BusinessPhone Communication Platform 4.0
Facilities

## Call Metering

## Definition

The call metering feature collects the following data for outgoing calls.

- Costs
- Received call-metering pulses
- Conversation time

ASB 150 02 processes the costs and number of call-metering pulses and prepares them for display on system telephones as well as printout.

The conversation time of the current call may be displayed on system telephones.

## Use

Information on call charges offers incentives for more efficient call handling. ASB 150 02 makes the following information available:

#### Information on trunk lines

You may use the information on trunk lines, e.g. for checking the account you receive from the public network operator.

Information on trunk lines is offered in the following forms:

- Display of the accumulated costs to individual trunk lines
- Display of the total of accumulated costs to all trunk lines
- Printout of the costs and call-metering pulses for individual trunk lines
- Printout of the total of costs and call-metering pulses for all trunk lines.

#### Information on caller

Callers may be extensions, trunk lines and tie lines that bring about costs through access to chargeable trunk lines.

Information on the accumulated costs of callers serve for checking and charging as well as developing cost-effectiveness in all staff members. The following information on callers is made available to you.

- Display of accumulated costs to individual callers
- Display of the total of accumulated costs to all callers
- Printout of accumulated costs and call-metering pulses for individual callers
- Printout of the total of accumulated costs and call-metering pulses for all callers.

#### Cost information related to an extension

A user may get information on the costs he himself has caused. This information is available in an updated form, that is to say at the time the costs occur. Thus, the staff members realise how much a telephone conversation costs and are urged to use the telephone in an efficient way.

Information for users is offered in the following forms:

- Display of the current call charges (or call-metering pulses or conversation time) during the call
- Display of the last call charges
- Display of the total of own costs

## Operation

### Reception of metering information

Metering information may be received by analogue and digital trunks.

Network providers make metering information available in the form of call-metering pulses or call charges. Analogue trunks send call-metering pulses. Digital trunks can transmit call-metering pulses or costs.

At analogue interfaces suitable call-meter receivers are necessary for the reception of call-metering pulses.

### Conversion and storage of metering information

The received call-metering pulses are converted into costs by means of a conversion factor (costs/pulses).

ASB 150 02 stores costs and pulses. Costs may be displayed in local currency. A three-figure abbreviation of the local currency may be placed before or after the amount of costs.

### Cost information related to a call

It is possible to display current call information during a call:

- Costs
- Number of call-metering pulses
- Conversation time
- No indication

If the desired indication is not available, ASB 150 02 automatically goes back to the next possibility, e.g. instead of call-metering pulses the conversation time is displayed (e.g. for a tie line, where information about pulses or costs is not provided).

Information is updated every 15 seconds.

### Activate and deactivate

The indication of the call information may be activated or deactivated with the following function code.

- Dial * 41 #

The setting is valid until the function code is entered once again.

### Activate and deactivate function for current call

This function may be used by pressing the menu keys of system telephone DBC 213.

The menu key F4 – "cost-off“ / "cost-on“ – activates and deactivates the display of the costs.

This setting is only valid for the current call. At the next call, the display again has the setting defined by command * 41 #.

### Last call charges

After termination of the call you may query the costs of the call.

The display shows the costs.

If no cost information has been available during the call, no last call charges will be displayed (e.g. in case of tie line calls).

Operation:

- Use function code * 46 # (or the corresponding programmed name selection key).
- For return to idle state, press key C (Clear) or the menu key "return“.

### Operator supervised call

Charges for calls, established for extensions via the operator may be displayed at the operator console after the extension terminates the call.

Operation:

- Press function key "Meter" at the operator console hone before transferring the trunk line to the extension.

After termination of the ordered call the operator receives a recall. At the recall the operator telephone shows the costs of the call.

### Menu keys

In principle, the menu keys are only offered if the function is available on your system telephone.

activate |  | serves for confirmation of the entered password |
caller |  | display of costs to caller (extensions, trunk lines and tie lines having access to chargeable trunk lines). |
check |  | activates the integrated system test for call metering. |
cost-off |  | deactivates the indication of running call information for current call. |
cost-on |  | activates the indication of call information for current call. |
cost/pulse |  | switches between display of costs and display of call-metering pulses at system check. |
display |  | displays the costs. |
detail |  | displays the costs to individual directory numbers. |
next | (1) displays the costs to the next directory number. |
(2) displays the next invalid counter during system test. |
other |  | for display of costs to callers or trunks. |
print |  | prints the costs and call-metering pulses (printer is necessary). |
reset | (1) cancels the costs and call-metering pulses. For resetting all counters in a group a printer is necessary because all counters are printed before reset. |
(2) cancels invalid counter at system check. (No printout in this case.) |
return | (1) back one menu interface. |
(2) Confirmation of the reset of all counters in a group. |
rtn |  | see "return“. |
trunk |  | for display of costs to trunk lines. |

### Display of own costs

Operation:

1. Dial function code * 45 # in idle state.

- The display of your telephone shows the costs accumulated since the last reset.

1. Press menu key "return“ to reset the display to the initial state.

### Display of costs to callers and trunks

1. Display your own costs

- Read out your own costs and the menu keys will offer the following options: "other" or "check"

##### Display of costs to others

1. Press menu key "other“.
2. Enter the password for call metering and confirm the input with menu key F1 "activate“.
3. You may now select whether you want to see the costs to callers or trunks. For indication of costs press either "caller“ or "trunk“.

##### Determine scope of directory numbers

After you have selected "caller" or "trunk", you may display the costs to a specific directory number or to all callers and/or trunks.

##### Display of costs to a group

- Leave the field for directory number blank and press the menu key "display“ to see the costs to all directory numbers of the group callers or trunks.

- By pressing the menu key "detail“ you receive the costs to the individual directory numbers.
- By pressing menu key "next“ you may read out the costs to the next directory number.

##### Display of costs to a directory number

- Enter the desired directory number.
- Press menu key "display“ to show the costs.

### Printout of costs and call-metering pulses

#### Printout for a group

You may also print metering information for all directory numbers within the group of callers or trunks.

1. Proceed according to the procedure "Display of costs to callers and trunks“ until "SELECT TYPE OF METER“ is displayed.
2. Select the desired group (caller or trunk).
3. Leave the field for directory number blank and press the menu key "print“

#### Printout for a directory number

1. Proceed according to one of the above mentioned procedures to display the costs to a directory number.
2. Press menu key "print“.

### Reset of counters

#### Reset of all counters in a group

For this function a printer is necessary. You may cancel metering information for all directory numbers within the group of callers or trunks.

1. Proceed according to procedure "Display of costs to callers and trunks“ until "SELECT TYPE OF METER“ is displayed.
2. Select the desired group (caller or trunk).
3. Leave the field for directory number blank and press the menu key "reset“

The connected printer prints all counters of this group.

1. Check the printout before confirming reset with menu key "return“.
2. Press function key C (Clear) to abort the reset procedure.

#### Reset of the counters for a directory number

You may cancel the metering information for a directory number.

1. Proceed according to one of the above mentioned procedures to display the costs to a directory number.
2. Press menu key "reset“.

If ASB 150 02 is connected to a printer a printout is made.

### Printout information

#### Example of a printout

FORM FEED is sent before and after the printout.

The printout contains the following information:

Printout | Explanation
Call Metering Information | Header with fixed text.
Date: Time: | Date and time in the format "Date: YY MM DD“ and “Time: hh:mm“.
Freely programmable lines | Four freely programmable lines with up to 50 char-acters per line. With system telephones up to 40 characters per line may be programmed.
Reason for printout: | In which form the printout has been ordered is presented in the following form: – Printout without reset: "Read“. – Printout with reset: "Reset“.
Division: | This field is reserved for future applications. At present, it always displays "Total system“.
Group: | States whether it is a printout of “Callers” or “Trunks”.
Directory number range: | States the range of directory numbers that are printed. – “All”: All directory numbers of the selected group. – “[directory number]” states the directory number of the caller or trunk.
Currency: | States the local currency for the costs.
Table | The table has 4 columns. Names and column headers are left-justified, numeric information is right-justified. A blank line after each fifth line grants perfect readability. The table header is repeated on each new page.

### System check

The system check locates all counters that are not assigned to a valid directory number after change of directory number.

If invalid counters are located these may be cancelled, in order to set free system resources, that have been tied.

#### Operation

1. Display own costs and the menu keys offer the options "other“, "check“ and "return“:
2. Press menu key "check“.

- If invalid counters are found, the display shows "CALLER RECORD FAULTY".

1. By pressing the menu key "display“, invalid counters are displayed.
2. Select with menu keys one of the following functions:

- next: Displays the next invalid counter.
- cost/pulse: Switches between display of costs and display of call-metering pulses.
- reset: Cancels the invalid counter (no printout in this case).
- return: Back to the previous menu interface.

### Counter overflow

The counter value indication for costs and call-metering pulses is continuously supervised. If the limit is reached or if an overflow occurs, the user receives an alarm.

The flashing alarm key indicates the alarm. Press the alarm key to display the reason for the alarm.

Reaching the cost counter's limit, the display shows "METER LIMIT EXCEEDED" and "COUNTER OVERFLOW".

Acknowledge the alarm by pressing menu key F4 "ACK“.

In case of an alarm we recommend to read out or print all cost counters, and then to cancel them.

For more information see chapter Capacity.

### Continuous updating of cost counters

ASB 150 02 guarantees that the information about longer – and thus more expensive – calls is not lost even in case of an unexpected power failure.

The accumulated call information is retrieved every 12 minutes by the cost counter. The cost counters keep up the stored information even during a power failure.

## Capacity

### Conversion factor

By means of a conversion factor call-metering pulses are converted into costs. A floating decimal point is used for the conversion factor.

The conversion factor consists of 1–4 characters, whereby also the floating decimal point is counted as a character.

Thus the range of the conversion factor is between .001 and 9999. The unit is costs/call-metering pulse.

### Conversation time

The conversation time of a call is determined up to 18 hours 12 minutes and 15 seconds (65,535 seconds). (In case of longer calls the indication remains at this maximum value.)

### Call-metering pulses

#### Current call

Up to 65,535 call-metering pulses are counted during a call.

#### Total memory

The total memory for call-metering pulses counts up to 224 (= 16,777,216) pulses. In case of an overflow the counter continues with 0.

### Cost counter

#### Capacity and accuracy

Cost counters are presented including floating decimal points. The counter's capacity amounts to 2127 (= 1.7 · 1038). The counters for current cost display, last call charges and accumulated costs to callers and trunks contain 9 digits with 0–4 decimals.

In case of a high counter value indication, the cost unit is redefined, so that the number of characters does not exceed the available characters on the display and printout. (The following table uses "ATS“ as abbreviation for a local currency.)

1 Kilo ATS |  | = 1 KATS |  | = 1,000 ATS |
1 Mega ATS |  | = 1 MATS |  | = 1,000,000 ATS |
1 Giga ATS |  | = 1 GATS |  | = 1,000,000,000 ATS |

#### Limit for cost counter

In practice, the counter will hardly ever overflow. However, the accuracy of the counter decreases if the counter value indication for trunks or callers is already very high. If this is the case, it will not be changed by a cheap call.

In order to guarantee accuracy, you may determine a limit for the cost counter. If the limit is reached, the user receives an alarm.

The alarm indicates that the demanded accuracy is exhausted and that it is recommended to print (or read out) and cancel the counter. (The costs are further accumulated if the costs of individual calls may be gathered by the cost counter.)

The formulas below offer two approaches for definition of the cost limit.

- Formula for calculating the limit

- Define your minimum requirements for the accuracy of the counters and use the formula for calculating the maximum cost limit.

- Formula for calculating the accuracy

- Define the requested cost limit (e.g. based on average cost per month) and check, whether this cost limit gives you appropriate accuracy. Use the formula for calculating the accuracy for this check.

For calculation of the limit we use a formula containing the following variables:

L |  | cost limit for cost counter

Cmin |  | costs for the cheapest chargeable call

A |  | accuracy of cost display (e.g. 0.01 corresponds to an accuracy of 1 %)

##### Formula for calculating the limit

Given: the costs for the cheapest chargeable call Cmin and the requested accuracy of the cost counters A.

The cost limit is calculated by the following formula

- L = 360 · 106 · Cmin · A

Example: The cheapest chargeable call costs 0.80 ATS (= Cmin). The requested accuracy may be 1 % (A = 0.01). What is the maximum limit of the cost counters?

- L = 360 · 106 · 0.80 · 0.01 = 2,880,000

Result: the cost limit shall be < 2.88 million ATS.

##### Formula for calculating the accuracy

Given: the costs for the cheapest chargeable call Cmin and the requested cost limit L.

The accuracy of the cost counters is calculated by the following formula:

- A = L / (360 ·106 · Cmin)

Example: The cheapest chargeable call costs 0.80 ATS (= Cmin). The requested cost limit is 100,000 ATS
(= L). What is the accuracy of the cost counters A?

- A = 100,000 / (360 · 106 · 0.80) = 0.00035

Result: the accuracy of the cost counters at reaching the limit is at least 0.04 %.

## Limitations

### Change of directory numbers

The cost counters have to be cancelled before direc-tory numbers of extensions, trunks or tie lines are changed.

### Cost information about trunk lines

If digital trunks make available information in the form of costs, these costs are not reconverted into pulses. In this case, the total of costs not necessarily corresponds to the total of call-metering pulses.

### Last call charges in case of printout and reset

The user will read out or print the contents of cost counters before resetting the cost counters. To guarantee that during that time no costs are lost, the cost counters are not updated during that period.

The same holds true for the period between print order and confirmation of reset.

The costs accumulated during this period are stored in the last call charges memory. If a user has two short calls during this period, it is possible that the last call charges memory displays the sum of two or more calls.

### Restart

The last call charges memory is cleared after restart (e.g. power failure).

## Programming

### Date and time

The following commands are only accessable via the telephone.

In order to have the correct date on the printout, use the following commands if the date on the display of the system telephones does not match.

6101 |  | Set year month day

6102 |  | Day of week

6103 |  | Set hour minute second

6104 |  | 12h mode, display

### Type of call metering

The following commands are only accessable via BMS/RASC.

1029 |  | Tenant group

1501 |  | Call meter for trunk ?

1502 |  | Tariff number

1503 |  | Carrier number

### Type of call meter receiver and level

1607 |  | Call meter type

1608 |  | Call meter receiver level

1614 |  | Call meter (CML) receiver level

### Time setting

1405 |  | Wait time before metering is stopped

1418 |  | Minimum time for detection of call metering pulses

### Call metering

6204 |  | Digits to log

The following commands are accessable via BMS/RASC and the telephone.

6710 |  | Currency identifier

6711 |  | Decimals in cost

6712 |  | Currency id last ?

6713 |  | Cost limit

6720 |  | Operator password

### Conversion factor

The following formulas can be applied for the respective input data:

##### Input data: not programmed

Cost calculation will be done for carrier 0 and tenant 0 with the following formula:

- for analogue or ISDN line interface:

- cost = given pulses · multiplication factor
  (multiplication factor = value programmed within the command 8424)

- for ISDN AOC (digital line interface):

- cost = received cost

##### Input data: value between 0 and 5

Cost calculation will be done for appropriate carrier/tenant with the following formula:

- for analogue or ISDN line interface:

- cost = given pulses · multiplication factor · tariff cost/pulse
  (multiplication factor = value programmed within the command 8424; tariff cost/pulse = value programmed within the commands 8430-8435)

- for ISDN AOC (digital line interface):

- cost = received cost

To define the costs for a call metering pulse, the following commands have to be set.

#### *84 Carrier definition menu

Normally this menu is used in conjuction with Least Cost Routing in order to create or alter the carriers (see separate description). In the future different conversion factors to different carriers are planned. For the time being, please use only carrier 0 for call metering.

8401 |  | Internal access code

8420 |  | Carrier open for tenant

8424 |  | Pulse cost metering

8430 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 0

8431 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 1

8432 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 2

8433 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 3

8434 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 4

8435 |  | Customer tariff (cost per pulse) 5

### Facility access COS

Facility access COS determines the access to fea-tures. You may define COS for the groups 0–15.

3075 |  | Read own meter?

3076 |  | Read other’s meter?

3077 |  | Print other’s meter?

3078 |  | Reset other’s meter?

### COS for individual extensions

0101 |  | Facility COS

0146 |  | Meter info allowed on display ?

0147 |  | Type of meter info

0148 |  | Automatic display of metering info ?

0151 |  | Tenant group

### Summary of COS

The following table shows the COS that are neces-sary for the features. The character "–“ means that the value of the command is irrelevant for the feature.

Function | 3075 | 3076 | 3077 | 3078 | 0146 | 0147
Current information None Duration Pulses Costs | – – – – | – – – – | – – – – | – – – – | – – – – | 0 1 2 3
Last call charges | Y | – | – | – | Y | –
Display own costs | Y | – | – | – | Y | –
Display all costs | Y | Y | – | – | Y | –
Printout | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | –
Reset individual | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | –
Reset a group | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | –
System check | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | –
Exception from display and printout | – | – | – | – | N | –

### Alarm key

To receive information on alarms, program a name selection key by means of code * 91 #.

See "Name Selection“, document 360/155 34-ASB 150 02 Uen.

### Settings of the port

The following commands are only accessable via BMS/ RASC:

6701 |  | I/O Port

6006 |  | Device type

6007 |  | Character set

6009 |  | Baud rate

6011 |  | Autoselect allowed

### Settings for printout format

6702 |  | Lines/page

This command states the lines per page.

6703 |  | Printout Header 1

6704 |  | Printout Header 2

6705 |  | Printout Header 3

6706 |  | Printout Header 4

## Equipment

### Call meter receiver

The call meter receivers are designed as daughter boards CM of BTU-A or are integrated in the layout of the BTU-A2.

A printed circuit board CM contains call meter receivers for 2 trunk lines.

### Printout

Printout necessitates one V 24 port and one printer. The V 24 ports of the CPU-D2 (CPU-D) or the AUX2 (AUX) may be used for connection of the printer.

### System telephones

The accumulated costs may be displayed at author-ised extensions.

Display and printout of metering information is supported by the following system telephones:

Telephone | Running cost indication | Last call charges | Display own | Display and printout all
DBC 214 | N | Y | Y | Y
DBC 213 | Y | Y | Y | Y
DBC 212 | Y | Y | Y | N
DBC 663 | N | Y | Y | Y
DBC 662 | Y | Y | Y | Y
DBC 631 | Y | Y | Y | N
DBC 754 | N | Y | N | N
DBC 753 | Y | Y | N | N

### FECU

Multiple tariff handling is protected by the FECU. Without FECU, costs are only calculated for carrier 0 and tenant 0 with the following formula:

- for analogue or ISDN line interface:

- cost = received pulses · multiplication factor
  (multiplication factor = value programmed within the command 8424)

- for ISDN (digital line interface):

- cost = received cost

Furthermore, a FECU warning is generated.

For detailed description see Facility Description - General, document 155 34-ASB 150 02 Uen.

Revision: E © Ericsson Enterprise 2003