DE19817631A1 - Network selection adapter for telephone enables most financially advantageous connection to be automatically selected for both national and international calls - Google Patents

Abstract

The adapter automatically makes available the most financially advantageous connection. The telephone system is expanded, corrected and its memory updated with the most up-to-date service provider tariffs at all times. The provider can be changed during a telephone conversation depending on the current most advantageous tariff

Description

State of the art

The telephones or telephone systems previously on the market do not offer the opportunity to directly take advantage of the financially cheapest Establish speech connection.

With the meanwhile larger offer from different network operators is the only way to find the cheapest connection tedious searching through and comparing information sheets or -Lists of every provider possible. Even after selecting one supposedly cheapest tariff, it is not guaranteed that the currently has the cheapest connection. This can e.g. B. on one incomplete data or on an out of date State of information.

Troubleshooting

The additional part (information unit), which is either directly in a existing telephone housing installed or via an adapter to a A telephone or system is connected to one programmable chip. On this are all, for the cheapest Connection of necessary data of each telephone company offering shaft saved. The data are dependent on the time (Time, weekday), the distance (local network, region) and others special agreements (mobile radio, mobile network, private or business customer). The data can be updated to the latest values at any time corrected or expanded to include one or more providers. For the phone call is then automatically via the built-in Chip established the most affordable connection. That applies to that At home and abroad.  

Technical problem of the invention = technical task and objective

Up to now, calls have been made via an installed connection with a contractually agreed telephone company.

From January 1, 1998, several telephone companies started offering their services different framework conditions.

The following invention, called NSA for short, is characterized in that that it is used for automatic selection of the telephone company, the tariff at the moment of the conversation can provide the cheapest connection.

A prerequisite for this is a contractual agreement with the service-offering telephone company.

Solution of the problem or the technical task

Sketch 1: Basic structure
The input module

1

,

2nd

,

3rd

,

4th

includes:

• 1. 1: Presetting, individually via keyboard or magnetic card:
  • 1. Target group:
    • 1. Business customer
    • 2. Private customer
    • 3. Freelancer
  • 2. Range of offers:
    • 1. Preselection
    • 2. Call by call (with / without contract)
    • 3. Direct connection (business / large customers / private)
  • 3. own location: area code
• 2. 2: automatic specification after a single setting:
  • 1st day (weekday (Mon.-Fri.) / Weekend)
  • 2. Time
• 3. 3: destination / area code, so in this case:
  • 1. CID network (mobile radio)
  • 2. Normal network
  • 1. Determining the distance (local network, region, mobile network)
• 4. 4: Unit for entering:
  • 1. Data changes of the telephone companies offering them
  • 2. New telephone companies are added either by:
  • 3. manual entry (display)
  • 4. Magnetic card
• 5. 5: Provision of storage space for data from the Telephone companies
• 6. 6: Internal calculation unit:
  • 1. Test board
  • 2. Software
• 7. 7: Providing the telephone connection with the cheapest tariff.

The NSA is characterized in that it is in addition to the previous one Telephone connection built-in or fixed with an existing telephone device can be offered.

The NSA is characterized by the fact that it has one has large internal storage to all those on the market Telephone companies with their various tariff offers, to be recorded in terms of data.

The data block of each telephone company is structured according to the same scheme. It can be stored on a magnetic card or can be manually fed into the NSA using an additional input unit. This is necessary for:

• - Add a new phone company or
• - when changing data, e.g. B. new tariffs (update).

The NSA is characterized by the fact that it has a display with whose help the telephone customer individually, according to his personal needs, the cheapest provider is displayed at all times gets. This enables him to recognize whether he is contracting with this network operator is bound; if not, he can decide for himself whether he should contractually binding.

The NSA is characterized in that in the following How it works is:

Sketch 2 Structure of a data block

• - Current numbered code no. ( 8 ) for each telephone company to be considered.
• - The tariffs are in the form of a matrix ( 9 ), depending on the distance (local network / distances (regions) / mobile radio) and the day (day of the week and time). The individual tariffs are contained in the element ( 10 ) field.
• - Storage option ( 11 ) of additional special data, such as discounts, billing cycle.
• - Storage of the network operator code ( 12 ).

The NSA is characterized by the consideration of international calls in the following form:
If different providers also offer their service in the respective country, the cheapest tariff will also be selected using the same procedure.

The NSA is characterized in that it automatically assigns the pin recognizes the assignment of the foreign telephone sets and the enabled or switched accordingly.

The NSA is characterized in that automatically to everyone Time of the call, the telephone company with the cheapest Tariff may establish and continue the connection with the customer.

If the individual times out during the conversation Tariff groups (e.g. from 8:59 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.), then an interactive occurs (Automatic) provider switching (IAU) in effect, which in turn refers to the cheapest phone company.

The change is made without disruption or interruption of the Conversation.

The NSA is characterized by the fact that it automatically Corresponding network operator code of the telephone company determined, which offers the cheapest current tariff and thus with establishes the telephone connection to this provider.

The NSA is characterized by the fact that it Fixed telephone systems and mobile radio systems can be installed.

field of use

• - telecommunications
• - Reduction of the cost of toll calls on the offer of several telephone companies

drawing

Sketch 1
Sketch 2

Claims (7)

1. A telephone additional device, characterized in that automatically, the currently cheapest telephone connection is provided. 2. Expand the telephone system with the latest provider tariffs at any time, can be corrected and saved. 3. During a phone call between one or more phones companies can be changed depending on the current situation cheapest tariff. This "current" provider tariff results from Dependence of the distance (region), the day of the week, the time, mobile radio, Mobile network, call by call, private or business conversation, domestic or foreign connection and other specific provider- Agreement. The change during the conversation between the Telephone companies (providers) take place without disturbing or interrupting the Connection. 4. The currently cheapest provider during a call can be displayed and saved and thus the telephone customer himself can decide whether to contract with this phone company. 5. It turned into all operating statuses, fixed telephone systems and mobile radio systems can be built. 6. It automatically recognizes the pin assignment of the foreign telephone sets and accordingly switches on or off. 7. A current list of providers on the phone at regular intervals customers are offered to update their telephone system. This update can be done either manually using a keyboard or automatically can be fed to the telephone system via a magnetic card (data carrier).