A container for use in transporting particulate materials includes a plurality of product compartments, with each such compartment having a material outlet in communication therewith through which particulate material in the compartment may be discharged. A motor is provided for moving the belt with respect to the side frames. The alignment assemblies may be configured with kinematic, pseudo-kinematic, redundant or degenerate support structures. The method derives an approximation of the shape-defining parameters for the second reporting format such as to minimize a criterion function including the predefined target confidence value and determining the deviation of the confidence value for the approximated shape from the target confidence value. The device includes an apparatus for reading the payment particulars, a central processing unit to which the reading apparatus is connected, a modem for establishing a telephone link with the server center, and an apparatus for dialing telephone numbers such that the dialing apparatus is associated with the modem. A multiplicity of doped regions are embedded in the first surface of the semiconductor layer which form a grid for a cell array of the semiconductor component.