This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.7.18 release.

• Prevent texting―The Vocera Platform administrators can prevent selected groups of Smartbadge users from sending text messages. All texting-related options are hidden for such users.
• Group membership management―If the Vocera Platform administrator has granted permission, the Smartbadge users can add themselves to or remove themselves from a group.
• Change in IGMP version―The default version of IGMP has been changed from 3 to 2.
• Eddystone Beaconing―Smartbadge can now have Eddystone, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon protocol, enabled.
• Usability enhancements
  • Urgent alert enunciation is prioritized over pending/ongoing normal priority alert enunciation.
  • If someone starts a group chat or multi-person chat that includes you, the chat does not appear on your Home screen until a message is sent in this chat.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.6.23 release.

Manufacturing build update.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.6.21 release.

• Vocera Device with Smartphone Apps―You can use Smartphone apps (Vocera Vina and VCS app) for messaging with a Vocera Smartbadge for hands-free communication. When you are logged into both devices, calls and broadcasts are handled on the Smartbadge, messages are delivered to both devices, and you can respond to messages from both devices.
• Play text messages―The "play text messages" voice commands are now supported on the V5000 Smartbadge. This feature requires Platform 6.5.
• Panic Broadcast―Panic Call has been renamed to Panic Broadcast to better describe the actual function.
• Enunciation logic update for re-alerting―Enunciation logic has been updated for re-alerting for a better user experience.
• New badge properties
  • Display short caller name―A new badge property V5.DisplayShortCallerName [ true | false ] is added to enable or disable display of short caller name in call screen. By default, the value is set to false. If the value is set to true, only first name and last name initial are displayed.
  • Display short name―A new badge property V5.DisplayShortName [ true | false ] is added to enable or disable display of short name for logged-in user on My Account page and login screen. By default, the value is set to false. If the value is set to true, only first name and last name initial are displayed.
  • Control the badge sensitivity―New badge properties have been added to control the sensitivity of the badge to avoid unintentional activation of the auto handset mode.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.5.25 release.

• UNII-3 channels support―The Smartbadge now supports UNII-3 channels when in the Australia (AU), New Zealand (NZ), and UAE (AE) locales.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.5.24 release.

• Voice Server Only Mode
  • Place all calls including broadcasts calls, instant conferences, and panic calls.
  • Navigate through the screens using a vertical swipe.
  • Swipe to the right from any main screen to lock the Smartbadge.
  • Swipe to the left to reveal the red “X” and press “X” to delete an event in the Home Screen.
  • The Smartbadge chirps and an indicator is displayed on the status bar if a voicemail is received.
  • The main screens available are:
    • Events/Home Screen―Lists the messages from web console and alerts from integrations. A maximum of 20 items is displayed on the Events screen.
    • Settings Screen―Provides access to the Badge Settings, and displays the user details and their current availability state (Do Not Disturb, Available, or Code Lavender).
• Smartbadge Enhancements for use with PPE―The PPE mode changes the Call button to be more sensitive to touch under a gown. It also boosts high-frequency audio output to overcome microphone challenges with these frequencies when using the device with a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR).

  Voice commands can be used to:

  • Adjust badge volume
  • Enable DND
  • Check battery life
  Note: The usage of Voice Commands requires Platform 6.4. These commands are not yet supported in Voice-Only mode.
• Smartbadge Help―The Smartbadge now includes an integrated Help that covers various topics for onboarding the users. When a user logs in to the Smartbadge for the first time, the topic on Badge introduction appears as the welcome tutorial. The complete set of help topics can be accessed from the Settings screen. Each screen menu includes a Help button for accessing context-sensitive Help.
• Support for Department Group―The Smartbadge now supports the Department groups for messaging and all the calling options that a regular group does.
• Callback option on the alert details screen―The details screen of any accepted alert now displays the Callback option.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity Enhancements
  • Multicast Diagnostics―The Smartbadge now provides multicast data to help multicast troubleshooting.
  • Multi-profile Support―The Smartbadge now supports multi-profile, also known as dynamic WLAN. It is intended for enterprise customers that use 5GHz and 2.4GHz together.
• New badge properties―New badge properties have been added to control the sensitivity of the badge to avoid unintentional activation of the auto handset mode.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.4.68 release.

• • Group Mode—A badge property V5.DisplayGroupModeState [True|False] is introduced to control group mode. By default, the value is set to True. Group mode feature will be available in the Smartbadge Settings only if the property is set to True.
  • Re-alert—Smartbadge now handles re-alert scenarios when no response options have been specified.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.4.62 release.

• User Interface Enhancements
  • Autoset handset mode―When auto-setting is selected for handset mode, raising the Smartbadge towards the ear automatically enables handset mode. The handset mode is not disabled even if you move the device away from the ear during the call. You can enable this feature using Badge Settings.
  • Add Care team members to patient-linked conversations―You can now access and add Care Team members to a patient-linked conversation.
  • Accessing external contacts―An additional Contacts tab is now added under the Directory screen to search and call external contacts.
  • Callback alert response—The Accept and Call option in both Genie enunciation, and the UI is now changed to Callback.
  • Client Certificate―Badge Settings now display client certificate details.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity Enhancements
  • New client certificate for Wi-Fi authentication―The Smartbadge now supports both SHA1 and SHA2 certificates.
  • New client certificate integration―The new client certificate is now integrated with the old certificate. You can switch between the certificates using the badge property V5.UseSHA2cert [true | false]. The default value of V5.UseSHA2cert is true.

This release does not have any new features.

This release does not have any new features.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.3 release.

• User Interface Enhancements
  • Hide patient details during auto-wake—If the setting to auto-wake on delivery is set, the Smartbadge changes the patient header to a clickable button to access the information. This ensures no Personal Health Information (PHI) is visible when a message is received.
  • Panic call location—The location of the panic call is now displayed when a panic call is received.
  • Audible clicks on key-press during keyboard use—A user now has the option to turn on audible audio feedback for the keyboard through badge settings.
  • Push-to-talk (PTT) button timing — Allows the user to set the PTT timing according to their requirement.
  • User-selectable call button timer—Allows the user to set the duration of time that the Call button must be touched before a call is placed.
  • Suggestive text and keyboard optimization—The keyboard layout is now changed to increase ease of use and accuracy. Predictive text speeds text entry by allowing the user to select the word instead of typing it.
  • Badge settings grouping—Badge settings are now grouped into entries to improve usability.
• Broadcast Calls—Broadcast calls are now reflected as mass alerts.
• Coverage Request—The Smartbadge supports the Vina coverage request feature.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity Enhancements
  • Certificate for Wi-Fi authentication—Support for SHA512 and SHA384 signed certificates are now provided.
  • Enhancement to channels-to-scan feature—Channels to scan feature is now enhanced for efficient scanning. ChannelsToScan is a combined list of 2.4 and 5 GHz channels. If this property is specified in the badge.properties file, then only the specified channels is used to perform full scans by the Smartbadge, which optimizes scan time and reduces the amount of active radio time. If ChannelsToScan property is not specified in the badge.properties file, then by default, the Smartbadge performs a full scan of all supported 5 GHz channels, including DFS channels.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.1.51 [15.3] release.

Placing Direct Calls from Vocera Devices

As part of the Vocera care team connect solution, the new direct call feature enables the communication between the patient and the caregiver in bed locations that lack nurse call. This feature reduces the need to don and doff PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and improve the patient experience.

When the direct call feature is enabled on Vocera Platform and Vocera devices, the user can press the Call button to immediately place a call to a predefined recipient without having to interact with the genie. The direct call recipient can be another user, group, or a contact in the system.

To enable this feature, set the custom badge property V5.DirectCallEnabled true by using the BCU or through the VCB menu only. Do not add this property to the Badge.Properties of the Vocera Platform. The default value of the badge property is false.

Vocera recommends the following:

• Do not enable this property on the Vocera device of caregivers.
• Do not add the V5.DirectCallEnabled property to the Badge.Properties of the Voice Platform.

For information on Vocera device usage guidelines for the Direct Call feature, refer to the Vocera V-Series Smartbadge User Guide, Vocera B-Series Badge User Guide, and Vocera Device Configuration Guide available on Vocera Documentation Portal.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.1 release.

• USB-C digital headsets—Vocera Smartbadge supports the use of USB-C digital headsets. Due to the variety in configurations and performance of digital USB-C headsets, it is recommended to choose USB-C headsets that are targeted for laptops and Android smartphones. This feature is enabled by the following badge property v5.EnableDigitalHS_ [True|False]. The default value is false.
• Wake Word to initiate a Genie call—Smartbadge now has the ability to respond to the spoken voice command OK Vocera to initiate a Genie call without having to touch the Call button for a true, hands-free calling experience. This feature is enabled through the badge property V5.EnableHotword [True|False]. The default value of the property is False.
• Log File Enhancement—ARP entries are now displayed in the Smartbadge log files.
• Wi-Fi Changes
  • A badge property V5.ForceIGMPVersion introduced to force specific IGMP versions to be adopted. The default value is IGMP v3.
  • The Linux TCP Selective Acknowledgement (SACK) vulnerability detailed in CVE-2019-11477, CVE-2019-11478, and CVE-2019-11479 have been mitigated in this release.
• Hide patient information―If you do not have permission to view patient information, the patient information header displays the patient location only, and the patient view in the directory is hidden.
• Accept alert option for multiple users
  • If configured, a new view option is offered for an alert to be looked at before accepting or declining. You can see who has accepted or declined the alert in the Alert Chat view.
• User Interface Enhancements
  • The volume settings are now available for speaker, handset, headset, and Bluetooth audio paths. The volume settings are saved in the user profile.
  • Configurable delay for the Panic Button operation is introduced. The default is 1 second and can be controlled through the badge property V5.PanicDelayDurationMS = 100-5000 (msec).
  • When a call is forwarded to an external phone number, the forwarded number is now hidden.
  • You can now turn the screen off by swiping to the right on any primary screen such as Event/Home, Directory, and Settings screens.
  • Haptic touch for the keyboard is a user option, accessible through user settings. A vibration can now be felt when typing to aid in typing accuracy.
  • Expired messages and alerts are now automatically removed from the Events screen to reduce clutter.
  • Empty screen tips are now provided to define blank screens.
  • Alert pop-up screen is now displayed during Genie enunciation.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.1.0 release.

• PIN Authentication for Logging in

  An authentication PIN can be enabled to identify the user logging into the Smartbadge. As the user presses the Call button, the genie enunciates an invitation for the user name and then requests a PIN for authentication. The user PIN requirement is set up by the administrator.

• Home Screen Features
  • The Home screen has the following filters:
    • Home—Displays an integrated view of all call types, voice messages, text messages, alerts as entries in a conversation.
    • Calls—Displays the call records and selecting one will take you to the call view for the corresponding conversation.
    • Messages—Displays text messages.
    • Alerts—Displays all alert-based conversations.
  • The most recent conversation is displayed at the top.
  • You can leave a conversation by swiping left and tapping Leave.
  • You can favorite contact from a call log or a Voicemail.

• Directory Screen

  • Directory screen displays the following filters:
    • Staff—Names of the staff members in your favorite list.
    • Patients—Name, room number, MRN, gender, DOB of the patient assigned to the user.
    • Groups—Names of the groups in your favorite list.
  • You can search the names of staff and groups, and favorite the search for easy access.

• Messages and Alerts

  • Messages and alerts appear in the inbox in chronological order with the newest at the top.
  • Incoming messages and alerts play the appropriate notification based on priority or enunciate based on the server specified setting.
  • New alerts are received as pop-ups with a brief description and may include response options such as Accept, Decline, Accept & Call.
  • Patient details are provided along with messages and alerts if a patient is associated with it.

• Patient Context

  Provides the ability to access information about a patient to understand the real-time situation of the patient. Patient context has the following features if a patient is assigned to a user:

  • Patient identification details, such as name, DOB, MRN, sex, room.
  • Current status such as admit reason, fall risk score, and so on.
  • Care team information to access additional patient details enabling a user to see and communicate with specific members of the patient’s care team.
  • Patient details can be attached to new conversations.
  • Patient details get attached to a call made to a care team member.
  • You can leave a conversation.

• Flexible DND

  Options available to select preset custom messages.

• G5W-12629 The Badge Information for Wireless only shows "20 MHz" for "Bandwidth" even when the Smartbadge connects to the AP with CW = 40 or 80 MHz.
• G5W-13404 SSID logging is incorrect in the V5K logs when SSID has space in it.

• G5W-13123 Smartbadge was not sending AP Location for the roaming events when SSID is hidden when used with Cisco WLC9800. This issue has been addressed.
• G5W-13237 Smartbadge was not enunciating urgent alerts if there is a double space in the form. This issue has been addressed.

G5W-12894 The Badge didn't play alert messages for few seconds due to a delay in alert processing. This issue has been resolved.

There are no new fixes in this release.

• G5W-8210 Inserting and removing the digital USB-C headset multiple times made the Smartbadge unresponsive. This problem does not occur anymore.
• G5W-7555 The Genie screen appeared for a few seconds when a user taps the view button of a mass notification pop-up. This problem no longer exists.

• G5W-6028 Speech recognition scores were low with the Plantronics MX55 BT headset. This problem does not occur anymore.
• G5W-7526 Declined alerts were displayed on the Home screen even after the same user logged in again. This problem does not occur anymore.
• G5W-9443 If a call was received when 802.11k was disabled and a Basic Service Set (BSS) transition request was received, the next scan was automatically set to custom full scan.
• G5W-10271 Badge Settings of the Smartbadge UI did not update RSSI details and channel numbers.
• G5W-10961 The badge screen did not change to sleep mode when you log off from the Smartbadge.

• G5W-7536 Alert did not expire if an alert was received on the PIN timeout screen and accepted by a user.
• G5W-7573 The Smartbadge User Interface sometimes restarted when a user logged out and logged in to the Smartbadge consecutively.
• G5W-8002 Pressing the DND button during an alert enunciation declines the alert. This is as designed.
• G5W-8082 System messages of coverage requests sometimes did not appear in sequence.
• G5W-8408 Keypad buttons in the Directory did not respond sometimes.
• G5W-8450 In the Directory screen, tapping favorite contacts did not display the contacts occasionally.
• G5W-8719 Patient information was not viewable from the Directory or search results when the patient's name was empty.
• G5W-10171 When the raise-to-wake feature was enabled, and a new text message was received when an alert pop-up was already open on the screen, the automatically opened text message was not marked as read.
• G5W-10454 The Smartbadge beeped for unread messages or voice mails in archived conversations.
• G5W-10801 The last item in the Home Screen and Badge Settings screen was unresponsive.

• G5W-10412 Hotword feature was re-enabled without user input.
• G5W-10413 Urgent message enunciations did not interrupt normal calls and broadcast. This issue is fixed now.

• G5W-8797 Group member presence is displayed inaccurately.
• G5W-9528 The status of a new message in a conversation was marked read when the device screen was switched off, the conversation was open, and a new message for that conversation was received.
• G5W-9541 When Raise to Wake feature was enabled, incoming messages automatically opened without user intervention.
• G5W-10173 Occasionally, when Vocera Smartbadge received alerts as it lost connectivity, the alerts were not enunciated and subsequent alerts received were also not enunciated until the Smartbadge was restarted.

• G5W-4195 The Aruba quiet IE feature caused the radio to stop transmitting. Disabling the Aruba Quiet IE feature worked around this issue.
• G5W-5707 Choppy audio was observed when UAPSD was enabled on the Smartbadge, and UAPSD was disabled in AP. If UAPSD was enabled or disabled on the Smartbadge, it needed to be enabled or disabled on the Access Point also.
• G5W-6267 With WPA-PSK-SHA256, the Smartbadge sometimes was unable to generate temporal keys in the four-way handshake. Workaround: On the Smartbadge, enable authentication type as WPA-PSK or WPA-EAP and enable Configure80211w 1 (optional). On the Access Point, set Authentication and Key Management (AKM) as SHA2.
• G5W-7002 A USB-C digital headset did not get detected when handset mode was enabled.
• G5W-7277 The chat screen did not open when the Smartbadge received a text message during sleep even if the Raise to Wake option was enabled.
• G5W-7510 Accept and decline options appeared on the alert details screen when the alerts were accepted from the PIN timeout screen.
• G5W-7572 Pressing the call button did not initiate a call to the contact when the voice message details screen was opened from a conversation call screen.
• G5W-8403 Users added to the favorite list offline could be deleted from the favorite list and are displayed twice when added to the favorite list again.
• G5W-8705 The Smartbadge UI restarted when the name of the patient was empty.

There are no new fixes in this release.

• G5W-5150 Selecting the Hold and Accept option on the screen of an incoming call while a panic call is in progress terminates the panic call.
• G5W-5639 When a user comes out of the DND mode, the genie enunciates the missed call information twice even when the user cancels the genie enunciation.
• G5W-5984 Intermittent unable to logout using the UI button.
• G5W-6149 Calling an inactive user from the call log displays the following error: Voice service is unavailable.
• G5W-6177 / PFM-12804 When a user sends a voicemail to a group that they do not belong to, the user gets a notification along with the receiver.
• G5W-6181 Smartbadge notification tones repeatedly play when Vina client sends an image until the request times out.
• G5W-6275 Alert escalating to tertiary level may not display the Accept option.
• G5W-6343 If a calling user has an apostrophe in their user ID, the UI crashes.

• G5W-3253 When 80MHz or 40MHz channels enabled on the WLAN controller, the Smartbadge will display the center frequency.
• G5W-4195 Aruba quiet IE feature causes the radio to stop transmitting. Disabling the Aruba Quiet IE feature works around this issue.
• G5W-5707 Choppy audio is observed when UAPSD is enabled in the Smartbadge, and UAPSD is disabled in AP.

As part of the resistance to dust and water ingress, the removable battery is a snug fit when initially deployed with the Smartbadge. When removing the battery after sliding the latch to the red position, it is recommended to apply a little pressure in the direction of the USB-C socket to ease the removal of the battery.

The following list provides information about known product issues in the 5.1.7.18 firmware and the Vocera Smartbadge:

• G5W-13462 The Badge enunciates urgent alert twice if the alert is received during an instant conference.
• G5W-11367 The Badge is unable to perform EAP-FAST authentication with CiscoISE 2.7.
• G5W-12031 In voice-only mode, the timestamps for events shows different to the badge on screen lock when facility and server had different time zones.
• G5W-5776 Several call log entries are displayed every time users decline the same group call.
• G5W-7293 The Voice Server cluster's IP address is displayed in the Badge Settings even after clustering is disabled.
• G5W-7356 V5000 Smartbadge performs complete 802.1X authentication when it roams to a new Access Point (APs) that has a profile with 802.11w and OKC enabled.
• G5W-7509 When you cancel a message play initially, the urgent voice message status is displayed as read.