Vocera Communications Badge

The Vocera Communications Badge is one part of a complete proprietary wireless Voice over IP intercom system manufactured by Vocera Communications, targeted primarily to medical and health care facilities.

It has received an unusual amount of publicity due to the fact that its radios are similar to the 'comm badges' popularized by the show .

System Components

A basic Vocera system comprises 'badges' (wearable IP Phones), an enterprise class access point, and the Vocera Systems Software that resides on an enterprise class Server. A complete enterprise system consists of the badges, a Vocera System Software, WiFi infrastructure, a Telephony Bridge, and a reporting server for statistical tracking.

Vocera Badge

The Vocera Communications Badge is one of the most distinctive parts of the Vocera system. It is a black plastic oblong shape, rounded inferiorly, measuring about 10 x 4 x 1.5 cm (4 x 1.5 x 0.5 inch) and weighing about 50-100 g (2-4 oz), depending on the accessories attached to it. It contains a small LCD display, volume buttons, a call button and a hold/do-not-disturb button. The call button and hold/do-not-disturb button act as yes and no responses respectively.

When the badge is paired with a standard battery, it is able to stay active for about 24 hours in standby mode and provide 2 hours of continuous talk time. Extended batteries give it more talk and standby time.

The badges are compatible with the 802.11b/g wireless standard, and can be configured with WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2, LEAP, and EAP-Fast.

At present there are two main categories of badge, designated B1000A and B2000. The B1000A badges are scheduled to become obsolete in April 2008, and are being replaced by the newer B2000 badges. The new badges support 802.11b/g and expanded security schemes, and they use a more robust operating system and circuit board. The newer badges also incorporate a BioCote anti-bacterial coating on their cases.

Vocera System Software (Vocera Server or VS)

The Vocera System Software runs on a typical Windows based server with 2 GB of RAM and modest hard drive space. Larger deployments require a faster processor and perform better with additional RAM. Systems can be clustered at an application layer for redundancy.

Vocera Telephony Server (VTS)

The Vocera Telephony Server runs on a Windows server that supports either an analog (four or 12 port) or a digital (T1, E1, or ISDN PRI) Dialogic card.

Vocera Report Server (VRS)

The Vocera Report Server enables the generation of many useful reports by site, department, group, AP, user, MAC, etc.

Installation

Vocera installation requires a bit of planning. In order to ensure proper coverage, a complete 802.11b wireless network comprising Cisco or other approved AP's should be installed. Vocera can be placed on its own VLAN or on an existing LAN segment.

Once the WLAN environment is stable and clean, installation of the server and its software can begin. The Server software install will place a MySQL database and the appropriate Vocera specific software on the various servers.

Badges are then configured to recognize the server's dedicated IP address.

Users are then added into the database. Individual groups and AP locations are also placed within the database. Users can be allocated into groups so that they can be called en masse.

It is important that the database is set up correctly (See Technical Operation for reasons).

Operation and Usage

One of the original things about Vocera is that it is voice driven and only requires the buttons for functions such as adjusting volume or entering do-not-disturb mode.

When using a badge for the first time, the call button on the front of the badge is used to log in: the system prompts for a first and last name to be spoken. If the name is not present in the database, it will not log the badge in. Voice print verification can optionally be activated to prevent impersonation of another user.

After login, operation of the badge consists of pressing the call button on the front of the badge, waiting for a spoken "Vocera" prompt (hereinafter referred to as the 'Genie'), and then issuing a command in the format of "Verb - noun". Common commands can consist of "Call Jane Doe", or "Dial an outside number".

On receiving a call, the badge announces the caller's name, and can ask if you wish to take the call. Merely saying "yes" or "no" out loud, or pressing the call/do not disturb buttons, will make the badge accept or deny the call. The system can also be set to answer automatically, with the option of holding or rejecting the call using the do-not-disturb button.

The badge is designed to be worn no more than 8 inches away from the wearer's chin against the wearer's chest. Its microphone's field of focus is designed to pick up the voice about 4 inches away from the wearer's mouth when placed properly. Various clips and attachments allow the wearer to place the badge in the optimal and most comfortable position.

Technical Operation

The Vocera Server is the nerve center of the entire Vocera operation. It contains a running list of Users and their status, Groups, Departments, Address Book entries for telephony integration ("call home"), Badge MAC Addresses, Access Points and their names, and much more.

Most importantly, the Vocera Server contains the voice recognition engine that allows voice commands to be given.

The following list encompasses the basic technical steps of a Badge to Badge call.

- Badge user 'A' presses the call button

- Call button connects to the Vocera Server

- The Vocera Server begins a voice recognition session with the Badge

- Badge user 'A' asks to talk to Badge user 'Z' by saying "Call Z"

- The Vocera Server recognizes the "call" command, looks up User 'Z' to find their MAC address, and then looks up the IP address.

- The Vocera Server connects to Badge User 'Z' and asks if they can take a call from user 'A'.

- If User 'Z' says "yes"

- The Vocera Server notifies user 'A' of user 'Z' MAC address

- Badge 'A' initiates a Badge to Badge session

- Server disconnects from the Badges

- Badges continue Badge-Badge session until one Badge is disconnected.

For optimum results, the Vocera Server should have all AP locations configured in the Vocera Server database. This allows users to ask where a user is based on the AP with which they are associated. This is not as specific as a tracking system would be. It lets you know the person is within the radius (100 to 300 feet) of a specific access point.

Challenges

Vocera, despite its advanced operational methodology, has its challenges.

The biggest challenge for a Vocera system is the wireless network. The wireless network must be of voice quality. That means:

- Adequate coverage in all areas that a Vocera Badge may be used (the edge of an outside room with the AP behind you, basements, elevators, stairwells, etc.)

- Symmetrical transmit power. The Vocera Badge is a low power device. If the APs are transmitting at 100mW, the Badge will receive signal from the AP, but the AP may not receive a signal from the Badge.

- Lack of 2.4 GHz Interference - such as DECT phones, microwave ovens, wireless security cameras, etc.

Users must be trained to use the limited vocabulary that the Vocera genie can understand. Accented voices can be recognized well, but deviating from the simple command structure pattern of "verb - noun" can lead to poor recognition accuracy and delay.

In addition, positioning of the unit is important, because the badge has a sensitive directional microphone. In needs to be in near proximity to the wearer's mouth. If it is too far away, the microphone will have difficulty picking up the voice from the background noise. On the other hand, the badge should not be handled or held too close to the user's mouth, as this can conduct sound through the body to the microphone. Using the Badge too close to the mouth can overdrive the microphone and result in poor recognition. Ensuring that the badge stays within six to eight inches of the mouth without being held in the hand can be a challenge.

The most recent version of the Vocera Software (v4.0) adds several features that help to mitigate some of its shortcomings by adding the ability to learn how an individual user pronounces a name and other similar improvements.

Accessories

Various accessories allow Vocera to be used in a variety of ways. Lanyards, headsets, clips, and protective sleeves all allow increased functionality for a variety of environments.

Easter Eggs

The programmers at Vocera have included some easter eggs, like 'Beam Me Up' (plays a really bad transporter sound), and when you speak inappropriate invectives (Shut-Up or Kluck you) to the genie, the server will automatically hang-up that communications session with the prompt, "I beg your pardon."Speaking the phrase "GoodBye" results in a message from Spock, Leonard Nimoy, "Live long and prosper". "Beam me down" results in a reversal of the transporter tones, and a crash at the end.

Use command "Turn on Funny Genie" for a little bit of a more casual communication between the badge and the user.

ocial Implications

Because of its theoretical ability to track users by correlating Badge MAC addresses and the nearest AP's and recording log files, Vocera has been both revered and reviled. Many facilities (primarily healthcare in nature) have nicknamed it "Nurse Crack" because of its addictive properties of instant communication, but are somewhat unhappy about its abilities to track someone to the nearest access point.

In reality, its tracking abilities are not particularly precise, since a user can be associated with an access point that is one floor above or below their actual position. Because of the 802.11 protocol's property of attaching to the access point with the most strongly received signal, tracking someone is possible to a limited extent.

In some contexts the "speakerphone" nature of communication using the Vocera badge can be inappropriate. There is an option to plug in an earpiece to the badge, but this is not common practice.

weaselSome users feel that this type of communication will become more widespread in the future.

History

The brainchild of Dr. Robert Shostak, the Vocera concept was created out of a need to contact people when they were away from their desks. Its intent was to act as a voice-based instant messaging method where short, brief and simple conversations would take place via small communication devices.

Original designs used Bluetooth to connect users, but subsequent designs have used the more commonplace 802.11 networking standard.

External links

* Vocera product page: http://www.vocera.com/products/products.aspx