Vocera User Guide
© 2002 Vocera Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Vocera Communications is a trademark of Vocera Communications, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners. Vocera Communications, Inc. www.vocera.com tel :: +1 408 790 4100 fax :: +1 408 790 4101 Part No. :: 930-00529 rev B, 11.21.
Important Safety Instructions The Vocera badge (including its battery component) and the Vocera battery charger are electronic devices. Care appropriate to the use of any electronic device should be taken in using the badge and the battery charger in order to avoid possible injury (such as from shock) and damage (such as from fire). In addition, the Vocera badge is a wireless communication device and works by generating radio frequency (RF) signals.
3. Do not put anything other than a Vocera badge or Vocera battery into a charger slot, as other objects may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts, which could result in fire or electric shock. 4. Do not place the product on an unstable surface, as a fall may cause serious damage to the product. 5. Never place the badge or charger near or over a radiator or heat register. Do not operate the charger in a cabinet or other enclosure unless proper ventilation is provided. 6.
12. Operate the charger only with the following power adapters: • For the single-bay charger, use the power adapter model OH-41033DT, manufactured by Oriental Hero, or a Voceraapproved replacement. • For the eight-bay charger, use power adapter model MWS1248UC, manufactured by Minwa Canada, Inc., or a Vocera-approved replacement.
8. Stop using the battery if it exhibits abnormal heat, odor, color, deformation, or is in an abnormal condition. 9. If you detect leakage or a foul odor, it is especially important to keep the battery away from fire. If battery liquid leaks onto your skin or clothes, wash well with clean water immediately. If liquid leaking from the battery gets into your eyes, do not rub your eyes. Rinse your eyes well with clean water, and consult a doctor immediately. 10.
Sparks in such areas could cause an explosion or fire, resulting in bodily injury or death. Areas with potentially explosive atmospheres include, for example: fueling areas; transfer or storage facilities for fuel or chemicals; facilities with equipment using liquefied petroleum gas, such as propane or butane; and areas where the air contains chemicals or particles, such as grain, dust, or metal powders.
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Table of Contents Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Badge and Battery Charger Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Additional Instructions Related to Battery Safety . . . . . . . . .v Important Information About Use in Certain Areas . . . . . . vi Welcome to Vocera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Features of Your Badge . . . . . . .
Locating a Badge User or Group Member . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Getting Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Maintaining Your Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 When to Charge the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Preparing the Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Cleaning the Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to Vocera Your new Vocera badge provides fast, simple, person-to-person communication over your company’s wireless network. You don’t need to memorize a number, and you don’t need to page someone and wait for a response. Using voice commands, Vocera instantly connects you to the people you need to reach, reducing phone tag, overhead paging, and physically searching for a person. It also gives you the freedom to be mobile, even when you are expecting an important call.
• Features of Your Badge on page 5 describes the features of your badge and explains how to use the buttons and badge display menus. • Basic Calling on page 13 gives you instructions for using the most common calling and message features. • Advanced Commands on page 21 describes more complex operations, such as conference calls, and explains commands that are available only if your system administrator grants certain permissions on the Vocera server.
Getting Started If this is the first time you are using a Vocera badge, you can get started right away by following these simple steps: 1. Charge the battery, if necessary. New batteries must be charged before use. If the badge has already been used by someone else, check the battery level indicator on the badge display to make sure the battery has sufficient power.
The badge will begin a startup sequence. Wait until the badge display reads Logged Out or shows someone’s name. 4. Put the badge on, and make sure it is in the proper position. To get the best possible speech recognition, the microphone on the top of the badge should point toward your mouth and should be 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) from your mouth. 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) Lanyard Pocket Clip Universal Clip 5. Log in: Press the Call button and wait for the Genie to answer.
Features of Your Badge The design of the Vocera badge is simple, so you can communicate quickly and easily and keep your hands free to do other tasks. The information in this chapter will help you become familiar with the features of your badge.
• If the Genie asks you a question that requires a yes or no response, you can press the Call button to answer “yes.” • If you are on a call and you hear a Call Waiting tone, press the Call button to put the current call on hold and connect to the new call. To disconnect from the second call and return to the call on hold, press the Call button again.
Microphone and Speaker The unidirectional design of the microphone enables it to gather and transmit speech, yet minimizes the amount of background noise that is picked up. You can adjust the speaker volume by using the buttons on the left side of the badge. (See Volume Adjustment on page 10.) Headset Jack The headset jack accepts an earphone/microphone-style headset (sold separately) for times when you want more privacy or are working in a noisy environment.
Main Screen The main screen appears when you turn on the badge. This screen has a status message area with symbols that show you the wireless network signal strength and the battery charge level.
Status Message Meaning Searching for Access Points The badge is out of network range or is not able to connect with the network. If you are sure you are within range of your network, contact your system administrator. Searching for Server The badge is within network range, but it is not communicating with the Vocera server. See Why does my badge display say “Searching for Server”? on page 43.
Battery The battery strength is given in volts (V). The badge operates correctly when the battery level is 3.5 V or greater. Badge MAC The MAC address is a unique identifier for your badge that the Vocera server uses as the Badge ID. Location The name of the location or the physical network address of the access point with which your badge is currently communicating. Badge IP The Internet Protocol (IP) network address of the badge. Server IP The IP network address of the Vocera server.
2. Press the Up button until you see the Volume icon. 3. Press the Select button to choose the Volume feature. 4. Press the Up button as many times as necessary to increase the volume to the level you prefer, or press the Down button to decrease the volume. The display changes accordingly. Lowest volume Highest volume 5. Press the Select button to set the new level and return to the main screen.
Note: The Hold/DND button has a yellow indicator light that blinks to remind you that a call is on hold or that you have put the badge in Do Not Disturb mode. Alert Tones Alert tones are controlled by settings on the Vocera server. Your badge may play any or all of the following alert tones: Tone Meaning On/Off Network Alert You just moved out of the range of the wireless network, or you just moved into the range of your wireless network. Low Battery Alert Your battery needs to be recharged.
Basic Calling Your Vocera badge provides one-touch communication. To begin any kind of call or to record or play messages, press the Call button on the badge to summon the Vocera Genie. The Genie will answer with a tone, a prompt, or both (depending on the setting that is active for your badge) and will then be ready to accept your voice commands. The following sections describe the most-frequently used voice commands, by category. Tables that summarize the commands follow.
You can be logged in to the system on only one badge at a time. If you log in using a second badge, you will be logged out from the first badge. Note: When you turn the badge off or remove the battery for charging, you are still logged in to the system. The system administrator may choose a setting that forces a logout when you place your badge (but not the battery by itself) in the charger.
Calling Groups The system administrator may create groups of badge users and provide a list of groups for you to use in commands. When you call a group, you are actually calling an available member of that group, not everyone in the group. The Vocera server determines which member to call first, based on an option the system administrator has chosen. To begin a call to a group 1. Press the Call button. 2. Wait for the Genie to answer. 3. Tell the Genie to “Call the Group’s name.
If you change your mind, you can tell the Genie to “Unlearn a name.” The Genie will prompt you for the necessary information. Action Recommended Voice Commands Alternative Forms Train the Genie to recognize the way you say the name of a user, group, or location Learn name. Learn group name. Learn location name. Learn a name. Learn a group name. Learn a location name. Delete a learned user, group, or location name Unlearn name. Unlearn group name. Unlearn location name. Unlearn a name.
Using Buttons to Answer “Yes” or “No” When a Genie prompt requires a “yes” or “no” answer (for example, to confirm that you want to send a message), you can say your response or you can press a button to respond. To answer “yes,” press the Call button. To answer “no,” press the Hold/DND button. Call Waiting If you hear a call-waiting tone during a call, it means that someone is trying to call you. The name of the person calling you will flash on your badge display.
button. When you are ready to resume accepting calls, press the Hold/ DND button again. When you activate Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, some calls may still be put through. The Genie will ask callers who have VIP Status whether the call is urgent. If they confirm that it is, the Genie will call your badge and ask if you want to take the call. (VIP Status is a permission granted by the system administrator.) To block calls using voice commands, see Blocking and Accepting Calls on page 21.
Action Broadcast an urgent message to a group Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Alternative Forms Record an urgent message for Tech Support. Send an urgent message to Tech Support. Playing, Saving, and Deleting Voice Messages The voice messages that users leave when they call your badge are stored on the Vocera server.
The following table shows the commands you can use during message playback to replay, save, or delete voice messages. Action Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Alternative Forms Replay the current message Repeat. Save the message you just played or are in the process of playing Save. Archive. Play the next message Next. Skip. Delete the message you just played or are in the process of playing Delete message. Erase messages.
Advanced Commands Some commands require special badge permissions or are a little more complex than the commands described in Basic Calling on page 13. This chapter describes these commands. The commands are grouped by category. When a command requires special permission, it is marked by an asterisk (*) in the description. Your system administrator enables or disables permissions for each badge user. If you do not have permission to use a command that requires one, the Genie will tell you.
Forwarding Calls When you cannot answer a call for any reason, or when you block all calls or put your badge in Do Not Disturb mode, your caller is usually prompted to leave a message. As an alternative, you can instruct the Genie to forward your unanswered calls to another badge user or to a group (the Genie will know which member of that group to try first). When you tell the Genie to forward your calls, you will be prompted to choose the conditions under which calls are forwarded.
Making a Conference Call You can use your badge to set up a conference call with 2 other badge users (3 parties total, including you). To begin a 3-way conference call, you use the Conference voice command, and then say the names of the other badge users whom you want to participate in the call. For example, “Conference James Madison and Mary Lamb.” You can also change any 2-party call into a conference call by adding another party. You can do this in either an unsupervised or supervised way.
5. Answer “yes” to add the new party to the original call (you are reconnected to the original caller automatically) or “no” to put the new person on hold while you return to the original call. 6. If you answered “no” so you could keep the new party on hold while you confer with the original caller, you can press the Hold/ DND button at any time to switch between the original caller and the new party.
Action Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Switching between a conference call and a call on hold Press the Hold/DND button. Ending a conversation and returning to the other party Press the Call button while talking to the person you want to disconnect. Alternative Forms Joining or Leaving a Group If the system administrator has granted you the required permission on the Vocera server, you can use voice commands to add yourself to or remove yourself from a group.
Description Find out who is in a particular group Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Alternative Forms Who is in Technical Support? Recording Names for Groups If you have permission to do Group Management, you can record a name for the group (for example, Sales Managers) plus generic singular and plural names for group members for any group (for example, A Sales Manager and Sales Managers). These names you record will be played during Genie prompts instead of the computer-generated names.
IMPORTANT: The voice command Find (“Find John Smith” for example) will call the user or group. Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Action Find another badge user or group member* Locate John Smith. Locate a member of Tech Support. Find the name of your current location* Where am I? Find the current location of another logged-in user* Where is John Smith? Find the nearest group member* Locate the nearest member of Tech Support.
Action Recommended Voice Commands (examples in italics) Alternative Forms Find the current location of another logged-in user* Where is John Smith? Find out who is in a particular group Who is in Tech Support? Who is a member of Tech Support? Find the names of the groups to which you belong What groups am I in? What groups am I a member of? *Requires special permission from the system administrator.
Maintaining Your Badge The Vocera badge requires very little maintenance: just recharge the battery when the power gets low, and clean the badge when necessary. The following sections describe how to charge the battery and how to clean the badge. When to Charge the Battery You must charge a new battery before you can use it. After that, you must recharge the battery as needed for the badge to operate properly. There are several easy ways to check whether you need to recharge the battery: 1.
To prepare the charger for use, insert the single-pronged plug into the outlet in the charger, and plug the two-pronged power plug into a 110 V AC outlet. The indicator light on the top of the charger shows one of the following conditions: Indicator Meaning Light off There is no battery or badge in the charger, or the battery is not seated properly. Blinking green The battery is charging. Steady green The battery is fully charged.
Charging the Battery The battery can be charged with or without the badge. Charging the Battery Without the Badge 1. Slide the battery latch toward the bottom of the badge and remove the battery with your other hand. 2. Insert the battery into the charger, making sure the battery label points toward the middle of the charger slot. The green indicator light on the top of the charger will begin to blink when the battery is positioned correctly, and it will continue to blink while the battery is charging.
4. Slide the holes in the top of the battery over the small pegs in the badge’s battery compartment. Holes in top of battery Front of battery (shiny surface) 5. Press down gently to seat the battery in the badge. Charging the Battery With the Badge You can also insert the entire badge into the charger, enabling you to charge the battery without removing it.
charger, this method also allows you to use the badge while the battery is charging: Note: If you want to use the badge while it is charging, but you find that you are logged out when you put the badge in the charger, contact the system administrator for help. Cleaning the Badge To clean a Vocera badge, use a soft, damp cloth or disinfectant wipe. Strong detergents or abrasive cleaners can damage the badge’s finish.
IMPORTANT: Never immerse the badge in water, because the badge speaker, microphone, and battery pack are not watertight.
Voice and Text Email Messages The following sections describe how to send a voice message from your badge to the email addresses of individual badge users or groups, how to send a standard email message to a badge user, and how to view messages on the badge display. Sending a Voice Email From a Badge You can send a voice email message from your badge to individual badge users or groups. Your recorded message will be sent as a .wav sound file that is attached to a generic text email message.
Sending a Text Email to a Badge You can send messages from your email account to a badge user or to a group. If you send the message to a group, all members of the group receive the message. Recipients can read these short messages on their badge displays. Before you can send email to badges, you need to get the following information from your system administrator: • The email address that is dedicated to the Vocera system. All email messages to Vocera badge users must be addressed to this email account.
Reading Text Messages There are two kinds of messages you can read on your badge display: • Email messages. (The previous section describes how to send these to badges.) • Text messages that are sent from the User Console. (See The User Console on page 39.) To simplify the following instructions, the term “text messages” in the following procedure refers to messages sent from either source. To read text messages on the badge display: 1. Hold the badge so that the display screen is visible. 2.
6. When you finish reading the message, press the Select button to see this menu of message options: • TO NEXT MSG skips to the next message in the list. • DELETE MSG erases the message from the badge memory and from the Vocera server. • SAVE MSG saves the message and prevents it from being automatically deleted. You are limited to 20 text messages at a time, and you can save up to 10 of these messages. • BACK TO LIST returns to the list of text messages, where you can select another message.
The User Console The User Console is a browser-based application that you can use to customize your personal information and some of the settings for your badge. Not all organizations allow access to the User Console. If yours does, the system administrator will give you the URL (Web address) of the User Console, and will either give you login information or will tell you to use the Register button to create your own login information.
You can have buddies who are badge users, and you can have Outside Buddies to whom you can send voice email from your badge. • Send text messages to other badge users on your Vocera system. The text message screen looks like this: • Create, modify, and delete groups. This requires additional permission from the system administrator beyond access to the User Console. The User Console has online help for each screen, which you can view by clicking the button. Instructions in Adobe Acrobat (.
Frequently Asked Questions Why does the Genie sometimes have trouble understanding me? The Vocera system is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to communicate using voice commands.
If you are sure you are saying the name of a valid badge user, make sure you say both the first and last names. If you think the Genie doesn’t recognize a name because of the way you pronounce it, you can train the Genie to understand you. See Training the Genie on page 15 for instructions. When you train the Genie, you are prompted to spell the person’s name. If the Genie does not recognize the name after you spell it, it may mean that the individual has not been added to the Vocera system.
• If the indicator light is blinking a green rapidly, you have unread text message or unplayed voice messages. Icons on the badge display will show whether the messages are voice or text, or both. Unplayed Text Message Unplayed Voice Message The system administrator can disable or enable any of these alert tones, and can choose a setting to turn off alerts when you put the badge in Do Not Disturb mode. Why does my badge sometimes beep when I’m talking to someone? You may be hearing the Call Waiting tone.
Why does my badge beep and then restart? If you ignore low-battery signals and alerts long enough, the battery level will get so low that the badge resets. Recharge your battery. None of the buttons on the badge seem to work, and the screen is frozen or blank. How do I get the badge to work again? If the badge display is blank and the indicator lights are off, it means you need to recharge the battery. Occasionally, the badge may need to be reset.
License and Sales Agreement YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INSTALL AND USE THIS PRODUCT UNLESS YOU AGREE TO THESE PROVISIONS. RETURN THE PRODUCT PROMPTLY FOR A REFUND IF YOU DO NOT AGREE. Introduction. This Agreement sets forth the provisions under which Vocera Communications, Inc. (“Vocera”) is willing to sell to you its communication badge product, consisting of a wireless unit and a single-bay or eight-bay charger (“Badge”) and other accessories (e.g., clips, lanyards, etc.
not practical, refunded the price you paid for the original. (Any replacement will be either new or the cosmetic and functional equivalent.). The obligations hereunder are conditioned upon the return of affected product in accordance with Vocera's or its resellers then-current Return Material Authorization (RMA) procedures. NEITHER VOCERA NOR ITS LICENSORS MAKE ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY.
Specifications and Compliance Statements System Specifications Badge Specifications Dimensions 4.2 x 1.4 x .6 in. (10.6 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm) Weight 1.9 oz. (53.9 g) with standard battery pack LED Indicators Two indicators: one- and two-color LCD Supports 4 lines of text, 14 characters per line Controls Call button Hold/Do Not Disturb (DND) button Volume and Menu Selection buttons Headset Support 2.
Operating Channels 11 channels (US, Canada), 3 non-overlapping Roaming IEEE 802.11b compliant Encryption 64-bit and 128-bit WEP Electrical Specifications RF Output Power +17 dBm typical RF Receive Sensitivity –75 dBm at 11 Mbps Microphone Frequency Range 350 Hz to 3.75 KHz Microphone Directionality Unidirectional cardioid response Speaker Frequency Range 950 Hz to 3.
Regulatory Notices Regulatory Compliance FCC Part 15.247 FCC Part 15, Class B Device FCC Compliance This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause unwanted operation This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.
evaluation of scientific studies. The standards include a substantial safety margin designed to assure the safety of all persons, regardless of age and health. The exposure standard for wireless communications devices employs a unit of measurement known as the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR. The SAR limit set by the FCC is 1.6W/kg. Tests for SAR are conducted using standard operating positions, as applicable to this device, specified by the FCC.
Command Reference Summon and Dismiss the Genie Action Recommended Commands Summon the Genie Press the Call button. Wait for the Genie to answer. Dismiss the Genie Goodbye (or press the Call button). Log In and Log Out Action Recommended Commands (examples in italics) Log in Log me in as John Smith. Log out Log me out. Record Your Name and Greeting Action Recommended Commands Record your name Record name. Record your greeting Record greeting. Play your greeting Play greeting.
Listen to and Leave Voice Messages Action Recommended Commands (examples in italics) Send a message to a badge user or to all members of a group (without trying to call them) Record a message for John Smith. Record a message for Tech Support. Play new messages Play messages. Play messages from John Smith. Play messages from Marketing. Play old (previously played) messages Play old messages. Play old messages from John Smith. Play old messages from Marketing.
Index A Accepting calls, voice commands 21 Access point relationship to locations 10 Searching for Access Points message 11 Answering calls 16 Auto Answer for Incoming Calls 16 B Badge operation adjusting the volume 10 answering calls 16 battery disposal v call waiting 17 calling groups 15 calling other badges 14, 15 cleaning 33 conference calls 23 ending a call 16 holding a call 17 logging in 13 safety information iii safety recommendations 49 Battery disposal v removing from the badge 31 replacing 32 saf
Greeting, personal 14 Groups calling 15 recording name prompts for 26 H Hold/DND button alternative voice commands 21 holding calls with 17 Holding a call 17 L Learning a name 15 License and Sales agreement 45 Logging In and Out 13 M Messages playing, saving, deleting 19 recording and sending 18 saving and deleting text messages 38 text message limits 38 N Name group name prompts 26 recording 14 P Playing a message 19 R Recording a greeting 14 Recording a name group prompts 26 training the Genie 15 yo
sending messages 18 training the Genie 15 Voice email 35 Voice messages playing, saving, deleting 19 recording and sending 18 Voice recognition - see “Speech recognition” Volume, adjusting 10 Index ··· 55
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