Public telephone system

Abstract

A public telephone system includes public telephone sets assigned with different specific numbers and allowing speech communication using cards and a center apparatus connected to the public telephone sets through a telephone line. The center apparatus includes a list number forming unit for forming one list number from numbers of a plurality of invalid cards produced by illegally rewriting the cards, a registering unit for registering each formed list number in association with a series number, management number, and telephone number of each of the telephone sets, a storage unit for storing the list number and the series number, management number, and telephone number of each telephone set, all of which are registered by the registering unit, and a list number transmitting unit for calling, through the telephone line, each public telephone set corresponding to the telephone number registered in the storage unit and transmitting a list number corresponding to each telephone set. Each public telephone set includes a controller for controlling on the basis of the list number whether speech communication is allowed in use of a card.