Abstract:
An apparatus for querying a central service dials telephone numbers to establish contact with the central service, and accesses services housed in the central service. The geographical location of the apparatus is stored in a tie unit and sent to the apparatus upon request. The apparatus forwards this information to the central service that then provides information about facilities (e.g., restaurants, sports venues, theaters, etc.) at that location.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for interrogating a server center such as a telephone apparatus and is more particularly concerned with a public telephone apparatus, of the public payphone type. 
     Certain apparatuses of this type comprise means for dialing telephone numbers for establishing a telephone link with a server center plugged into a telephone network to which the apparatus is intended to be connected, and means for accessing services hosted in the server center, comprising means for navigating around said services and means for displaying the data supplied by said services and transmitted to the apparatus in response to an action on the navigating means. 
     This type of telephone apparatus makes it possible on the one hand to obtain a telephone link with a corresponding called party, and, on the other hand, to interrogate services in which are stored information relating, for example, to commercial establishments, such as hotels, restaurants, financial establishments, etc. 
     It is thus possible, for example, to ascertain the telephone numbers of these establishments, their availabilities and to make a reservation in a particularly simple manner, insofar as these apparatuses may be disposed on the public thoroughfare. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus for interrogating a server center of the aforesaid type, capable furthermore of offering the user a selection of the information contained in the databases, as a function of the geographical area in which the apparatus is situated. 
     Its subject is therefore an interrogating apparatus- of the aforesaid type, characterized in that it includes means for transmitting to the server center information representative of the geographical location of the apparatus with a view to the selecting, from the said services, of data corresponding to the location of the apparatus. 
     The user can therefore be provided with very complete information concerning the geographical area in which he is situated. 
     The apparatus for interrogating a server center according to the invention can furthermore include one or more of the following characteristics taken in isolation or according to all technically possible combinations: 
     the information representative of the geographical location of the apparatus being stored in a unit for tying the apparatus into a public payphone network, the apparatus includes means for sending a signal for instructing the dispatching, by the tie unit, of said information toward the telephone apparatus; 
     the apparatus constitutes a public payphone intended to be plugged into a cabled telephone network and equipped with a reader of telecommunications payment chip cards, and includes means for effecting communication with a telephone set of a corresponding called party according to a first communication protocol and with the server center according to a second communication protocol, said protocols using distinct telecommunication channels; 
     the second communication protocol is a communication protocol with a different tariff relative to the first communication protocol; 
     said data supplied by the service including telephone numbers of corresponding parties situated in the geographical area of the apparatus, it includes means for selecting said numbers, plugged into means for automatically dialing selected numbers; 
     said data supplied by the service include data chosen from among data relating to commercial establishments, meteorological data, data relating to sports news or cultural news and data adapted for calling personal or small-scale shared transport vehicles; 
     the data supplied by the service include information relating to points of sale of telecommunications payment chip cards. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the following description, given merely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a face-on view of a telephone apparatus for interrogating a server center in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing, diagrammatically, the architecture of a telecommunications network using the telephone apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the main phases of the operation of the apparatus in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Represented in FIG. 1 is an apparatus for interrogating a server center in accordance with the invention, denoted by the general numerical reference  10  and consisting of a public payphone. 
     Of course, the invention applies equally to any other type of device capable of establishing a telephone link with the server, such as, for example, a microcomputer equipped with a modem. 
     The public payphone  10  includes a telephone handset  12  bearing, in a known manner, an earpiece  14  and a microphone  16 . 
     As is conventional, to establish telephone communications with a party, the handset  12  is plugged into an internal telephony circuit  18 , itself connected to an interface circuit  20  linked up with a cabled telephone network  22  (FIG.  2 ). 
     The telephone apparatus is furthermore furnished with a central drive unit  24  appropriate for the use envisaged, represented chain-dotted in FIG. 1, into which are plugged a keypad  26  for dialing telephone numbers, a display  28 , a reader  30  of telephone communications payment chip cards, a second keypad  32  for accessing telematic services, such as will be described in detail subsequently, and the telephony circuit  18 . 
     The central drive unit  24  is furthermore linked to the interfacing circuit  20  for effecting communication between it and the cabled telephone network  22 . 
     With reference to FIG. 2, the apparatus  10  just described is intended to be put into communication on the one hand with a public payphone network  34  associated with the cabled telephone network  22  with a view to putting it into communication with a collection of telephone sets, such as  36 , and on the other hand with a server center  38  which is plugged into the telephone network  22  and in which is hosted a collection of services enabling a user to obtain ordered information of various kinds, such as for example meteorological information, information concerning commercial establishments, such as hotels, restaurants, etc., information making it possible to call a personal transport vehicle, such as for example a taxi, or a small-scale shared transport vehicle, for example a minibus, or else sports information, etc. 
     As is conventional, the apparatus  10  is plugged into the public payphone network  34  by way of a tie unit  40 . 
     Represented in FIG. 2 is a single apparatus  10 , but the telecommunications network can of course be equipped with any number of such apparatuses plugged in in groups to several tie units  40 , for example in groups of 100 apparatuses. 
     These apparatuses make it possible, on the one hand, to obtain a telephone communication with a telephone set  36  of a corresponding called party, and, on the other hand, to consult the services hosted in the server  38  and to do so as a function of the geographical location of the apparatuses  10 . 
     To obtain a telephone communication with a telephone set  36 , the telephone apparatus  10  according to the invention is used in a conventional manner by taking the handset  12  off the hook, by inserting a payment chip card into the reader  30  and then by dialing the telephone number of the corresponding party with the aid of the dialing keypad  26 . 
     The consultation of one or more services or databases of the server  38  is carried out by inserting a payment chip card into the reader  30  then by selecting the desired service, from among the services presented on the display  28 , by pressing a preprogrammed corresponding button, such as  42 , of the second keypad  32 , as well as a scrolling and selection buttons of this second keypad  32 . 
     As will be described in detail subsequently, once the telephone link has been established with the server center  38 , the apparatus  10  dispatches, toward the latter, information representative of its geographical location with a view to the selection, from the selected service, of the data corresponding to its location. 
     It will be noted that the selecting of a service from the second keypad  32  causes the automatic dialing, by the apparatus  10 , of the call number of the server  38  which causes, in response, once the telephone link has been established, the displaying of the data of the service. 
     It will also be noted that the telephone link between the apparatus  10  and the telephone sets  36  and between the apparatus  10  and the server center  38  is effected under the control of the central drive unit  24  according to two distinct telecommunication protocols, namely, respectively, a protocol using a channel B of a “Numéris” network and a channel D of this Numéris network for dialog with the server center  38 , which communication protocol using the D channel being a communication protocol with specific tariff, that is to say in which payment for telecommunications is made in the form of flat-rate charges. 
     The description of the protocol for communication between the apparatus  10  and the server center  38  and between the apparatus  10  and one or more telephone sets  36  will now be given with reference to FIG.  3 . 
     This protocol begins with a first step  44  in the course of which the apparatus  10  detects the presence of a chip card in the reader  30  for payment for access to the service. 
     In the course of the next step  48 , the apparatus  10  monitors the state of the buttons  42  of the second keypad  32  so as to detect whether the user has depressed one of the buttons  42  corresponding to one of the services offered. 
     Following the depressing of a button  42 , the central drive unit  32  causes at stage  49  the automatic dialing of the telephone number of the server center. 
     Following this step  49 , the user has available all the information contained in the selected service and can navigate around the latter by selecting submenus with the help of scrolling and selection buttons of the second keypad  32 . 
     However, and according to the invention, with the aim of supplying the user with very accurate information concerning the geographical area in which he is situated, in the course of the next step  50 , that is to say if the user has depressed a button  42  for selecting one of the services, the server center  38  asks the apparatus  10  for the postal address of the zone in which he is situated, by dispatching a corresponding interrogation message thereto. 
     It should be noted that the address of each apparatus  10  is stored in the tie unit  40  to which it is linked so as to allow relatively easy replacement of the apparatuses  10 . 
     Consequently, in the course of the next step  52 , the central drive unit  24  causes the sending, toward the tie unit  40 , of a signal for commanding the dispatching, by this unit, of information representative of a geographical location of the apparatus. 
     After receiving its address, the apparatus  10  dispatches this information to the server center  38  under the control of the central drive unit  24  (step  54 ). 
     During the next step  56 , the server center  38  makes a selection of the data of each selected service in such a way as to dispatch, to the apparatus  10 , only the information corresponding to the geographical area in which it is situated (step  58 ). 
     In the case where the data extracted from the selected service and displayed on the screen  28  include telephone numbers of corresponding parties, during the next step  60  the apparatus  10  verifies whether a telephone number has been selected. 
     If such is the case, the central drive unit  24  and the telephony circuit  18  perform the automatic dialing of this number with a view to establishing a telephone link with the corresponding party (step  62 ). 
     It will be noted, moreover, that if, during the previous step  48 , no selection of services was made, during the next step  64  the apparatus  10  detects whether the user has dialed a telephone number manually on the first keypad  26 . 
     If such is the case, during the next step  66  a corresponding telephone link is established, as is conventional. 
     It is appreciated that the invention just described makes it possible, on the one hand, to obtain a telephone link with a telephone set of a corresponding called party, and, on the other hand, to obtain a telephone link with a server center for consulting services and to do so as a function of the geographical location in which the apparatus  10  is situated. 
     Thus, the exact geographical location of the apparatus  10  being available to the server center  38 , it is possible to obtain for example particulars concerning the location of the nearest commercial establishments, such as hotels, restaurants, to obtain, in real time, information relating to the availability of these establishments, and to be able to make a reservation particularly easily insofar as the apparatus makes it possible to obtain a telephone link with the latter. 
     It is also possible, by selecting an appropriate service, to obtain information concerning the list of the nearest points of sale of payment chip cards, to order personal transport vehicles, such as taxis, or small-scale shared transport vehicles, such as minibuses, to obtain sports information concerning the relevant geographical area and meteorological information. 
     Finally, it will be noted that it is possible to provide, on the keypad  32 , additional selection buttons, allowing the selection of different geographical areas with a view to obtaining complementary information concerning one or more selected geographical areas. 
     The invention is not limited to the embodiment described. 
     In the foregoing it has, in fact been considered that the information concerning the geographical location of the public payphone, which is the subject of the invention, is obtained, by the server center, after action on one of the buttons for selecting services. 
     It would also be possible, as a variant, to provide for the sending, by the server center, of the interrogation signal once the telephone link between it and the telephone apparatus has been established.