MXPA97004070A - Communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

A communication system comprising a practical use communication device (1) connectable to a communication network (2), and a service provision apparatus (2, 3 or 4) for making the services available to the practical use of communications apparatus , characterized by the provision associated with the practical use of communications apparatus, of an accounting device (12) comprising a digital data storage device (22) adapted to store the details of the reception of the services by the apparatus ( 1) practical use of communications, a signaling circuit (16) adapted to receive, through the communication network (12), the signals indicating a payment due with respect to the services provided by the device (2, 3 , 4) of provision of services, and a comparison device (14) adapted to compare the received indications with the data derived from the stored details.

Description

COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE This invention relates to communications apparatus and more particularly to communications apparatus for providing and acquiring products and services from one or more communication providers or services offered through communication channels. The invention relates essentially, but not exclusively, to the provision of telecommunication services for a customer of one or more telecommunications providers. More particularly, the present invention relates mainly to the communication of billing or collection information. Currently, different telecommunications service providers charge different bases. The providers of data network services (for example, local area networks) frequently j charge on a fixed-rate basis, without taking into account the amount of use in the network. This makes accounting extremely simple. On the other hand, telecommunications companies have historically charged for the use of the network, and have developed quite complicated collection strategies that differentiate between local and national calls, calls at different times of the day, etc.

In many existing networks, the communications bandwidth is a scarce resource and therefore such pricing strategies tend to reflect this by setting the price at a higher rate for services that have higher demand, so that the aim is to optimize the use of the network. _ It is expected that the desire to make the use of communications bandwidth in the future more efficient. The international application number PCT / GB94 / 01128 (A24601), filed on May 24, 1994, published as W094 / 28683 describes a telecommunications system in which the customer terminal apparatus is adapted to negotiate the prices "immediately" with different telecommunications providers. In the system described in that application (which is incorporated herein for reference in its entirety) there can be no "standard" rates, since the price can be set individually for each call (or other network service). British Patent Application No. 9403092.4, filed on April 28, 1994 (Reference Agents A24847), and published as WO95 / 30317 discloses trading in an integrated telecommunications network, and is hereby incorporated in its entirety for reference . It also describes a visual user interface for the selection of services.

Currently, the problem of charging communications users is a formidable technical challenge. The period when it would have been possible to consider the manual administration of the accounts was left behind. Some of the points considered are discussed in British Telecommunications "Engineering Journal (Volume 11, Part 4 of January 1993" Special issue on billing. "Below are some figures of the billing system operated by British Telecommunications which are given as follows: The system serves 23 million customers and produces 100 million invoices per year.The invoices specify 15 million calls per day and charge an income of 24 million pounds per day.The billing system runs on 29 large capacity computers and it requires 1400 gigabytes of data on magnetic disks, 5 million lines of COBOL instruction, 14 million on-screen exchanges per day, and 60 thousand connected terminals, on page 296 of that publication it is described that it is anticipated that it will be necessary transfer 1.5 gigabytes of data through the network each night solely for the purpose of billing. The treatment is substantial. It has been calculated that it is about 10% of the income of many telecommunication companies and in some cases much more than this, it is very likely that the cost and complexity required of billing systems will continue to increase in the future with the provision of scales every of telecommunications products and services and the proliferation of rates and special rates. The present invention is directed to provide . communication devices that offer the possibility to control the complexity of billing operations. Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention consists of an apparatus for the user of the service adapted to automatically record service transactions, and devices for the service provider adapted to transmit the accounting data through a telecommunications network, the The user's apparatus is adapted to compare the accounting data with the stored transaction data and to reconcile both. It is known, of course, (for example from GB 2001788) - that the user's device records the transactions, but because the reconciliation is done manually this simply increases the work to be done by the user. EP-A-474 555 discloses multimedia communication devices, for example an ISDN terminal, which is configured to provide so-called "communication control repositories" in such a way that communications revenues and communication history are can use for control of communications. The repostes are, in effect, improved journals of the type produced by most fax machines: they can include and can provide the identity (number) of the part with which the communication was achieved, the type of service (video telephony , - telephony, etc), the duration, time and date, and the cost of the call. EP-A-402302 discloses a credit card system designed to make effective use of the cost of credit / debit cards even for transactions of very small value. A seller of inexpensive products or services, such as newspapers, subway tickets, parking tickets has a terminal with a conventional credit card reader and an associated memory. When a user wants to use their credit card to buy a low-cost item, the card is read as "usual, but a sum of money much greater than the cost of the item is" transferred "from the computer of the authority issuing the credit / debit card.The amount of this sum of money is stored in the retailer's memory and It is associated in the memory with the number of your relevant card The cost of the purchased item is deducted from that stored amount The next time the customer wants to buy a subway ticket from that seller, he uses the credit card. Instead of re-making a call to the computer of the authority issuing the credit / debit card, the cost of the item is simply deducted from the amount stored in the relevant memory section of the seller's terminal. credit in that section of memory to guarantee a payment - desired the terminal is put in contact again with the computer of the authority that issues the card for another transfer relatively The EP-A-0341219 describes a telephone and integrated automatic information point. This device allows the possibility of charging the automatic information services required according to the criteria used for the collection of calls made from telephone booths. In the document "IC Card-based Advanced Man-Machine Interface for Public S itched Telephone Network Service " "Mizusawa et al, published in Electronics and Communications in Japan, Vol. 73, 1990, No. 1, Part 1 pages 36-54, describes several smart card applications, in particular, the document refers to personal numbering. Conventional PSTN services are discussed briefly In EP-A-0325564 a technique is described for allowing a remote computer terminal to display images relevant to the alphanumeric data passed to the computer over a low bit rate link. , without the usual problems associated with transmitting images over low bit rate links, this is achieved by storing relatively large image elements in the computer's memory, - these elements are selected and arranged in accordance with the simple instructions transmitted to the computer in association with the relevant alphanumeric data In the article "Telescrip: the em erging standard for intelligent messaging ", by J. Hanckmann, published in PRT Philips Telecommunications Review, Vol 52, 1994, No. 1, pages 15-19, describes what is called "remote procedure calls", which make use of software agents.

The so-called "smart messages" are described in which a correspondent can send messages containing smart buttons. The message appears on the screen of the "Receiving device and, when the receiver turns on the button, an action is performed." In another aspect, storage and / or comparison operations can be performed by means of independent devices that do not belong to the service provider or the user of the service. In the case of successful reconciliation, payment can be initiated, for example by means of a "smart card" retained in the user's device.

Various advantages are achieved through the distribution of the account storage operation to the user's apparatus. First, the storage of data is better distributed and therefore the funnels associated with the storage of large quantities of - data centrally with telecommunications providers (as at present) they are reduced. Therefore, this aspect of the present invention provides the technical benefits of parallel data processing. There are also secondary benefits, since it is possible for the client to have more easily with the accounting data that his own device has stored and he can also process the stored data for personal purposes (for example, distribution or collection of the cost). According to a further aspect of the invention, the same technical principles can be applied within a network, to distribute billing and accounting within the network instead of centralizing them as it is currently done. In a further aspect of the invention, use periods of low communications are used to transmit the accounting information through the network. In a further aspect of the invention, which can be used independently of the above aspects, the services to be acquired by the client's equipment are described by means of codes communicated between the client's equipment and the provider's equipment by means of a channel of communication, the codes are being structured to allow comparison and selection among similar services. For example, codes can, in one modality, specify functional attributes of the service in such a way that they are descriptive of other services that possess those attributes. Additionally or alternatively, the codes may be structured hierarchically, consisting of both a generic description and a service-specific description of the subject of each code. Therefore, in this aspect, the comparison of similar services but not identical by the team of the • Client is facilitated, thereby improving the negotiation processes described in the international application referred to above. In a further aspect of the invention, which preferably, but does not necessarily operate in conjunction with the above aspect, the client's terminal apparatus for the acquisition of services (e.g. telecommunications services) or goods includes a visual interface that exhibits, for each service, a representative image ("icon"), the different icons associated with different services are consistently represented in such a way that similar services are represented in a similar way. Preferably, the attributes of the services are represented consistently, in such a way that all the icons representing a particular type of service (videotelephony) they all have an identical common portion that visually represents that service. Preferably, the "client terminal is adapted to display the icons in succession, the position in the succession of different icons being dictated by their similarities, in such a way that a user of the terminal equipment can "browse" through a sequence of similar services represented by visually similar icons. This aspect of the invention makes it possible to select from a very large number of different services that may be available in the future through telecommunications means. Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are described or claimed later herein with the advantages that will be apparent from the following. The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional connection arrangement between a client and various telecommunications networks: Figure 2 is a diagram on the terminal equipment of the consumer according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a diagram showing schematically the contents of a warehouse that is part of - of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the network service provider equipment according to the first embodiment; Figure 5a is a flow diagram showing the operation of the equipment of Figure i; Figure 5b is a flow chart showing the corresponding operation of the equipment of Figure 2; Figure 6a is a flow diagram corresponding to Figure 5a and showing the operation of the apparatus of Figure 4 in a modification of the first - modality; Figure 6b is a flow diagram corresponding to Figure 5b and showing the operation of the apparatus of Figure 2 in that modification; Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of hierarchical networks in a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the structure of the interface apparatus that is part of the Figure 7; Figure 9 is a block diagram schematically showing the arrangement of the components of a network according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of a user terminal of a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 11 is a block diagram schematically showing the functional components of the control device that is part of the apparatus of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a block diagram showing the structure of the service provider apparatus in a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 13 is a block diagram showing - schematically the functional elements of the service provider apparatus of Figure 12; Figure 14 is a diagram showing the structure of a signal used in the fourth embodiment of the invention; and Figure 15a and Figure 15b show in great detail the structure of the portions of the signal of Figure 14, - Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the link between the records stored in the memory of the apparatus of Figure 10 which corresponds to the signals of Figures 14 and 15; Figure 17 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the apparatus of Figure 10; Figure 18 is a flow chart showing the operation of the apparatus of Figure 12; Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the display on the screen that is part of the apparatus of Figure 10 in a fifth embodiment of the invention; and Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the data stored in the memory of that device and the data displayed on the screen of that device.

"FIRST MODALITY With reference to Figure 1, in a telecommunications system (for example, the telecommunications system of the United Kingdom) the customer premises equipment 1 (for example a telephone or a computer terminal incorporating a modem) is connected to a first public switching telephone network 2 (PSTN) and (through network 2) a second public switching telephone network 3. Through networks 2, 3, terminal 1 of the client is connected to a service provider 4 (for example, a main database computer). With the PSTN 2, the terminal 1 of the client is connected to an exchange 5, which is connectable to a path 6 - joining the second PSTN 3. A remote telephone network 7 can be accessed from the customer's terminal 1 through the first or second networks 2, 3. In Figure 1, the straight lines indicate physical interconnection between the device and curved arrows indicate billing flows. Typically, the operator of the first network 2 sends client 1 a quarterly account or, in general, periodic billing for its use of the network. The operator of the second network 3 sends the client an account for his use of the second network. Because the terminal 1 is connected to the second network 3 through the first network 2, the first network 2 sends an invoice to the second network 3 for a connection charge. The service provider 4 sends the customer an invoice for their use of the services. The operator of the remote network 7 invoices the operations of the first or second networks 2 or 3. In the first mode, the same physical connections as in Figure 1 may exist. However, the billing procedure differs from that known in FIG. The technique.

Referring to Figure 2, the terminal 1 of the client -comprises a conventional telephone signaling apparatus 10, for example, which comprises the convening elements for dialing a number, signaling with the exchange 5 and transmitting and receiving sound. Also included in terminal 1 is a communication accounting unit 12 according to this modality. The accounting unit 12 comprises a processor 14 connected, via a signaling circuit 16, to the telephone unit 10 so as to transmit the signaling and marking information of the disk from the processor 14 to the exchange 5; program storage memory 18 for operating processor 14; working memory 20 for use by the processor 14; a storage device 22 capable of retaining information for long periods of time; a card reader device adapted to accept and communicate with a payment card 26 and to communicate with the processor 14. The processor 14 may be a microprocessor or a microcomputer and, in the latter case, may incorporate the memories 18, 20 in an individual chip device. Store 22 can be an erasable and programmable EPROM, programmable intermittent memory, a disk drive, or any other type of permanent memory; advantageously, it can be an I device single write storage and multiple readings (WORM). The apparatus shown in Figure 2 can operate in accordance with the modalities of the international application referred to above; that is, it can be adapted to receive from the exchange 5 a price signal indicating a price to be charged by the telecommunications services (or other services), and store these price signals. Alternatively or additionally, the accounting unit 12 may contain storage details of the payment rate for certain services in the memory 18 (for example, the unit price of telephone calls). The processor 14 contains a time measuring circuit that is adapted to track the date and time and to monitor the duration of (or in general, the amount of use of) telecommunications services received by the equipment 10. Referring to the Figure 3, the processor 14 is adapted to write to the store 22 a register 221 for each service acquired by the terminal apparatus 1. The register 221 typically comprises the fields 222-228 respectively by date, time, price, speed of service (or, in general, number of services whether measured in minutes, units, bits or frames), total cost, a description of the service, and an identification of the designation or other description that identifies the purpose of acquiring the service. Store 22 can also store the subscription or long-term rental charges, where they are available. Preferably, registers 221 are grouped into tables (table 229 is shown), each table being associated with a different service provider. Therefore, in the example of Figure 1, the separate tables in store 22 provide network 2, network 3, and service provider 4. On each occasion in which the terminal equipment 1 uses the telecommunications services of the network 2, or the network 3, or the service available through the network of the service provider 4, a new record 221 is created in the table 229 appropriate in store 22 indicating the date, time, duration (or, in general, the quantity), description and designation of the services, and an indication of the unit price (derived either by a price signal received in the terminal apparatus 1 as described in the international application referred to above, or data previously stored in memory 18), and the total cost of the services acquired (obtained by multiplying the price stored in field 224) and the duration stored in field 225).With reference to Figure 4, in the exchange 5 and within the equipment 4 service provider and the network 3 the accounting apparatus 32 is provided comprising a processor 34, a signaling circuit 36 connected to the exchange 5, and the processor 34 , a common control connection 35 interconnecting the processor 35 and the exchange 5, a memory 38 for programs, a memory 40, a working memory 40, and a store 42, all interconnected with the processor 34. In the exchange 5, and likewise at a point within the network 3 and the provider 4 is serviced, the processor 34 is adapted to write a record to the store 42 corresponding to the record shown in Figure 3, or every occasion whose services will be provided. The records in store 42 are grouped into tables, one for each separately identified customer. The processor 34, the memories 38 and 40 and the store 42 can in practice form elements - appropriately programmed of the switching apparatus existing in the exchange 5, rather than being separate parts thereof as shown in Figure 4. Through the instructions of the common connection 35, the processor 34 can activate a diagnostic control of the equipment of exchange 5, or the line between exchange 5 and terminal 1 of the client, and or elements of terminal 1 of the client.

By means of signaling circuit 36, processor 34 can transmit messages through exchange 5 to consumer terminal 1 and receive messages therefrom. With reference to Figures 5a and 5b, the operation of a first variant of this mode will now be described. As described above, the consumer terminal 1 uses the telecommunications services available from the network 2 and, in each such use, a register 221 is stored by means of the processor 14 in the store 22 in the customer's terminal 1 and a corresponding register is stored by means of the processor 34 in the store 42 in the network accounting apparatus 32. At a convenient time (for example at 3:00 a.m. each Sunday morning) the processor 34 checks the stored table for terminal 1 of the client in store 42 and, in a step 102, adds the total costs of each record of service to reach a total cost figure. Next, the processor 34 (via signaling circuit 36 and exchange 5) transmits to the consumer terminal 1 the message indicating the total amount due for payment in a step 104. Any audio signaling method can be used. or out of band or any other convenient signaling method. With reference to Figure 5b, in a step 106, the processor 14 receives the bill message through the telecommunications terminal apparatus 10 and the signaling circuit 16, and in a step 108, the processor 14 reads the store 22, access the fields 226 of table 229 for the first network, make a total of the cost figures and compare the total thus derived with the number of the amount received from the exchange 5, in steps 108 and 110 respectively. In the case of an exact adjustment between the message of the amount due and the total of the warehouse 22, or in the case of an insignificant difference (ie of the order of 1 or 2% due, for example, to rounding errors) the processor 14 rotates instructions to debit card reader 24 to charge the payment card 26, and signals the payment to exchange 5 in step 112. For additional security, an exchange of password signals may precede this stage. The processor 14 then modifies the registers 221 in table 229 to indicate that the payment was made, in a step 114. Moreover, in the case of a significant discrepancy between the amount due indicated from network 2 and the total recorded in the store 22, the processor 14 is adapted, in a step 116, to signal again to the exchange 5 a message indicating the total read from the store 22. Referring again to Figure 5a, in the event that a signal indicates that the processor 34 has received the payment (step 118), the payment is recorded in step 120 in the memory 40 and the service records in the store 42 so that the customer's terminal 1 be deleted, to conserve space in store 42, in a step 122. At some additional convenient stage, the stored payment record is signaled by the processor to a financial institution to be entered into the network operator's accounting 2. In In the event that the payment is not received in step 118, the processor 34, through the signaling circuit 36 and the exchange 5, receives the total number transmitted by the processor 14 in step 124. In the event that the The total figure signaled from the consumer terminal 1 is approached (within a threshold percentage, for example 10%) to that indicated by the records stored in the warehouse 42, the processor 34 can accept the total transmitted from the processor 14 of therm The client's data as a sufficiently precise number and transmit, in a step 128, a signal to the client's terminal 1 indicating the acceptance of the total registered in the client's terminal 1. The discrepancy between the two totals is stored in store 42, and is used in future comparisons in step 126 for that consumer terminal equipment 1 to reduce the percentage reduction between the two totals that will be acceptable in future comparisons. In the case of systematic and regular deviations, a failure of the equipment is likely and the processor 34 is adapted to signal the desirability of a control or replacement of the equipment. After recording the discrepancy of step 130, the processor 34 returns to step 118 to wait for payment. Returning to Figure 5b, where the processor 14 receives an acceptance signal from a processor 34 in step 132, it proceeds to step 112 to initiate the payment of its total and the network accounting equipment 12 proceeds from step 118 as follows. described earlier. Returning to Figure 5a, in case the comparison 126 reveals a significant difference between the - two totals or where (as discussed above) minor but consistent discrepancies are found, from a given terminal apparatus 1, the processor 34 rotates instructions to the exchange equipment 5, through the common control connection 35, to initiate a line control on the equipment between the exchange 5 and the client terminal equipment 1 in step 134. In the event that the line control reveals a defect in step 136, the processor 34 proceeds to step 128 to accept the figure proposed by unit 12 of customer terminal equipment accounting. In the event that no defect is found, in step 138 the processor 34 generates an alarm (for example in the form of a printed letter) to alert the customer and the network operator of the discrepancy. It will be recognized that the description given above with reference to Figures 5a and 5b is only one way of practicing the invention. An alternative variant will now be described with reference to Figures 6a and 6b, in which the same reference numerals as Figures a and 5b are used to denote equivalent operations, the description of which will not be repeated. In step 152, the processor 34 accesses the store 42 in the same manner described with reference to step 102. Instead of, or in addition to, totalizing the costs, the processor 14 transmits the complete file of service transaction records stored in warehouse 42 by team 1 of - terminal, in step 154, through the signaling circuit 36 and the exchange 5, to the customer accounting apparatus 12, in which the processor 14 receives the invoice records in step 156 and compares the records with those stored in table 229, in step 158. The transmitted registers can, for example, be sent in identical formats to those in which registers 221 are stored in table 229 in store 222, so that processor 14 can perform a simple byte comparison. If, as a result of the comparison operation 160, the two registers are identical then the processor 14 transmits and the processor 34 receives, the payment in "steps 112 and 120 respectively, exactly as described above." If, in step 160, it is found that some or all of the transmitted registers are not identical, then in step 162 the processor 14 retransmits the total of prices in fields 226 in memory 22, along with the . data identifying those records in which the discrepancies occurred, in step 162. In network accounting apparatus 32, if full payment is not received in step 164, processor 34 reads, in step 166, the total calculated by the client's terminal 1 and locates those records in the warehouse 42 that do not . they coincide with those in the store 22. In this stage, if there is only a minor discrepancy, the processor 34 can act in the same way as in the first mode. In the case of significant discrepancy, however, the processor 34, as above, rotates instructions to exchange 5 to perform a test of the equipment. In this case, because the destination of the transaction in question can be identified from the register in the store 42, the verification of the equipment in step 134 can further verify the portions of the network 2 between the exchange 5 and the destination ( for example 4). As before, if in step 136 a defect is identified, the total figure signaled by the consumer terminal accounting apparatus 12 is accepted and the acceptance is transmitted in step 128, since in the case that it is not detecting defects, the processor 34 may issue a warning or otherwise instruct for manual action between the personnel operating the network and the client, in step 138. If the processor 12 does not receive the acceptance in step 132, the processor 12 in this mode totals the cost fields 226 for those records for which correspondence was found in step 160, and transmits a payment in part in step 168, and records the payment against * those records in step 170. Payment is recorded in part in step 172 by means of processor 34, but billing records in store 42 are not deleted in this case. Aspects of methods 5 and 6 may be combined, for example, if a discrepancy between totals is found in the embodiment of Figure 5, processor 32 may begin operation of the embodiment of Figure 6 to allow more complete verification of the records has to be performed in the client's terminal accounting apparatus 12. Many variants of this modality are possible. For example, the network accounting device 32 can transmit only selected records to the client's terminal device 12, to allow "on-site verification", or the processor 12 can receive all the records from the processor 34 but can only compare the randomly selected records as a "control in place". More than initiating payment through a "smart card" payment can be initiated through a credit card or other electronic payment method, or the processor 12 can tell a financial institution that I made the payment. Alternatively, the act of payment may be separated from the above-described procedure of reconciliation of accounts, and may be carried out at a later date. For example, the operator of network 2 can make the payment made by direct charge to the customer's account. Likewise, rather than transmitting a plurality of records at a given time after the provision of services, the conciliation procedure may, for each occasion of provision of services, be provided as a transfer validation operation at the end of the provision of the service, in such a way that the accounts are reconciled as they provide the services. In this case, the store 42 may not be necessary in the exchange 5. Although the above description has been provided in terms of provision of the telecommunications services, it will be evident that the client terminal accounting unit 12 can be employed. additionally, or alternatively, to monitor the provision of the services that are available through the telecommunications network from a service provider 4. In such cases, the service provider 4 will dial through the network to reach the customer's terminal 1 to issue billing messages, but as for the rest, the above description is applicable. It is possible to integrate all the functions of the customer accounting unit 12 into one card - intelligent comprising a processor and memory, and being insertable in a card reader in a receiver-transmitter telephone set (e.g., a digital mobile cellular radio telephone transmitter receiver set), to allow billing information to travel with the user . It will be noted that the previous modality achieves the distribution of the accounting data to the client's team rather than, as is conventional, conserving the data within a computer connected to the network 2. By periodically reconciling the data stored by the clients with those saved by the network 2, the amount of data to be stored by the network 2 can be substantially reduced and, in addition, funnels can be avoided in the communication information to the central billing points in the network. It is also possible for the owners of the 1 terminal equipment to make additional internal use of the accounting data stored in store 2, for example billing parts of an individual business or of end customers, or to monitor control costs. The volume of the data to be transmitted to each client terminal apparatus 1 depends on the amount of use thereof, and the frequency of the transmission of the billing information can be controlled by means of the processor 34 to occur in the search a total cost payable threshold, more than at regular intervals. To make the best use of network resources, the processor 14 is preferably adapted to transmit billing information messages to reduced use works of the communication link to the client's terminal 1. The typical reduced hours of use are during the night and on weekends. However, the processor 14 is preferably adapted to sample the time of use of the client terminal equipment 1, for example, by monitoring the exchange -5, (or the contents of the store 42), and thus predicting, based on the past use of terminal 1 of the consumer, or the local network as a whole, the appropriate hours for the transmission of billing information. It is not necessary that the network accounting device 32 be stored in the exchange 5, to which the consumer terminal is connected, but in practice, this is an advantageous and convenient position for the network accounting unit 32 ( "position" will be understood to refer to the electrical connection, rather than to the physical location), since it is generally in a straight line to establish from this exchange 5 the destination and description of the services provided to terminal 1, and the path through network 2 through which the billing information is transmitted to terminal 1 is minimized, thereby minimizing congestion within network 2. It will be evident that the foregoing is applicable not only to the fixed link terminal equipment, but also to any of the modalities described in the international application referred to above (eg, mobile telephony, mul services). timedia, data transfer, etc.) or data communications networks (for example, local area networks (LAN)).

Although not limited to that, it is particularly preferred to employ the present invention with the invention described in the international application referred to above (of transmitting the price signals associated with each transaction). When the two inventions are combined, the discrepancy of information stored in the previous modality can be used to fix prices for future services, since if the systematic over-recovery of invoices of a given client is expected, it is desirable to negotiate a higher price. . Although the modality described above discusses a client terminal equipment 1, it will immediately be clear that exactly the same principle applies to the interconnection between two networks; for example, the interconnection between networks 2 and 3 of Figure 1. In such a case, the apparatus may be provided in each network that performs the functions of both the provider accounting unit 32 and the customer accounting unit 12. . In this modality, instead of directly transferring the funds, each network can allow the other to pay against the accounts of the others, in order to reduce the level of any funds payable, if the networks 2, 3 make reciprocal use of the funds. resources of each one.

SECOND MODALITY In this mode, a communications network is divided into a hierarchy of networks. With reference to Figure 7, the plurality of devices, Ib, terminal of the client (each comprising for example, a computer workstation equipped with a modem) are each provided with a corresponding accounting device 12a, 12b, 12c respectively, of the type illustrated in Figure 2, the processor 14 and the memory 18, 20 thereof consists of the CPU and the memory of the workstation, and the signaling circuit 16 thereof consists of the station's modem. of work. The terminals are each connected to the Local Area Network (LAN), over which they communicate, for example, in the distributed time multiplexing (TDM) format. The LAN 50 has a path unit 52 for connection to a wide area network (WAN) 60. The wide area network 60 has, in turn, a path unit 62 for connection to a network still wider 70, such as a metropolitan area network (MAN) or information superhighway (ie INTERNET) or a telecommunications network. With reference to Figure 2, each of the access paths 52 or 62, comprise a client interface side 310b (which, in the case of the access path 52, communicates with) to LAN 50; of the access path 62 communicates with the WAN 60); a provider interface 310a (which in the case of the access path 52 communicates with the WAN 60 and in the case of the access route 62 communicates with the MAN 70), together with a communication channel 311 that links the two. An accounting unit 300 is also provided, comprising a signaling unit 316b for interconnecting a processor 314 with the provider interface 316a and a signaling unit 316b for connecting the processor 314 to the circuit of the client interface 310b. In communication with the processor 314, there are the program and data memories 318 and 320 and a store 322 (preferably, a non-volatile store, for example, a EEPROM or a mass storage device, such as a disk drive). Processor 314 is also connected to a payment interface 324, which may comprise a smart card reader as in Figure 2, or alternatively may comprise a connection to rotate payment instructions from one. financial institution, or any means to initiate an electronic or other payment transaction. Connected to the MAN 70, there is an accounting unit 32 of the type shown in Figure 4. In the operation of this mode, if one of the terminals 12 wishes to use the LAN 50, the accounting circuit 300 in the access path 52 and the accounting apparatus 12 in the terminal, each store the corresponding service records in the stores 322, 22, and the accounting circuit 300 periodically sends a billing message to the terminal accounting apparatus 12 as described in the first embodiment. On the other hand, if the terminal 1 of the client wishes to use the WAN 60, access is provided via the access path 52. A record is created by means of the accounting unit 300 of the access path 52 in the store 322 , indicating both the cost to the client's terminal 1 and the cost that will be charged by the WAN 60. The accounting unit 300 in the path 62 creates a record in the store 322 storing the price to be charged to the LAN 50 Periodically, the accounting apparatus 300 of the access unit 62 of the WAN 60 "generates, in the same way as in Figures 5a or 6a, a billing signal to initiate a charging transition to the access unit 52 (in common with other clients connected to the WAN 60). of the access unit 52 follows correspondingly the procedure or Figure 5b or Figure 6b and, where the accounting records coincide, initiates the payment from the payment interface 324. At a convenient subsequent point, the unit 300 accounting for the access path 52 invoices after the customer terminal equipment, which used the service, performing the procedure of Figure 5a or Figure 6a, and the corresponding client accounting apparatus 12a follows the procedure respectively of Figure 5b or Figure 6b to reconcile their records in the warehouse 22 with that stored in the warehouse 322 of the accounting unit 300 of the access route 52. Once the record saved in the storage access 322 of the access unit 52 has been both paid to provide (WAN 60) and invoiced to the customer (customer terminal) can be deleted from store 322. Exactly in the same way, when one of the user's terminals wishes using the services of, or through the MAN 70, the connection is provided via the access path 52a, the WAN 60, the access path 62 and the MAN 70, and the billing records are created in the device 32 , 62, 52 and 12a of accounting. Subsequently, the accounting apparatus 32 invoices the accounting apparatus 300 of the access path 62, the two apparatuses respectively follow Figures 5a and 5b or 6a and 6b, and subsequently the accounting unit 300 of the access path 62 returns to invoicing the service as described above for the access path unit 52, which re-bill the terminal 12 of the client.

In each case, you only need to keep the records in the warehouse of each service provider until the service has been billed to the level immediately lower in the hierarchy. It will be evident from the foregoing that this hierarchical network arrangement can be further extended, for example, to global networks to which MAN 70 is connected, or, at the other end of the hierarchy, to bill individual multiple users of a single device 1 terminal, each user having an individual smart card 26 and a corresponding set of payment and billing records in the store 22 of the customer terminal accounting apparatus 12. As in the previous modality, the different levels of hierarchy 50, 60, 70 need not be separate economic entities, but may be convenient organizational divisions of a single economic entity; in this case, the actual payment is not required except between the client in the terminal apparatus 1 and the network to which it is connected.

THIRD MODALITY In the above modalities, the accounting apparatus was provided as part of the client's equipment, and reconciliation was performed on the client's equipment. In the present modality, additionally or alternatively, a record of the call is made in the apparatus that is independent of either the provider's client, and is accessed either by confirmation of the conciliation made by the client, or for the purpose of effecting the reconciliation of the amount payable in place of the client. With reference to Figure 9, a network 50 (which may be, for example, an optical transmission network that uses wavelength division that transmits two or more messages at the same time on the same channel and operates under the transfer mode Asynchronous (ATM) or synchronous digital hierarchy transmission protocols 50 (SDH)) has an accounting station 52. Network 50 and accounting station 52 can be as described in the previous embodiment, for example. It is connected to the network equipped the - client. It is also connected to network 50, a station 400 of independently owned and operated supervision, comprising a signaling unit 416 for communicating with the network 50; a processor 414 connected to the signaling unit; working memory and program 418, 420; and a non-volatile storage device 422. All of the above may be substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2 or 8.

The monitoring apparatus 400 is adapted to receive and analyze all the wavelength channels on the network 50, and to store the details of the calls or the services transferred on the network 50. In the case of a device of the client (operating, for example, according to the first modality described above) is unable to reconcile the billing data transmitted from the station 52 with the billing data it stores locally, it can generate a signal through the network 50 addressed to the device 400 of supervision. Upon receiving such a signal, the monitoring apparatus 400 is adapted to read the service data stored in the store 422 relating to the services received by the customer's apparatus, and to signal the data to the customer's apparatus and the station 52 of the customer. network, to verify the billing data stored by the customer station or those transmitted by the station 52. The data transmitted by the verification unit 400 may be in total due with respect to the services (calculated as in the first mode); or the details of the records selected from the services received; or complete records of all services received by the customer's device. By providing the verification apparatus 400 as a unit connected to the network 50 independently of either the customer's apparatus or the control and routing components of the network 50, the monitoring device 400, - may be able to gather data representatives not affected by the failures either in the consumer's device or the network. The monitoring apparatus 400 can, for example, be operated or owned by a regulatory authority. In this embodiment, the data stored in the non-volatile storage device 422 is stored to be relatively immune either to loss or accidental alteration. The storage device 422 may comprise a short-term store and a longer-term file store, such as optical disk storage or archive tapes, to confer greater immunity to accidental loss or damage of the data. Service records may be stored in the form of an encryption, in order to reduce the possibility of deliberate alteration with records or reading or writing records other than those of processor 414. In a modification, the encryption key for a particular client it can only be known by the equipment of the customer in question (for example, it can be registered on a smart card 26 shown in Figure 1). In this way, it avoids that any device the client or supplier accesses the data relating to either of the two. In this mode, preferably, all data can be archived for a period of 7 years or more, in such a way that they are available in the case of subsequent disputes. To reduce the volume of data stored in store 422, various distributed monitoring units 400 can be provided, each responsible for any . limited number of equipment the customer or service providers 2, 3, 4. Additionally or alternatively, the device Monitoring 400 may store only files relating to a selected subset of services provided; for example, selected on a random basis, or selected to include only services above a certain cost threshold. It is also possible for the monitoring device 400 to store the funds electronically by the customer's device; being authorized, for example, to directly charge a bank account. Therefore, in the - if the client's device is not able to reconcile the billing data it receives with the data it has stored, the processor 414 of the monitoring station 400 can calculate a total due independent from the stored data in the store 422, and transmit the payment of the amount owed to the network accounting station 52 in the same manner as described with respect to the first mode, owing the funds saved in the name of the device to that of the client correspondingly. In a further extension of this mode, the apparatus of the client can with this, reduce the volume of data, which it stores in its accounting apparatus 12 (for "example, to a total amount owed in execution) and to have the independent monitoring unit 400 to store the reliable records of the services that the client's device has received." Charges can be made for the use of the services of the device. 400 for each device of the customer, the monitoring device 400 can, - therefore, be considered as a service provider as in the first mode, and can bill for its services through the telecommunication network 50 as described above.

FOURTH MODALITY In this modality (which can be combined with the previous modalities, or with the modalities described in the international IEI application that was previously mentioned) the services to be acquired by the client's team are described by means of a code that is transmitted from the supplier's equipment to the customer's equipment through a communications channel, the code is structured to allow comparison and selection among similar services. In this mode, the client's device is typically a personal computer. With reference to Figure 10, the client apparatus 500 thus comprises a modem 516 in signaling connection with a telecommunications channel 501; a processor 514 coupled to the modem 516 (for example, an icroprocessor device such as the i-486 or Pentium (TM) microprocessors available from Intel Corporation); a device 410 of the digital signal processor (DSP), such as Western Electric DSP 32C available from AT & T; memory 518 of program storage read-only memory (ROM); the memory (RAM) 520 rewritable; a display screen 502; a loudspeaker 504; a video camera 506; and a microphone 508. In operation, the DSP device 510 receives the analog inputs from the microphone 508 and the camera 506 and from the processor 514; supplies analog outputs to the VDU 502 and loudspeaker 504; and communicates the digital data with the modem 516 and the processor 514. A user input device 522, such as a dashboard, is also provided, along with, optionally, a cursor-responsive or position-sensitive entry device 524 ( such as a mouse, a tracer ball, or a bright pencil).

In this way, the DSP device 510 can selectively receive digital data from the modem 516, and process the data and generate therefrom an analog sound signal for the loudspeaker 504 or the video signal for the display unit 502; and likewise receiving an analog sound signal from the microphone 508 or the video signal from the camera 506 and providing the coded digital data corresponding to the modem 516. As is conventional, the 510 DSP device may contain onboard converters analogous to digital and digital to analog necessary, as well as the program storage memory. The processor 514 is connected to the data input and output ports of the device 510 DSP, such that the 510 DSP device can encode the processor data or decode the data to be supplied to the processor; processor 514 is also connected to a control port of the 510 DSP device to select a stored program to be executed by means of the 510 DSP device, select an output device or an input device for connection to the 510 DSP device; or provide a new control program to the 510 DSP device. The read-only memory 518 stores the program data to control the operation of the processor 514, and the random access memory 520 stores the working data, or the data received from the modem 516, for use by means of the processor 514 or the 510 DSP device. The memories 518, 520 are interconnected with the processor 514 and the device DSP 510 (ie, through a common internal connection structure). Figure 11 illustrates the main functions performed by the processor 514 as functional blocks (which are typically effected by means of different programs stored in the read-only memory 518, but which can be effected in principle by the separate hardware). A code building function 530 is provided to construct a code indicating a desired service for transmission through modem 516 and telecommunications channel 501 to service providers. A code analysis function 532 is provided to receive the codes from the modem 516 of the providers of the - service and to interpret the corresponding service offered. A code comparison function 534 is provided to compare the codes received with the transmitted codes to determine if the required service is being offered. A service selection function 536 is provided, to select one of a plurality of services offered based on a plurality of received codes. A service configuration function 538 is provided to configure the 510 DSP device, the processor 514 and / or the modem 516 according to the selected service. With reference to Figure 12, the equipment 600 of • service provider in this mode, comprises a processor 602 connected to the telecommunications channel 501 through a signaling circuit (i.e., the modem 604), and having a control output line or guide 606 to selectively control the operation of one or more service provisioning devices 608. Typically, the processor 602 and the modem 604 are part of the control equipment in an exchange 5 or 6, and the service provisioning equipment 608 is part of the infrastructure of a telecommunications network 2, 3 or 7, either in the exchange elsewhere. With reference to Figure 13, the functions . performed by the processor 602 in this embodiment are indicated as separate blocks (which can be performed as indicated above in relation to Figure 11 by separate programs or by separate hardware). These functions comprise a code building function 630 (functionally the same as the code building function 530); a code analysis function 632 (functionally the same as the code analysis function 532 described above); a service creation function 634; and a service definition function 636. With reference to Figure 14, an exemplary code structure is indicated. The code comprises one "sequence of digital bits, transmitted in series form through communication channel 501. The signal comprises a source portion 650 indicating to the service provider providing the service, a price portion 660 that indicates the cost of the service; a service specification portion 670 comprising technical and / or functional data specifying the type and / or execution or service, and a compatibility carrier 680 indicating the identity of other services with which it may or may not operate. In this embodiment, the data contained in these portions 650-680 are arranged hierarchically, ie, at various successive levels in detail With reference to Figure 15a, the source portion 650 for example comprises a country code 651, followed by by a code 652 of the service provider within the country identified in the country code, followed by, optionally, a code 653 range identifier that indicates a r service ango (ie, compatible services offered by the same service provider identified in service provider code 652); and a service name code 654 that uniquely identifies a service name of the subject of the code 640. As indicated in Figure 15b, the technical and functional portion 670 comprises a signal type code 671 (i.e., identifies the service regarding a voice, a video, an image or data); followed by one or more codes 672, 673 hierarchically arranged service descriptors that successively specify the highest levels of detail with respect to the service (i.e., which is a video conferencing service, and which uses a particular algorithm such as the algorithm) MPEG data compression) and one or more codes indicating functional, performance or quality criteria (i.e., a data rate code 674 and a delay code 675). Figure 16 illustrates the hierarchical arrangement of type code 671 and codes 672, 673 service descriptors; for example, if the type code is "image", the code 674 identifies the type of image with more particularity as a facsimile image or a bitmap image; and the code 675 specifies, for the type of service in question, the type of compression or encoding used for the image, for example, for a facsimile image, the group 2, group 3 or group 4 code; for a bitmap image code in field 674, an EMP or TIF format or any other suitable format). The codes 674, 675, 676 of functional performance can thus also be arranged in a hierarchical form; that is, a given service type code such as facsimile may have associated associated predetermined data rates, for example, with different transmission protocols, in such a way that the significance of a functional or quality code 672 or 673, it depends on the identity of the codes 671, 674, 675, 676 of the service type that precede it .. Stored in the random access memory 520 of the client terminal 500, and within the service provider apparatus 600, are the data equivalent to the structure shown in Figure 16, for executing the code analysis functions 532, 632. When a code 640 is received by either the customer's terminal 500, or the service provider's equipment 600, these data are - accessed; they can be stored for example in the form of an encoding look-up table, such that when a portion of code (650-680) is provided to the address entries of the look-up table, the definition data of the code from the corresponding data output lines of the lookup table. Therefore, with reference to the service data shown in Figure 15b, upon receiving the first signal type code 671, the processor 614 provides the code 671 to the address lines of the random access memory 520, and reads from the data lines of the element a corresponding type of signal (image, voice, video, data), together with an indicator for the area of the random access memory 520 in which the service definition codes 672 relating to that type of signal are found. This indicator is then added to the receipt code value 672 by means of the processor 514 and the result is used to access the random access memory 520 to read the corresponding service type (i.e., fax or bitmap), from the data lines of the memory 520, together with, if possible, an indicator for an additional service type or functional definition code 673-676. Also stored within the random access memory 520 and within the service provider apparatus 600 is a decoding look-up table which "stores the back of this (ie, the code values for code fields 650-680, directed by the data representing the desired service type, the originator, and so on), with the help of the processor 514 that forms the code building function 530. The operation of this mode will now be explained with reference to Figures 10-18.

With reference to Figure 17, when a user wishes to use a telecommunications service (for example, to set a video conference, or an immediate video session) enter the desired service (ie, selecting from a menu, or as described in more detail below, of a graphic interface) using the board 522 or the cursor control device 524. The processor 514 executes the code building function 530, accessing the code query table to generate a service provision selective call signal 640. The origin portion 650 is set to a generic value (eg, by entering a universally recognized code, such as zero, in field 651 of the country code). A generic value (for example, zero) is also inserted in the price field 660. A code is written representing the type of signal (image, voice, video, data, for example, video) in field 671 and a service type code 672 (indicating, for example, immediate video) is written in field 672 of code. Additional fields 673-676 may include codes, or may be skipped (for example, by inserting a "skip" code indicating that the definition is complete). If any other services or systems are operating in the client terminal 500, a code indicating (for example) the type of system in operation may be written for the 680 compatibility portion. A counting indicator 690 is set to a value indicating that the signal 640 is a counting signal. The client terminal 500 then transmits the signal generated through the modem 516 through the telecommunications channel 501, to the local exchange or to the distribution center, where the signal is passed to the service provider 600 of each service provider. connected to the network, in a form of transmission. Referring now to Figure 18, the code is received by each apparatus 600 of the service provider and compared to the stored codes corresponding to the services offered by the service provision apparatus 600. The portions of the received code that are unregistered or not present are ignored in the comparison. If the service provider apparatus 600 finds one or more codes that match, in its warehouse, it extracts each code that matches, prefixed or the address or route data indicating the terminal equipment 500. In this case, each code provided by the service provision apparatus 600 corresponds to that received from the customer's equipment 500, but includes the source 640 data, and a price code 660 that indicates the price (per second, per byte , per box, per packet), and may include additional specification codes that indicate either the performance data or the service offered (eg, delay, average byte area speed, etc.) or the specification of how the service is performed (for example, definition of the data compression or the encryption algorithm used). On the other hand, if the service provider apparatus 600 does not find a match for the received code (in other words, it does not offer a service that precisely conforms to the received specification), then the service provider's apparatus 600 locates the codes stored more similar and get these in place. The similarity is judged by omitting the hierarchically lower code portions of the received codes, and repeating the comparison. Therefore, for example, if a received code includes a portion 671 that indicates video; a portion 672 indicating video conference; and a portion 673 indicating a bit rate of 384 kilobit / second, and the service provider apparatus 600 does not have a corresponding stored code, the code portion 673 is omitted and the exercise is repeated. If the service provider apparatus 600 has a stored code corresponding to the 64 kilobit per second videoconference service, there will now be a match for the code portions 671 and 672, and the code for the 64 kilobit / second videoconference service will be will be selected and transmitted back to the client terminal apparatus 500.

Returning to Figure 17, the client terminal apparatus 500 receives, through the modem 516, the codes of one or more service provider apparatuses 600, generated in the manner described above. The received codes are temporarily stored and each one is compared with the transmitted code. If there is only one correspondence, in other words, if only one service provider offers the required service, then that code is selected and an acceptance signal is transmitted by means of the 516 processor back to the service provider's device that sends the code of correspondence Returning to Figure 18, the service provider 600 receives the acceptance signal and establishes the service required by the client apparatus, through the common control connection 606 issuing an instruction to the unit 608 of provision of the service. The processor 514 of the client terminal apparatus then controls the modem 516 and the DSP device 510 to configure them to receive the service. If, instead of receiving only a corresponding individual signal, the client terminal apparatus 500 receives various signals corresponding to the transmitted signal, it selects one of the offered services. In this mode, the selection is made simply by comparing the prices indicated in the price 660 portions, and selecting the lowest price. After selecting the code with the lowest price, the procedure continues as described above. In other embodiments, the selection may also take into account any additional technical or functional criteria indicated by the portions of the code received in addition to those portions corresponding to the transmitted code (in other words, any "extras" offered by the provision apparatus 600 of the service). In addition, the choice may depend on the stored records of previous services acquired from the service provision apparatus 600, in any of the forms described in the international application referred to in the foregoing. In the case where none of the received codes corresponds precisely to the transmitted code, the client terminal equipment 500 selects one of the _ codes based on their similarity with the transmitted code.

The processor 514 in this mode stores predetermined weighting constants for each difference point, for each type of service, such that for example a failure to compare and select a specific maximum delay code can be assigned a value of 0.5, and a failure to compare and select a specific bit rate can be assigned a value of 0.8. For each difference between the transmitted code and each received code, the value is added to an accumulated total. The code received with the lowest cumulative total (that is, the one that is closest, taking into account the weighting values, the transmitted code) is selected, and the procedure continues as in the previous. In this mode, the prices of the different services corresponding to the received different codes are also taken into account, multiplying the price indicated by the 660 portion of the price code by a value (relatively small). Therefore, a very large price difference between the services offered may result in the selection of a more technically different, lower-priced service. After selecting a code with these bases, the procedure continues as described above to set the required service. In the event that the compatibility portion 680 indicates that any received code is incompatible with any service or equipment that is operating in the client's terminal 500, that code is discarded from the comparison. In the event that a received code does not correspond to any code stored in the client terminal equipment 500, and therefore represents a service for which the processor 514 lacks configuration data, the processor 514 can signal a request for configuration data to the service-provisioning equipment 600, which is correspondingly arranged to download the established data (for example an encryption algorithm or a data compression algorithm) to the client terminal apparatus 500. The processor 514 in this case loads the algorithm into the RAM memory 520 accessible via the DSP device 510 as program memory. When, as described above, the service origin code field is set by the customer terminal to a generic value, any 600 device of • provision of the service connected to channel 501 of communications through the telecommunications network can respond. However, in the same way that the client terminal 500 can issue a more restricted selective call signal by specifying the service providers at some level of detail; for example, suppliers of - service within the same country can be specified by setting a country value in the country code portion 651, or a given service provider can be specified by setting the country code and code 651, 652 of the service provider code. In this mode, the function 634 creating the service within the service provider 600 is adapted, upon receiving a selective call code signal from the client apparatus 500, to create a service to compare and select the required service, such as an alternative to locate a similar service. The code analysis function 632 analyzes the received code, and determines the generic type of service from the fields 671-673, and the execution criteria required in the fields 674, 675, 676. The processor 600 then interrogates the units 608 service provider to determine if existing services are provided, which can be combined to compare and select the required service (for example, if there are enough 64 kilobit lines to be combined to support a 384 kilobit video conference session, or a mono video telephone circuit may be provided along with a stereo sound line). In the case that units 608 of the service provider exist, which provide services that can be combined so as to generate the required service, the processor 600 stores the new code for the new service and outputs the code to be the 500 PC. customer terminal. The contents of the price field for the new service can be obtained by adding the prices of the component's service. The equipment 600 of the service provider can, instead of questioning the equipment 608 of the associated service provider, seek to obtain the desired services or a component thereof from an equipment 600 for provision of the additional service, generating its own selective call signal. Therefore, a 600 equipment of the given service provider can obtain services from a competent service provider, to be combined with the customer's 500 equipment. For example, the client's 500 team can only be authorized to contract with a limited number of service providers (for example, those within the same country), for credit reasons, while the 600 service provider team may have relationships contractual obligations (or be able to sign a contract), with - other service providers located abroad. In this embodiment, therefore, the service provider 600 includes components of, and likewise operates in the same manner as, the client terminal 500 both to provide and obtain services. When this modality is combined with the above modalities, the code received by the customer terminal equipment 500 is stored for subsequent accounting purposes as described above. Payment can be made in this modality in accordance with the methods described above or in the international application referred to in the foregoing.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the service provider 600, preferably is adapted to monitor the selective call signaling services it receives, and periodically to perform the service creation function 634 to create new services in responds to the perceived requirements of the users or the provision by competent service providers. For example, when monitoring the compatibility codes 680, the popularity of the hardware or software used by the customer's terminals 500; can be monitored, and a - Service provider can modify their services to ensure that they are compatible with the popular customer's equipment, or to exclude compatibility with the relevant services offered by the rival service producers. Therefore, in this way, the rules of fact for the provision of the service can be fixed by means of the 600 service provider team of the competent service providers, responding directly to the need for compatible products, and removing from the market the incompatible products. Preferably, in order to facilitate the development of new services, the codes 640 are adapted in such a way that the different technical and functional aspects of each code are arranged hierarchically, so that the service provider apparatus 600 or the terminal apparatus 500 ^ the client is capable, upon receiving an unknown code, to determine the generic class of services to which it belongs, its execution, and some details of the way in which the execution is carried out; therefore, fields can be provided specifying the data coding used, the applied compression, and so on. In this way, the service provider's 600 team can completely generate new services by taking parts of the codes of the successful services and - combining them, in a genetic form, or extracting the common parts of the codes that correspond to the widely used services. Therefore, in summary, in this modality, the telecommunication services or the services available through a communications network are ordered, from a variety of different services, by the transmission of a code that specifies the required service between the equipment of the client and the equipment of the service provider. The code, the customer's equipment and the equipment of the service provider are arranged in such a way that, in the event that the required service is not available, a similar service can be provided or the required service can be created.

This is achieved, in this modality, by structuring the service description codes in such a way that they describe the service not only specifically, but also in a generic way (in other words, they describe the service required in more than one level of specificity). This also, or alternatively, is achieved as long as the codes contain separate information about different attributes of the service; for example, the bit rate, the maximum delay, the compression level, etc. Through the use of one or both of these techniques, it is possible to select or create a similar service without requiring - the precise recognition of the received service code, thus opening the possibilities of competition between similar services, but not identical, and leaving the possibility of adding new services in such a way that the corresponding codes can be interpreted without explicitly needing to be transmitted through any provision of the customer's terminal service and device in a network. For example, a code field can specify the aspect ratio for a movie (ie, just like the aspect ratio of normal television or a wide screen aspect ratio corresponding to kinematics or HDTV formats). The service provider apparatus 600 can observe that, for the services of immediate video and video telephony, the services with a wide screen aspect ratio are growing in popularity and consequently can create other video services such as video conferences with a format of wide screen instead of a previously used format. By creating a new service in this way, the service provider apparatus 600 may be adapted to transmit to all client terminal equipment 500 connected to the network to advertise the service, and the client terminal equipment 500 may be adapted. correspondingly to add the new code in the memory 520 for subsequent access. In this modality, instead of the price portion 660 being fixed, the subsequent price negotiation between the customer's terminal equipment and the service provider's equipment can be performed, as described in the international application to which it is assigned. He referred to the above.

FIFTH MODALITY This modality is an extension of the immediately preceding modality (but can be used separately from it), and the description of the previous modality is incorporated herein and is applied in its entirety to it. This modality is related to the user interface presented in the client terminal equipment 500 to facilitate the selection of services. In this embodiment, the processor 514 is adapted to operate a graphical user interface (GUI) such as the Windows (MR) environment (available from Microsoft Corporation), or the X-Windows environment. Eavailable service is represented by an icon image displayed on the display unit 502 (VDU). Selecting an icon with the mouse or other cursor control device 524 (in the manner conventionally provided by the user interfaces graphically and therefore not requiring description in the present) causes the execution of the procedure of Figure 17 for the code corresponding to the icon that represents the desired service in the 502 VDU unit. It is considered that a large number of services will be offered through networks such as the Internet, and if the icons are simply assigned to the services on an adequate basis, the resulting number could either be much larger for simultaneous display, or sensitive selection. , by a user. The present invention, therefore, provides that the icons for similar services are similar in appearance, and more particularly that the attributes of the services are represented in a consistent manner, such that the icons representing a particular type of service (eg. example telephony video) all have an identical common portion that visually represents that service. Likewise, the icons corresponding to the services of a service provider may bear a name or logo identifying the origin of the service provider, and icons that share a functional attribute such as a common bit rate may have a visually identical portion. of the icon in common. Referring to Figure 19, the example icon 700 is displayed (not at the same scale) on the '502 VDU unit. The icon consists of a number of regions 701-706. Region 701 corresponds to field 671, and shows a VDU, which indicates that the service is a video service. Region 706 corresponds to field 672, and indicates that the service is a video conferencing service. Region 702 corresponds to fields 651 and 652, and indicates the provider's identity "of the service (for example, by means of a logo or the name of the service provider.) Field 703 corresponds to an attribute field such as 674 or 675, and graphically indicates the aspect ratio Field 704 corresponds to another field 674-675 of attribute, and indicates the quality or granulation of the image Field 705 still corresponds to an additional attribute field, and indicates the sound quality (in this case stereo).

Therefore, according to this embodiment, for ecode 640 corresponding to a given service, common code portions for all services are represented by means of similar or identical icon portions. Referring to Figure 20, store 520 within the user terminal stores a plurality of icons 700a, 700b .... 700n of service code as corresponding icon registers 800a, 800b .... 800n. Erecord 800 comprises the display data that defines the way in which the icon will be represented, together with an indicator for a preceding icon record, and, in some cases, one or more successor icon records. The indicators are arranged in such a way that the icon registers define a tree structure. Eicon record also includes an indicator for a corresponding service code 640 stored in the store 520. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the icon registers and the service codes. The indicators of the icon registers 800 are arranged hierarchically according to the contents of the codes 640, in such a way that the icons corresponding to the codes having common portions point to the icon registers corresponding to the codes comprising only those common portions (and therefore, generically describe multiple services).

Therefore, for example, the icon 700 illustrated in Figure 19 and another icon that refers to a similar service, but which offers aural mono sound will both signal an 800-record of preceding icon that generically describes video conferencing services. The screen data may comprise a binary image data file defining a black and white bitmap, such as (for a Unix mode) described in the generic Unix file / .. file address .. / map of bits, or a bitmap in color.

Display and selection of a plurality of icons Rather than displaying all the icons together at the same time, the processor 514 of the present embodiment is arranged to display the icons sequentially in a series. The series is defined by the indicators that join the icon registers 800 in the store 520. Therefore, in an example of the present embodiment, when a user keeps the mouse button 524 depressed continuously, the processor 514 is adapted to access sequentially register the icon 800 in the store 520 and display the corresponding icons 700 in sequence; typically starting with a first icon record that corresponds to the most generic service code (the root node of the hierarchical tree structure of the icon records) and selecting, as the next icon record, one of the successor icon records indicated by means of that, and subsequently proceeding down the branch of the tree, so that a sequence of icons, less generic, more specific, is generated, until an icon record 800 is reached which corresponds to a code 640 that does not it is generic for any other service (that is, it represents a single service). The processor 514 subsequently re-accesses the predecessor icon register 800 (ie, the closest level of the generality of the newly-reached specific service icon) and then selects a different successor icon record, so that it continues down to a different branch of the structure. In this way, a sequence of 700 icons is displayed which are visually similar, 'each being different from its predecessor by means of one or more changes, and corresponds to technically similar services. The user can therefore "browse" through all the available services. Upon reaching a desired service, the user stops pressing the mouse button 524, and can select the required service (i.e., "double-clicking" the mouse button in the known manner). By doing so, the processor 514 accesses the icon record 800 associated with the displayed 700 icon; locate the code indicated by the code indicator in the icon record 800; and follows the procedure of Figure 17 to acquire the corresponding service. To avoid going through the complete list of the stored icon 800 registers, the user can enter (through the keyboard 522 or the mouse 524) a generic specification of required services (e.g., video conference), and the processor 514 can select a register 800 of generic icon corresponding to the desired service, and start the sequential display from this icon register instead of from the more generic icon register (root node of the tree). From a displayed 700 icon, as indicated for example in Figure 19, the user can, using the cursor control device 524, select a particular icon field and alter the contents of that field in For example, when selecting (for example, positioning the cursor on) the field 702 of the service provider, a different service provider can be selected by pressing the mouse button, upon detecting the user's action, the processor 514 reads the corresponding fields 651, 652 of the code 640 indicated by the record 800 of icon of the displayed 700 icon, finding the code having the following value (for example, increasing the value) in the field 652 of the service provider; and displaying the 700 icon corresponding to the 800 icon register indicating that code. Therefore, the user can take a tour through the services of the same description offered by different providers. Also, by selecting a different region from icon regions 701-706, one parameter of the service can be modified each time. To maintain visual continuity in the sequential display, the processor can generate and store "simulated" icons interpolated between successive icons displayed, and do not correspond to the service codes. During the display of a sequence, the simulated icons are displayed, but can not be selected.

Creating a new service code In this mode, the user is able to modify - the icon 700, which is displayed in a way that does not correspond to any code stored in process, to create a new service specification. For example, in the previous example, if the user wishes to obtain the video conference service shown in Figure 19 from a different service provider, for which a service code has not been stored in store 520, processor 514 alters the 700 icon displayed for, displaying the desired service provider; fails to locate a stored code corresponding to it in store 520; and consequently creates a new icon 800 record corresponding to the modified icon 700; and a new code 640 corresponding to the code indicated by the unmodified icon, but with a code 651 of the modified service provider. Then, the processor 514 transmits the code through the communications channel 501, to the service provider so selected, and the service provider is able, as in the previous mode, to either create the required service and price again. the signal to the processor 514, or to indicate that the desired service is not available. In the latter case, the processor 514 deletes the newly created icon, the icon record 800 and the code 640 and indicates to the user that the attempt has not succeeded. In exactly the same way, any functional or technical aspect of a displayed 700 icon can be "altered by the processor 514 in the user instruction, and a corresponding new 640 code can be created and transmitted to one, several or all the providers of the service in an attempt to obtain the required new service.

Reception of new icons When a service provider creates a new service, it can transmit the corresponding code to one or more terminals of the client through communication channel 501. Upon receipt of a new code, processor 514 stores the new code, in store 520; compare the code with the codes already stored; and create a new icon 800 record in store 520. The new icon record 800 is placed in the structure of the tree by setting its indicators to indicate, as the record of the predecessor icon, the icon register that corresponds to the code with which has larger portions of code in common (ie, which is the closest code that is generic to it). An icon image is created, based on the icon image of this predecessor icon record, but different in one or more icon regions. The different icon image regions can be defined, either from the pre-existing data (such as a logo of the existing service provider, where the service differs only from the service provider), or it can be filled in blank or arbitrarily, or the signal received from the service provider may include in itself the image data to define the icon 700.

Service providers, or other providers, may be willing to transmit complete icon records and icon display data, along with associated selection codes, by retrieving a series or sequence of icons to one or more customer terminals, for use subsequent The supply of such icon registers can be in itself a service that is selectable through an icon 700 image. The sequence of the icons can be executed on a hypertext program, such as Mosaic (a program available from the University of Illinois, USA). In an arrangement according to this embodiment, the icon sequences and corresponding registers can be stored in a remote station (eg, a server computer) accessed by one or more client terminals, the server computer being adapted to access one or more service providers on behalf of • customer terminals. The present invention extends in general in all aspects to such systems where the user terminal accesses remote servers executing all or part of the functionality of the invention. Instead of using a mouse like the 524 cursor control deviceOf course, a track ball or an articulated work lever or other cursor control device can be used, or speech recognition or some other type of input can also be used. Additional data relating to the service in question can be stored within the store 520, and can be accessed by a user from the 700 icon; for example, the text describing each field of the codes 640 indicated from the icon 800 register of the icon 700 can be stored in the store 520, and accessed (for example, in the form of hyper texts) by selecting the icon. Likewise, a sample of the service in question can be stored (for example, as compressed video and sound sequence) and re-pass the tape, to illustrate the service. It will be evident that, although this modality is particularly useful with the modalities described in the foregoing and with the international application referred to in the foregoing, it can also be used independently of these modalities, for example to obtain goods or services through the telecommunications channel such as immediate video services. In this case, each icon can be a photo or advertisement of a film, the icon registers being linked hierarchically according to the classification of the film as, for example, action / romance / comedy / historical, and the fields being provided for (for example) indicate the presence of given actors, level of violence, etc. The aspects described in the foregoing of this modality can be used to require the provision of a video from one or more providers of services, either from a sequence of stored, known videos or by creating a request for, for example, a video. of generic jeans, or a video whose star is true actor. It will be apparent, from the foregoing, that the foregoing modalities are useful, either individually, or in combination. Accordingly, protection is sought for all or any part of the novel subject matter contained therein, whether or not it is within the scope of the appended claims, together with any and all variations, modifications or substitutions thereof which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims (35)

1. A communication system comprising an apparatus for practical use of communication connectable to a communication network, and a service provision apparatus for making the services available to the practical use of communications apparatus, characterized by the provision, associated with the apparatus of practical use of communications, of an accounting device comprising a digital data storage device adapted to store the details of the reception of the services by the practical use of communications device; a signaling circuit adapted to receive, through the communication network, signals indicating the payment due with respect to the services provided by the service provision apparatus; and a comparison device adapted to compare the received indications with the data derived from the stored details.

2. A system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the device for practical use of communications is adapted to be used, and the apparatus for providing the service for providing telecommunication services.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the accounting device comprises part of the apparatus for practical use of communications.

4. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accounting device is adapted to automatically start the payment that is not in cash depending on the comparison made by the comparison device.

5. A system in accordance with the claim 4, characterized in that the accounting device comprises a reader for accepting an insertable payment token.

6. A system in accordance with the claim 5, characterized in that the payment card is a card.

7. A system in accordance with the claim 6, characterized in that the card comprises a programmable memory device.

8. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling device is adapted to receive a signal indicating a total due payment with respect to a plurality of services provided, and the comparison device is adapted to compare the total with a total corresponding to the data stored in the storage device with respect to the reception of the same services.

9. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling device is adapted to receive a registration signal comprising the data detailing a plurality of service records supplied, and the comparison device is adapted to compare the data with the corresponding records stored in the storage device with respect to the reception of the same services.

10. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that the comparison device is adapted to compare the received data with a selected subset of the records stored in the storage device.

11. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the case of detection of comparison and selection error, the accounting device is adapted to supply a comparison and selection error signal through the signaling circuit to the network of communications.

12. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that the service provisioning apparatus is adapted, in response to one or more such comparison and selection error signals, to initiate a device verification procedure.

13. A system according to claim 11 or claim 12, characterized in that the service provisioning apparatus is adapted to store data indicating the comparison and selection error.

14. A system according to claim 13, characterized in that the service provision apparatus is adapted to use such comparison and selection error data in the provision of services subsequent to the apparatus of practical use.

15. A system according to any of claims 11 to 14, appended to claim 8, characterized in that the service provisioning apparatus is adapted, after receiving such a comparison and selection error signal, to generate a total adjusted due payment and to transmit an additional total signal to the apparatus of practical use.

16. An accounting device for use in the system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a digital data storage device adapted to store the details of the reception of the services by means of an apparatus for practical use of communications of the system; a signaling circuit adapted to receive, through the communications network, the signals indicating a payment due with respect to the services provided by the service provisioning apparatus of the system; and a comparison device adapted to compare the received indications with the data derived from the stored details.

17. An apparatus for practical use in telecommunications, the apparatus incorporating the accounting device according to claim 16.

18. The service provision apparatus for use in the system according to any of claims 1 to 15, the apparatus is characterized in that it comprises: a service provision device for providing telecommunications services: a signaling circuit for connection to a communications channel of the system; and a processor connected to the signaling circuit and having a control output line to selectively control the operation of the service provisioning device.

19. The service monitoring apparatus characterized in that it comprises a signaling circuit for signaling a communication network to which the monitoring apparatus is connected; a control device for controlling the operation of the signaling circuit for monitoring the services acquired through the network by one or more devices for practical use of the service other than the monitoring apparatus; and a store that stores the details of such purchased services; the monitoring apparatus being adapted to receive a remotely generated interrogation signal with respect to such services and to transmit, in response, over the communication network, a signal based on such stored details with respect to one or more such use devices practical service.

20. A hierarchical communications network, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of component networks, a first such component network being accessed by a user terminal through at least a second network of components, wherein said second network comprises a accounting unit adapted to store the records of the use of such a first network by means of such a second network, and to control the payment of said first network with respect to such use.

21. A network accounting station for use in a communications network, for example according to claim 20, characterized in that it comprises a provider interface circuit comprising a store that stores data relating to the services obtained from one or more providers of the same. communications service; and a customer interface circuit for transmitting signals indicating a payment due with respect to such services, through the communication network to one or more terminal stations using the service.

22. An accounting processing system, characterized in that it comprises a store that stores the details of use of telecommunications services by one or more customers through a communication network and a signaling circuit connected to such store and such network; and adapted to transmit a signal, through the network, to one or more terminal stations associated respectively with one or more clients, indicating a payment due with respect to such services at a predetermined time of low usage of such network.

23. The communication apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a processing circuit and a signaling circuit; the communication apparatus being adapted to receive, through the signaling circuit, a service request request signal indicating a service whose provision is sought; the communications apparatus also being adapted to output, through the signaling circuit, a service indicating signal indicating a service offered in response to the service provision request signal received through the signaling circuit.

24. The communication apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a processing circuit and a signaling circuit; the communication apparatus being adapted to take out, through the signaling circuit, a service provision request indicating a service whose provision is sought by the user of the apparatus; the signaling circuit, being adapted to receive a service indicating signal, and the processing circuit responding to such service indicating signal to respond either specifically to a service indicated by it, or generically to a type, gender, or class of service indicated by the same.

25. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 23, characterized in that the processing circuit is adapted, upon receiving a received signal, to transmit, in response, one or more different service indicator signals, which differ from said received signal, but which indicate services of the same type, gender or class.

26. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 24, further characterized in that it comprises an input device for specifying a required service; and in which the processing circuit and the signaling circuit respond to it to transmit a service indicating signal that is generic with respect to such a required service; to receive one or more service indication signs indicating similar service; and to select one of such received services.

27. The apparatus according to any of claims 23 to 26, characterized in that the services are telecommunications services.

28. A communication signal to indicate a service, the signal is characterized in that it comprises portions indicating such a service both specifically and generically.

29. A signal according to claim 28, characterized in that it comprises a generic portion common to a plurality of services, followed by one or more specific portions to particular services to which such a generic portion is generic.

30. A communication signal indicating a telecommunications service, the signal is characterized in that it has a portion indicative of the compatibility or incompatibility of the service with other products or services.

31. A communications terminal, characterized in that it comprises a signaling circuit connectable to a communication network; a control circuit connected to the signaling circuit and a visual display device connected to the control circuit, in which the control circuit is adapted to display a plurality of sub-images, each representative of a different service whose terminal is operable to receive through the communications network such sub-images exhibiting common or generic aspects of such services in a uniform visual form.

32. A terminal according to claim 31, characterized in that each of said sub-image comprises a plurality of regions corresponding to different attributes of the service of which the sub-image is representative.

33. A terminal according to claim 31 or claim 32, characterized in that the control circuit is adapted to cause successive display on the visual display device of a plurality of sub-images in a sequence, such that similar services occupy successive positions in such a sequence.

34. A terminal according to any of claims 31 to 33, characterized in that it comprises a selection device connected to the control circuit for selecting a sub-image displayed, to which the control circuit responds to select the corresponding service.

35. A terminal according to any of claims 31 to 34, characterized in that the signaling circuit is adapted to receive signals, through the communication network, indicative of new services, and the control circuit is adapted to display the corresponding sub - new images about visual display devices.