Abstract: A subscriber to a wireless service provider can make calls in a conventional manner, and can receive calls from a caller in a mode in which the caller rather than the subscriber is charged. More particularly, a request for connection to the subscriber from the caller is received by an administrating server which determines if the call can be charged to the caller and then generates such a charge. Preferably the administrating server is part of a payment platform provided to generate an account for the subscriber to pay for outgoing (and, selectively, incoming) calls.

Abstract: A wide area communication network includes at least two hub sites which are interconnected by a communication backbone Each hub site provides wireless coverage in at least one sector. At least two remote sites reside in each sectors and are coupled to a corresponding hub site via a point to multi point broadband wireless system. The network preferably includes at least one service node which is accessible to the remote sites via the hub sites and backbone.

Abstract: An electronic weighing scale includes a body for use on a horizontal surface for a weighing operation, a display on the body for displaying a measured weight, and an electronic weighing circuit in the body for measuring the weight of a person standing on the body. The weighing circuit includes a zero-reset circuit for resetting the measurement to zero prior to a weighing operation. The body includes a zero-reset member incorporating an electrical switch operable by the zero-reset member to trigger the zero-reset circuit. The zero-reset member engages the surface, when the body is placed on the surface, for operating the switch to trigger the zero-reset circuit.

Abstract: An electronic weighing scale comprising a body for use on a horizontal surface for weighing operation, a display on the body for displaying a measured weight, and an electronic weighing circuit in the body for measuring the weight of a person standing on the body. The weighing circuit includes a zero-reset circuit for resetting the measurement to zero prior to weighing operation. The body includes a zero-reset member incorporating an electrical switch operable by the zero-reset member to trigger the zero-reset circuit. The zero-reset member is arranged to engage said surface when the body is placed thereon for operating the switch to trigger the zero-reset circuit.

Abstract: A main frame of a camera body has a CMOS image sensor and an eyepiece of an optical finder, and the lens unit popped up from the camera body has a taking lens and an objective lens of the optical finder. Light shielding walls are formed on the main frame, and light shielding walls are formed on the lens unit. When the lens unit is popped up, the light shielding walls and the light shielding walls slightly overlap each other, thus preventing a light from the optical finder from entering the CMOS image sensor. Thus, the digital camera has a lens unit popped up from a camera body and prevents unnecessary lights other than a subject light from entering an image pickup device.

Abstract: Radio system including mixer device and switching circuit and method having switching signal feedback control for enhanced dynamic range and performance. Radio apparatus including: local oscillator input port for receiving periodic sinusoidal local oscillator signal; drive circuit for generating a substantially square-wave two-voltage level switching signal including: phase splitter circuit, voltage potential isolation circuit, and square wave signal generation circuit; FET mixing device; input/output signal separation circuit; analog-to-digital converter; and feedback control circuit. Radio tuner apparatus including low-band signal processing circuit; high-band signal processing circuit including first mixer circuit operating as an up-frequency converter, amplifier circuit, second mixer circuit operating as a down-frequency converter, and feedback control circuit for adjusting a duty cycle of a mixer switching device; signal combining circuit and output processing circuit.

Abstract: A radio controlled clock (100) comprising a main unit (200) and three interchangeable antenna modules (300). The main unit (200) includes an operating circuitry (250) and contacts (240). The circuitry (250) has a CPU (251) and three decoders (251′/252/253) connected thereto for decoding RF time signals of different carrier frequencies received by the modules (300), which decoders are connected to the contacts (240). Each module (300) has a body (310) connectable to main unit body (210), an operating circuitry (350), and contacts (324) connectable to the contacts (240) when the module (300) is connected to the main unit (200). The circuitry (350) has a receiver (330) tuned to receive a RF time signal of a specific carrier frequency broadcast in a particular country and then send the received signal via the contacts (324/240) to the relevant decoder (251′/252/253) for enabling the CPU (251) to display the local time at display (217).