Abstract: The sanitary appliance comprising a receptacle provided with a flow surface and further comprising at least one sensor for sensing flow of urine (a physiological solution) located at a distance from the flow surface of the receptacle, characterised in that the sensor comprises a resonance circuit. Urine flow may be identified at the flow surface in that: (1) a first voltage is provided to a resonance circuit to be modified into a second voltage; (2) the second voltage is sensed and (3) the second voltage is compared with a reference value for identification of urine flow. Furthermore a dirt layer with a thickness at the flow surface may be identified.

Abstract: The sanitary appliance comprising a receptacle provided with a flow surface and further comprising at least one sensor for sensing flow of urine (a physiological solution) located at a distance from the flow surface of the receptacle, characterised in that the sensor comprises a resonance circuit. Urine flow may be identified at the flow surface in that: (1) a first voltage is provided to a resonance circuit to be modified into a second voltage; (2) the second voltage is sensed and (3) the second voltage is compared with a reference value for identification of urine flow. Furthermore a dirt layer with a thickness at the flow surface may be identified.

Abstract: A method for processing a payment transaction relating to a purchase and refunding a tax paid on the purchase, the method comprising (i) receiving, over a network from a merchant apparatus, payment transaction data relating to a payment transaction associated with an electronic payment card, (ii) analysing the payment transaction data to determine whether the payment transaction is eligible for a tax refund; (iii) determining a tax refund value relating to the payment transaction; and (iv) coordinating between an issuer associated with the electronic payment card and a tax authority in order to credit an account associated with the electronic payment card with the tax refund value. The invention thereby provides a scheme or process by which an overseas cardholder can be provided with a refund of the tax paid on eligible purchases in a manner that is user-friendly, that has traditionally been performed in a largely paper-based environment.