Abstract: A mechanism for dispensing pills from an array-type pill package is provided. The mechanism includes a chassis, a package holder, a cutting mechanism configured to cut a sidewall of an individual container in the array-type pill package, a dispensing mechanism configured to receive and dispense a cut individual container therein; and a control system configured to control a relative position of the cutting mechanism and the package holder along at least two degrees of freedom. A cutting mechanism is also provided. The cutting mechanism includes a cutter base movably mounted to the chassis, a cutting tool mounted to the cutting base and adapted for cutting a side wall of an individual container adjacent a common top surface of an array-type pill package to entirely detach individual container from the array-type package; and motor operatively to displace the cutting tool along a plane generally tangent to the package holder.

Abstract: A master device, daisy-chained devices, and a method for configuring the daisy-chained devices are provided. The master device generates a signal having a pre-determined base frequency, and outputs the signal generated to a first device in the daisy chain communication configuration. Each daisy-chained device receives an input signal, having an input frequency, from a previous daisy-chained device. Each daisy-chained device generates an output signal having an output frequency different to and based on the input frequency of the received signal, and outputs the output signal to a following daisy-chained device. Each daisy-chained device further determines an address of a communication interface, for exchanging data with the master device, based on the input frequency of the received signal. For example, the output frequency of the output signal is half the input frequency of the received signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an environment control method and to an environment controller. An input interface receives an environmental characteristic value from a sensor. A processing module determines a current environmental state based on the environmental characteristic value. A touch-sensitive display shows an icon having a visual appearance representing the current environmental state. A user selection of the icon is detected by the touch-sensitive display. A control menu having a content based on the current environmental state is shown on the touch-sensitive display. A color or a luminance level of the icon may be used to represent the actual status. The touch-sensitive display may concurrently show several icons, each icon representing a distinct environmental feature based on one value or on a combination of values, each icon also showing a current status of the environmental feature.