Vocera User’s 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. 20230 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 tel :: +1 408 790 4100 fax :: +1 408 790 4101 www.vocera.com Part No.
Important Safety Instructions Badge and Battery Charger Safety When using a Vocera badge or battery charger, always follow basic safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, including the following: 1. Read, understand, and follow all warnings and instructions in the product documentation and on the product itself. 2. Only use the battery charger indoors. 3. Unplug the charger from the wall outlet before cleaning.
• If the badge or charger does not operate normally after you follow the operating instructions. • If the badge or charger has been dropped or damaged. • If the badge or charger exhibits a distinct degradation in performance. Battery Safety 1. Use only the batteries supplied with the product, or Vocera-approved replacements. 2. Do not use the battery to power any device other than a Vocera badge. 3.
Table of Contents Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Badge and Battery Charger Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Battery Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Welcome to Vocera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Badge Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Email and Text Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Sending a Voice eMail Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Sending an Email Message to a Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Viewing Text Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Caring for the Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Cleaning the Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to Vocera Your new Vocera badge provides fast, simple, person-to-person communications 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, 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.
This Guide describes how to use and care for your badge: • Before you use your badge for the first time, read the Important Safety Instructions on page iii. • Getting Started on page 3 describes all the features of the badge, and give instructions on how to attach the lanyard, pocket clip, and universal clip, wear the badge, log in, adjust the volume, and charge the battery. • Basic Calling on page 19 describes how to use the most common calling and message features.
Getting Started If this is the first time that you are using a badge, you can get started right away by following these simple steps. 1. Charge the battery. New batteries must be charged before use. See “Charging the Battery” on page 41 for instructions. 2. Choose an attachment and connect the lanyard, pocket clip, or universal clip to the badge. You must do this before you install the battery. Lanyard Pocket Clip Universal Clip 3. Install the battery.
For optimal speech recognition, the microphone on the top of the badge should be between 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. If the Genie answers by saying “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Good evening” and them prompting for your name: Say your first and last names.
See the following sections to familiarize yourself with all the features of your badge. • As you use the badge, pay attention to the indicators and alerts described on page 11, particularly the low battery alert that warns you when you need to charge the badge’s battery. • For a complete description of Vocera voice commands, see “Basic Calling” on page 19 and “Advanced Commands” on page 29.
Badge Features Top View Microphone Hold/DND Button Indicator Light Front View Headset Jack Call Button Speaker Badge Display Back View Up Button Select Button Down Button Battery Battery Latch Call Button Begins and ends all voice communications such as making calls, sending and listening to messages, and recording your name and greeting. You can also use the Call button to answer “Yes” to any Genie prompt that requires a yes or no response.
environment. The badge’s own microphone and speaker operations are suppressed when a headset is attached. Microphone Has a unidirectional design that gathers and transmits speech while minimizing the pickup of background noise. Hold/DND Button Places a current call on hold and puts the badge in Do Not Disturb mode when the badge is idle. (See “Using Hold and Do Not Disturb” on page 13.) Indicator Light Provides message alerts and out-of-network and low battery warnings.
Main Screen When you turn on the badge, the badge display shows a message area with symbols above it. Signal Strength Battery Level Message Area In addition, when you have new text or voice messages, the following symbols appear: Unplayed Text Message Unplayed Voice Message The message area may show one of the following: Message Meaning Name - not blinking The name of the person who currently is logged in to the system using the badge. Name - blinking The caller’s name.
Messages Your badge can display email messages and text messages that were sent from the Vocera User Console. To read these messages, select the Messages feature. See “Viewing Text Messages” on page 38 for instructions on how to do this. Volume The Volume feature controls the sound level of the speaker. See “Adjusting the Volume” on page 13 for instructions on how to change the volume.
• Location Shows the location name or the physical network address of the access point with which your badge is currently communicating. • Badge IP The network address of the badge. • Server IP The network address of the Vocera server. • Version The badge firmware version. • SSID The network name for the group of access points to which your badge is authorized to connect. (SSID stands for Service Set Identifier.
4. When you are finished, press and hold the Select button until the display returns to the main screen. Badge Indicators and Warnings The most common condition for which you need a warning is a low battery. There are several easy ways to find out if you need to recharge the battery: 1. The green indicator light on the top of the badge turns red and blinks quickly. 2. The battery level indicator on the badge display shows “empty.” Fully charged Partially used Empty 3.
Color Blink Rate Red Meaning Slow Badge is out of range or is not communicating with the Vocera server. If the badge is out of range, you will see the message “Searching for Access Points” on the badge display If the badge is in-range, but is not connecting to the server, you will see the message “Searching for Server.” Fast The battery needs to be recharged. The Hold/DND button has a yellow indicator light that blinks when a call is on hold or you have put the badge in Do Not Disturb mode.
Adjusting the Volume To adjust the volume when you are on a call Press the Up button as many times as necessary to increase the volume to the level you want, or press the Down button to decrease the volume. To adjust the volume when the badge is idle: 1. Turn the badge over to view the display. 2. Press Up until you see the Volume icon: 3. Press Select to select the Volume feature. 4. Press Up as many times as necessary to increase the volume to the desired level, or press Down to decrease the sound level.
A small yellow indicator on the Hold/DND button blinks when the badge is in Hold or Do Not Disturb mode. You can also use the Hold/DND button to answer “No” to any Genie prompt that requires a yes or no response. Cleaning the Badge To clean a Vocera badge, use a soft, damp cloth or disinfectant wipe. IMPORTANT: Do not immerse the badge in water: the badge speaker, microphone, and battery pack are not watertight. Strong detergents or abrasive cleaners can damage the badge’s finish.
plug to the outlet in the charger, and insert 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 No battery or badge in charger. Blinking green Battery is charging. Steady green Battery is fully charged. Red Battery is unable to charge. Discard battery (see “Battery Disposal” on page 17) and charge a new one. Charging the Battery Without the Badge 1.
2. Insert the battery into the charger, making sure the battery label points toward the middle of the charger. The green indicator light on the top of the charger will begin to blink when the badge is positioned correctly in the charger, and will continue to blink while the battery is charging. When the indicator glows steadily, the battery is fully charged. 3. Remove the battery from the charger, and slide the holes in the top of the battery over the small pegs in the badge’s battery compartment.
Charging the Battery With the Badge You can also insert the entire badge into the charger, to charge the battery without removing it. If you have a single-bay 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 Vocera administrator. Battery Disposal The badge’s lithium ion batteries can be recharged up to 300 times.
18 ··· Getting Started
Basic Calling Your Vocera badge provides one-touch communications. 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 a voice command. The following sections describe the most frequently-used voice commands, by category, followed by tables that summarize the commands.
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 immediately 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 Vocera administrator may choose a setting that forces a logout when you place your badge (but not the battery by itself) in the charger.
When you call another user and that person is not available, you will be prompted to leave a message, or you may be forwarded to another user. Action Calling another badge user Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Call John Smith. Alternative Forms Find John Smith. Get me John Smith. Contact John Smith. Calling Groups The Vocera Administrator may create groups of badge users. If this is the case, the Administrator will provide a list of groups for you to use in commands.
1. Press the Call button, wait for the Genie to answer, and then say “Learn a name.” 2. When prompted, spell the name of the individual or group. 3. When prompted, say the name (or nickname) of the individual or group. If you change your mind, you can tell the Genie to “Unlearn a name.” The Genie will prompt you for the necessary information.
Using Buttons to Answer “Yes” or “No” When a Genie prompt requires a “Yes” or “No” answer, 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. As described in the previous section, you can use these buttons to accept or reject a call. You can also use the buttons to confirm that you want to save or delete recorded messages, names, and greetings, or that you want to call a certain party, for example.
any other authorized command. This operation is used, for example, in supervised conference calls (see “Supervised Conferencing” on page 31). Using Do Not Disturb There may be times when it is inconvenient to receive calls and be notified of messages. (When you are attending a meeting, for example.) The easiest way to block calls is to press the Hold/DND button on the top of your badge. When you are ready to accept calls again, press the Hold/ DND button again.
The following table shows the commands for recording voice messages. Action Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Alternative Forms Sending a message to a badge user Record a message for John Smith. Send a message to John Smith. Broadcasting a message to a group Record a message for Tech Support. Send a message to Tech Support. Recording an urgent message for a badge user Record an urgent message for John Smith. Send an urgent message to John Smith.
Use one of the following commands to begin playing messages: Action Playing new (unplayed) messages Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Play messages. Alternative Forms Play back my messages... Play my messages from John Smith. Play my messages from Marketing. Playing old (previously played) messages Play my old messages. Play my old messages from John Smith. Play my old messages from Marketing.
Action Deleting messages without playing the message queue Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Alternative Forms Delete all messages Delete all my messages Delete messages from John Smith. Erase all my messages Delete messages from Tech Support. Erase all messages from John Smith.
28 ··· Basic Calling
Advanced Commands The following sections describe commands that require special badge permissions or are a little more complicated than the basic calling commands described earlier. The commands are grouped by category. When a command requires a special permission, it is noted in the description. The Vocera administrator enables or disables permissions for each user. If you do not have permission to use a command that requires one, the Genie will tell you.
prompted to leave you a message. As an alternative, you can forward your unanswered calls to another badge user, or to a group. Note that this is different from the way forwarding works with a telephone. When you give the Genie a command to forward calls, your badge will still receive calls. Only the badge calls that you do not answer will be forwarded according to your instructions. When you forward calls to a group, each call will be treated as though it was made directly to the group.
Unsupervised Conferencing To add another party without speaking to the new person first: 1. While on a two-party call, press the Hold/DND button. 2. Wait for the Genie to confirm that the call is on hold, and then press the Call button. 3. Say Invite . All parties are then connected in a conference call automatically.
Action Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Adding another party to a call (unsupervised method) Press the Hold/DND button to put a call on hold. Press the Call button to summon the Genie and say: Invite Robin Hood. Adding another party to a call (supervised method) Press the Hold/DND button to put a call on hold. Press the Call button to summon the Genie and say: Call Robin Hood. Returning to the original call Unsupervised conferencing: You are returned automatically.
Adding or Removing Yourself From a Group If the Vocera administrator has enabled the required permission for your badge, you can use voice commands to add yourself to or remove yourself from a group. Description Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Add yourself to a group* Add me to Technical Support. Remove yourself from a group* Remove me from Technical Support.
To record group names, press the Call button, wait for the Genie to answer, and then tell the Genie “Record names for . The Genie will prompt you through the process of recording all the names. Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Action Recording name prompts for groups Record name for Technical Support. Alternative Forms Record name prompts for Technical Support.
Getting Information You can use any of the following commands to get information about the current state of your badge Action Recommended Commands (Italics indicate an example) Alternative Forms Find out who called while you were out of network, were on another call, were blocking calls, or your badge was in Do Not Disturb mode Who called? Who called me? Find out who is currently blocked from calling your badge Who is blocked? Whose calls are blocked? Find out who is logged in to the badge Who am
36 ··· Advanced Commands
Email and Text Messaging 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 display, and how to view messages on the badge display. Sending a Voice eMail Message You can send an email message from your badge to individual badge users or groups. The message you record from your badge will be sent as a .wav sound file that is attached to a generic text email message.
Sending an Email Message to a Badge You can send conventional email messages that the recipients can read on their badge displays. Before you can do this, you need to get the following information from the Vocera administrator: • The email address that is dedicated to the Vocera system • The Login Name of the badge user to whom you want to send the email To send the message: 1. In your email client application, start a new message. 2. In the To: field, enter the email address of the Vocera system. 3.
3. Press Select to select the Messages feature. You will see a list of message subjects, one subject per line. (If a subject is too long to fit on a line, its display is truncated.) The newest messages are listed first. 4. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the list of subjects until you see the message you want to read. 5. Press Select to display the message associated with the selected subject.
40 ··· Email and Text Messaging
Caring for the 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 separately, and when it is in the badge, and how to clean the badge. Charging the Battery Before you begin, read “Important Safety Instructions” on page iii. 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 the other hand. 2. Insert the battery into the charger, making sure the battery label points toward the middle of the charger. The green indicator light on the top of the charger will begin to blink when the badge is positioned correctly in the charger, and will continue to blink while the battery is charging. When the indicator glows steadily, the battery is fully charged.
3. Remove the battery from the charger, and slide the holes in the top of the battery over the small pegs in the badge’s battery compartment. 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, to charge the battery without removing it.
Cleaning the Badge To clean a Vocera badge, use a soft, damp cloth or disinfectant wipe. Do not immerse the badge in water: the badge speaker, microphone, and battery pack are not watertight. Strong detergents or abrasive cleaners can damage the badge’s finish.
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 institutions will allow access to the User Console. If yours does, the Vocera administrator will give you the URL (web address) of the console, and will either give you login information, or will tell you to use the Register button to create your own login information.
• Send text messages to other badges. The text message screen looks like this: • Create, modify, and delete groups. This requires additional permission from the Vocera administrator beyond access to the user console. The User Console has online help for each screen, which you can view by clicking the button. Documentation in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format is also available from the Vocera administrator.
Troubleshooting The Genie Has Trouble Understanding You The Vocera system is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to communicate using voice commands. If the Genie does not appear to understand you, it may be due to one of the following: • Did you wait for the Genie to answer before giving a command? If you press the Call button and begin speaking immediately, your command will not be recognized. You must wait for the Genie to greet you before you give a command.
Your Badge Is “Beeping” or “Chirping” The Vocera Administrator can program your badge to issue alerts when your badge goes out of the range of the wireless network, your battery is low, you receive a text message, and/or you receive a voice message.
Your Badge Keeps Resetting If you ignore the low battery signals and alerts long enough, the battery level will get so low that the badge will reset in an attempt to restore normal operating conditions. Recharge your battery. The Badge Logs Out When Placed in the Charger This behavior is controlled by a badge setting. If you want to use your badge while it is in a single-bay charger, contact the Vocera administrator.
50 ··· Troubleshooting
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 singlebay or eight-bay charger (“Badge”) and other accessories (e.g., clips, lanyards, etc.
warranty period. As your sole and exclusive remedy, the defective component will be repaired or replaced or, if Vocera determines that is 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.
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 1.6 oz. (46.5 g), with standard battery pack LED Indicators Two Indicators: single and two-color LCD Supports 4 lines of text 14 characters per line Controls Call button Hold/Do Not Disturb button Volume/Menu Selection buttons Headset Support 2.
Operating Channels 11 channels (U.S., Canada), 3 non-overlapping Roaming IEEE 802.11b compliant Encryption 64-bit and 128-bit WEP Server Specifications Operating Systems Supported Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server Badge Configurability Assignment of SSID Dynamic and static assignment of IP addresses Electrical Specifications RF Output Power +17 dBm typical RF Receive Sensitivity -75 dBm at 11 Mbps Microphone Frequency Range 350 Hz to 3.
Environmental Specifications Operating Specifications Temperature Range 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C) Humidity Range 5% to 95% relative humidity Storage Specifications Temperature Range -4° to 149° F (-20° to 65° C) Humidity Range 5% to 95% relative humidity Regulatory Certifications RF Certifications FCC Part 15.247, Class B Industry Canada RSS-210 Safety Certifications UL 60950 CSA 22.2950 Federal Communications System (FCC) This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Badge Operation and EME Exposure THIS BADGE MEETS THE GOVERNMENT’S REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPOSURE TO RADIO WAVES. You wireless badge is a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and manufactured not to exceed the emission limits for exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy set by the Federal Communications Commission of the U.S. Government. These limits are part of the comprehensive guidelines and establish permitted levels of RF energy for the general population.
The FCC has granted an Equipment Authorization for this device with all reported SAR levels evaluated as in compliance with the FCC RF emissions guidelines. SAR information on this badge is on file with the FCC and can be found under the Display of Grant section of http:// www.fcc.gove/oet/fccid. Body-Worn Operation When wearing the Vocera badge, always use a Vocera Communications-supplied or approved lanyard, pocket clip, universal clip, or holster to ensure compliance with FCC RF exposure guidelines.
• If you have any reason to suspect that interference is taking place, turn the badge OFF immediately. To turn the badge off, depress the Call button for 5 seconds, or remove the battery. Other Medical Devices If you use any other personal medical devices, consult the manufacturer of your device to determine if it is adequately shielded from external RF energy. You physician may be able to assist you in obtaining this information.
Index A Accepting calls voice commands 29 Access point relationship to locations 10 Searching for Access Points message 12 Answering calls 22 Auto Answer for Incoming Calls 22 B Badge operation adjusting the volume 13 answering calls 22 battery disposal iv call waiting 23 calling groups 21 calling other badges 20, 21 cleaning 14, 44 conference calls 30 ending a call 23 holding a call 23 logging in 19 safety information iii safety recommendations 56 Battery disposal iv, 17 removing from the badge 15, 42 rep
Index buddy 45 Genie 1 outside buddy 45 text message 46 User Console 45 Vocera server 1 Greeting personal 20 Groups calling 21 recording name prompts for 33 H Hold/DND button alternative voice commands 29 holding calls with 23 Holding a call 23 I Industry Canada Statement 55 L Learning a name 21 License and Sales agreement 51 Logging In and Out badge 19 M Messages playing, saving, deleting 25 recording and sending 24 saving and deleting text messages 39 text message limits 39 N Name group name prompts
Index V Voice commands accepting calls 29 answering calls 22 blocking calls 29 conference calls 30 forwarding calls 29 general guidelines 47 making calls 20, 21 sending messages 24 training the Genie 21 Voice email 37 Voice messages playing, saving, deleting 25 recording and sending 24 Voice recognition - see “Speech recognition” Volume, adjusting 13 Index ··· 61
Index 62 ··· Index
Command Reference Summon/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/Out Action Recommended Commands 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 my name. Record your greeting Record my greeting. Play your greeting Play my greeting.
Voice Messages Action Recommended Commands Send a message to a badge user, group, or buddy Record a message for John Smith. Record a message for Tech Support. Record a message for my assistant. Play new messages Play my messages. Play my messages from John Smith. Play my messages from Marketing. Play old (previously played) messages Play my old messages. Play my old messages from John Smith. Play my old messages from Marketing.
