to an additional call fee for an additional call time as the unit call fee, when the remaining prepaid call value from said memory means does not reach the additional call fee in the additional call time, the second partial call time being shorter than the additional call time; and

call enable means for allowing the communication service for the partial call time from said first means and the second partial call time from said second calculation means; and

display means for displaying the partial call time calculated by said calculating means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reading means, first and second calculating means and call enable means are provided in said pay phone.