Author: claimsbot

1-184. (canceled)
185. A method implemented by a device, comprising:
generating a purchase price of a purchase;
generating a rounded price;
calculating a round-up amount; the round-up amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price; and
printing an entry in a lottery in which a prize for winning the lottery is proportional to the round-up amount.
186. The method of claim 185, in which generating the rounded price comprises:
rounding up the purchase price to a whole number.
187. The method of claim 185, in which generating the rounded price comprises:
calculating a lowest whole number that is greater than the purchase price.
188. The method of claim 187, in which generating the rounded price comprises:
determining a lowest whole number that is a multiple of five.
189. The method of claim 187, in which generating the rounded price comprises:
determining a lowest whole number that is a multiple of one.
190. The method of claim 185, in which outputting the signal indicative of the upsell comprises:
displaying text explain that the identified upsell may be purchased for the round-up amount.
191. The method of claim 185, in which outputting the signal indicative of the upsell comprises:
displaying text that identifies the upsell and at least one of the round-up amount and the rounded price.
192. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storage device in communication with the processor,
the memory storage device storing a program which controls the processor to perform the method of claim 185.
193. A method implemented by a device, comprising:
generating a purchase price of a purchase;
generating a rounded price;
calculating a round-up amount; the round-up amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price; and
displaying an offer to exchange the round-up amount for an entry in a lottery in which a prize for winning the lottery is proportional to the round-up amount.
194. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storage device in communication with the processor,
the memory storage device storing a program which controls the processor to perform the method of claim 193.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A sonde comprising a side wall, a first end wall at a first end of the side wall, a second end wall at a second end of the side wall, a plurality of first sensors mounted in the first end wall, a plurality of second sensors mounted in the side wall, and the sonde being such that:
(i) the first sensors extend longitudinally of the sonde;
(ii) the first sensors are positioned radially around a longitudinal axis of the sonde;
(iii) the first sensors are water quality sensors;
(iv) the second sensors extend radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the sonde;
(v) the sonde has a body which comprises the side wall, the first end wall and the second end wall;
(vi) the body is constructed from at least three separately formed plastics disc-shaped components which are connected together by a threaded housing which extends inside the plastics disc-shaped components, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the sonde, and which has parts which screw together to cause the threaded housing to tighten against the plastics disc-shaped components and thereby connect the plastics disc-shaped components together; and
(vii) the sonde includes an optical sensing arrangement mounted in an optical cavity in the side wall.
2. A sonde according to claim 1 and including a stirrer.
3. A sonde according to claim 2 in which the stirrer is a magnetically coupled stirrer.
4. A sonde according to claim 2 in which the stirrer is mounted in the first end, and in which the stirrer extends along the longitudinal axis of the sonde.
5. A sonde according to claim 1 in which the second sensors include two diametrically opposed thermal mass flow sensors, and at least one water temperature sensor.
6. A sonde according to claim 1 in which the first sensors connect to a printed circuit board which is positioned in the sonde and which extends across the sonde transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sonde.
7. A through flow cell including a sonde according to claim 1.
8. A water distribution network including a plurality of sondes according to claim 1 and arranged to provide measurement information at different locations within the network.
9. A sonde according to claim 1 and including a turbidity sensing arrangement which is mounted in the side wall.
10. A sonde according to claim 1 in which the plastics disc-shaped components are bonded together or separated by compressed gaskets.

1. A vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine, comprising:
a forming tube having a cross section with a long axis of length L and a short axis of length S, about which a film tube is continuously formed from a continuous film and from which the film tube is vertically fed downward;
a horizontal sealing assembly, including at least one pair of opposing sealing bars that impart horizontal seals to the film, thereby forming pouches, wherein the horizontal seal is formed in a plane with the long axis;
a hole-punch station which intermittently punches at least two holes in the continuous film which is moving in a machine direction, wherein the at least two holes are in a line extending in the cross machine direction, whereby the at least two holes are in a horizontal plane after the film tube has been formed; and
a pleat assembly, disposed to impart a gusset, including at least three folds, including a center fold and two side folds, whereby the gusset is defined by at least two outer segments and at least two inner segments, wherein the at least two holes are disposed on the inner segments and aligned with one another; and
wherein the horizontal seals are disposed such that the outer segments are sealed to one another through the at least two holes.
2. The vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine of claim 1 wherein the cross-section is generally an oval.
3. The vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine of claim 2, wherein a vertical sealer is disposed to impart a vertical seal to form the film tube, wherein the vertical seal is formed in a vertical plane that contains the long axis.
4. The vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine of claim 2, wherein the film is moving in a machine direction as it approaches the forming tube, and a cross machine direction is in the plane of the film and perpendicular to the machine direction, and wherein the short axis is horizontal and parallel to the cross machine direction, and the long axis is horizontal and perpendicular to the short axis.
5. The vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine of claim 2, further comprising a knock-out module that intermittently removes a portion of a the zipper from the a continuously moving strip.
6. The vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine of claim 1, wherein the cross-section is generally an ellipse.
7. A method of continuously forming, filling and sealing pouches, comprising:
continuously feeding a film to a forming tube;
continuously forming a tube of film having a cross section with a long axis of length L and a short axis of length S, and feeding the film tube vertically downward;
intermittently punching at least two holes in the continuously fed film which is moving in a machine direction, wherein the at least two holes are punched to be in a line extending in the cross machine direction, whereby the at least two holes are in a horizontal plane after the film tube has been formed;
making a horizontal seal on the film as the film moves, wherein the horizontal seal is made in a horizontal sealing zone wherein the horizontal seal is formed in a plane with the long axis;
dropping a product into the film tube;
making a subsequent horizontal seal on the film as the film moves, wherein the horizontal seal is made in the horizontal sealing zone to seal the pouch;
imparting a gusset, including at least three folds, including a center fold and two side folds, whereby the gusset is defined by at least two outer segments and at least two inner segments, wherein the at least two holes are disposed on the inner segments and aligned with one another; and
wherein the horizontal seals are disposed such that the outer segments are sealed to one another through the at least two holes.
8. A vertical form fill and seal continuous pouch machine, comprising:
means for continuously feeding a film to a forming tube;
means for continuously forming a tube of film having a cross section with a long axis of length L and a short axis of length S, and feeding the film tube vertically downward;
means for making a horizontal seal on the film as the film moves, wherein the horizontal seal is made in a horizontal sealing zone wherein the horizontal seal is formed in a plane with the long axis;
means for dropping a product into the film tube;
means for making a subsequent horizontal seal on the film as the film moves, wherein the horizontal seal is made in the horizontal sealing zone to seal the pouch;
means for intermittently punching at least two holes in the continuous film which is moving in a machine direction, wherein the at least two holes are in a line extending in the cross machine direction, whereby the at least two holes are in a horizontal plane after the film tube has been formed; and
means for imparting a gusset, including at least three folds, including a center fold and two side folds, whereby the gusset is defined by at least two outer segments and at least two inner segments, wherein the at least two holes are disposed on the inner segments and aligned with one another; and
wherein the horizontal seals are disposed such that the outer segments are sealed to one another through the at least two holes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Loop member for the control of a pointer, image or the like on a screen, display or the like, in the form of a tangentially bendable cylinder that is arranged to, by a user, be possible to be rotated around support members arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the loop member, which support members stretch the cross-section of the loop member into an elongate shape, and to be translated in the axial direction thereof between end positions, wherein the motion of the loop can be detected using means that get the pointer to move on the screen, characterized in that it consists of a number of wires (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) arranged along the axis of the loop member (10), at least some being at least in some locations twined at least one half a turn in, but not attached to, an adjacent one.
2. Loop member according to claim 1, in which the wires (11, 12, 13) are twinedhooked into each other in the same way as the wires of chain link fences.
3. Loop member according to claim 1, in which at least some of the wires (12, 13, 15, 16) at or near the ends thereof are attached together in pairs.
4. Loop member according to claim 3, in which at least some of the wires of the pairs of wires in at least one additional point are attached together.
5. Loop member according to claim 3, in which the attaching together is made by intertwining.
6. Loop member according to claim 5, in which at least some of the pairs of wires has portions intertwined with oppositely directed pitch.
7. Loop member according to claim 4, in which the loop member, on the envelope surface thereof, has the most of the friction material arranged at the locations where the wires are attached together.
8. Pointing device comprising a loop member according to claim 1, in which said support members (23;24) are parallelly arranged, rotatably and translatably mounted, and situated at the edges of a plate (30) arranged between the support members.
9. Pointing device according to claim 8, in which each one of said support members (23;24) consists of a stiff wire (25, 34) on which a number of round plates (26-29, 42) are arranged.
10. Pointing device according to claim 8, wherein the support members (23;24) comprise magnetic material and are attracted away from the respective edge thereof of the plate by means of a respective magnet device (33, 35) by a force each, in such a way that one of the support members (23) abuts against an edge (32) of the plate (30) by the force resulting from the magnet devices (33, 35).
11. Pointing device, comprising a loop member according to claim 1, in which said support members (6, 7) are fixedly arranged in relation to the loop member.