Patent Publication Number: US-2022233382-A1

Title: Time-based wireless pairing between a medical device and a wall unit

Description:
The present application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/140,601, filed Jan. 22, 2021; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/168,371, filed Mar. 31, 2021; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/193,680, filed May 27, 2021; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/232,737, filed Aug. 13, 2021; each of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to wireless pairing of medical devices with wall units in a patient room for wireless communication of device data. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to pairing between patient beds and wall units for wireless communication of bed status data and alerts to nurse call systems and other systems of a healthcare facility. 
     Known patient beds are configured to couple to nurse call systems via wired connections such as nurse call cables. For example, patient beds marketed by Hill-Rom Company, Inc. oftentimes connect to wall-mounted audio station bed connectors (ASBC&#39;s) or bed interface units (Bill&#39;s) of nurse call systems, such as the NAVICARE® Nurse Call System, using a nurse call cable having 37-pin connectors at its opposite ends. If a caregiver forgets to disconnect the nurse call cable from the ASBC, BIU, or other similar type of wall module prior to attempting to move the patient bed to another location, the nurse call cable can potentially become damaged when it is abruptly ripped out of the wall module. The connector on the wall module or the wall module itself can also potentially become damaged. 
     In more recent times, patient beds with wireless communication capability have entered the market. However, elimination of the wired connection to a wall module introduces challenges with regard to wireless pairing of the patient bed with the proper wall module so that the proper bed location in a healthcare facility can be determined. For the prior art beds that connect to wall modules using cables, bed identification data (ID) is typically sent to the wall module which contains a location ID or some other ID (e.g., wall module ID, MAC address, or the like) that correlates to the room location. The wall module transmits the bed ID received over the nurse call cable from the bed along with the location ID stored in the wall module to a nurse call system server or some other locating server which is able to determine the bed location based on the received bed and location ID&#39;s. 
     When beds transmit the corresponding bed ID&#39;s wirelessly, especially when transmitting using radio frequency (RF) signals, the bed ID&#39;s are oftentimes received at multiple wall modules or other fixed receiving units such as wireless access points (WAP&#39;s), depending upon the signal strength of the RF transmissions and the wireless technology used for making the RF transmissions. In fact, the RF transmissions from the beds are able to pass through walls, ceilings, and floors in some instances and then are potentially received by multiple wall modules including those in entirely different rooms. Thus, there is a continuing need for improvements in wireless pairing of medical devices, such as patient beds, with wall modules in patient rooms. 
     SUMMARY 
     An apparatus, system, or method may comprise one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter: 
     According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility that may comprise a network and a nurse call system is provided. The system may include a medical device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first timer, and a power cord that may terminate at a power plug. The medical device may have a first sensor to determine that the medical device may be receiving power via the power plug and power cord. The system further may have a wall unit that may be mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility. The wall unit may have a second wireless transceiver and a second timer. The wall unit may be plugged into a first alternating current (AC) outlet of the healthcare facility. The wall unit may have a second AC outlet into which the power plug of the medical device may be coupleable. The wall unit may have an AC plug sensor that may sense the power plug being plugged into the second AC outlet. The first timer may be started to measure a first uptime in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device is receiving power via the power plug and the power cord. The second timer may be started to measure a second uptime in response to the power plug being plugged into the second AC outlet of the wall unit. The medical device may be configured to transmit to the wall unit from the first wireless transceiver an advertisement including the first uptime. The wall unit may compare the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the wall unit may send a pairing message to the medical device which results in the wall unit and medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the first aspect, the system further may include a nurse call cord extending from the wall unit. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of the nurse call system. Optionally, the nurse call cord may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. In such embodiments, the second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Further optionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. In such embodiments, the connector body may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Still further optionally, the wall unit may include a first nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a second nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the medical device of the first aspect may further may include a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of the network. If desired, the first wireless transceiver may include a first Bluetooth transceiver that may be mounted to a first circuit board of the medical device and the first WiFi transceiver may be mounted to a second circuit board of the medical device. Optionally, the wall unit may include a second WiFi transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, the at least one wireless access point of the network. 
     In some embodiments of the first aspect, the second wireless transceiver may include a second Bluetooth transceiver and the system further may include a first set of switches on the first circuit board to provide first contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device and a second set of switches in the wall unit. The second set of switches may have second contact closures that may be controlled by a controller of the wall unit to match the plurality of states of the first contact closures based on data that may be contained in Bluetooth messages received by the second Bluetooth transceiver from the first Bluetooth transceiver. 
     Optionally, at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to control a television in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to turn on a light in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed may have been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed may be in a released condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that an upper frame of the patient bed may have been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed has been pressed. 
     Optionally, the medical device of the first aspect may include a speaker and a microphone and the first and second wireless transceivers may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device and the wall unit are paired. Further optionally, the wall unit may include a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the wall unit. For example, the light may surround a perimeter of the second AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the first aspect, the wall unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the medical device may have been unplugged. Further alternatively or additionally, the wall unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device in response to the AC plug sensor sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the second AC outlet. 
     If desired, the AC plug sensor of the wall unit may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of at least one prong of the power plug of the medical device being inserted into the second AC outlet of the wall unit. For example, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally horizontal direction for detection by the photo detector and the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. Alternatively, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally vertical direction for detection by the photo detector and the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the first aspect, the AC plug sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the power plug of the medical device being plugged into the second AC outlet of the wall unit. For example, the mechanical switch may include a plunger switch that may have a plunger that may be pressed inwardly by a plug body of the power plug when the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the AC plug sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing to at least one prong of the power plug after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet of the wall unit. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the AC plug sensor of the wall unit may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the power plug. If desired, the tag may carry a transponder that may be read by the reader. For example, the transponder may include a near field communication (NFC) transponder. If desired, the NFC transponder may be included in an NFC integrated circuit chip. Optionally, the reader may emit energy to power the transponder to enable the transponder to send a signal back to the reader. 
     In some embodiments of the first aspect, the medical device may be configured to transmit a device identification (ID) to the wall unit and the wall unit may be configured to transmit the device ID and a location ID to at least one server of the network of the healthcare facility. The location ID may be correlateable to a location at which the medical device may be located in the healthcare facility. If desired, the medical device may include a graphical display screen and the wall unit may be configured to transmit from the second wireless transceiver to the first wireless transceiver of the medical device a smart text string that may be displayed on the graphical display screen. The smart text string may include a name of the location at which the medical device is located and may be different than the location ID. In such embodiments, the medical device may not receive the location ID from the wall unit and may not retransmit the smart text string. 
     According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a wall unit may be configured for wireless communication with a medical device. The wall unit may include a housing that may be configured to be mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility. A wireless transceiver and a timer may be carried by the housing. The wall unit may be configured to plug into a first alternating current (AC) outlet of the healthcare facility. A second AC outlet may be carried by the housing and into which a power plug of the medical device is coupleable. An AC plug sensor may be carried by the housing and may be configured to sense a power plug of the medical device being plugged into the second AC outlet. The timer may be started to measure a first uptime in response to the power plug being plugged into the second AC outlet of the wall unit. The wireless transceiver of the wall unit may be configured to receive at least one transmission from the medical device that may include a second uptime. The wall unit may compare the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the wall unit may send a pairing message to the medical device which results in the wall unit and medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wall unit further may include a nurse call cord that may extend from the housing. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of a nurse call system of the healthcare facility. Optionally, the nurse call cord may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. In such embodiments, the second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Further optionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. In such embodiments, the connector body may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Still further optionally, the housing of the wall unit may carry a first nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a second nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the housing of the wall unit of the second aspect may carry a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of a network of the healthcare facility. If desired, the wireless transceiver carried by the housing of the wall unit may include a Bluetooth transceiver. 
     In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wall unit further may include a controller and a set of switches that may be carried by the housing. The set of switches may be configured to provide contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device based on data contained in Bluetooth messages received by the Bluetooth transceiver from the medical device. 
     Optionally, at least one of the contact closures may be closed to control a television in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the contact closures may be closed to turn on a light in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contract closures may be closed to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed may have been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed may be in a released condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate that an upper frame of the patient bed may have been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed has been pressed. 
     Optionally, the medical device of the second aspect may include a speaker and a microphone and the wireless transceiver may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device and the wall unit are paired. Further optionally, the housing of the wall unit may carry a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the wall unit. For example, the light may surround a perimeter of the second AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wall unit may include a controller that may be configured to determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data that may be received by the wireless transceiver from the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and wherein the controller may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the controller may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the medical device may have been unplugged. Further alternatively or additionally, the controller may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device in response to the AC plug sensor sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the second AC outlet. 
     If desired, the AC plug sensor may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of at least one prong of the power plug of the medical device being inserted into the second AC outlet. For example, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally horizontal direction for detection by the photo detector and the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. Alternatively, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally vertical direction for detection by the photo detector and the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the second aspect, the AC plug sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the power plug of the medical device being plugged into the second AC outlet. For example, the mechanical switch may include a plunger switch that may have a plunger that may be pressed inwardly by a plug body of the power plug when the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the AC plug sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing to at least one prong of the power plug after the power plug is plugged into the second AC outlet. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the AC plug sensor may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the power plug. If desired, the reader may be configured to detect the tag by reading a transponder that may be carried by the tag. For example, the reader may be configured to detect the tag by reading a near field communication (NFC) transponder that may be carried by the tag. Optionally, the reader may emit energy to power the NFC transponder to enable the NFC transponder to send a signal back to the reader. 
     According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility having a network may include a medical device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first timer, and a first sensor. The system may further include a communication unit. The first sensor may be operable to determine that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via a cord. The communication unit may have a second wireless transceiver and a second timer. The communication unit may have a port with which the cord from the medical device may be coupleable. The communication unit may have a cord sensor to sense that the communication unit may be hardwire connected to the medical device via the port. The first timer may be started to measure a first hardwire connection time in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via the cord. The second timer may be started to measure a second hardwire connection time in response to the cord being plugged into the port. The medical device may be configured to transmit to the communication unit from the first wireless transceiver an advertisement that may include the first hardwire connection time. The communication unit may compare the first hardwire connection time with the second hardwire connection time and, if the first hardwire connection time is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second hardwire connection time, the communication unit may send a pairing message to the medical device which may result in the communication unit and the medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the third aspect, the medical device may include a speaker and a microphone and the first and second wireless transceivers may be configured for transmission and reception of audio messages after the medical device and the communication unit are paired. Optionally, the communication unit may include a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the communication unit. 
     If desired, the communication unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the cord of the medical device may have been disconnected. 
     In some embodiments of the third aspect, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of the cord. Alternatively, the cord sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the cord being plugged in. Further alternatively, the cord sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing in the cord. Still further alternatively, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the cord. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility having a network and a nurse call system may include a medical device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first timer, and a power cord that may terminate at a power plug. The medical device may have a first sensor to determine that the medical device may be receiving power via the power plug and power cord. The system may further have a wall unit that may be mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility. The wall unit may have a second wireless transceiver and a second timer. The wall unit may receive AC power from the healthcare facility. The wall unit may carry an AC outlet into which the power plug of the medical device may be coupleable. The wall unit may have an AC plug sensor that senses the power plug being plugged into the AC outlet. The first timer may be started to measure a first uptime in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device may be receiving power via the power plug and the power cord. The second timer may be started to measure a second uptime in response to the power plug being sensed by the AC plug sensor of the wall unit. The wall unit may be configured to transmit to the medical device from the second wireless transceiver an advertisement that may include the second uptime. The medical device may compare the second uptime with the first uptime and, if the second uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the first uptime, the medical device may send a pairing message to the wall unit which may result in the wall unit and medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the fourth aspect, the system further may include a nurse call cord extending from the wall unit. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of the nurse call system. Optionally, the nurse call cord may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. In such embodiments, the second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Further optionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. In such embodiments, the connector body may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Still further optionally, the wall unit may include a first nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a second nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the medical device of the first aspect may further may include a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of the network. If desired, the first wireless transceiver may include a first Bluetooth transceiver that may be mounted to a first circuit board of the medical device and the first WiFi transceiver may be mounted to a second circuit board of the medical device. Optionally, the wall unit may include a second WiFi transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, the at least one wireless access point of the network. 
     In some embodiments of the fourth aspect, the second wireless transceiver may include a second Bluetooth transceiver and the system further may include a first set of switches on the first circuit board to provide first contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device and a second set of switches in the wall unit. The second set of switches may have second contact closures that may be controlled by a controller of the wall unit to match the plurality of states of the first contact closures based on data that may be contained in Bluetooth messages received by the second Bluetooth transceiver from the first Bluetooth transceiver. 
     Optionally, at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to control a television in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to turn on a light in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed may have been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed may be in a released condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that an upper frame of the patient bed may have been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may be closed to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed has been pressed. 
     Optionally, the medical device of the fourth aspect may include a speaker and a microphone and the first and second wireless transceivers may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device and the wall unit are paired. Further optionally, the wall unit may include a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the wall unit. For example, the light may surround a perimeter of the AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the fourth aspect, the wall unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the medical device may have been unplugged. Further alternatively or additionally, the wall unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device in response to the AC plug sensor sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the AC outlet. 
     If desired, the AC plug sensor of the wall unit may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of a plug body of the power cord or presence of at least one prong of the power plug of the medical device being inserted into the AC outlet of the wall unit. For example, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally horizontal direction for detection by the photo detector and the plug body or the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the AC outlet. Alternatively, the photo emitter may emit infrared (IR) light in a generally vertical direction for detection by the photo detector and the plug body or the at least one prong may block the IR light from reaching the photo detector after the power plug is plugged into the AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the fourth aspect, the AC plug sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the power plug of the medical device being plugged into the AC outlet of the wall unit. For example, the mechanical switch may include a plunger switch that may have a plunger that may be pressed inwardly by a plug body of the power plug when the power plug is plugged into the AC outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the AC plug sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing to at least one prong of the power plug after the power plug is plugged into the AC outlet of the wall unit. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the AC plug sensor of the wall unit may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the power plug. If desired, the tag may carry a transponder that may be read by the reader. For example, the transponder may include a near field communication (NFC) transponder. If desired, the NFC transponder may be included in an NFC integrated circuit chip. Optionally, the reader may emit energy to power the transponder to enable the transponder to send a signal back to the reader. 
     In some embodiments of the fourth aspect, the medical device may be configured to transmit a device identification (ID) to the wall unit and the wall unit may be configured to transmit the device ID and a location ID to at least one server of the network of the healthcare facility. The location ID may be correlateable to a location at which the medical device may be located in the healthcare facility. If desired, the medical device may include a graphical display screen and the wall unit may be configured to transmit from the second wireless transceiver to the first wireless transceiver of the medical device a smart text string that may be displayed on the graphical display screen. The smart text string may include a name of the location at which the medical device is located and may be different than the location ID. In such embodiments, the medical device may not receive the location ID from the wall unit and may not retransmit the smart text string. 
     According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a medical device may be configured for wireless communication with a wall unit in a healthcare facility and may include a frame that may be configured for transport within the healthcare facility, control circuitry that may be carried by the frame, and a wireless transceiver and a timer that may be carried by the frame and that may be coupled to the control circuitry. The medical device may have a power cord that may include a power plug that may be configured to plug into an AC outlet that may be carried by the wall unit. The medical also may have an AC plug sensor that may be carried by the frame and that may be configured to sense that the power plug of the medical device may be plugged into the AC outlet. The timer may be started to measure a first uptime in response to the power plug being plugged into the AC outlet of the wall unit. The wireless transceiver may be configured to receive at least one transmission from the wall unit that may include a second uptime. The control circuitry of the medical device may be configured to compare the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the control circuitry may command the wireless transceiver to send a pairing message to the wall unit which may result in the wall unit and medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the fifth aspect, the wireless transceiver may include a Bluetooth transceiver. If desired, the medical device further may include a set of switches that may be carried by the frame and that may be coupled to the control circuitry. The set of switches may be configured to provide contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device. The control circuitry may be configured to command the Bluetooth transceiver to transmit Bluetooth messages that may include data pertaining to positions of the contact closures of the set of switches. 
     Optionally, at least one of the contact closures may be closed to control a television in a patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the contact closures may be closed to turn on a light in a patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contract closures may be closed to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed may have been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed may be in a released condition. Yet still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed, the frame may include an upper frame, and at least one of the contact closures may be closed to indicate that the upper frame of the patient bed has been raised out of its lowest position. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contract closures may be closed to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed may have been pressed. 
     In some embodiments of the fifth aspect, the medical device may include a speaker and a microphone and the wireless transceiver may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device and the wall unit are paired. The medical device of the fifth aspect further may include a graphical user interface (GUI) that may be carried by the frame and that may be coupled to the control circuitry. In such embodiments, the control circuitry may be configured to command the GUI to display information indicating a pairing state between the medical device and the wall unit. 
     Optionally, the medical device of the fifth aspect unpairs from the wall unit in response to an unpairing message received from the wall unit. For example, the unpairing message may be generated by the wall unit based on device data that may be included in a wireless communication from the medical device to the wall unit. In some embodiments of the fifth aspect, the medical device further may include casters that may be coupled to the frame and the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively, the wall unit may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the medical device may have been unplugged. For example, the AC plug sensor of the medical device may sense that the power plug may have been unplugged from the AC outlet of the wall unit. 
     According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility having a network may include a medical device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first timer, and a first sensor. The system also may have a communication unit. The first sensor may be operable to determine that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via a cord. The communication unit may have a second wireless transceiver and a second timer. The communication unit may have a port with which the cord from the medical device may be coupleable. The communication unit may have a cord sensor to sense that the communication unit may be hardwire connected to the medical device via the port. The first timer may be started to measure a first hardwire connection time in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via the cord. The second timer may be started to measure a second hardwire connection time in response to the cord being plugged into the port. The medical device may be configured to transmit to the communication unit from the first wireless transceiver an advertisement that may include the first hardwire connection time. The communication unit may compare the first hardwire connection time with the second hardwire connection time and, if the first hardwire connection time is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second hardwire connection time, the communication unit may send a pairing message to the medical device which may result in the communication unit and the medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the sixth aspect, the medical device may include a speaker and a microphone and the first and second wireless transceivers may be configured for transmission and reception of audio messages after the medical device and the communication unit are paired. Optionally, the communication unit may include a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the communication unit. 
     If desired, the communication unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the cord of the medical device may have been disconnected. 
     In some embodiments of the sixth aspect, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of the cord. Alternatively, the cord sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the cord being plugged in. Further alternatively, the cord sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing in the cord. Still further alternatively, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the cord. 
     According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility having a network may include a medical device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first timer, and a first sensor. The system also may include a communication unit. The first sensor may be operable to determine that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via a cord. The communication unit may have a second wireless transceiver and a second timer. The communication unit may have a port with which the cord from the medical device may be coupleable. The communication unit may have a cord sensor to sense that the communication unit may be hardwire connected to the medical device via the port. The first timer may be started to measure a first hardwire connection time in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device may be hardwire connected to the communication unit via the cord. The second timer may be started to measure a second hardwire connection time in response to the cord being plugged into the port. The communication unit may be configured to transmit to the medical device from the second wireless transceiver an advertisement that may include the second hardwire connection time. The medical device may compare the second hardwire connection time with the first hardwire connection time and, if the second hardwire connection time is within a predetermined tolerance range of the first hardwire connection time, the medical device may send a pairing message to the communication unit which may result in the communication unit and the medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the seventh aspect, the medical device may include a speaker and a microphone and the first and second wireless transceivers may be configured for transmission and reception of audio messages after the medical device and the communication unit are paired. Optionally, the communication unit may include a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the communication unit. 
     If desired, the communication unit may determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device based on device data received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters that may be coupled to the frame and at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the communication unit and medical device may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the cord of the medical device may have been disconnected. 
     In some embodiments of the seventh aspect, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a photo emitter and a photo detector that may cooperate to detect presence of the cord. Alternatively, the cord sensor may include a mechanical switch that may move from a first state to a second state in response to the cord being plugged in. Further alternatively, the cord sensor may include a current sensor to sense current flowing in the cord. Still further alternatively, the cord sensor of the communication unit may include a reader that may detect a tag that may be coupled to the cord. 
     According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a first device that may have a first wireless transceiver and a first sensor. The system also may have a second device. The first sensor may be operable to determine that the first device may be hardwire connected to the second device via a hardwire connection. The second device may have a second wireless transceiver. In response to the hardwire connection being made between the first and second devices, the first and second devices may implement a dual-mode Bluetooth pairing operation in which wireless pairing may be accomplished by use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications during a first mode of wireless pairing and by use of Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) communications during a second mode of wireless pairing. 
     In some embodiments of the eighth aspect, during the first mode of wireless pairing, at least one BLE advertisement may be transmitted from the first device to the second device. The at least one BLE advertisement may include manufacturer data that may identify a manufacturer of the first device. Optionally, the BLE advertisement further may include a first uptime that may indicate a first amount of time that may have elapsed subsequent to the hardwire connection being sensed by the first device. Further optionally, the second device may be configured to determine a second uptime that may indicate a second amount of time that may have elapsed subsequent to the hardwire connection being sensed by the second device. 
     If desired, the second device of the eighth aspect may be configured to compare the first uptime to the second uptime and to wirelessly pair the first and second devices based on a set of conditions including: (i) the first uptime is within a threshold amount of time of the second uptime; and (ii) the manufacturer data matches authorized device data stored in memory of the second device. The at least one BLE advertisement may include a media access control (MAC) address of the first device and, if the set of conditions (i) and (ii) are met, the second device may store the MAC address of the first device in memory, the second device may be configured to send a BR/EDR pairing message to the first device in the second mode of wireless pairing, and the BR/EDR pairing message may include the MAC address of the first device. 
     In some embodiments of the eighth aspect, the second device may be configured to wirelessly pair the first and second devices if the manufacturer data matches authorized device data stored in memory of the second device. Optionally, the at least one BLE advertisement may include a media access control (MAC) address of the first device and, if the manufacturer data matches the authorized device data, the second device may store the MAC address of the first device in memory, the second device may be configured to send a BR/EDR pairing message to the first device in the second mode of wireless pairing, and the BR/EDR pairing message may include the MAC address of the first device. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that the first device may include a patient bed and the second device may include a wall unit that may be mounted at a fixed location in a healthcare facility. In such embodiments of the eighth aspect, the hardwire connection may include a power cord of the patient bed that may be configured to plug into an AC outlet that may be carried by the wall unit. The system of the eighth aspect further may include a nurse call cord extending from the wall unit. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of a nurse call system. 
     Further according to the eighth aspect, the first device may include a wall unit that may be mounted at a fixed location in a healthcare facility and the second device may include a patient bed. In such embodiments, the hardwire connection may include a power cord of the patient bed that may be configured to plug into an AC outlet that may be carried by the wall unit. Furthermore, a nurse call cord may extend from the wall unit and the nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of a nurse call system. 
     According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a first device that may have a first wireless transceiver and a first sensor. The system also may have a second device that may have a second wireless transceiver and a second sensor. The first sensor may be operable to sense that the first device may be hardwire connected to the second device via a hardwire connection. The second sensor may be operable to sense that the second device may be hardwire connected to the first device via the hardwire connection. In response to the hardwire connection being made between the first and second devices, the first and second devices may implement a time-based Bluetooth pairing operation in which a first uptime that may be calculated by the first device may be compared to a second uptime that may be calculated by the second device. The first uptime may be a first amount of time that may have elapsed since the first sensor sensed the hardwire connection to the second device. The second uptime may be a second amount of time that may have elapsed since the second sensor sensed the hardwire connection to the first device. 
     In some embodiments of the ninth aspect, the first device may include a patient bed and the second device may include a medical monitor. Optionally, the hardwire connection may include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cord. Further optionally, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the patient bed sending Bluetooth advertisements including the first uptime to the medical monitor and the medical monitor scanning for the Bluetooth advertisements. 
     If desired, the medical monitor of the ninth aspect may be configured to compare the first and second uptimes by subtracting the first and second uptimes to determine an uptime difference and comparing the uptime difference to a threshold. The medical monitor may send a pairing message to the patient bed to wirelessly pair the medical monitor and the patient bed if the uptime difference is less than the threshold. After the patient bed and medical monitor are paired, the medical monitor may send monitor data to the patient bed for display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the patient bed. 
     In some embodiments of the ninth aspect, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the medical monitor sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second uptime to the patient bed and the patient bed may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. If desired, the patient bed may be configured to compare the first and second uptimes by subtracting the first and second uptimes to determine an uptime difference and comparing the uptime difference to a threshold. The patient bed may send a pairing message to the medical monitor to wirelessly pair the medical monitor and the patient bed if the uptime difference is less than the threshold. After the patient bed and medical monitor are paired, the medical monitor may send monitor data to the patient bed for display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the patient bed. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the first device may include a mobile phone and the second device may include a speaker unit. Optionally, the hardwire connection may include a cord that may have a first connector at one end and a second connector at an opposite end. The first connector may be of a different type than the second connector. The Bluetooth pairing operation may include the mobile phone sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first uptime to the speaker unit and the speaker unit may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. If desired, the speaker unit may be configured to compare the first and second uptimes by subtracting the first and second uptimes to determine an uptime difference and comparing the uptime difference to a threshold. The speaker unit may send a pairing message to the mobile phone to wirelessly pair the speaker unit and the mobile phone if the uptime difference is less than the threshold. 
     Alternatively or additionally, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the speaker unit sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second uptime to the mobile phone and the mobile phone may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Optionally, the mobile phone may be configured to compare the first and second uptimes by subtracting the first and second uptimes to determine an uptime difference and comparing the uptime difference to a threshold. The mobile phone may send a pairing message to the speaker unit to wirelessly pair the speaker unit and the mobile phone if the uptime difference is less than the threshold. 
     In some embodiments of the ninth aspect, the Bluetooth pairing operation comprises the first device sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first uptime to the second device and the second device may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. If desired, the second device may be configured to compare the first and second uptimes by subtracting the first and second uptimes to determine an uptime difference and comparing the uptime difference to a threshold. The second device sends a pairing message to the first device to wirelessly pair the first device and the second device if the uptime difference is less than the threshold. 
     According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a first device that may have a first wireless transceiver, a first sensor, and a first hardwire port. The system also may include a second device that may have a second wireless transceiver, a second sensor, and a second hardwire port. The first sensor may be operable to sense that the first device may have a hardwire connected to the first hardwire port. The second sensor may be operable to sense that the second device may have the hardwire connected to the second hardwire port. In response to the hardwire connected to the first and second hardwire ports, respectively, the first and second devices may implement a time-based Bluetooth pairing operation in which a first connection time determined by the first device may be compared to a second connection time determined by the second device. 
     In some embodiments of the tenth aspect, the first connection time may be a first amount of time that has elapsed since the first sensor sensed the hardwire connection to the first port, and the second connection time may be a second amount of time that has elapsed since the second sensor sensed the hardwire connection to the second port. If desired, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the first device sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first connection time to the second device and the second device may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Optionally, the second device may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. The second device may send a pairing message to the first device to wirelessly pair the first device and the second device if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the first device of the tenth aspect may include a patient bed and the second device of the tenth aspect may include a medical monitor. Optionally, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the patient bed sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first connection time to the medical monitor and the medical monitor may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Alternatively or additionally, the medical monitor may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. The medical monitor may send a pairing message to the patient bed to wirelessly pair the medical monitor and the patient bed if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. If desired, after the patient bed and medical monitor are paired, the medical monitor may send monitor data to the patient bed for display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the patient bed. 
     Optionally, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the medical monitor sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second connection time to the patient bed and the patient bed may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Alternatively or additionally, the patient bed may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a time difference and comparing the time difference to a threshold. The patient bed may send a pairing message to the medical monitor to wirelessly pair the medical monitor and the patient bed if the time difference is less than the threshold. If desired, after the patient bed and medical monitor are paired, the medical monitor may send monitor data to the patient bed for display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the patient bed. 
     With regard to the tenth aspect, the first and second hardwire ports may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. Alternatively or additionally, the hardwire may include a cord that may have a first connector at one end and a second connector at an opposite end. The first connector may be of a different type than the second connector. 
     It is further contemplated by the present disclosure that the first device of the tenth aspect may include a mobile phone and the second device may include a speaker unit. Optionally, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the mobile phone sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first connection time to the speaker unit and the speaker unit may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Alternatively or additionally, the speaker unit may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. The speaker unit may send a pairing message to the mobile phone to wirelessly pair the speaker unit and the mobile phone if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. 
     If desired, the Bluetooth pairing operation may include the speaker unit sending Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second connection time to the mobile phone and the mobile phone may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile phone may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. The mobile phone may send a pairing message to the speaker unit to wirelessly pair the speaker unit and the mobile phone if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. 
     According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, a wall module may be configured for wireless communication with a medical device in a healthcare facility. The wall module may include a housing that may be configured to be mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility. The housing may have a front wall shell that may be formed to include a first recess and a rear wall shell that may be formed to include a second recess that may be in alignment with the first recess of the front wall shell. The second recess may be sized to receive at least a portion of a duplex AC outlet therein. The front and rear wall shells each may include at least one opening therethrough for communication with the respective front and rear recesses so that an AC receptacle of the duplex AC outlet may be accessible through the front recess. The wall module further may include circuitry that may be situated within the housing. The circuitry may include a wireless transceiver. The wall module also may include first and second conductors that may extend from the circuitry and out of the housing for coupling to a hot bus and a neutral bus of the duplex AC outlet. The wall module still further may include an AC plug sensor that may be carried by the housing and that may be configured to sense a power plug of the medical device that may be plugged into the AC receptacle of the duplex AC outlet. 
     In some embodiments of the eleventh aspect, the front wall shell may include a front main wall and the rear wall shell may include a rear main wall. The first recess may be defined, in part, by a first recess wall that may be substantially parallel with the front main wall and that may be located about midway between the front main wall and the rear main wall. If desired, the second recess may be defined, in part, by a second recess wall that may be substantially parallel with the rear main surface and the second recess wall may be positioned against the first recess wall. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the front wall shell of the eleventh aspect may include a front main wall and the first recess may be defined, in part, by a first recess sidewall and a second recess sidewall that each may extend inwardly from the front main wall toward a middle region of the housing. Optionally, the AC plug sensor may include a photo emitter that may be aligned with a first aperture formed in the first recess sidewall and a photodetector that may be aligned with a second aperture formed in the second recess sidewall. In such embodiments, the photo emitter and photodetector may be positioned so that an optical beam that may be transmitted from the photo emitter to the photodetector may be broken in response to the power plug of the medical device being plugged into the AC receptacle of the duplex AC outlet. 
     If desired, the circuitry of the wall module of the eleventh aspect may include a timer that may be started to measure a first uptime in response to the power plug being plugged into the AC receptacle of the wall unit. The wireless transceiver of the wall module may be configured to receive at least one transmission from the medical device that may include a second uptime. The wall module of the eleventh aspect may compare the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the wall module may send a pairing message to the medical device which results in the wall module and the medical device becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments of the eleventh aspect, the circuitry of the wall module may include a circuit board that may include a circuit board opening through which the first and second recess sidewalls may extend. In such embodiments, the photo emitter may be supported on a first portion of the circuit board adjacent the first recess sidewall and the photodetector may be supported on a second portion of the circuit board adjacent the second recess sidewall. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the wall module of the eleventh aspect further may include a nurse call cord that may extend from the circuitry and out of the housing. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of a nurse call system of the healthcare facility, for example. Optionally, the nurse call cord of the eleventh aspect may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. The second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord that may extend from the medical device. Alternatively or additionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. The connector body of the eleventh aspect may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a device nurse call cord extending from the medical device. 
     If desired, the housing of the wall module of the eleventh aspect may carry a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of a network of the healthcare facility. Optionally, the wireless transceiver of the wall module may include a Bluetooth transceiver. Further optionally, the circuitry further may include a controller and a set of switches. The set of switches may be configured to provide contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device based on data that may be contained in Bluetooth messages that may be received by the Bluetooth transceiver from the medical device. 
     In the embodiments of the wall module of the eleventh aspect that may have the set of switches providing contact closures, at least one of the contact closures may change states to control a television in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the contact closures may change states to turn on a light in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contract closures may change states to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed has been moved to a lowered position. 
     With regard to the embodiments of the wall module of the eleventh aspect that may have the set of switches providing contact closures, the present disclosure further contemplates that the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed are in a released condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate that an upper frame of the patient bed has been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the second contact closures may change states to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed has been pressed. 
     In some embodiments of the eleventh aspect, the medical device may include a speaker and a microphone and the circuitry of the wall module may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages via the wireless transceiver after the medical device and the wall unit are paired. Optionally, the housing of the eleventh aspect may carry a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device and the wall module. For example, the light may illuminate an icon that may be located on the front wall shell next to the first recess. 
     The present disclosure also contemplates that the circuitry of the wall module of the eleventh aspect may be configured to participate in a time-based wireless pairing operation with the medical device. The time-based wireless pairing operation may occur in response to the AC plug sensor sensing the power plug of the medical device being plugged into the AC receptacle of the duplex AC outlet. Optionally, the circuitry of the wall module of the eleventh aspect may include a controller that may be configured to determine whether to initiate an unpairing from the medical device based on device data that may be received by the wireless transceiver from the medical device. For example, the medical device may include a frame and casters coupled to the frame and the controller may initiate the unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the controller may initiate the unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the medical device may have been unplugged. Alternatively or additionally, the wall unit may determine whether to initiate the unpairing from the medical device in response to the AC plug sensor of the wall module sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the AC receptacle. 
     According to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, a method of installing a wall module for wireless communication with a medical device in a healthcare facility may be provided. The method may include detaching an AC outlet of the healthcare facility from a gang box of the healthcare facility, attaching electrical conductors that may extend from a housing of the wall module to a hot bus and a neutral bus of the AC outlet, inserting the AC outlet into an outlet receiving recess that may be formed in a back of the wall module, and attaching the AC outlet to the wall module with at least one first fastener. 
     In some embodiments, the method of the twelfth aspect further may include attaching the wall module to the gang box with at least one second fastener. For example, attaching the wall module to the gang box may include inserting the at least one second fastener through an aperture that may be formed in a ground frame of the AC outlet. Optionally, the method of the twelfth aspect further may include placing at least one spacer in the outlet receiving recess adjacent to the ground frame of the AC outlet and inserting the at least one second fastener through a passage that may be formed in the at least one spacer. Further optionally, the at least one first fastener may include a first screw and the at least one second fastener may include a second screw that may be longer than the first screw. 
     If desired, the method of the twelfth aspect further may include attaching the wall module to the gang box with a pair of second fasteners. For example, attaching the wall module to the gang box may include inserting the pair of second fasteners through respective apertures that may be formed in a ground frame of the AC outlet. Optionally, the method of the twelfth aspect further may include placing first and second spacers in the outlet receiving recess adjacent to the ground frame of the AC outlet and inserting the pair of second fasteners through respective passages that may be formed in the first and second spacers. Further optionally, the at least one first fastener may include a first screw and the pair of second fasteners may include second screws that may be longer than the first screw. Still further optionally, the first fastener may be situated between the pair of second fasteners. 
     In some embodiments, the method of the twelfth aspect further may include attaching a nurse call connector that may be at an end of a nurse call cord that may extend from a housing of the wall module to a nurse call port of a nurse call system of the healthcare facility. If desired, the AC outlet of the twelfth aspect may include a duplex AC outlet that may have a first AC receptacle and a second AC receptacle. In such embodiments, after the AC outlet is attached to the wall module with the first fastener, the first fastener may be situated between the first and second AC receptacles. Alternatively or additionally, the method includes attaching the wall module of the twelfth aspect to the gang box with a pair of second fasteners such that one of the pair of second fasteners may be situated above the first AC receptacle and the other of the second fasteners may be situated below the second AC receptacle. 
     Optionally, attaching the wall module of the twelfth aspect to the gang box with the pair of second fasteners may include inserting the pair of second fasteners through first and second apertures, respectively, of a ground frame of the duplex AC outlet. Further optionally, attaching the electrical conductors that may extend from the housing of the wall module to the hot bus and the neutral bus of the AC outlet may include tightening screws to clamp the electrical conductors to the hot bus and the neutral bus. 
     According to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a system for use in a healthcare facility that may have a patient room may be provided. The system may include a patient bed that may have bed circuitry that may include a first wireless transceiver and an AC power cord. The system of the thirteenth aspect may also include a wall module that may include a housing that may be configured to be mounted at a fixed location in the patient room of the healthcare facility. The housing may carry an AC receptacle and may have a front wall that may be formed to include a first recess in which the AC receptacle may be accessible. The wall module of the thirteenth aspect further may include module circuitry that may be carried by the housing. The module circuitry may include a second wireless transceiver and an AC plug sensor that may form an optical beam in the recess in front of the AC receptacle. In response to the optical beam being interrupted by a plug of the AC power cord being plugged into the AC receptacle, the second wireless transceiver may communicate with the first wireless transceiver to implement a time-based wireless pairing operation between the wall module and the patient bed. 
     In some embodiments, the time-based wireless pairing operation of the thirteenth aspect may involve comparison of a first connection time that the patient bed may have received power via the AC power cord, as calculated by the bed circuitry, with a second connection time that the plug may have been plugged into the AC receptacle, as calculated by the module circuitry. Optionally, the time-based pairing operation of the thirteenth aspect may include a Bluetooth pairing operation in which the patient bed may send Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first connection time to the wall module and the wall module may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Further optionally, the wall module may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. Thereafter, the wall module may send a pairing message to the patient bed to wirelessly pair the wall module and the patient bed if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. 
     In other embodiments, the time-based pairing operation of the thirteenth aspect may include a Bluetooth pairing operation in which the wall module may send Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second connection time to the patient bed and the patient bed may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. If desired, the patient bed may be configured to compare the first and second connection times by subtracting the first and second connection times to determine a connection time difference and comparing the connection time difference to a threshold. Thereafter, the patient bed may send a pairing message to the wall module to wirelessly pair the wall module and the patient bed if the connection time difference is less than the threshold. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that the first recess of the wall module of the thirteenth aspect may be defined between a first recess sidewall and a second recess sidewall. In such embodiments, the AC plug sensor may include a photo emitter that may be aligned with a first aperture that may be formed in the first recess sidewall and a photodetector that may be aligned with a second aperture that may be formed in the second recess sidewall. Optionally, the photo emitter and photodetector may be positioned so that the optical beam in front of the AC receptacle may be oriented substantially horizontally. Further optionally, the module circuitry may include a circuit board that may include a circuit board opening through which the first and second recess sidewalls may extend. The photo emitter may be supported on a first portion of the circuit board adjacent the first recess sidewall and the photodetector may be supported on a second portion of the circuit board adjacent the second recess sidewall. 
     In some embodiments, the system of the thirteenth aspect further may include a nurse call cord that may extend from the module circuitry and out of the housing of the wall module. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of a nurse call system of the healthcare facility. If desired, the nurse call cord may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. The second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a bed nurse call cord that may extend from the patient bed of the thirteenth aspect. Alternatively or additionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. The connector body may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector at an end of a bed nurse call cord that may extending from the patient bed of the thirteenth aspect. 
     Optionally, the module circuitry of the wall module of the thirteenth aspect may include a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of a network of the healthcare facility. Further optionally, the bed circuitry may include a second wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, the at least one wireless access point of the network of the healthcare facility. Still further optionally, the module circuitry of the thirteenth aspect further may include a controller and a set of switches. The set of switches may be configured to provide contact closures that may be indicative of a plurality of states of the patient bed based on data that may be contained in wireless messages that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the patient bed. 
     In the embodiments of the system of the thirteenth aspect that may have the set of switches providing contact closures, at least one of the contact closures may change states to control a television in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the contact closures may change states to turn on a light in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed. Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device may include a patient bed and at least one of the contract closures may change states to indicate that a siderail of the patient bed has been moved to a lowered position. 
     With regard to the embodiments of the system of the thirteenth aspect that may have the set of switches providing contact closures, the present disclosure further contemplates that at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate that brakes of casters of the patient bed are in a released condition. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate that an upper frame of the patient bed has been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate that a nurse call button of the patient bed has been pressed. 
     If desired, the patient bed of the thirteenth aspect may include a speaker and a microphone. In such embodiments, the bed circuitry and module circuitry each may be configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages via the respective first and second wireless transceivers after the patient bed and the wall module are paired. Optionally, the housing of the wall module of the thirteenth aspect may carry a light that may be illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the patient bed and the wall module. For example, the light may illuminate an icon located on the front wall of the housing next to the first recess. 
     In some embodiments of the thirteenth aspect, the module circuitry may include a controller that may be configured to determine whether to initiate unpairing from the patient bed based on device data that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the patient bed. For example, the patient bed may include a frame and casters coupled to the frame and the controller of the module circuitry may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the controller of the module circuitry may initiate unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the patient bed may have been unplugged. Alternatively or additionally, the controller of the module circuitry initiates the unpairing from the patient bed in response to the AC plug sensor of the wall module sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the AC receptacle. 
     With regard to the system of the first and fourth aspects, the medical device may include an ambient light sensor, the wall unit may include at least one illuminable indicator, and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator of the wall unit may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the medical device to the wall unit and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. In embodiments of the first and fourth aspects in which the wall unit includes a light as the illuminable indicator, the medical device may include an ambient light sensor and a brightness of the light of the wall unit may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the medical device to the wall unit and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. 
     With regard to the second aspect, the wall unit further may include at least one illuminable indicator and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator may be controlled based on information that may be received wirelessly by the wireless transceiver from the medical device and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by an ambient light sensor of the medical device. In embodiments of the second aspect in which the wall unit includes a light as the illuminable indicator, a brightness of the light of the wall unit may be controlled based on information that may be received wirelessly by the wireless transceiver from the medical device and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by an ambient light sensor of the medical device. 
     With regard to the system of the third and sixth aspects, the medical device may include an ambient light sensor, the communication unit may include at least one illuminable indicator, and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator of the communication unit may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the medical device to the communication unit and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. In embodiments of the third and sixth aspects, as well as embodiments of the seventh aspect, in which the communication unit includes a light as the illuminable indicator, the medical device may include an ambient light sensor and a brightness of the light of the communication unit may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the medical device to the communication unit and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. 
     With regard to the sixth aspect, the medical device further may include an ambient light sensor that may be carried by the frame and that may be coupled to the control circuitry. The control circuitry may be configured to command the wireless transceiver to send information to the wall unit to control a brightness of an illuminable indicator of the wall unit. 
     With regard to the system of the eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects, the first device may include an ambient light sensor, the second device may include at least one illuminable indicator, and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator of the second device may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the first device to the second device and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. 
     With regard to the eleventh aspect, the wall module further may include at least one illuminable indicator and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator may be controlled based on information that may be received wirelessly by the wireless transceiver from the medical device and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by an ambient light sensor of the medical device. In embodiments of the eleventh aspect in which the wall module includes a light as the illuminable indicator, a brightness of the light of the wall module may be controlled based on information that may be received wirelessly by the wireless transceiver from the medical device and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by an ambient light sensor of the medical device. 
     With regard to the system of the thirteenth aspect, the patient bed may include an ambient light sensor, the wall module may include at least one illuminable indicator, and a brightness of the at least one illuminable indicator of the wall module may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the patient bed to the wall module and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. In embodiments of the thirteenth aspect in which the wall module includes a light as the illuminable indicator, the patient bed may include an ambient light sensor and a brightness of the light of the wall module may be controlled based on information that may be transmitted wirelessly from the patient bed to the wall module and that may pertain to ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. 
     According to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a patient bed that may have circuitry that may include at least one first controller, a first wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the at least one first controller, and an ambient light sensor that may be coupled to the at least one first controller. A wall unit of the system may be spaced from the patient bed and may include at least one second controller, a second wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the at least one second controller, and an illuminable indicator that may be coupled to the at least one second controller. The at least one first controller may be configured to transmit information via the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver. The information may pertain to an amount of ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. The at least one second controller may control a brightness of the illuminable indicator based on the information. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the at least one second controller may be configured to operate the illuminable indicator to illuminate at a first brightness if the information indicates that the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor may be below a threshold amount. The at least one second controller may be configured to operate the illuminable indicator to illuminate at a second brightness if the information indicates that the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor may be above the threshold amount. The second brightness may be brighter than the first brightness. If desired, the illuminable indicator may include a light emitting diode (LED). 
     Optionally, the at least one second controller of the fourteenth aspect may output a first pulse width modulated (PWM) signal of a first duty cycle to the illuminable indicator to operate the illuminable indicator at the first brightness and the at least one second controller may output a second PWM signal of a second duty cycle to the illuminable indicator to operate the illuminable indicator at the second brightness. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the patient bed may include a frame and a siderail that may be coupled to the frame. In such embodiments, the ambient light sensor may be coupled to the siderail. In other embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the patient bed may include a frame, a first siderail that may be coupled to the frame, and a second siderail that may be coupled to the frame. In such other embodiments, the ambient light sensor may include a first ambient light sensor that may be coupled to the first siderail and a second ambient light sensor that may be coupled to the second siderail. 
     Optionally, the patient bed of the fourteenth aspect further may include at least one light and a brightness of the at least one light may controlled by the at least one first controller based on the amount of ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. Further optionally, the at least one light may be operated to illuminate at a first brightness if the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor may be below a threshold amount and the at least one light may be operated to illuminate at a second brightness if the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor may be above the threshold amount. The second brightness may be brighter than the first brightness, for example. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the at least one first controller may output a first pulse width modulated (PWM) signal of a first duty cycle to the at least one light to operate the at least one light at the first brightness and the at least one first controller may output a second PWM signal of a second duty cycle to the at least one light to operate the at least one light at the second brightness. 
     If desired, the at least one light of the fourteenth aspect may include at least one light emitting diode (LED). Alternatively, the at least one light may include a plurality of lights and each light of the plurality of lights may include at least one light emitting diode (LED). Optionally, the patient bed further may include a graphical user interface (GUI) and a brightness of the GUI may be controlled by the at least one first controller based on the amount of ambient light that may be detected by the ambient light sensor. For example, the GUI may be operated to illuminate at a first brightness if the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor is below a threshold amount and the GUI may be operated to illuminate at a second brightness if the amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor is above the threshold amount. If desired, the second brightness may be brighter than the first brightness. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the patient bed may include an AC power cord, the wall unit may include a housing that may carry an AC receptacle and that may have a front wall that may be formed to include a first recess in which the AC receptacle is accessible. The wall unit further may include an AC plug sensor that may form an optical beam in the recess in front of the AC receptacle. In response to the optical beam being interrupted by a plug of the AC power cord being plugged into the AC receptacle, the second wireless transceiver may communicate with the first wireless transceiver to implement a time-based wireless pairing operation between the wall unit and the patient bed. 
     Optionally, the time-based wireless pairing operation of the fourteenth aspect may involve a comparison of a first connection time that the patient bed may have received power via the AC power cord, as calculated by the at least one first controller of the patient bed, with a second connection time that the plug may have been plugged into the AC receptacle, as calculated by the at least one second controller. Further optionally, the time-based pairing operation may include a Bluetooth pairing operation in which the patient bed may send Bluetooth advertisements that may include the first connection time to the wall unit and the wall unit may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. Alternatively, the time-based pairing operation may include a Bluetooth pairing operation in which the wall unit may send Bluetooth advertisements that may include the second connection time to the patient bed and the patient bed may scan for the Bluetooth advertisements. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the first recess may be defined between a first recess sidewall and a second recess sidewall and the AC plug sensor may include a photo emitter that may be aligned with a first aperture formed in the first recess sidewall and a photodetector that may be aligned with a second aperture formed in the second recess sidewall. If desired, the photo emitter and photodetector of the fourteenth aspect may be positioned so that the optical beam in front of the AC receptacle may be oriented substantially horizontally. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the system of the fourteenth aspect further may include a nurse call system and the wall unit further may include a nurse call cord communicatively coupled to the at least one second controller and extending out of the housing of the wall unit. The nurse call cord may terminate at a first nurse call connector that may be configured for connection to a nurse call port of the nurse call system. 
     Optionally, the nurse call cord of the fourteenth aspect may include an auxiliary cord branch that may terminate at a second nurse call connector. The second nurse call connector may be coupleable to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a bed nurse call cord that may extend from the patient bed. Further optionally, the first nurse call connector may be provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord. The connector body may have a second nurse call connector that may be configured to couple to a third nurse call connector that may be at an end of a bed nurse call cord that may extend from the patient bed. 
     In some embodiments of the fourteenth aspect, the at least one second controller may be configured to initiate an unpairing from the patient bed based on device data that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the first wireless transceiver of the patient bed. For example, the patient bed of the fourteenth aspect may include a frame and casters coupled to the frame. The at least one second controller may initiate the unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters may be released. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one second controller of the fourteenth aspect may be configured to initiate the unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug of the patient bed may have been unplugged or the at least one second controller may be configured to initiate the unpairing in response to the AC plug sensor of the wall unit sensing that the power plug may have been unplugged from the AC receptacle. 
     If desired, the wall unit may include a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point of a network of a healthcare facility. Further optionally, the patient bed of the fourteenth embodiment may include a second wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver that may be configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, the at least one wireless access point of the network of the healthcare facility. 
     In some embodiments, the system of the fourteenth aspect further may include a nurse call system and the wall unit further may include a set of switches. The set of switches may be configured to provide contact closures that indicate to the nurse call system a plurality of states of the patient bed based on data that may be contained in wireless messages that may be received by the second wireless transceiver from the patient bed. For example, at least one of the contact closures may change states to control a television in the patient room or to control a room light. By way of additional examples, at least one of the contact closures may change states to indicate one or more of the following: an alarm condition of a bed exit system of the patient bed, that a siderail of the patient bed may have been moved to a lowered position, that brakes of casters of the patient bed may be in a released condition, that an upper frame of the patient bed may have been raised out of its lowest position, or that a nurse call button of the patient bed may have been pressed. 
     The patient bed of the fourteenth aspect may include a speaker and a microphone. In such embodiments, the patient bed and the wall unit each may be configured for transmission and reception of audio messages via the respective first and second wireless transceivers. 
     According to a fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a wall module that may have a first controller, an analog audio input, an analog audio output, a first wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the controller and that may be configured to wirelessly transmit and wirelessly receive data, and a second wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the analog audio input and analog audio output. The second wireless transceiver may be configured to wirelessly transmit first audio signals that are received at the analog audio input and to wirelessly receive second audio signals that may be, in turn, communicated to the analog audio output. The system of the fifteenth aspect may also include a patient bed that may have a second controller, a microphone, a speaker, a third wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the controller and that may be configured to wirelessly receive data transmitted by the first transceiver and to wirelessly transmit data for receipt by the first transceiver, and a fourth wireless transceiver that may be configured to wirelessly receive the first audio signals that may be transmitted by the third wireless transceiver for playing through the speaker and to wirelessly transmit to the second wireless transceiver the second audio signals that may be received from the microphone. A first communication latency between the first and third wireless transceivers may be greater than 50 milliseconds and a second communication latency between the second and fourth wireless transceivers may be less than 50 milliseconds. 
     In some embodiments of the fifteenth aspect, the first and third wireless transceivers may communicate according to the Bluetooth protocol. Alternatively or additionally, the second and fourth wireless transceivers may communicate via frequency modulation (FM). That is, the second and fourth wireless transceivers may communicate via FM regardless of the type of wireless communication that takes place between the first and third wireless transceivers. 
     Optionally, the wall module of the fifteenth aspect may use the second wireless transceiver to scan FM spectrum channels to determine which FM channels may be currently in use by other devices and the wall module may select an available FM transmission channel and an available FM reception channel that may not be currently in use by the other devices. For example, the second wireless transceiver may scan the FM spectrum channels by scanning at even frequencies in 200 kilohertz (kHz) steps from a minimum frequency of 76.0 megahertz (MHz) to a maximum frequency of 108.0 MHz so as to avoid commercial FM radio frequencies that broadcast at odd frequencies in 200 kHz steps from a minimum commercial radio frequency of 76.1 MHz to a maximum commercial radio frequency 108.1 MHz. 
     In some embodiments of the fifteenth aspect, the wall module may transmit the available FM transmission channel and the available FM reception channel to the third transceiver of the patient bed using the first wireless transceiver. Optionally, the wall module may transmits the available FM transmission channel and the available FM reception channel to the third transceiver of the patient bed using the first wireless transceiver only after the wall module and patient bed may become paired via communications between the first and third wireless transceivers. Further optionally, the wall module and the patient bed may become paired via communications between the first and third wireless transceivers by implementing a time-based pairing operation. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that pairing between the wall module and the patient bed may include an exchange of unique identifiers between the first wireless transceiver of the wall module and the third wireless transceiver of the patient bed. If desired, the patient bed and the wall module of the fifteenth aspect may communicate using a side channel to verify that the respective unique identifier from the other of the patient bed and the wall module may be present to confirm the audio transmission received by the corresponding second wireless transceiver or fourth wireless transceiver originates from an expected source. Optionally, the patient bed may be configured to tune transmitter and receiver frequencies of the fourth wireless transceiver to match the available FM transmission channel and the available FM reception channel that may be received by the third wireless transceiver of the patient bed from the first wireless transceiver of the wall module. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that the wall module of the fifteenth aspect may comprise a first wall module and the system of the fifteenth aspect may further include at least one additional wall module that may be within reception range of the first wall module and the patient bed. In such embodiments, the at least one additional wall module may receive a transmission indicating the available FM transmission channel and the available FM reception channel and may save them in memory of the at least one additional wall module as FM channels that may be currently in use by other devices. 
     Optionally, the system of the fifteenth aspect further may include a cable that may be configured to form a wired connection between the wall module and the patient bed for communication of the first and second audio signals between the wall module and the patient bed, respectively. In such embodiments, the wall module may continue to use the second wireless transceiver to scan FM spectrum channels to determine which FM channels may be currently in use by other devices and the wall module may continue to select an available FM transmission channel and an available FM reception channel that are not currently in use by the other devices even when the wired connection may be formed between the wall module and the patient bed. 
     In some embodiments of the fifteenth aspect, the second communication latency may include a time it takes between receipt of the first audio signals at the analog audio input of the wall module and playing of the first audio signals by the speaker of the patient bed. Alternatively or additionally, the second communication latency may include a time it takes between receipt of the second audio signals at the microphone of the patient bed and outputting of the second audio signals at the analog audio output of the wall module. 
     If desired, the system of the fifteenth aspect further may include an audio station bed connector (ASBC) that may be coupled by a hardwire connection to the analog audio input of the wall module. The system of the fifteenth aspect also may include an audio source that may be in communication with the ASBC. Audio from the audio source may comprise the first audio signals that may be played by the speaker of the patient bed after being transmitted wirelessly from the second wireless transceiver of the wall module to the fourth wireless transceiver of the patient bed. 
     Optionally, the audio source of the fifteenth aspect may include a television. Alternatively or additionally, the audio source may include one or more of the following: a microphone of a master nurse station computer that may be located at a master nurse station or a microphone of an audio station that may be located in a patient room or a microphone of a staff station that may be located outside of the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the audio source may include a microphone of a mobile wireless device carried by a caregiver. 
     In some embodiments, the system of the fifteenth embodiment further may include a pillow speaker unit that may be coupled to the ASBC by a pillow speaker cable. The pillow speaker unit may have a pillow speaker that may play audio from the audio source substantially synchronously (e.g., within 50 milliseconds) with the first audio signals being played by the speaker of the patient bed. 
     According to a sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a system may include a wall module that may have a first controller, a first audio input that may provide a first audio signal to the first controller, and a first wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the controller and that may be configured to wirelessly transmit data and wirelessly receive data. The wirelessly received data may include audio packets that may be provided to the first controller as a second audio signal such that the first wireless transceiver may serve as a second audio input to the controller. The system of the sixteenth aspect further may include a first audio source that may be coupled to the first audio input of the wall module and that may provide the first audio signal to the first audio input. The system of the sixteenth aspect also may include a patient bed that may have a second controller, a microphone, a speaker, and a second wireless transceiver that may be coupled to the controller and that may be configured to wirelessly receive data transmitted by the first wireless transceiver and to wirelessly transmit data for receipt by the first wireless transceiver. The data transmitted by the second wireless transceiver may include audio packets that may correspond to audio detected by the microphone of the patient bed and transmitted to the first wireless transceiver to form the second audio signal. The wall module of the sixteenth aspect further may include a correlator to compare the first and second audio signals to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the wall module may operate to mute the speaker of the bed. 
     In some embodiments of the sixteenth aspect, the correlator may be a software correlator that may be executed by the first controller. Alternatively or additionally, the correlator may operates to determine a correlation coefficient having an absolute value between 0 and 1. If desired, the system of the sixteenth aspect further may include a pillow speaker unit that may be coupled to the wall module via a hardwire connection. The pillow speaker unit may include a pillow speaker that may play sound originating from the first audio source. Prior to the speaker of the bed being muted, the speaker of the bed also may play sound originating from the first audio source and transmitted as wireless audio data from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver such that communication latency between the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver may cause a delay between the first and second audio signals. 
     Optionally, the audio source of the sixteenth aspect may include a television. Alternatively or additionally, the audio source of the sixteenth aspect may include one or more of the following: a microphone of a master nurse station computer that may be located at a master nurse station or a microphone of an audio station that may be located in a patient room or a microphone of a staff station that may be located outside of the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the audio source of the sixteenth aspect may include a microphone of a mobile wireless device carried by a caregiver. 
     In some embodiments of the sixteenth aspect, the wall module may operate to mute the speaker of the bed by disabling transmissions of any audio packets from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver. In other embodiments, the wall module of the sixteenth aspect may operate to mute the speaker of the bed by wirelessly transmitting a mute command signal from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver such that the second controller may mute the speaker of the bed in response to the mute command signal. 
     Optionally, after the bed speaker is muted, the second wireless transceiver may continue to transmit to the first wireless transceiver audio packets corresponding to audio detected by the microphone of the patient bed such that the first wireless transceiver may continue to receive the second audio signal. In such embodiments, the wall module may operate to unmute the speaker of the bed if the correlation parameter is determined to no longer be violating the threshold condition. For example, the wall module may operate to unmute the speaker of the bed by re-enabling transmissions of audio packets from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver. Alternatively, the wall module may operate to unmute the speaker of the bed by wirelessly transmitting an unmute command signal from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver such that the second controller unmutes the speaker of the bed in response to the unmute command signal. 
     In some embodiments of the sixteenth aspect, the second wireless transceiver may transmit to the first wireless transceiver audio packets corresponding to audio detected by the microphone of the patient bed only after the wall module and patient bed may have become paired via communications between the first and second wireless transceivers. Optionally, the wall module and patient bed may become paired via communications between the first and second wireless transceivers by implementing a time-based pairing operation. Further optionally, pairing between the wall module and the patient bed may include an exchange of unique identifiers between the first wireless transceiver of the wall module and the second wireless transceiver of the patient bed. 
     In some embodiments of the system of the first and fourth aspects, the wall unit may include a first frequency modulation (FM) transceiver, the medical device may include a second FM transceiver, and audio signals may be communicated between the wall unit and the medical device using the first and second FM transceivers. Optionally, the first and second FM transceivers may be included in embodiments of the system of the first and fourth aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  102 . 
     In some embodiments of the wall unit of the second aspect, the wall unit further may include a frequency modulation (FM) transceiver to send audio signals to, and receive audio signals from, the medical device. Optionally, the FM transceiver may be included in embodiments of the wall unit in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  103 . 
     In some embodiments of the system of the third, sixth, and seventh aspects, the communication unit may include a first frequency modulation (FM) transceiver, the medical device may include a second FM transceiver, and audio signals may be communicated between the communication unit and the medical device using the first and second FM transceivers. Optionally, the first and second FM transceivers may be included in embodiments of the system of the third, sixth, and seventh aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraphs  104  and  105 . 
     In some embodiments of the fifth aspect, the medical device further may include a frequency modulation (FM) transceiver to send audio signals to, and receive audio signals from, the wall unit. Optionally, the FM transceiver may be included in embodiments of the medical device having an ambient light sensor that generates a signal which is used to control brightness of a light on the wall unit. 
     In some embodiments of the system of any of the eighth, ninth, and aspects, the first device may include a first frequency modulation (FM) transceiver, the second device may include a second FM transceiver, and audio signals may be communicated between the first device and the second device using the first and second FM transceivers. Optionally, the first and second FM transceivers may be included in embodiments of the system of the eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  106 . 
     In some embodiments of the eleventh aspect, the wall module further may include a frequency modulation (FM) transceiver to send audio signals to, and receive audio signals from, the medical device. Optionally, the FM transceiver may be included in embodiments of the wall module in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  107 . 
     In some embodiments of the system of the thirteenth aspect, the wall module may include a first frequency modulation (FM) transceiver, the patient bed may include a second FM transceiver, and audio signals may be communicated between the wall module and the patient bed using the first and second FM transceivers. Optionally, the first and second FM transceivers may be included in embodiments of the system of the thirteenth aspect in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  108 . 
     In some embodiments of the system of the first and fourth aspects, the wall unit may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the wall unit may operate to mute a speaker of the medical device. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the first and fourth aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  102 . 
     In some embodiments of the wall unit of the second aspect, the wall unit further may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the wall unit of the second aspect may operate to mute a speaker of the medical device. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the second aspect in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  103 . 
     In some embodiments of the system of the third, sixth, and seventh aspects, the communication unit may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the communication unit of the third, sixth, and seventh aspects, may operate to mute a speaker of the medical device. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the first and fourth aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraphs  104  and  105 . 
     In some embodiments of the medical device of the fifth aspect, a speaker of the medical device may be muted if a correlation parameter that is calculated by a correlator of the wall unit by comparing a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly has a value that violates a threshold condition. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the medical device having an ambient light sensor that generates a signal which is used to control brightness of a light on the wall unit. 
     In some embodiments of the system of the eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects, the second device may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the second device of the eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects may operate to mute a speaker of the first device. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  106 . 
     In some embodiments of the eleventh aspect, the wall module further may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the wall module of the eleventh aspect may operate to mute a speaker of the medical device. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the wall module of the eleventh aspect in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  107 . 
     In some embodiments of the system of the thirteenth aspect, the wall module may include a correlator to compare a first audio signal received via a wired connection and a second audio signal received wirelessly to determine a correlation parameter. If the correlation parameter has a value that violates a threshold condition, then the wall module of the thirteenth aspect may operate to mute a speaker of the patient bed. Optionally, the correlator may be included in embodiments of the thirteenth aspect in combination with the features mentioned above in paragraph  108 . 
     Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), such as those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partly perspective, partly diagrammatic view of a network of a healthcare facility in which a patient bed pairs and communicates wirelessly with a wall module which, in turn, communicates via a wired connection with a nurse call system and which is also able to communicate wirelessly with one or more wireless access points (WAP&#39;s), the bed also being able to communicate wirelessly with the one or more WAP&#39;s; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view showing electrical componentry of the bed and the wall module; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the wall module arranged for coupling to an alternating current (AC) duplex outlet mounted to a panel attached to a wall of a patient room in the vicinity of a head end of the patient bed and showing a nurse call cable extending from a bottom of the wall module and terminating at a nurse call connector arranged for coupling to a nurse call port of an audio station bed connector (ASBC) mounted to a bed locator unit that is mounted to the wall of the patient room; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 3 , showing the wall module coupled to the AC duplex outlet, the nurse call connector coupled to the nurse call port, and a power plug of a power cable extending from the patient bed arranged for coupling to an AC outlet of the wall module; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the power plug of the power cable of the patient bed plugged into the wall module which commences a time-based wireless pairing operation between the patient bed and the wall module; 
         FIG. 6A  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of the time-based wireless pairing operation in which the wall module starts a first timer in response to the power plug of the bed being plugged into the outlet of the wall module and in which the bed starts a second timer in response to AC power being received from the wall module, the wall module makes a series of Bluetooth (BT) scans listening for the bed, the bed transmitting one or more BT advertisements including a bed uptime as measured by the second timer, and the wall module initiating wireless pairing with the patient bed in response to the bed uptime from the patient bed being within a tolerance range of a module uptime as measured by the first timer; 
         FIG. 6B  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of an alternative time-based wireless pairing operation in which the wall module starts a first timer in response to the power plug of the bed being plugged into the outlet of the wall module and in which the bed starts a second timer in response to AC power being received from the wall module, the wall module transmitting to the bed a series of BT advertisements including a wall module uptime as measured by the first timer, the bed making one or more BT scans, and the bed initiating wireless pairing with the wall module in response to the wall module uptime from the wall module being within a tolerance range of a bed uptime as measured by the second timer; 
         FIG. 6C  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of an alternative wireless pairing operation in which the wall module transmits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertisements that include manufacturer (MFG) data, the bed makes a series of BLE scans after the bed BT radio is ready, the bed compares the received MFG data to stored MFG data and, if the MFG data matches, the bed stores a BLE media access control (MAC) address of the wall module in memory, the bed then switching from the BLE mode of communication to a BT Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) mode of communication in which wireless pairing occurs in response to the bed transmitting the MAC address of the wall module back to the wall module while in the BR/EDR mode of communication; 
         FIG. 6D  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of another alternative wireless pairing operation in which the bed transmits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertisements that include manufacturer (MFG) data, the wall module makes a series of BLE scans after the wall module BT radio is ready, the wall module compares the received MFG data to stored MFG data and, if the MFG data matches, the wall module stores a BLE MAC address of the bed in memory, the wall module then switching from the BLE mode of communication to the BR/EDR mode of communication in which wireless pairing occurs in response to the wall module transmitting the MAC address of the bed back to the bed while in the BR/EDR mode of communication; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing a Y-cable extending from a bottom of the wall module, the Y-cable having a first nurse call connector coupled to the nurse call port of the ASBC and the Y-cable having a second nurse call connector that is configured for coupling to a mating nurse call connector at an end of a nurse call cable extending from the patient bed; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 7 , in which the second nurse call connector of the Y-cable is connected to the nurse call able extending from the patient bed such that wired data communication is established between the patient bed and the wall module and such that wired data communication is established between the patient bed and the ASBC; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic view showing electrical componentry of the wall module and showing the Y-cable extending from the wall module, the electrical componentry including shift registers and/or relays, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) line, and an audio codec that interconnect a controller of the wall unit with a nurse call/wired bed connector of the wall module; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 8 , showing an alternative embodiment cable extending from a bottom of the wall module, the alternative embodiment cable terminating at a dual coupler nurse call connector, a first coupler of the dual coupler nurse call connector being configured to mate with the nurse call port of the ASBC, and a second coupler of the dual nurse call connector being configured to mate with the connector at the end of the nurse call cable (not shown in  FIG. 10 ) extending from the bed; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 10 , showing the connector at the end of the nurse call cable extending from the bed coupled to the second coupler of the dual nurse call connector, thereby to provide wired connectivity between the patient bed and the nurse call system; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , showing an alternative embodiment wall module having a nurse call connection port next to the duplex pair of AC outlets of the wall module, the nurse call connection port of the wall module being configured to mate with the connector at the end of the nurse call cable (not shown in  FIG. 12 ) extending from the bed; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 12 , showing the connector at the end of the nurse call cable extending from the bed coupled to the nurse call connection port of the wall module, thereby to provide wired connectivity between the patient bed and the nurse call system via the wall module; 
         FIG. 14  is a diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of a plug detector for use in the wall module, the first embodiment of the plug detector including photo emitter/photo detector pairs that are generally horizontally aligned with power prong receivers of the respective outlets of the duplex AC outlet of the wall module; 
         FIG. 15  is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of a plug detector for use in the wall module, the second embodiment of the plug detector including a photo emitter and a photo detector that are generally vertically aligned with ground prong receivers of the outlets of the duplex AC outlet of the wall module; 
         FIG. 16  is a diagrammatic view of a third embodiment of a plug detector for use in the wall module, the third embodiment of the plug detector including mechanical switches that change from an opened state to a closed state in response to a plug being inserted into the respective outlet of the duplex AC outlet of the wall module; 
         FIG. 17  is a diagrammatic view of fourth embodiment of a plug detector for use in the wall module, the fourth embodiment of the plug detector including current sensors coupled to a power prong of the respective outlets of the duplex AC outlet of the wall module; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 4 , showing a transponder tag attached to the power plug at the end of the power plug extending from the patient bed; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 18 , showing the plug with the transponder tag plugged into one of the outlets of the duplex AC outlet of the wall module so that a reader within the wall module can sense a transponder of the transponder tag and begin the timer of the wall module as part of the time-based wireless pairing operation; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view showing a medical bed connecting to a medical monitor with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cord to initiate a wireless pairing operation between the bed and the monitor; 
         FIG. 21  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of the wireless pairing operation between the bed and the monitor of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a mobile phone connecting to a speaker unit with a mini-USB cord or similar such cord to initiate a wireless pairing operation between the phone and the speaker unit; 
         FIG. 23  is a swim lane diagram showing steps of the wireless pairing operation between the phone and the speaker unit of  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment wall module showing a healthcare facility AC duplex outlet accessible within a recess formed in a front wall of a housing of the alternative embodiment wall module, showing an illuminateable wireless bed communication icon on the front wall of the housing to the left of the recess, and showing a bed icon label on a top wall of the housing to indicate that a power cord from a bed should be plugged into one of the AC outlets of the duplex outlet; 
         FIG. 25  is a front elevation view of the wall module of  FIG. 24  showing a caution icon illuminated beneath the nurse call icon; 
         FIG. 26  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 7 , showing a Y-cable extending from a bottom of the wall module of  FIGS. 24 and 25 , the Y-cable having a first nurse call connector coupled to the nurse call port of an ASBC and the Y-cable having a second nurse call connector that is configured for coupling to a mating nurse call connector at an end of a nurse call cable that extends from the patient bed; 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 26 , showing that the bed icon label is omitted from the top wall of the housing and replaced with a bed power label that is adhered to a vertical wall of a service chase above the wall module; 
         FIG. 28  is a perspective view of first steps of an installation process of the wall module of  FIGS. 24 and 25  showing the healthcare facility duplex AC outlet detached from an electrical gang box of the healthcare facility and arranged for insertion into a recess formed in a back wall of the wall module, showing a short coupling screw in front of the wall module, and showing electrical wiring from the wall module attached by screws to a neutral bus and a hot bus at the sides of the healthcare facility duplex AC outlet; 
         FIG. 29  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 28 , of further steps of the installation process showing the duplex AC outlet received in the recess of the back wall of the wall module, an upper and lower spacer arranged for insertion into the recess of the back wall of the wall module and aligned with respective upper and lower flanges of a ground frame of the duplex AC outlet, and showing upper and lower long screws arranged for insertion through the front and rear walls of the wall module, through apertures in the respective upper and lower flanges of the ground frame, and through the respective upper and lower spacers for receipt in threaded receivers of the gang box; 
         FIG. 30  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 29 , of still further steps of the installation process showing the upper and lower spacers received in the recess of the back wall of the wall module and showing threaded portions of the long screws projecting from the upper and lower spacers toward the junction box; 
         FIG. 31  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 30  of the yet further steps of the installation process showing the wall module fastened to the junction box; 
         FIG. 32  is a perspective view of the wall module of  FIGS. 24-31  showing a variant nurse call cable extending from a bottom of the wall module and terminating at a nurse call connector arranged for coupling to a nurse call port of an audio station bed connector (ASBC) mounted to a room wall of the patient room; 
         FIG. 33  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 32 , showing the nurse call connector of the variant nurse call cable coupled to the nurse call port of the ASBC to complete the installation process of the wall module of  FIGS. 24-32 ; 
         FIG. 34  is an exploded view of the wall module of  FIGS. 24-33  showing, from left to right, the upper and lower spacers, the healthcare facility duplex AC outlet, four coupling screws, a molded back plate of the housing with the nurse call cable extending downwardly therefrom, a grommet for the electrical wiring of the wall module, a nurse call circuit board, a main circuit board having a rectangular opening for receipt of the AC outlets of the duplex AC outlet therethrough and having photo emitters and photodetectors supported on opposite sides of the rectangular opening, a WiFi/Bluetooth antenna, a molded front plate of the housing, a cosmetic overlay, and the long and short screws; 
         FIG. 35  is a cross sectional view of the wall module, taken along line  35 - 35  of  FIG. 33 , showing one of the photo emitters and one of the photodetectors being in optical communication through respective apertures formed in sidewalls of a portion of the front plate of the housing that defines the recess in the front wall of the housing and showing the nurse call circuit board and main circuit board being supported within an interior region of the housing of the wall module in spaced apart, parallel relation; 
         FIG. 36  is a diagrammatic view showing a first system architecture in which the wall module of  FIGS. 24-35  communicates wirelessly with a bed and communicates via wired communication links with an ASBC and a nurse call server that, in turn, communicates with a remote server via the Internet (aka the cloud) and in which the bed, the wall module, the ASBC, and nurse call software on the nurse call server are provided by the same manufacturer; 
         FIG. 37  is a diagrammatic view, similar to  FIG. 36 , showing a second system architecture in which the wall module of  FIGS. 24-35  communicates wirelessly with the bed and communicates via wired communication links with a nurse call interface and a nurse call server and in which the nurse call interface and nurse call software on the nurse call server are provided by a different manufacturer than the manufacturer of the bed and the wall module; 
         FIG. 38  is a diagrammatic view, similar to  FIG. 37 , showing a third system architecture in which the bed is configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote server via the Internet (aka the cloud); 
         FIG. 39  is a diagrammatic view, similar to  FIG. 38 , showing a fourth system architecture in which the bed and the wall module are each configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote server via the Internet (aka the cloud); 
         FIG. 40  is a diagrammatic view, similar to  FIG. 38 , showing a fifth system architecture in which the bed is configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more bed data servers of the healthcare facility; 
         FIG. 41  is a diagrammatic view of a sixth system architecture in which the bed is coupled to the wall module via a wired connection, the wall module is coupled via wired communications links with an ASBC and with one or more bed data servers, and in which the bed is configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more remote service servers and one or more digital health gateway servers; 
         FIG. 42  is a diagrammatic view of a seventh system architecture in which the wall module communicates wirelessly with a bed and communicates via wired communication links with an ASBC and a nurse call server which also serves as a bed data server, the wall module also being configured to communicate wirelessly with the bed data server and with one or more digital health gateway servers and/or remote servers, and in which the bed is configured to communicate wireless with one or more remote service servers; 
         FIG. 43  is a diagrammatic view showing a patient bed having ambient light sensor circuits in siderails of the patient bed for use by a respective controller in controlling a brightness at which light emitting diodes (LED&#39;s) and a graphical user interface (GUI) are illuminated and showing a wall unit having indicators and a controller of the wall unit which is configured to control a brightness of the wall unit indicators based on information transmitted wirelessly from the patient bed pertaining to the ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor circuits; 
         FIG. 44  is an electric circuit schematic of one of the ambient light sensor circuits, the other ambient light sensor circuit being the same; 
         FIGS. 45A and 45B  make up a block diagram of a system in which a wall module and a patient bed communicate data via Bluetooth transceivers and also communicate audio via frequency modulation (FM) transceivers; 
         FIG. 46  is a block diagram of a system in which a wall module and a patient bed communicate wirelessly and in which the wall module includes a correlator to determine a correlation parameter by comparing an incoming wired audio signal to incoming wireless audio data and to mute one or more speakers of the patient bed if the correlation parameter violates a threshold condition; and 
         FIG. 47  is an algorithm implemented by the wall module of  FIG. 46  to determine whether to mute the one or more speakers of the patient bed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A system  20  for use in a healthcare facility  22  includes a medical device  30  and a wall module or wall unit  32  that communicates wirelessly with medical device  30  according to a first wireless communication technology as shown in  FIG. 1 . The terms “wall module” and “wall unit” are used interchangeably herein. Wall unit  32  is one example of a communication unit according to the present disclosure. Illustrative medical device  30  comprises a patient bed  30  but the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to other types of medical devices as well. Such other types of medical devices may include but are not limited to, for example, physiological monitors such as electrocardiographs (EKG&#39;s), electroencephalographs (EEG&#39;s), pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, respiration rate monitors, and temperature monitors; other patient care equipment including intravenous (IV) pumps, drug infusion pumps, respiratory therapy devices, ventilators, sequential compression devices (SCD&#39;s) for preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and passive motion machines; as well as other types of patient support apparatuses such as stretchers, chairs, wheelchairs, surgical tables, patient lifts, and examination tables, just to name a few. 
     Bed  30  and wall module  32  communicate via a wireless, bidirectional communication link  34  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 1 . In the illustrative example, the wireless communication between bed  30  and wall unit  30  is according to the Bluetooth communication protocol and so communication link  34  comprises a Bluetooth communication link  34 . The communication range of Bluetooth (BT) technology is generally dependent upon the power of the BT transmitter but BT devices include class 1 devices which are the most powerful and can operate up to about 100 meters (m) (about 330 feet), class 2 devices which are the most common type of BT devices and which can operate up to about 10 m (about 33 feet), and class 3 devices which don&#39;t typically operate beyond about 1 m (3.3 feet). For BT communications between beds  30  and wall modules  32  as contemplated herein, the use of class 2 or class 3 BT devices suffice, but this is not to rule out the possibility of using class 1 BT devices in beds  30  and wall modules  32 . In the illustrative embodiment, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is used as the communication technology between beds  30  and wall modules  30 . 
     The wireless communications over link  34  from bed  30  to wall unit  32  includes wireless bed data, including a bed identification (ID), and in appropriate circumstances, wireless audio data. The wireless communications over link  34  from bed  30  to wall unit  32  also include nurse calls, bed alerts, and room equipment control signals under appropriate circumstances. The wireless communications over link  34  from wall unit  32  to bed  30  includes wireless command messages to control various features and functions of bed  30  and, in appropriate circumstances, wireless audio data. Bed  30  and wall unit  32  also exchange wireless pairing messages so that the bed  30  and wall unit  32  become “paired” as will be described in further detail below, particularly in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . In the illustrative embodiment, Bluetooth technology is the only wireless communication technology that is used for wireless communications between bed  30  and wall unit  32 . 
     After pairing, wall unit  32  sends a location smart text string  36  as a unidirectional message  37  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 1 . The smart text string  36  matches the name of the room location at which wall module  32 , and therefore bed  30 , is located. Smart text string  36  may have a format such as “Room  308 -A,” just to give one example. The smart text string  36  is displayed by bed  30  on a graphical user interface (GUI)  38  in some embodiments. In the illustrative example, bed  30  is a CENTRELLA® bed available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc. of Batesville, Ind. and has GUI  38  on one or both of head end siderails  40 . Additional details of bed  30  can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,517,784 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all that it teaches to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , wall module  32  connects to nurse call infrastructure  42  via a wired data link  44 . Nurse call infrastructure  42  includes nurse call components such as graphical room stations (GRS&#39;s), graphical audio stations (GAS&#39;s), standard room stations (SRS&#39;s), staff audio stations (SAS&#39;s), indicator lights (aka dome lights) provided in hallways of healthcare facilities adjacent to doorways of patient rooms, input/output (I/O) boards, routers, gateways, and other equipment that provides overall system  20  with a nurse call system portion  43 , sometimes referred to herein as simply nurse call system  43 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , nurse call system  43  also includes a nurse call server  46 , one or more status boards  48 , and one or more nurse call master stations  50  coupled to nurse call infrastructure  42  such as via suitable cabling and the like. 
     In some embodiments, nurse call system  43  is the NAVICARE® nurse call system available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc. of Batesville, Ind. Additional details of suitable nurse call systems  43  contemplated by the present disclosure are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,598,995; 8,384,526; 8,169,304; 8,046,625; 7,746,218; 7,538,659; 7,319,386; 7,242,308; 6,897,780; 6,362,725; 6,147,592; 5,838,223; 5,699,038 and 5,561,412, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. Additional details of status board  48  and the types of information displayed thereon can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,779,924 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , wall module  32  is further configured to communicate with one or more wireless access points (WAP&#39;s)  52  of healthcare facility  22  via a wireless communications link  54 . Bed  30 , in some embodiments, is also configured to communicate with one or more of WAP&#39;s  52  via a wireless communications link  56 . Wireless communication over links  54 ,  56  is according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 WiFi communications protocols, for example. Links  54 ,  56  are each bidirectional communication links such that wireless data and/or messages can be transmitted from wall module  32  and bed  30  over respective links  54 ,  56  and such that wireless data and/or messages can be received by wall module  32  and bed  30  over respective links  54 ,  56 . It should be appreciated that bed  30  and wall module  32  may or may not be in communication with the same one or more WAP&#39;s  52  via links  54 ,  56 . 
     WAP&#39;s  52  are coupled to facility network  60  via suitable cabling or the like for bidirectional communications as indicated diagrammatically in  FIG. 1 . Facility network  60  is coupled to, or includes, one or more servers such as a local bed data server  62 , an electronic medical records (EMR) server  64 , an admission/discharge/transfer (ADT) server  66 , and one or more other servers  68  of system  20 . In some embodiments, various ones of servers  46 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  are combined together in a single sever. For example, in some embodiments of system  20 , the software that implements functions of the local bed data server  62  is SMARTSYNC™ software available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc. and the software that implements functions of nurse call server  46  is NAVICARE® nurse call software, also available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc., each of which is stored and run by the same server. In other words, local bed data server  62  and nurse call server  46  are combined as one server in some embodiments. 
     In the illustrative example, facility network  60  is also communicatively coupled to a remote bed data server  70  via the cloud or Internet  72 . Thus, whereas local bed data server  62  is located at healthcare facility  22 , remote bed data server  70  is located geographically distant from the healthcare facility  22 . For example, remote bed data server  70  may be located at a facility of a manufacturer of bed  30 . Also in the illustrative example, system  20  includes one or more room lights  74  and one or more entertainment devices  76 , such as one or more televisions (TV&#39;s)  76 , that are coupled to nurse call infrastructure  42  via suitable cabling or conductors. Bed  30  includes a patient control panel  78  having inputs that are pressed to control room lights  74  and entertainment devices  76 . For example, a patient supported on bed  30  is able to turn room lights  74  on and off, is able to turn the TV on and off, is able to change TV channels, and is able to turn the TV volume up and down using inputs on control panel  78 . Such commands for control of lights  74  and TV  76  are transmitted by bed  30  via wireless link  34  to wall module  32 , then to nurse call infrastructure  42  via wired link  44 , then to the light(s)  74  or TV  76 , as the case may be. 
     Control panel  78  of bed  30  also includes a nurse call input, typically a button that is used by the patient to place a nurse call. When a nurse call is placed, a nurse call signal is sent from bed  30  via wireless link  34  to wall module  32 , then to nurse call infrastructure  42  via wired link  44 , and then to one or more of nurse call master station  50 , status board  48 , and nurse call server  46 . A caregiver at the master station  50  is then able to open up an audio communication channel from station  50  to bed  30 , including via the wireless link  34  between wall module  32  and bed  30 , to speak with the patient placing the nurse call. Thus, bidirectional audio communications between the patient and the caregiver at the master nurse station  50  takes place over wireless communications link  34  between bed  30  and wall unit  32 . 
     Various bed alerts generated by bed  30  are also communicated from bed  30  to one or more of nurse call server  46 , status board  48 , and master station  50  via the same communication path that includes wireless link  34 , wall module  32 , wired link  44 , and nurse call infrastructure  42 . Such bed alerts include, for example, bed exit alerts generated by a bed exit system of bed  30  indicating that a patient has exited the bed  30  or has moved by a threshold amount toward exiting the bed  30 , siderail down alerts indicating that one of the head end siderails  40  or foot end siderails  80  of bed  30  has been moved from a raised position shown in  FIG. 1  to a lowered position (not shown, but well known in the art), caster brake alerts if one or more of casters  82  of bed  30  becomes unbraked (aka released), bed not low alerts if an upper frame  84  of bed  30  is raised out of its lowest position relative to a base frame  86  of bed  30 , and a head-of-bed (HOB) angle alert if a head section of bed  30  that supports an upper body support region  88  of a mattress  90  is lowered below a threshold angle (e.g., 30 degrees) relative to horizontal or relative to upper frame  84 . 
     It should be appreciated that the foregoing bed alerts are communicated from bed  30  only when the circuitry of bed  30  has been enabled (e.g., turned on) to monitor the particular feature corresponding to the alert. Thus, when monitoring of the particular feature is disabled (e.g., turned off), the corresponding alert is not sent from bed  30  via wireless link  34 . Other types of bed alerts, such as alerts pertaining to mattress bladder inflation (e.g., inability of a pneumatic system of bed  30  to inflate one or more bladders to a target pressure) and motor over temperature alerts (e.g., a motor of bed  30  gets too hot), just to name a couple, are also transmitted from bed  30  via wireless link  34  in some embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, nurse calls initiated by a patient and bed alerts generated by bed  30  are also sent to wireless communication devices carried by caregivers. Such wireless communication devices may include, for example, tablet computers or portable phones such as smart phones or wireless phone handsets. In this regard, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,319,386 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2020/0411179 and 2020/0066415, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. Thus, other servers  68  of system  20  may include a communication server such as a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) in some embodiments. The communication of such alerts to the wireless communication devices of caregivers is initiated by nurse call server  46 , for example. 
     According to the present disclosure, bed  30  also detects and transmits a whole host of bed data unrelated to nurse calls and bed alerts for storage in one or more of nurse call server  46 , local bed data server  62 , and remote bed data server  70 . In this regard, see U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0316892 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies and which includes a Table 1 that lists a wide variety of bed data. In some embodiments, all of the available bed data is transmitted to both server  62  and server  70 . In other embodiments, different subsets of bed data are transmitted to different ones of servers  46 ,  62 ,  70  at the discretion of the system designer or system administrator. 
     Some bed data may be transmitted from bed  30  only via wireless communications link  56  and some bed data may be transmitted from bed  30  only via wireless communications link  34 . The bed data received by wall module  32  may, in turn, be transmitted via either or both of communications links  44 ,  54 . The wall module  32 , in some embodiments, transmits some of the received bed data over wired communications link  44  and transmits some of the received bed data over wireless communications link  54 . Again, the types of bed data transmitted by bed  30  and wall module  32  over the various communications links  34 ,  44 ,  54 ,  56  is at the discretion of the system designer or system administrator. The transmitted messages from bed  30  and wall module  32  containing the bed data include a destination address (e.g., IP address or media access control (MAC) address) of the device (e.g., wall module  32  or server  46 ,  62 ,  70 ) that is to receive the message containing the bed data. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , bed  30  includes a main control board (MCB)  92  and a separate communication board  94 . MCB  92  includes a microprocessor  96  and a memory  98  that stores bed operating software which is executed by microprocessor  96  to carry out the various bed functions of MCB  92 . In some embodiments, microprocessor  96  and memory  98  are included in a microcontroller. MCB  92  also includes a WiFi module or transceiver  100  such as a WiFi radio that provides bed  30  with the capability of communicating bidirectionally with WAP&#39;s  52  via the wireless communications link  56 . In some embodiments, some or all of microprocessor  96 , memory  98 , and WiFi transceiver  100  are included in a System on Chip (SoC), a Programmable System on Chip (PSoC), a Computer on Module (CoM), or a System on Module (SoM). In some embodiments, a model no. VAR-SOM-MX6 System on Module (SoM) available from Variscite Ltd. of Lod, Israel serves as or is provided on MCB  92  of bed  30 . 
     Communication board  94  includes a microprocessor  102  and a memory  104  that stores operating software which is executed by microprocessor  102  to carry out the various functions of communication board  94 . In some embodiments, microprocessor  102  and memory  104  are included in a microcontroller. Communication board  94  also includes a Bluetooth module  106  such as a Bluetooth radio or transceiver that provides bed  30  with the capability of communicating bidirectionally with wall module  32  via the wireless communications link  34 . Furthermore, communication board  94  includes a set of relays  108  or similar elements (e.g., microswitches or the like) that have open and closed states based on user inputs and bed alerts. For example, one of relays  108  closes when a patient places a nurse call, another of relays  108  closes in response to a bed exit alert occurring, yet another of relays  108  closes in response to a room light being turned on, and so forth. 
     Bed  30  further includes a speaker  110  and a microphone  112  to provide bed  30  with audio communications capability. In some embodiments, speaker  110  also serves as a microphone and the separate microphone  112  is omitted. In  FIG. 2 , GUI  38  of bed  30  is designated by the acronym “FUD” which is short for “flip-up display.” The acronym FUD is used because, in the illustrative example, GUI  38  is pivotable upwardly from a recess in siderail  40  for more ergonomic viewing by a caregiver standing next to bed  30 . In any event, GUI  38  and FUD  38  are used interchangeable herein. In the illustrative example, FUD  38  is electrically coupled to communication board  94 . In other embodiments, FUD  38  is electrically coupled to MCB  92 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , wall module  32  includes a System on Module (SoM)  114  that includes a microprocessor  116  and a memory  118  that stores wall module operating software which is executed by microprocessor  116  to carry out the various functions of SOM  114 . SOM  114  also includes a WiFi module  120  such as a WiFi radio or transceiver and a Bluetooth module  122  such as a Bluetooth radio or transceiver. WiFi transceiver  120  provides wall module  32  with the capability of communicating bidirectionally with WAP&#39;s  52  via the wireless communications link  54 . Bluetooth transceiver  122  provides wall module  32  with the capability of communicating bidirectionally with bed  30  via the wireless communications link  54 . In some embodiments, SOM  114  is a model no. DART  6 UL available from Variscite Ltd. of Lod, Israel. 
     Wall module  32  also includes a set of relays  124  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 2 . Relays  124  of wall module  32  are basically the same as relays  108  of communication board  94  of MCB  92  of bed  30 . Based on bed data received from bed  20  by Bluetooth radio  122  of SOM  114  of wall module  32  via wireless communications link  34 , SOM  114  sends signals to relays  124  so that the open and closed states of the various relays  124  match those occurring in relays  108  of bed  30 . Wall module  32  also includes a nurse call cable, illustratively a 37-pin cable, that forms the wired communication link  44  from wall module  32  to the nurse call infrastructure. In  FIG. 2 , 37-pin nurse call cable  44  connects to a nurse call wall outlet, illustratively a 37-pin wall outlet or port  126 , which is included as one of the components of the nurse call infrastructure  42 . The 37-pin cable  44  includes one or more conductors that are data conductors on which serial data, such as data according to a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol, is transmitted to the nurse call system  43 . These data conductors do not have any relay  124  associated with them but instead are simply conductors that are routed from SOM  114  to 37-pin cable  44 . This will become more apparent in connection with the discussion below of  FIG. 9 . 
     Optionally, wall module  32  includes a port or input  128  for a wired 37-pin connection to a 37-pin cable  232  that extends between bed  30  and wall module  32 . Cable  232  is, for example, a standard nurse call cable of the type that is in use today to connect bed  30  with wall outlet  126  of nurse call system  43  without the use of wall module  32 . In addition to the  FIG. 2  illustration, an embodiment of wall module  32  that includes 37-pin port  128  is shown and described below in connection with  FIGS. 12 and 13 . Port  128  is electrically coupled to relays  124  which are, in turn, coupled to wall outlet  126  of nurse call system  43  by cable  44 . Thus, port  128  allows for pass-through of wired communications between bed  30  and nurse call system  43  via wall module  32 . In some embodiments, when cable  232  is coupled to port  128 , Bluetooth communications between wall module  32  and bed  30  are not established or, if already established, are suspended. Thus, wired communications over cable  232  between bed  30  and wall module  32  takes precedence over the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  over wireless communications link  34 . 
     In the illustrative  FIG. 2  example, port  128  is electrically coupled to SOM  114 . Thus, in embodiments of wall module  32  having port  128 , some or all of the data and signals received at port  128  from bed  30  via cable  232  are also communicated to SOM  114  in addition to being passed through to cable  44  and wall outlet  126  such as via relays  124 . This permits some or all of the data and signals received at port  128  from bed  30  via cable to be transmitted by WiFi radio  120  to network  60  over the wireless communication link  54  via WAP&#39;s  52 . 
     As also shown in  FIG. 2 , wall module  32  includes a plug detector  132  that is electrically coupled to SOM  114 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3-5 , wall module  32  includes a box-shaped housing  134  having a duplex AC receptacle  136  accessible at a front wall  138  of the housing  134 . In some embodiments, housing  134  has a width on the order of about 4.5 inches to about 5 inches, a height of about 5.5 inches, and a depth of about 1.25 inches to about 2.25 inches. SOM  114 , relays  124 , and plug detector  132  are located within an interior region of housing  134  of wall module  32 . As indicated diagrammatically in  FIG. 2  by blocks  140 ,  142 , a caregiver or other staff member such as a transporter that moves bed  30  to a patient room and then plugs a power cord  144  of bed  30  into one of the receptacles of duplex receptacle  136  of wall module  32 . In response to power cord  144  being plugged into wall module  32 , plug detector  132  sends a signal to SOM  114  that begins the wireless pairing process between wall module  32  and bed  30  as will be described in further detail below in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . Various embodiments of plug detector  132  are discussed below in connection with  FIGS. 14-17 . 
     In connection with the transmission of bed alerts, nurse calls, and bed data from wall unit  32  via wired communications link  44  or wireless communications link  54 , the messages containing the data corresponding to the bed alerts, nurse calls, and bed data include a location ID that is appended to the messages by SOM  114  of wall unit  32 . Thus, memory  118  stores a location ID therein. The location ID is different than the location smart text  36  in some embodiments. The location ID is assigned to wall unit  32  at the time of manufacture in some embodiments and is assigned at the time of installation in other embodiments. If assigned at the time of manufacture, the location ID is simply a unique ID stored in the memory of wall unit  32 . Once the wall module  32  is installed in a healthcare facility, the unique ID is correlated to the actual room location at a remote computer such as a computer coupled to nurse call server  46  (e.g., master station  50 ), a computer coupled to local bed data server  62 , or a computer coupled to a real time locating system (RTLS) server which is among the other servers  68  in some embodiments. 
     If the location ID is assigned to wall module  32  at the time of installation, a message containing the assigned location ID is transmitted to wall module  32  via one of communications links  44 ,  54  for storage in memory  118  of SOM  114 . Again, the assigned location ID is different than the location smart text  36  in some embodiments. The transmission of the location ID to the installed wall unit  32  is initiated by a remote computer, under the control of a system administrator or other user of the remote computer. The remote computer used to send the location ID to the wall module  32  may include, for example, a computer coupled to nurse call server  46  (e.g., master station  50 ), a computer coupled to local bed data server  62 , or a computer coupled to a real time locating system (RTLS) server which is among the other servers  68  in some embodiments as noted above. Alternatively, in order to provide wall module  32  with the location ID, a technician installing wall module  32  may link a tablet computer or other hand held device to wall module  32  via a wired connection to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or other type of port such as a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) port provided on housing  32  or inside of housing  134 . Thus, to gain access to the port for programming the location ID into SOM  114 , a portion of housing  134  is disassembled in some embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , wall module  32  is shown arranged for coupling to an alternating current (AC) duplex outlet  146  mounted to a panel  148  of a service chase  150  that is attached to a wall  152  of the patient room. Wall module  32  has a first set of prongs  154  that are configured for insertion into complementary openings of a first receptacle  156  of outlet  146  and a second set of prongs  158  that are configured for insertion into complementary openings of a second receptacle  160  of outlet  146 . After wall module  32  is plugged into outlet  146 , power received by prongs  154  from receptacle  156  of outlet  146  is passed through wall module  32  to an upper receptacle of duplex receptacle  136  and power received by prongs  158  from receptacle  160  of outlet  146  is passed through wall module to a lower receptacle of the duplex receptacle  136 . 
     As also shown in  FIG. 3 , cable  44  extends downwardly from a bottom wall of wall unit  32  and terminates at a nurse call connector  162 , illustratively a 37-pin nurse call connector, that is configured for coupling to wall outlet  126 . In the illustrative example, wall outlet  126  is included in an audio station bed connector (ASBC) unit  164  of the type available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc. of Batesville, Ind. As noted above, ASBC&#39;s are among the types of components included in nurse call infrastructure  42  of nurse call system  43 . 
     ASBC unit  164 , sometimes referred to herein as just ASBC  164 , includes a pillow speaker port  166  for connection with a pillow speaker connector at the end of a cord of a pillow speaker (not shown) as is known in the art. ASBC  164  further includes a ¼ inch jack receptacle  168  for receipt of a ¼ jack provided at the end of a cable extending from a piece of patient care equipment. A generic alarm signal is provided to jack receptacle  168  of ASBC  164  by the piece of patient care equipment. Thus, the jack receptacle  168  receives a simple on or off signal to indicate presence or absence, respectively, of an alarm state of the piece of patient care equipment. The generic alarm signal is correlated with a specific type of patient care equipment in some embodiments. In this regard, see U.S. Pat. No. 9,411,934 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. 
     In the illustrative  FIG. 3  example, ASBC  164  is mounted to a sidewall  170  of a bed locator unit  172  that is mounted to the wall  152  of the patient room. Bed locator unit  172  is sometimes referred to herein as just bed locator  172 . In the context of the present disclosure, bed locator  172  is an architectural product that indicates where the head end of patient bed  30  should be located in the patient room. Thus, bed  30  is generally centered relative to bed locator  172  so that its head end faces a front wall  174  of the bed locator  172  in close proximity (e.g., within a foot or less). Service chase  150  is mounted to room wall  152  so as to be offset to the side from the bed locator  172  but still in close proximity (e.g., within two feet or less) of the bed locator  172 . Cable  44  has sufficient length to enable nurse call connector  162  to reach outlet  126  of ASBC  164  when wall module  32  is plugged into outlet  146 . Thus, a length of cable  44  is on the order of about 3 feet or 36 inches in some embodiments. Embodiments of wall module  32  having cable  44  shorter or longer than 36 inches are within the scope of the disclosure, however. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , wall module  32  is plugged into outlet  146  thereby obscuring outlet  146  from view, and nurse call connector  162  is coupled to port  126  of ASBC  164  thereby obscuring port  126  from view. In some embodiments, one or more screws (not shown) that are used to mount a cover plate of outlet  146  in place are removed prior to plugging wall module  32  into outlet  146  and then one or more longer screws are used to securely mount wall module  32  to outlet  146 . In this regard, a front cover portion of housing  134  that includes front wall  138  and peripheral walls  176  (e.g., top wall, bottom wall, and sidewalls) which are molded integrally with front wall  138 , are removed from a back wall  178  of wall module  32 . Back wall  178  has one or more openings that are aligned with the one or more threaded openings that previously received the one or more cover plate screws. The one or more longer screws are then inserted through the one or more openings in back wall  178  and threaded into the respective threaded openings that previously received the one or more cover plate screws. After the one or more longer screws are tightened, the cover portion comprising walls  138 ,  176  is reattached to back wall  178 . When installed in this manner, therefore, wall module  32  is fixed in place within the patient room relative to wall  152  and cannot be easily removed without disassembly and removal of the one or more longer screws. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , a power plug  180  at an end of power cord  144  of bed  30  is arranged so that prongs  182  of the plug  180  are oriented for insertion into one of the pair of receptacles of the duplex receptacle  136  of wall unit  32  (only two of the three prongs  182  can be seen in  FIG. 4 ). It should be noted that plug  180  can be plugged into either receptacle of the duplex receptacle  136  and wall module  32  will begin the Bluetooth pairing process with bed  30  regardless. Wall module  32  includes a light  184  that is illuminated to indicate a pairing state between bed  30  and wall unit  32 . In the illustrative example, light  184  is generally rectangular and surrounds a perimeter of the duplex AC receptacle  136 . Light  184  comprises a light pipe, such as a light pipe made of acrylic material, in some embodiments. As such, a single multi-color light emitting diode (LED) is able to emit light into the light pipe at a discrete location resulting in the entirety of the light pipe being illuminated. Alternatively, two single-color LED&#39;s are used to illuminate the light pipe of light  184 . In some embodiments, light  184  is illuminated blue when wall module  32  is not wirelessly paired with any medical device, such as bed  30 , and light  30  is illuminated green when wall module  32  is wirelessly paired with a medical device, such as bed  30 . In other embodiments, light  184  is illumined in some other color such as amber or red to indicate a wireless pairing state. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , power plug  180  is plugged into the bottom receptacle of the duplex receptacle  136 . Plug detector  132  detects the connection of plug  180  to receptacle  136  and signals SOM  114  of the connection. In response, SOM  114  commences a time-based wireless pairing operation between wall module  32  and bed  30 . During the time-based pairing operation, which may take up to 45 seconds to complete in some instances, light  184  continues to be illuminated blue and may blink or flash in some embodiments. After the time-based pairing operation is completed successfully, light  184  is illuminated green to provide visual feedback to caregivers that bed  30  and wall module  32  are successfully paired. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6A , a swim lane diagram of a time-based wireless pairing operation  200  between wall module  32  and bed  30  (labeled as “bed module” in  FIG. 6A ) is shown. Operation  200  begins with power plug  180  of bed  30  being plugged into receptacle  136  of wall module  32  as indicated by an AC PLUG IN arrow  186 . In the  FIG. 6A  example, plug detector  132  of wall module  32  includes circuitry that detects current flowing to power cord  144  of bed via power plug  180  and begins a wall module timer as indicated at a block  188  labeled CURRENT SENSED, TIMER STARTED. The current sense circuitry is discussed below in connection with  FIG. 17 . Other types of plug detectors  132  are discussed below in connection with  FIGS. 14-16  and are used in wall module  32  in alternative embodiments. In alternative embodiments, the timer of wall module  32  associated with block  188  of  FIG. 6A  is started in response to detection of an RFID tag or near field communication (NFC) tag attached to plug  180 . 
     Bed  30  also includes circuitry, such as current sense circuitry, that detects current flowing in power cord  144  due to plug  180  being connected to a power receptacle. In response to bed  30  detecting that power is received via power cord  144 , bed  30  starts a bed timer as indicated by an UPTIME TIMER STARTED block  190 . According to this disclosure, the timers of wall module  32  and bed  30  are software timers that are implemented in software. That is, a time at which plug  180  is initially detected by wall module  32  (e.g., an initial time) is stored in memory  118  and then subsequent times at discrete intervals or at the occurrences of particular events are subtracted from the initial time to arrive at an amount of time that has elapsed since plug  180  was initially detected by plug detector  132  of wall module  32 . 
     Similarly, a time at which bed  30  initially detects power being received via power cord  144  (e.g., current flowing in power cord  144  is sensed) is stored in memory  98  of MCB  92  and then subsequent times at discrete intervals or at the occurrences of particular events are subtracted from the initial time to arrive at an amount of time that has elapsed since current flowing in power cord  144  was initially detected by bed  30 . The time calculated by microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  of bed  30  is referred to in  FIG. 6A  as an “uptime.” The elapsed time calculated by microprocessor  116  of SOM  114  of wall module  32  is also sometimes referred herein as an “uptime” as shown, for example, in  FIG. 6B . In alternative embodiments, hardware timers such as clock circuits or clock chips are used to implement the timers for calculating uptimes by bed  30  and wall module  32 . 
     After wall module  32  senses AC PLUG IN  186  at block  188 , a series of Bluetooth (BT) scans  192  are transmitted from BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32  to BT transceiver  106  of bed  30 . In particular, BT scans  192  include query messages to precipitate response messages from any devices in the reception range of BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32 . Of course, because bed  30  is plugged into wall module  32 , it will be assured to be one of the devices within the reception range of BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32 . In addition to the query messages, the BT scans  192  include a media access control (MAC) address of the BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32 . In the illustrative example, three BT scans  192  are shown but it is within the scope of this disclosure for more or less than three BT scans  192  to occur during the time-based wireless pairing process  200 . 
     In response to receiving one or more BT scans  192 , the BT transceiver  106  is readied for BT communications as indicated by a BT RADIO READY block  194  in  FIG. 6A . Prior to sending any BT communications, microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  sends an uptime query message to microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  to obtain the current uptime value of bed  30  as indicated by a FETCH UPTIME FROM MCB block  196 . The microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  calculates or otherwise obtains the current uptime in response to receiving the uptime query message from microprocessor  102  and replies with the calculated or obtained current uptime. After microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  receives the current uptime, BT radio  106  transmits a first BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/UPTIME) message as indicated by arrow  198  in  FIG. 6A . In addition to the uptime, message  198  also includes a manufacturer ID of bed  30 , a product ID of bed  30 , and a MAC address and/or a Bluetooth ID address of the BT transceiver  106 . 
     After message  198  is sent by BT transceiver  106  of bed  30  to BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32 , microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  sends another uptime query message to microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  to obtain an updated uptime as indicated at an UPTIME BLOCK  202 . After microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  receives the updated uptime, BT radio  106  transmits a second BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/UPTIME) message as indicated by arrow  204  in  FIG. 3 . Similar to message  198 , message  204  also includes the manufacturer ID of bed  30 , the product ID of bed  30 , and the MAC address and/or Bluetooth ID address of the BT transceiver  106 . This cycle of updating the uptime and sending another BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/UPTIME) message repeats periodically one or more additional times as indicated by another UPDATE UPTIME block  206  and another arrow  208 . 
     When ready, the microprocessor  116  of SOM  114  of wall module  32  compares the uptime received in one or more of BT advertisement messages  198 ,  204 ,  208  from bed  30  with the elapsed time of the internal timer of the wall module  32  as indicated at an UPTIME COMPARED WITH INTERNAL TIMER block  210  of FIG.  6 A. If the uptime received from bed  30  in one or more of messages  198 ,  204 ,  208  matches the elapsed uptime of the wall module timer or, in some embodiments, is within a tolerance range of the elapsed uptime of the wall module timer as indicated by an IF UPTIME IN RANGE block  212 , then Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32  sends a pairing message as indicated by a PAIR arrow  214  which results in the wall module  32  and bed  30  becoming paired for subsequent communications of wireless data and messages over wireless communications link  34 . 
     A tolerance range for comparing the uptime of bed  30  with the uptime of wall module  32  is used to account for processing time delays in the circuitry of these two devices. For example, some processing time (e.g., milliseconds or microseconds) is needed for microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  to query for and obtain the uptime from microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  which, itself, requires some processing time to calculate the uptime when requested. At wall module  32 , some processing time is needed by microprocessor  116  to determine that Bluetooth transceiver  122  has received a BT advertisement message  198 ,  204 ,  208  containing the uptime and to calculate the elapsed uptime since the wall module timer was started at block  188 . Thus, depending upon the number of significant figures used, which is at the discretion of the system designer or programmer, the uptime and elapsed time are unlikely to be an exact match. On the other hand, if these times are rounded to say, the nearest second or nearest 5 seconds, then the rounded uptimes are more likely to be an exact match. 
     In some embodiments, the comparison of the uptime from bed  30  with the elapsed uptime of the internal timer of the wall module  32  at block  210  may be required to yield a positive match for more than one of BT advertisement messages  198 ,  204 ,  208  before the pairing message  214  is transmitted from wall module  32  to bed  30  to establish the wireless pairing between these devices. For example, three positive comparisons may be required before the wireless pairing message  214  is sent, just to give one arbitrary example. More or less than three positive comparisons are within the scope of the present disclosure, however. Furthermore, in alternative embodiments, the roles of bed  30  and wall module  32  in the time-based pairing operation  200  are reversed. In such embodiments, blocks  188 ,  210  correspond to functions performed by bed  30 ; blocks  190 ,  194 ,  196 ,  202 ,  206  correspond to functions performed by wall module  32 ; and the directions of arrows  192 ,  198 ,  204 ,  208 ,  214  are reversed. The direction of arrow  186  remains the same, however, for this alternative embodiment because power plug  180  of power cord  144  of bed  30  is still plugged into receptacle  136  of wall module  32 . 
     After bed  30  and wireless module  32  are successfully wirelessly paired, each message from bed  30  to wall module  32  includes the MAC address and/or Bluetooth ID address of Bluetooth transceiver  106  and/or a sequence ID and/or other protocol message header. If SOM  114  of wall module  32  determines that the MAC address and/or Bluetooth ID address and/or the sequence ID and/or the other protocol message header, as the case may be, included in the wireless message corresponds to the bed  30  with which wall module  32  is paired, then the message is processed by SOM  114 . Otherwise, it is ignored. Similarly, after bed  30  and wireless module  32  are successfully wirelessly paired, each message from wall module  32  to bed  30  includes the MAC address and/or Bluetooth ID address of Bluetooth transceiver  122  and/or sequence ID and/or other protocol message header. If communication board  94  of bed  30  determines that the MAC address and/or Bluetooth ID address and/or sequence ID and/or other protocol message header, as the case may be, included in the wireless message corresponds to the wall module  32  with which bed  30  is paired, then the message is processed by communication board  94 . Otherwise, it is ignored. 
     In some embodiments, after power plug  180  of power cord  144  is plugged into one of the receptacles of the duplex AC receptacle  136  of wall module  32  as indicated by AC PLUG IN arrow  186  of  FIG. 6A , which begins the time-based Bluetooth pairing process  200 , the light  184  of wall module  32  remains colored blue but starts blinking or flashing to indicate that the pairing process  200  is taking place. Thus, in some embodiments, light  184  is operated in three states as follows: 1) illuminated in blue without blinking to indicate no Bluetooth pairing to any medical device  30  exists; 2) illuminated in blue with blinking to indicate that the Bluetooth pairing process  200  is taking place between wall module  32  and medical device  30 ; and 3) illuminated green without blinking to indicate that the pairing process  200  is complete and the medical device  30  and wall module  32  are successfully paired. 
     In some embodiments of bed  30 , messages are displayed on GUI  38  during the time-based wireless pairing operation  200 . For example, a “PAIRING IN PROCESS” message, or a message of similar import, is displayed on GUI  38  while BT scans  192  and BT advertisements  198 ,  204 ,  208  are being exchanged between bed  30  and wall module  32 . After bed  30  receives the PAIR message  214 , GUI  38  displays, for example, a “PAIRING COMPLETE” message, or a message of similar import, for a threshold period of time such as 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or one minute, just to give a few arbitrary examples. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6B , a swim lane diagram of a time-based wireless pairing operation  300  between bed  30  (labeled as “bed module” in  FIG. 6B ) and wall module  32  is shown. In the  FIG. 6A  embodiment, wall module  32  was the BT scanner but in the  FIG. 6B  embodiment, bed  30  is the BT scanner and so operation  300  is one version of the alternative embodiment alluded to above in which the roles of bed  30  and wall module  32  are reversed. However, like operation  200 , operation  300  begins with power plug  180  of bed  30  being plugged into receptacle  136  of wall module  32  as indicated by an AC PLUG IN arrow  302 . The plug detector  132  of wall module  32 , as contemplated in connection with operation  300 , can be any type of plug detector including any of those discussed below in connection with  FIGS. 14-17 . In response to wall module  32  detecting the power cord  144  of bed being plugged into receptacle  136 , a wall module uptime timer is started as indicated at a block  304  labeled PLUG IN SENSED, UPTIME TIMER STARTED. In alternative embodiments, the timer of wall module  32  associated with block  304  of  FIG. 6B  is started in response to detection of an RFID tag or near field communication (NFC) tag attached to plug  180 . 
     As noted above, bed  30  also includes circuitry, such as current sense circuitry, that detects current flowing in power cord  144  due to plug  180  being connected to a power receptacle. In response to bed  30  detecting that power is received via power cord  144 , bed  30  starts a bed uptime timer as indicated at a block  306  labeled PLUG IN SENSED, UPTIME TIMER STARTED. One of the uptime timers of blocks  304 ,  306  may arbitrarily be referred to as the “first uptime timer” or “first timer” herein. The other of the uptime times of blocks  304 ,  306  may arbitrarily be referred to as the “second uptime timer” or “second timer” herein. In general, the adjectives “first” and “second” are simply indicating which timer is mentioned first in any given scenario or embodiment and which is mentioned second. The discussion above of operation  200  of  FIG. 6A  with regard to the use of software timers or hardware timers as the uptime timers of bed  30  and wall module  32  is equally applicable to operation  300  of  FIG. 6B  and so is not repeated. 
     After wall module  32  senses AC PLUG IN  302  at block  304 , a first BT advertisement including the wall module uptime as measured by the timer of wall module  32  is transmitted by BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32  to BT transceiver  106  of bed  30  as indicated by a BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/UPTIME) arrow  308 . Thereafter, wall module  32  updates its uptime as indicated at a first UPDATE UPTIME block  310 . BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32  then transmits a second BT advertisement including the updated uptime of block  310  as indicated by a BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/UPTIME) arrow  312 . This process may repeat one or more additional times as indicated by UPDATE UPTIME block  314  and arrow  316  in  FIG. 6B . 
     In response to receiving one or more of BT advertisements  308 ,  312 ,  316  with respective uptimes of wall module  32 , the BT transceiver  106  of bed  30  is readied for BT communications as indicated by a BT RADIO READY block  318  in  FIG. 6B . Prior to sending any BT communications, microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  sends an uptime query message to microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  to obtain the current uptime value of bed  30  as indicated by a FETCH UPTIME FROM MCB block  320 . The microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  calculates or otherwise obtains the current uptime of bed  30  in response to receiving the uptime query message from microprocessor  102  and replies with the calculated or obtained current uptime. Thereafter, BT radio  106  of bed  30  makes a series of BT scans, as indicated by BT SCAN arrows  322  in  FIG. 6B , to listen for further BT advertisements from wall module  32  or to precipitate further BT advertisements from wall module  32  via query messages. Bed  30  then receipt by BT radio  122  of module  32 . 
     When ready, the microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  of bed  30  compares the uptime received in one or more of the BT advertisement messages  308 ,  312 ,  316  from wall module  32  with the elapsed time of the internal timer of the bed  30  as indicated at an UPTIME COMPARED WITH INTERNAL TIMER block  324  of  FIG. 6B . If the uptime received from wall module  32  in one or more of messages  308 ,  312 ,  316  matches the elapsed uptime of the bed timer or, in some embodiments, is within a tolerance range of the elapsed uptime of the bed timer as indicated by an IF UPTIME IN RANGE block  326 , then BT transceiver  106  of bed  30  sends a pairing message to BT transceiver  122  of wall module  32  as indicated by a PAIR arrow  328  which results in the wall module  32  and bed  30  becoming paired for subsequent communications of wireless data and messages over wireless communications link  34 . The discussion above in connection with operation  200  of  FIG. 6A  regarding the manner in which light  184  of wall module  32  and GUI  38  of bed  30  may optionally be operated during the pairing process is equally applicable to process  300  of  FIG. 6B  and so, is not repeated. 
     As to the BT advertisements  308 ,  312 ,  316 , the packet sent in the advertisements includes the MAC address of the wall module  32 , which is either a public or randomized address. If the bed  30 , as scanner, chooses to connect or pair with the wall module, as advertiser, then the wall module  32  becomes aware of the bed  30  through a connection request packet sent by the bed  30  (aka pairing message indicated by arrow  328 ) which, in some embodiments, includes the MAC address of bed  30 . After the MAC addresses are exchanged between the wall module  32  and bed  30  in some embodiments, they are no longer used while bed  30  and wall module  32  are paired, but instead, sequence ID&#39;s and/or other protocol message headers are used to facilitate paired communications between bed  30  and wall module  32 . As noted above, other information such as manufacture ID and product ID are included in BT advertisements and active BT scans, for example. 
     In connection with the number of scans and advertisements depicted in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , it is noteworthy that Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is designed for low power. Hence, in typical uses, the BT radios of devices implementing BLE communications are turned on and off in intervals to conserve power. When advertising or scanning, these intervals can be programmatically configured depending on the power needs of the application. With regard to bed  30  and wall module  32  in the depicted embodiments, there are no power limitation concerns because both devices are plugged into AC power. Thus, the advertising and scanning intervals in operations  200 ,  300  are fairly short and aggressive to speed up discovery and connection times. Even so, multiple advertisements and scans are usually necessary because the scanner, when operating in a passive scan mode which is typical, may not be listening on the particular channel at the moment the advertiser is advertising on that channel. 
     For BT pairing using BLE, the “scanning window” and the “advertising window” have to overlap on the same channel at the same time for a discovery to occur. There are three advertising channels in use for BLE. Thus, while the BT advertisements and BT scans are shown as being separated in the swim lane diagrams of  FIGS. 6A and 6B , it will be appreciated that, at some point in actual practice, the BT advertisements and BT scans will overlap to achieve successful BT pairing between the two devices. Just to be clear, in  FIG. 6A , bed  30  is the advertiser and wall module  32  is the scanner and in  FIG. 6B , bed  30  is the scanner and wall module  32  is the advertiser. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6C , a swim lane diagram of an alternative wireless pairing operation  330  is shown. Operation  330  is a dual-mode pairing operation in that some of the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications and some are Bluetooth Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BT BR/EDR or just BR/EDR as used herein) communications. BR/EDR is sometimes referred to as Bluetooth Classic. Thus, the communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  include first and second modes, illustratively, a BLE mode and a BR/EDR mode. BLE provides advertising fields for manufacturer specific data which can be programmed at the discretion of a manufacturer. However, BLE connections are intended for short bursts of data over long intervals while BT devices are paired. Thus, BLE is not ideal for streaming audio or large amounts of data. This is by design to conserve power usage. 
     On the other hand, BR/EDR is designed for continuous connections including audio. However, the BR/EDR inquiry and scan procedure is not as flexible as BLE and thus, BR/EDR pairing connections need to be made based on advertised universally unique identifier (UUID) profiles instead of manufacturer provided data. To take advantage of BLE&#39;s advertising flexibility and BR/EDR&#39;s data throughput, a dual-mode approach is contemplated herein in connection with operation  330 . Dual-mode Bluetooth devices are capable of communicating with both BLE and BR/EDR devices. 
     According to operation  330 , wall module  32  transmits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertisements  332  that include manufacturer (MFG) data, such as a manufacturer ID which could be a manufacturer companies&#39; UUID if desired, and/or a specific device type. In some embodiments, the BLE advertisements  332  are transmitted periodically by module  32  when in a discoverable mode, regardless of whether any bed  30  is present in the patient room or otherwise within communication range of wall module  32 . In other embodiments, the BLE advertisements  332  begin upon detection of plug-in of bed  30  as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, BLE advertisements  332  also include the uptime as determined by wall module  32  in the manners described above in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . In BLE discoverable mode, wall module  32  is also able to connect using BR/EDR if such BR/EDR communications are received by wall module  32 . 
     After bed  30  is plugged in to receive power, the BT radio  106  is readied for communications as indicated at BT RADIO READY block  334  and then proceeds to make a series of BLE scans  336  to listen for BLE advertisements  332 . Upon detection of a BLE advertisement  332  during one of the BLE scans  336 , the bed  30  compares the manufacturer data included in the detected BLE advertisement  332  with manufacturer data stored in bed  30  as indicated by a MFG DATA COMPARED block  338 . For example, microprocessor  102  of communication board  94  makes the comparison and the stored manufacturer data is resident in memory  104  in some embodiments. In other embodiments, microprocessor  96  of MCB  92  makes the comparison and the stored manufacturer data is resident in memory  98 . This is not to rule out the possibility that microprocessor  96  makes the comparison based on the stored manufacturer data being resident in memory  104  or the possibility that microprocessor  102  makes the comparison based on the stored manufacturer data being resident in memory  98 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 6C , if the comparison of manufacturer data matches as indicated at block  340 , the bed  30  proceeds to store a BLE media access control (MAC) address of the wall module  32  in memory (e.g., memory  98  or memory  104 ) as indicated at a STORE BLE MAC ADDRESS block  342 . In some embodiments, bed  30  also determines an uptime in one of the same manners as described above in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . In such embodiments, the bed uptime is compared to the wall module uptime and if the uptimes match, within a threshold amount of time for example, then operation  330  proceeds to block  342 . 
     After the BLE MAC address is stored at block  342 , the bed  30  then switches from the BLE mode of communication to the BR/EDR mode of communication in which wireless pairing occurs in response to bed  30  transmitting a BR/EDR packet including the MAC address of wall module  32  back to wall module  32  as indicated by an arrow  344  labeled as PAIR USING BR/EDR AND STORED MAC ADDRESS. After bed  30  and wall module  32  are paired, the subsequent BT communications  34  therebetween are made according to the BR/EDR protocol, but this is not to say that BLE communications may not occur over data link  34 , if desired. For example, packets of bed status data and alert/alarm data may be transmitted from bed  30  to wall module  32  according to the BLE protocol and audio communications may be transmitted between the bed  30  and wall module  32  according to the BR/EDR protocol. 
     According to the present disclosure, bed  30  implements a timer in some embodiments so that BLE scans  336  are made for only a threshold period of time after plug-in and/or after the BT radio  106  begins scanning, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 30 seconds, just to give a few arbitrary examples. If an advertisement  332  from wall module  32  is not detected within the threshold of period of time, then bed  30  stops scanning. In some embodiments, in which wall module  32  senses plug-in of bed  30 , the BLE advertisements  332  are only transmitted during a threshold period of time, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 30 seconds, just to give a few arbitrary examples. The time threshold implemented by wall module  32  for sending advertisements  332  may or may not be the same time threshold used by bed  30 . After the wall module time threshold expires, advertisements  332  are no longer sent. 
     Optionally, after bed  30  stops scanning due to a time out (e.g., the scanning time threshold becoming expired), a message appears on GUI  38  for a period of time, such as for  10  seconds just to give one arbitrary example, indicating that Bluetooth pairing did not occur. Furthermore, after wall module  32  and bed  30  are paired, wall module  32  stops transmitting advertisements  332  and bed  30  stops making scans  336 . This prevents other beds  30  within the communication range of wall module  32  from receiving advertisements  332  and attempting to pair with wall module  32  after a pairing has already been made and not yet terminated by wall module  32  as described below. In some embodiments, after wall module  32  terminates the pairing with bed  30 , as described below, wall module  32  begins transmission of advertisements  332  so as to be in discoverable mode for the next bed  30  (or the same bed  30  if it is unplugged and then plugged back in without having left the room). In other embodiments, after wall module  32  terminates pairing with bed  30 , wall module  32  does not begin transmission of advertisements  332  until the next plug-in is detected by wall module  32 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6D , a swim lane diagram of another alternative wireless pairing operation  350  is shown. Like operation  330 , operation  350  is a dual-mode pairing operation in that some of the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  are BLE communications and some are BR/EDR communications. However, in  FIG. 6D , the roles of bed  30  and wall module  32  as scanner and advertiser are reversed as compared to the operation  330  of  FIG. 6C . That is, in  FIG. 6C , wall module  32  is the advertiser and bed  30  is in the scanner, whereas, in  FIG. 6D , bed  30  is the advertiser and wall module  32  is the scanner. Due to the similarities between  FIGS. 6C and 6D , the same reference numbers are used in  FIG. 6D  that were using in  FIG. 6C , but a prime symbol is added to the reference numbers in  FIG. 6D . 
     In operation  350 , the communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  include a BLE mode and a BR/EDR mode. As such, operation  350  also takes advantage of BLE&#39;s advertising flexibility and BR/EDR&#39;s data throughput. Much of the discussion above relating to operation  330  of  FIG. 6C  is equally applicable to operation  350  of  FIG. 6D  and is not repeated, although the discussion below of operation  350  may be somewhat redundant to the discussion of operation  330 . In other words, the discussion below of operation  350  attempts to focus on the differences between operations  330 ,  350 . 
     According to operation  350 , bed  30  transmits BLE advertisements  332 ′ that include manufacturer data. In some embodiments, the BLE advertisements  332 ′ are transmitted periodically by bed  30  when in a discoverable mode which occurs after bed  30  has been plugged into AC power, regardless of whether any wall module  32  is present in the patient room. In some embodiments, BLE advertisements  332 ′ also include the uptime as determined by bed  30  in the manners described above in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . In BLE discoverable mode, bed  30  is also able to connect using BR/EDR if such BR/EDR communications are received by bed  30 . 
     After wall module detects that bed  30  has been plugged in to receive power, the BT radio  122  of wall module  32  is readied for communications as indicated at BT RADIO READY block  334 ′ and then proceeds to make a series of BLE scans  336 ′ to listen for BLE advertisements  332 ′. Thus, prior to plug-in detection by wall module  32 , no BLE scans are made by wall module  32 . This prevents inadvertent pairing with any beds  30  that have not been plugged in to outlets associated with module  32 . 
     Upon detection of a BLE advertisement  332 ′ during one of the BLE scans  336 ′, the wall module  32  compares the manufacturer data included in the detected BLE advertisement  332 ′ with manufacturer data stored in wall module  32  as indicated by a MFG DATA COMPARED block  338 ′. Thus, microprocessor  116  of SOM  114  makes the comparison and the stored manufacturer data is resident in memory  118  of wall module  32 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 6D , if the comparison of manufacturer data matches as indicated at block  340 ′, the wall module  32  proceeds to store a MAC address of bed  30  in memory  118  as indicated at a STORE BLE MAC ADDRESS block  342 ′. In some embodiments, wall module  32  also determines an uptime in one of the same manners as described above in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B . In such embodiments, the wall module uptime is compared to the bed uptime and if the uptimes match, within a threshold amount of time for example, the operation  350  proceeds to block  342 ′. 
     After the BLE MAC address is stored at block  342 ′, the wall module  32  then switches from the BLE mode of communication to the BR/EDR mode of communication in which wireless pairing occurs in response to wall module  32  transmitting a BR/EDR packet including the MAC address of bed  30  back to bed  30  as indicated by an arrow  344 ′ labeled as PAIR USING BR/EDR AND STORED MAC ADDRESS. After bed  30  and wall module  32  are paired in operation  350 , the subsequent BT communications  34  therebetween are made in any of the manners described above in connection with operation  330 . 
     According to the present disclosure, wall module  32  implements a timer in some embodiments so that BLE scans  336 ′ are made for only a threshold period of time after plug-in is detected by wall module  32  and/or after the BT radio  122  begins scanning, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 30 seconds, just to give a few arbitrary examples. If an advertisement  332 ′ from bed  30  is not detected within the threshold of period of time, then wall module  32  stops scanning. In some embodiments, after bed  30  senses plug-in to AC power, the BLE advertisements  332 ′ are only transmitted during a threshold period of time, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 30 seconds, just to give a few arbitrary examples. The time threshold implemented by bed  30  for sending advertisements  332 ′ may or may not be the same time threshold used by wall module  32 . After the bed time threshold expires, advertisements  332 ′ are no longer sent. 
     Optionally, after wall module  32  stops scanning due to a time out (e.g., the scanning time threshold becoming expired), an indicator on wall module  32 , such as light  184 , is illuminated for a period of time, such as for 10 seconds just to give one arbitrary example, indicating that Bluetooth pairing did not occur. Furthermore, after wall module  32  and bed  30  are paired, bed  30  stops transmitting advertisements  332 ′ and wall module  32  stops making scans  336 ′. This prevents other wall modules  32  within the communication range of bed  30  from receiving advertisements  332 ′ and attempting to pair with bed  30  after a pairing has already been made and not yet terminated by wall module  32  as described below. After wall module  32  terminates the pairing with bed  30 , as described below, wall module  32  does not begin making any scans  336 ′ until another plug-in is detected by wall module  32 . 
     According to the present disclosure, wall module  32  controls when the pairing between wall module  32  and medical device  30  is to be terminated. For example, if plug detector  132  of wall module  32  detects that plug  180  of power cord  144  is no longer plugged into duplex receptacle  132 , a wireless pairing termination signal is sent by Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32  to Bluetooth transceiver  106  of bed  30  to terminate the Bluetooth pairing. Alternatively or additionally, if bed status data received by wall module  32  from bed  30  indicates that casters  82  of bed  30  have been released or unbraked, then the wireless pairing termination signal is sent by Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32  to Bluetooth transceiver  106  of bed  30  to terminate the Bluetooth pairing. In some embodiments, both unplugging of power cord  144  from wall module  32  and releasing of the caster brakes of bed  30  is required before the pairing termination signal is sent by wall module  32  to bed  30 . This manner of control of wireless pairing termination is the opposite arrangement of that described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,085,905 in which a controller of the bed determines when a disconnect signal should be sent to a wall unit to terminate the pairing therebetween. However, in alternative embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure, bed  30  initiates unpairing from wall module  32  based on the unpairing criteria discussed above. 
     Optionally, the wireless pairing termination signal is not sent by Bluetooth transceiver  122  until a threshold amount of time elapses (e.g., 10 seconds or 30 seconds just to give a couple arbitrary examples). Thus, if a caregiver has released the casters  82  in order to reposition bed  30  by a small amount in the patient room, or if the power plug  180  is inadvertently removed from receptacle  136  of wall module  32 , then the bed  30  and wall module  32  remain paired if the casters are braked or the power plug  180  is plugged back into receptacle  136 , respectively, during the threshold amount of time. After the wireless pairing between bed  30  and wall module  32  is terminated, no more wireless data and/or messages are transmitted from Bluetooth transceiver  106  of bed  30  over wireless communications link  34 . However, in some embodiments, data and/or messages are still able to be transmitted from WiFi transceiver  100  of bed  30  via wireless communications link  56  to one or more WAP&#39;s  52  of system  20 . Such WiFi data and/or messages may be transmitted from bed  30  while bed  30  is being moved from one location in healthcare facility  22  to another. A battery onboard bed  30  is used to provide the power to MCB  92  and WiFi transceiver  100  to allow for such wireless communications in such embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , an embodiment of wall module  32  is shown in which a Y-cable  216  extends from a bottom of wall module  32  in lieu of cable  44 . Y-cable  216  includes a main branch or segment  218  extending between wall module  32  and a Y-junction  220  of cable  216 , a first auxiliary branch or segment  222  extending from Y-junction  220  and terminating at a first nurse call connector  224  which is configured to couple to nurse call port  126  of ASBC  164 , and a second auxiliary branch or segment  226  extending from Y-junction  220  and terminating at a second nurse call connector  228 . Second nurse call connector  228  is configured to couple to a third nurse call connector  230  located at an end of a nurse call cable  232  that extends from bed  30  as shown in  FIG. 8 . Thus, connector  228  at the end of auxiliary branch  226  of Y-cable  216  allows for wired connection of communication board  94  of bed  30  to both ASBC  164  and wall module  32  when nurse call connector  230  is coupled to nurse call connector  228 . 
     In some embodiments, when connector  228  of Y-cable  216  is coupled to connector  230  of cable  232 , Bluetooth communications between wall module  32  and bed  30  are not established or, if already established, are suspended. Thus, wired communications over cable  216  between bed  30  and wall module  32  takes precedence over the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  over wireless communications link  34 . As noted above, wireless WiFi communications between WiFi transceiver  120  of wall module  32  and one or more WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communications link  54  are still enabled even when wall module  32  has a wired communication link, such as via cable  216 , with bed  30 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a block diagram is provided and shows that an end of main branch  218  of Y-cable  216  is coupled to a nurse call/wired bed connector  234  within an interior region of wall module  32 . Portions of SOM  114  of  FIG. 2  are shown as separate blocks in  FIG. 9 . For example, a controller  114  in  FIG. 9  includes the microprocessor  116  of SOM  114  whereas flash memory  118  and WiFi/BT module  120 ,  122  are shown as separate blocks. In other words, the memory  118  of SOM  114  is flash memory in some embodiments. Furthermore, the WiFi transceiver  120  and Bluetooth transceiver  122  are included in a single WiFi/BT module (labeled as WI-FI/BT MODULE  120 ,  122  in  FIG. 9 ) in some embodiments. The single module  120 ,  122  includes, for example, a single antenna that is used for both WiFi and Bluetooth communications. Controller  114  determines whether the transmissions from module  120 ,  122  are WiFi communications or Bluetooth communications in such embodiments. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 9 , a shift registers/relays block  124 , a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) line  236 , and an audio coder-decoder (codec) block  238  interconnect controller  114  and the nurse call/wired bed connector  234 . In some embodiments, connector  234  is a 37-pin connector similar to those described elsewhere herein. Thus, the on/off state of some pins of the 37-pin connector  234  are determined by the states of relays and some are determined by the states of shift registers. That is, not all pins of the 37-pin connector have a corresponding relay coupled thereto. SPI line  236  connects to multiple pins of the 37-pin connector in some embodiments. For example, SPI line  236  includes three wires or conductors connected to corresponding pins of connector  234  including a SPI clock wire, a SPI data out wire, and a SPI data in wire. Audio codec  238  includes various wires or conductors associated with audio signals originating from microphone  112  of bed  30  and audio signals being sent to speaker  110  of bed  30  from some other device such as nurse call master station  50 . 
     In the illustrative  FIG. 9  embodiment of wall module  32 , an Ethernet port  240  is coupled to controller  114  and provides wall module  32  with the capability of being coupled to the facility network  60  by an Ethernet cable. Thus, Ethernet port  240  comprises an RJ-45 port in some embodiments. If an Ethernet cable is coupled to port  240  to provide a wired communications link with network  60 , then WiFi communications via wireless communications link  54  are suspended or disabled. Thus, the wired connection to network  60  via Ethernet port  240  of wall module  32  takes precedence over the wireless communications link  54  with network  60 . 
     As also shown in  FIG. 9 , wall module  32  includes an alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) converter  242  that receives 120 Volt AC (VAC) power via prongs  154  and/or prongs  158  of wall module  32  from outlet  156  and/or outlet  160 , respectively, of duplex AC receptacle  146 . AC/DC converter converts the 120 VAC power into one or more DC voltage levels (e.g. 5 V DC, 12 V DC, etc.) needed to power the various components of wall module  32 . Plug detector  132  of  FIG. 9  is labeled as infrared (IR) plug detection  132  and is coupled to a first IR sensor pair  244  and a second IR sensor pair  246 . IR sensor pairs  244 ,  246  are discussed in further detail below in connection with  FIG. 14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , an embodiment of wall module  32  is shown in which a T-cable  248  extends from a bottom of wall module  32  in lieu of cable  44  and in lieu of cable  216 . T-cable  248  terminates at a connector body  250  having a first nurse call connector configured to couple to nurse call outlet  126  of ASBC  164  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  and having a second nurse call connector  252 , shown in  FIG. 10 , configured to couple to nurse call connector  230  at the end of nurse call cable  232  extending from bed  30  as shown in  FIG. 11 . One end of T-cable  248  enters into a side of connector body  250  and the conductors or wires within cable  248  are routed to the respective pins of the first and second connectors of connector body  250 . An opposite end of cable  248  couples to nurse call/wired bed connector  234  within the interior region of housing  134  of wall module  32  in the same manner that main branch  218  of cable  216  couples to connector  234  as discussed above. Thus, each of cables  216 ,  248  is configured for wired connection to both ASBC  164  and nurse call cable  232  of bed  30 . However, instead of having separate auxiliary branches  222 ,  226  with respective nurse call connectors  224 ,  228  like Y-cable  216 , connector body  250  of T-cable  248  provides a dual coupler nurse call connector configured to couple to nurse call port  126  of ASBC  164  and nurse call connector  230  of cable  232  of bed  30 . 
     In some embodiments, when connector  252  of connector body  250  of T-cable  248  is coupled to connector  230  of cable  232 , Bluetooth communications between wall module  32  and bed  30  are not established or, if already established, are suspended. Thus, wired communications over cable  248  between bed  30  and wall module  32  takes precedence over the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  over wireless communications link  34 . As noted above, wireless WiFi communications between WiFi transceiver  120  of wall module  32  and one or more WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communications link  54  are still enabled even when wall module  32  has a wired communication link, such as via cable  248 , with bed  30 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , an embodiment of wall module  32  is shown in which nurse call connection port  128  is accessible on the front wall  138  of housing  134  next to the duplex AC outlet  136 . Port  128  was discussed above in connection with  FIG. 2 . By way of recap, port  128  of module  32  allows for wired connectivity with bed  30 . In particular, nurse call connection port  128  of wall module  32  is configured to mate with the connector  230  at the end of the nurse call cable  232  extending from the bed  30  as shown in  FIG. 13 . In the illustrative example, port  128  is a 37-pin connector having its long dimension oriented generally vertically. 
     As noted above, when cable  232  is coupled to port  128  of wall module  32 , such as with connector  230  as shown in  FIG. 13 , Bluetooth communications between wall module  32  and bed  30  are not established or, if already established, are suspended. Thus, wired communications over cable  232  between bed  30  and wall module  32  takes precedence over the wireless communications between bed  30  and wall module  32  over wireless communications link  34 . As noted above, wireless WiFi communications between WiFi transceiver  120  of wall module  32  and one or more WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communications link  54  are still enabled even when wall module  32  has a wired communication link, such as via cable  232 , with bed  30 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 14 , a first embodiment of plug detector  132  for use in wall module  32  is shown. Plug detector  132  of  FIG. 14  includes the IR sensor pairs  244 ,  246  referred to above in connection with  FIG. 9 . In particular, each IR sensor pair  244 ,  246  of the first embodiment of plug detector  132  includes a photo emitter  254  and a photo detector or receiver  256 . The photo emitter  254  and photo detector  256  of each sensor pair  244 ,  246  are generally horizontally aligned with power prong receivers or openings  258  of the respective outlet  260  of the duplex AC outlet  136  of wall module  32 . When power plug  180  of bed  30 , or really any power plug for that matter, is not connected to either of outlets  260 , an IR light beam  262  emitted by each photo emitter  254  is received by the respective horizontally aligned photo detector  256  as indicated diagrammatically in  FIG. 14 . 
     When power prongs  182  of power plug  180  are received in openings  258  of the upper or lower outlet  260  of receptacle  136 , the light beam  262  of the respective sensor pair  244 ,  246  is blocked from reaching the respective photo receiver  256 . The absence of the receipt of light beam  262  by either of photo receivers  256  is detected by a detection circuit  264  of plug detector  132 . In some embodiments, detection circuit  264  includes one or more logic gates (e.g., OR gate, AND gate, etc.) having signals from photo detectors  256  as inputs and having an output coupled to SOM or controller  114 . Detection circuit  264  may further include one or more amplifiers, filters, transistors, resistors, and other circuit elements in some embodiments. Optionally, controller  114  provides encoded signals to photo emitters  254  in some embodiments as indicated by blocks  266  in  FIG. 14 . For example, encoded signals  266  may include patterned light signals that are turned on and off periodically as commanded by controller  114  so that photo emitters  254  are not continuously emitting IR light. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that a device which is not programmed to wirelessly pair with wall module  32  (referred to herein as a “non-pairable device”) may be plugged into one of the upper or lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136  prior to a pairable device (e.g., a device such as bed  30  that is programmed for time-based wireless pairing with wall module  32 ) being plugged into the other of the upper and lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136 . In such situations, one of IR sensor pairs  244 ,  246  detects the non-pairable device being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to transmit BT scans  192  in an attempt to pair with the non-pairable device. However, the non-pairable device does not respond with any BT advertisements having uptimes and so wall module  32  does not pair with the non-pairable device. Subsequently, when the pairable device  30  is plugged into the remaining outlet  260  of receptacle  136 , wall module  32  again transmits BT scans  192  and proceeds to successfully pair with the pairable device  30  according to process  200  of  FIG. 6A . 
     If the pairable device  30  is plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of wall module  32  of  FIG. 14  prior to any other devices being plugged into the other of outlets  260 , then one of IR sensor pairs  244 ,  246  detects the pairable device being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to pair with the pairable device according to process  200 . Thereafter, if another device is plugged into the remaining outlet  260 , wall module  32  does not transmit any BT scans  192  and does not make any attempt to pair with the second device because the wall module  32  is already paired with the first, pairable device. This is true even if the second device is also a pairable device. In other words, wall module  32  only wirelessly pairs with one pairable device, such as bed  30 , at a time. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , a second embodiment of plug detector  132  for use in wall module  32  is shown. Plug detector  132  of  FIG. 15  includes a single IR sensor pair  244 ′. In particular, IR sensor pair  244 ′ of the second embodiment of plug detector  132  includes a photo emitter  254 ′ and a photo detector or receiver  256 ′. The photo emitter  254 ′ and photo detector  256 ′ of sensor pair  244 ′ are generally vertically aligned with ground prong receivers or openings  259  of the respective outlet  260  of the duplex AC outlet  136  of wall module  32 . When power plug  180  of bed  30 , or really any power plug for that matter, is not connected to either of outlets  260 , an IR light beam  262 ′ emitted by photo emitter  254 ′ is received by the vertically aligned photo detector  256 ′ as indicated diagrammatically in  FIG. 15 . 
     When ground prong  182  of power plug  180  is received in either of openings  259  of the upper or lower outlet  260  of receptacle  136 , the light beam  262 ′ of the sensor pair  244 ′ is blocked from reaching the photo receiver  256 ′. The absence of the receipt of light beam  262 ′ by photo receiver  256 ′ is detected by a detection circuit  264 ′ of plug detector  132 . In some embodiments, detection circuit  264 ′ includes one or more amplifiers, filters, transistors, resistors, and other circuit elements. Optionally, controller  114  provides an encoded signal to photo emitter  254 ′ in some embodiments as indicated by block  266 ′ in  FIG. 15 . For example, encoded signal  266 ′ may include a patterned light signal that is turned on and off periodically as commanded by controller  114  so that photo emitter  254 ′ is not continuously emitting IR light. 
     As compared to plug detector  132  of  FIG. 14  having two IR sensor pairs  244 ,  246 , plug detector  132  of  FIG. 15  has only one IR sensor pair  244 ′ and therefore, has less circuit components which allows for reduced weight and reduced cost for wall module  32  as compared to the  FIG. 14  embodiment. However, once light beam  262 ′ is blocked by a ground prong of a first device being plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136 , it is not possible for wall module  32  to detect a second device being plugged into the other of outlets  260  of receptacle  136  because light beam  262 ′ has already been blocked by the ground prong of the first device being received in the corresponding ground opening  259 . Thus, if wall module  32  has plug detector  132  of  FIG. 15  included therein, then it is required that the pairable device, such as bed  30 , be the first device that is plugged into wall module  32  in order for successful pairing between the pairable device  30  and the wall module  32  to occur. Thus, in response to light beam  262 ′ becoming blocked due to a first device being plugged into receptacle  136 , wall module  32  transmits BT scans  192  to begin the time-based wireless pairing process  200 . 
     With regard to the embodiments of  FIGS. 14 and 15 , use of IR light beam  262 ,  262 ′ can be replaced by other types of wireless signals between appropriate emitters and detectors in further embodiments. For example, other suitable source/detector pairs include use of radio frequency (RF) signals, including in the GHz region. In such embodiments an RF emitter and an RF detector is used. The presence of one or more of prongs  182  in the RF signal path interrupts the RF signal from reaching the RF detector. 
     With regard to the embodiment of  FIG. 15 , the housing  134  of wall module  32  containing the source/detector pairs  244 ′ is configured so as to mitigate a number of exogenous environmental stimuli such as ambient room light and sunlight from a window by situating the source or emitter  254 ′ on a bottom portion of front wall  138  which serves as an AC cover plate for receptacle  136 , and emitting IR light beam  262 ′ upwardly towards the detector  256 ′ to eliminate the effects of ambient lighting and sunlight. If desired, the detector  256 ′ may be recessed even further in a well provided at a top portion of front wall  138  to prevent reflections from the floor from entering the detector space and causing spurious indications. 
     This same approach may be used by physical location and configuration of the source/detector pair  244 ′ to mitigate false triggering that may potentially be caused by objects such as bed sheets, cords, wires, tubes and any other obstructions that may reflect light into the signal path of light beam  262 ′ between the source/detector pair  244 ′ by recessing the signal path  262 ′ into the interior region of wall module  32 . In further embodiments, the light beam  262 ′ may be angled with respect to the floor of the patient room (e.g., may be inclined with respect to horizontal and vertical) to further isolate the beam path from outside object reflections which might tend to interfere with the detection path and create a spurious connection indication. For example, in a variant  FIG. 15  embodiment, light beam  262 ′ or multiple light beams  262 ′ are emitted diagonally across the AC receptacle  136  such that the beam(s)  262 ′ cross through the left opening  258  of the upper outlet  260  and the right opening  258  of the lower outlet. Alternatively, such a diagonally emitted light beam  262 ′ or light beams  262 ′ cross through the right opening  258  of the upper outlet  260  and the left opening  258  of the lower outlet. 
     A similar approach using diagonal light beams  262  may be implemented in connection with variants of the  FIG. 14  embodiment. For example, detector pairs  244  may have their emitters  254  and detectors  256  located so that light beams  262  cross through opening  259  and one of openings  258  of the respective upper and lower outlets  260 . In such embodiments, having the emitter  254  of each pair  244 ,  246  lower in elevation than the detector  256 , such that the emitters  254  emit light upwardly at an angle, will have a tendency to more adequately eliminate the effects of ambient lighting, sunlight, and light reflected by objects. 
     Use of IR detector pairs  244 ,  244 ′,  246  in the embodiments of  FIGS. 14 and 15 , as the case may be, has the advantage of not putting any restrictions on the size or shape of the AC plug  180  and/or receptacle  136 , which are not uniform throughout the medical industry even within the United States. Thus, the embodiments of  FIGS. 14 and 15  allow for the detection of the insertion of any AC plug that will fit into the connection contacts of the corresponding receptacle without restricting the physical dimensions of the AC plug, thereby providing for reliable detection of AC plug connection. 
     Additionally, the light or signal frequency of light beams  262 ,  262 ′ should be chosen such that the optical characteristics of the AC plug  180  and prongs  182  will not affect the operation of these embodiments of plug detectors  132 . There are AC plugs that are optically transparent in the visible spectrum for humans, but the detection of the AC plug can still be guaranteed by proper design of the detection signal path electronics. 
     Another method of mitigating the effects of ambient light and other light in connection with the embodiments of  FIGS. 14 and 15  is to provide encoded signals  266 ,  266 ′ to the respective emitters  254 ,  254 ′, such as by using a simple square wave, or an 8 bit number, or any other manner that is distinct from properties of ambient light, sunlight, and reflected light. In connection with such encoded signals  266 ,  266 ′, it is desirable to avoid frequencies used by IR remote controls if an IR emitter  254 ,  254 ′ is used in the respective pair  244 ,  244 ′,  246 . 
     Still with regard to the embodiments of  FIGS. 14 and 15 , in a further embodiment of these embodiments, the emitters  254 ,  254 ′ and receivers  256 ,  256 ′ of the respective embodiments, may be placed in front of the respective outlets  260 , such as by being supported on protruding portions of housing  134  of wall module  32  or by having the outlets  260  recessed inwardly into a cavity formed in housing  134  of wall module and then placing the emitters  254 ,  254 ′ and receivers  256 ,  256 ′ on sidewall surfaces and/or top and bottom surfaces of the portions of housing  134  defining the cavity. In such alternative embodiments, the body of plug  180  blocks the respective light beam  262 ,  262 ′. In a variant embodiment, a hole is provided through housing  134  and the outlets  156 ,  160  (see  FIG. 3 ) are accessible through the hole or within the hole of housing  134 . In such a variant embodiment, the emitters  254 ,  254 ′ and receivers  256 ,  256 ′ are located on sidewall surfaces and/or top and bottom surfaces of the portions of housing  134  defining the hole therethrough. Further with regard to such a variant embodiment, outlet  136  is omitted from wall module  32  as are prongs  154 ,  158  since the plug  180  of bed  30  plugs into the existing outlets  156 ,  160  through the hole formed in housing  134 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 16 , a third embodiment of plug detector  132  for use in wall module  32  is shown. Plug detector  132  of  FIG. 16  includes mechanical switches  268  that change from an open state to a closed state in response to a plug, such as power plug  180 , being inserted into the respective outlet  260  of the duplex AC receptacle  136  of the wall module  32 . One of switches  268  is used with the upper outlet  260  and the other of switches  268  is used with the lower outlet  260  as indicated by dotted lines  269  in  FIG. 16 . In the illustrative example, switches  268  are plunger switches having a plunger  270  that extends outwardly from a front face of the respective outlet  260  (e.g., out of the plane of the paper with regard to  FIG. 16 ). Plungers  270  are spring loaded outwardly to their respective open positions. 
     When a plug is plugged into either of outlets  260 , the respective plunger  270  is moved inwardly further into the respective outlet  260  against the spring bias due to contact between a front surface of a plug body of the plug and a distal end of the corresponding plunger  270 . Inward movement of either of plungers  270  into the corresponding outlets  260  changes the state of the respective switch  268  from the open position to the closed position. A detection circuit  272  detects the positions of switches  268 . In some embodiments, detection circuit  264  includes one or more logic gates (e.g., OR gate, AND gate, etc.) having signals from switches  268  as inputs and having an output coupled to SOM or controller  114 . Detection circuit  272  may further include one or more amplifiers, filters, transistors, resistors, and other circuit elements in some embodiments. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that a non-pairable device may be plugged into one of the upper or lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 16  prior to a pairable device  30  being plugged into the other of the upper and lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 16 . In such situations, one of switches  268  closes thereby to detect the non-pairable device being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to transmit BT scans  192  in an attempt to pair with the non-pairable device. However, the non-pairable device does not respond with any BT advertisements having uptimes and so wall module  32  does not pair with the non-pairable device. Subsequently, when the pairable device  30  is plugged into the remaining outlet  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 16 , wall module  32  again transmits BT scans  192  and proceeds to successfully pair with the pairable device according to process  200  of  FIG. 6A . 
     If the pairable device  30  is plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of wall module  32  of  FIG. 16  prior to any other devices being plugged into the other of outlets  260 , then one of switches  268  closes resulting in the detection of the pairable device  30  being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to pair with the pairable device  30  according to process  200 . Thereafter, if another device is plugged into the remaining outlet  260  of  FIG. 16 , wall module  32  does not transmit any BT scans  192  and does not make any attempt to pair with the second device because the wall module  32  is already paired with the first, pairable device  30 . This is true even if the second device is also a pairable device. In other words, wall module  32  only wirelessly pairs with one pairable device  30 , such as bed  30 , at a time. 
     In variant embodiments to the embodiment of  FIG. 16 , other types of sensors may be used in lieu of mechanical switches  268 . For example, the presence of the AC plug  180  and its associated electrical characteristics could be used to sense the presence or absence of the plug  180  by utilizing the permeability and permittivity of the plastic or metal in the AC plug  180  to sense the presence of the plug. Accordingly, capacitive sensors may be provided in wall module  32  for use as plug detector  132  in lieu of mechanical switches  268  in some embodiments. In further variants, plug  180  carries a magnet and plug detector  132  of wall module  32  includes a magnet detector, such as a Hall Effect sensor, to detect the magnet when plug  180  is plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136 . Alternatively, a motion detection sensor could be used in wall module  32  as the plug detector  132  by detecting motion in the area near the outlets  260  of receptacle  136  under the assumption that the motion is due to plug  180  being plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 17 , a fourth embodiment of plug detector  132  for use in wall module  32  is shown. The fourth embodiment of plug detector  132  includes current sensors, indicated by current sense blocks  274 , that are coupled to one of the power prong openings  258  of the respective outlets  260  of the duplex AC receptacle  136  of wall module  32 . Current sensors  274  are configured to sense the flow of current that occurs when a plug is plugged into the respective outlet  260 . The sensing of current by sensors  274  is communicated to a detection circuit  276  which, in turn, signals controller  114  of wall module  32  that current has been detected. This current detection by sensors  274  corresponds to block  188  of the time-based wireless pairing process  200  of  FIG. 6A . 
     In some embodiments, current sensors  274  include Hall effect sensors that each detect a magnetic field produced by the AC current flowing in a respective power line  278  that couples to an electrical contact provided in the opening  258  of the corresponding outlet  260 . The detected magnetic field is converted to a voltage which, in some embodiments, is amplified by an amplifier of current sensor  274 . The voltage from the Hall Effect sensor, or the amplified voltage, is provided to detection circuit  276 . Similar to detection circuits  264 ,  264 ′,  272  discussed above, detection circuit  276  includes one or more logic gates (e.g., OR gate, AND gate, etc.), but having signals from current sensors  274  as inputs, and having an output coupled to SOM or controller  114 . Detection circuit  276  may further include one or more amplifiers, filters, transistors, resistors, and other circuit elements in some embodiments. In some embodiments, bed  30  also includes current sensors and detection circuitry that are substantially the same as current sensors  274  and detection circuit  276  of wall module  32 . Signals from such current sensors on bed  30  are used to start the timer of MCB  92  as discussed above. 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that a non-pairable device may be plugged into one of the upper or lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 17  prior to a pairable device  30  being plugged into the other of the upper and lower outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 17 . In such situations, one of current sensors  274  detects the non-pairable device being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to transmit BT scans  192  in an attempt to pair with the non-pairable device. However, the non-pairable device does not respond with any BT advertisements having uptimes and so wall module  32  does not pair with the non-pairable device. Subsequently, when the pairable device  30  is plugged into the remaining outlet  260  of receptacle  136  of  FIG. 17 , wall module  32  again transmits BT scans  192  and proceeds to successfully pair with the pairable device according to process  200  of  FIG. 6A . 
     If the pairable device  30  is plugged into one of outlets  260  of receptacle  136  of wall module  32  of  FIG. 17  prior to any other devices being plugged into the other of outlets  260 , then one of current sensors  274  detects the current flow resulting from the pairable device  30  being plugged in and wall module  32  proceeds to pair with the pairable device  30  according to process  200 . Thereafter, if another device is plugged into the remaining outlet  260  of  FIG. 17 , wall module  32  does not transmit any BT scans  192  and does not make any attempt to pair with the second device because the wall module  32  is already paired with the first, pairable device  30 . This is true even if the second device is also a pairable device. In other words, wall module  32  only wirelessly pairs with one pairable device  30 , such as bed  30 , at a time. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 18 and 19 , an embodiment of wall module  32  is shown in which plug detector  132  is configured as a tag reader. Otherwise, wall module  32  of  FIGS. 18 and 19  is substantially the same as wall module  32  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Thus, like reference numbers are used in  FIGS. 18 and 19  to denote portions that are the same as those of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , respectively. Accordingly, the discussion above of  FIGS. 4 and 5  is equally applicable to  FIGS. 18 and 19 , respectively, unless specifically noted otherwise. In particular, in the illustrative example of  FIGS. 18 and 19 , a short range transponder tag  280 , such as a near field communication (NFC) tag, is attached to power plug  180  of power cord  144  that extends from bed  30 . In the illustrative example, transponder tag  280  is mounted to the plug body of plug  180  closely adjacent to the end of the plug body from which prongs  182  extend. Thus, when plug  180  is plugged into one of the outlets of receptacle  136 , transponder tag  280  is situated right next to front wall  138  of housing  134  of wall module  32  as shown in  FIG. 19 . 
     When plug  180  is plugged into receptacle  136 , transponder tag  280  is within the reception range of the reader  132  located in the interior region of wall module  32 . In response to reading tag  280 , wall module  32  initiates the wireless pairing process  200  of  FIG. 6A , although the timer of wall module  32  is started at block  188  in response to reader  132  detecting tag  280  rather than in response to any current being sensed. In some embodiments, reader  132  periodically emits an interrogation signal to determine if any transponder tag  280  is present within the reception range of reader  132 . If the transponder contained within or on tag  280  is an NFC transponder, then the reception range is one the order of about 4 inches to about 10 inches. The transponder is a passive transponder in some embodiments such that the signal emitted by reader  132  is reflected by the transponder tag back to the reader  132  along with a transponder ID. In other embodiments, an active transponder (e.g., a battery powered transponder) is provide within or on tag  280 . In such embodiments, a response signal is transmitted from the active transponder of tag  280  back to reader  132  in response to receipt of the interrogation signal. 
     It should be noted that the manner in which transponder tag  280  is used in the embodiment of  FIGS. 18 and 19  of the present disclosure is different than the use of a transponder tag or RFID tag in the embodiments of FIGS. 20, 23 and 24 of U.S. Pat. No. 9.830,424. In those embodiments, a tag ID is received by wall circuitry, which may include Bluetooth circuitry, and then the tag ID is transmitted back to the bed along with a wall circuitry ID. If the bed confirms that the proper tag ID was transmitted back to the bed, then wireless pairing is implemented. Thus, the pairing processes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,830,424 are not time-based. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 18 and 19  of the present disclosure, the detection of transponder tag  280  by reader  132  is used to start the time-based wireless pairing process  200  and no tag ID is ever transmitted back to bed  30  by the wall module. Accordingly, the tag ID of transponder tag  280  does not need to be programmed into memory  98  or memory  104  of bed  30 . 
     By using wall module  32  according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein for wireless communications with bed  30  via wireless data link  34 , the traditional nurse call cable between bed  30  and nurse call port  126  can be eliminated. As such, only power plug  180  of power cord  144  of bed  30  needs to be plugged into wall module  32  when bed  30  is used to support a patient in a patient room. When the bed  30  is to be moved to a new location, only the power plug  180  needs to be unplugged from wall module  32 . Even if bed  30  is moved away from the room wall  152  while plug  180  is still plugged in, the plug  180  will easily be pulled out of receptacle  136  of wall module  32  with a very low probability of any damage to wall module  32  or plug  180 . However, when used with beds that do not have wireless communication capability, such as Bluetooth communication capability, provision is made in various embodiments of wall unit  32  for wired communication with bed  30  using a traditional nurse call cable  232 . It is also conceivable, although not desired, that such wired communications between bed  30  having wireless communication capability and wall module  32  can be implemented using the traditional nurse call cable  232 . 
     Some beds do not have any microphone  112 , but may have a speaker  110 , and some beds do not have any speaker  110  or microphone  112 . Accordingly, the present disclosure contemplates that some embodiments of wall module  32  include a microphone and/or speaker that are substantially similar to speaker  110  and microphone  112  of bed  30 . Embodiments in which a combination speaker/microphone is provided in wall module  32  are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In such embodiments, one or more command messages may be sent to wall module  32  via wireless communications link  54  or via nurse call cable  44  to disable the speaker and/or microphone of wall module  32  if it is determined by one or more of servers  46 ,  62 ,  70 , for example, that bed  30  having a speaker and/or microphone is in communication with wall module  32  via wireless communications link  34  or via nurse call cable  232 . Similarly, if a pillow speaker having a speaker and microphone is coupled to port  166  of ASBC  164 , for example, then one or more command messages may be sent to wall module  32  via wireless communications link  54  or via nurse call cable  44  to disable the speaker and/or microphone of wall module  32 . 
     Based on the foregoing, the present disclosure contemplates system  20  for use in healthcare facility  22  and system  20  includes network  60  and nurse call system  43 . System  20  also includes medical device  30  having first wireless transceiver  106 , a first timer (e.g., implemented in software stored in memory  98  and executed by microprocessor  96 ), and a power cord  144  that terminates at a power plug  180 . The medical device  30  has a first sensor (e.g., similar to current sensors  274  of  FIG. 17 ) to determine that the medical device  30  is receiving power via the power plug  180  and power cord  144 . The system  20  further has a wall unit  32  that is mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility  22 . The wall unit  32  has a second wireless transceiver  122  and a second timer (e.g., implemented in software stored in memory  118  and executed by microprocessor  116 ). The wall unit  32  is plugged into a first alternating current (AC) outlet  146  of the healthcare facility  22 . The wall unit  32  has a second AC outlet  136  into which the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  is coupleable. The wall unit  32  has an AC plug sensor  132  that senses the power plug  180  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . The first timer is started to measure a first uptime in response to the first sensor sensing that the medical device  30  is receiving power via the power plug  180  and the power cord  144 . The second timer is started to measure a second uptime in response to the power plug  180  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136  of the wall unit  32 . The medical device  30  is configured to transmit to the wall unit  32  from the first wireless transceiver  106  an advertisement including the first uptime. The wall unit  32  compares the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the wall unit  32  sends a pairing message  214  to the medical device  30  which results in the wall unit  32  and medical device  30  becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments, the system  20  further includes a nurse call cord  44 ,  216 ,  248  extending from the wall unit  32 . The nurse call cord  44 ,  216 ,  248  terminates at a first nurse call connector  162 ,  224 ,  250  that is configured for connection to a nurse call port  126  of the nurse call system  43 . Optionally, the nurse call cord  216  may include an auxiliary cord branch  226  that may terminate at a second nurse call connector  228 . In such embodiments, the second nurse call connector  228  is coupleable to a third nurse call connector  230  at an end of a device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . Further optionally, the first nurse call connector  250  is provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord  248 . In such embodiments, the connector body  250  has a second nurse call connector  252  that is configured to couple to the third nurse call connector  230  at the end of the device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . Still further optionally, the wall unit  32  includes a first nurse call connector  128  that is configured to couple to a second nurse call connector  230  at an end of the device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the medical device  30  further includes a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver  100  that is configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point  52  of the network  60 . If desired, the first wireless transceiver  106  includes a first Bluetooth transceiver  106  that is mounted to a first circuit board  94  of the medical device  30  and the first WiFi transceiver  100  is mounted to a second circuit board  92  of the medical device  30 . Optionally, the wall unit  32  includes a second WiFi transceiver  120  that is configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, the at least one wireless access point  52  of the network  60 . 
     In some embodiments, the second wireless transceiver  122  includes a second Bluetooth transceiver  122  and the system  20  further includes a first set of switches  108  on the first circuit board  94  to provide first contact closures that are indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device  30  and a second set of switches  124  in the wall unit  32 . The second set of switches  124  have second contact closures that are controlled by a controller  114  of the wall unit  32  to match the plurality of states of the first contact closures based on data that contained in Bluetooth messages received by the second Bluetooth transceiver  122  from the first Bluetooth transceiver  106 . 
     Optionally, at least one of the second contact closures changes state (e.g., changes from an open state to a closed state, or vice versa) to control a television  76  in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the second contact closures changes state to turn on a light  74  in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed  30 . Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate that a siderail  40 ,  80  of the patient bed  30  has been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate that brakes of casters  82  of the patient bed  30  are in a released state or condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate that an upper frame  84  of the patient bed  30  has been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate that a nurse call button (e.g., one of the buttons of control panel  78 ) of the patient bed  30  has been pressed. 
     Optionally, the medical device  30  includes a speaker  110  and a microphone  112  and the first and second wireless transceivers  106 ,  122  are configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device  30  and the wall unit  32  are paired. Further optionally, the wall unit  32  includes a light  184  that is illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device  30  and the wall unit  32 . For example, the light  184  surrounds a perimeter of the second AC outlet  136 . 
     In some embodiments, the wall unit  32  determines whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device  30  based on device data received by the second wireless transceiver  122  from the first wireless transceiver  106  of the medical device  30 . For example, the medical device  30  includes a frame  86  and casters  82  that are coupled to the frame  86  and the wall unit  32  initiates unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters  82  are released. Alternatively or additionally, the wall unit  32  initiates unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  has been unplugged. Further alternatively or additionally, the wall unit  32  determines whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device  30  in response to the AC plug sensor  132  sensing that the power plug  180  has been unplugged from the second AC outlet  136 . 
     If desired, the AC plug sensor  132  of the wall unit includes a photo emitter  254 ,  254 ′ and a photo detector  256 ,  256 ′ that cooperate to detect presence of at least one prong  182  of the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  being inserted into the second AC outlet  136  of the wall unit  32 . For example, the photo emitter  254  emits infrared (IR) light  262  in a generally horizontal direction as a beam for detection by the photo detector  256  and the at least one prong  182  blocks the IR light  262  from reaching the photo detector  256  after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . Alternatively, the photo emitter  254 ′ emits infrared (IR) light  262 ′ in a generally vertical direction for detection by the photo detector  256 ′ and the at least one prong  182  blocks the IR light  262 ′ from reaching the photo detector  256 ′ after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . 
     In some embodiments, the AC plug sensor  132  includes a mechanical switch  268  that moves from a first state to a second state in response to the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136  of the wall unit  32 . For example, the mechanical switch  268  includes a plunger switch  268  that has a plunger  270  that is pressed inwardly by a plug body of the power plug  180  when the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . Alternatively or additionally, the AC plug sensor  132  includes a current sensor  274  to sense current flowing to at least one prong  182  of the power plug  180  after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136  of the wall unit  32 . 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the AC plug sensor  132  of the wall unit  32  includes a reader that detects a tag  280  coupled to the power plug  180 . If desired, the tag  280  carries a transponder that is read by the reader. For example, the transponder includes a near field communication (NFC) transponder. If desired, the NFC transponder is included in an NFC integrated circuit chip. Optionally, the reader emits energy to power the transponder to enable the transponder to send a signal back to the reader. 
     In some embodiments, the medical device  30  is configured to transmit a device identification (ID) to the wall unit  32  and the wall unit is configured to transmit the device ID and a location ID to at least one server  46 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  of the network  60  of the healthcare facility  22 . The location ID is correlateable to a location at which the medical device  30  is located in the healthcare facility  22 . If desired, the medical device  30  includes a graphical display screen  38  and the wall unit  32  is configured to transmit from the second wireless transceiver  122  to the first wireless transceiver  106  of the medical device  30  a smart text string  36  that is displayed on the graphical display screen  38 . The smart text string  36  includes a name of the location at which the medical device  30  is located and is different than the location ID. In such embodiments, the medical device  30  does not receive the location ID from the wall unit  32  and does not retransmit the smart text string  36 . 
     Further according to the present disclosure, wall unit  32  is configured for wireless communication with medical device  30 . The wall unit  32  includes a housing  134  that is configured to be mounted at a fixed location in a patient room of the healthcare facility  22 . Wireless transceiver  122  and a timer (e.g., implemented in software stored in memory  118  and executed by microprocessor  116 ) is carried by the housing  134 . The wall unit  32  is configured to plug into a first alternating current (AC) outlet  146  of the healthcare facility  22 . A second AC outlet  136  is carried by the housing  134  and into which a power plug  180  of the medical device  30  is coupleable. An AC plug sensor  132  is carried by the housing and is configured to sense power plug  180  of the medical device  30  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . The timer is started to measure a first uptime in response to the power plug  180  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136  of the wall unit  32 . The wireless transceiver  122  of the wall unit  32  is configured to receive at least one transmission from the medical device  30  that includes a second uptime. The wall unit  32  compares the first uptime with the second uptime and, if the first uptime is within a predetermined tolerance range of the second uptime, the wall unit sends a pairing message  214  to the medical device  30  which results in the wall unit  32  and medical device  30  becoming automatically paired for subsequent wireless communications. 
     In some embodiments, the wall unit  32  further includes a nurse call cord  44 ,  216 ,  248  that extends from the housing  134 . The nurse call cord  44 ,  216 ,  248  terminates at a first nurse call connector  162 ,  224 ,  250  that is configured for connection to a nurse call port  126  of a nurse call system  43  of the healthcare facility  22 . Optionally, the nurse call cord  216  includes an auxiliary cord branch  226  that terminates at a second nurse call connector  228 . In such embodiments, the second nurse call connector  228  is coupleable to a third nurse call connector  230  that is at an end of a device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . Further optionally, the first nurse call connector  250  is provided in a connector body of the nurse call cord  248 . In such embodiments, the connector body has a second nurse call connector  252  that is configured to couple to third nurse call connector  230  that is at the end of the device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . Still further optionally, the housing  134  of the wall unit  32  carries a first nurse call connector  128  that is configured to couple to a second nurse call connector  230  at an end of a device nurse call cord  232  that extends from the medical device  30 . 
     It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the housing  134  of the wall unit  32  carries a first wireless fidelity (WiFi) transceiver  120  that is configured to send WiFi messages to, and receive WiFi messages from, at least one wireless access point  52  of a network  60  of the healthcare facility  22 . If desired, the wireless transceiver  122  carried by the housing  134  of the wall unit  32  includes a Bluetooth transceiver  122 . 
     In some embodiments, the wall unit  32  further includes a controller  114  and a set of switches  124  that are carried by the housing  134 . The set of switches  124  are configured to provide contact closures that are indicative of a plurality of states of the medical device  30  based on data contained in Bluetooth messages received by the Bluetooth transceiver  122  from the medical device  30 . 
     Optionally, at least one of the contact closures changes state to control a television  76  in the patient room. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the contact closures changes state to turn on a light  74  in the patient room. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the contact closures changes state to indicate an alarm state of a bed exit system of the patient bed  30 . Still further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes a patient bed  30  and at least one of the contract closures changes state to indicate that a siderail  40 ,  80  of the patient bed  30  has been moved to a lowered position. Yet further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the contact closures changes state to indicate that brakes of casters  82  of the patient bed  30  are in a released state or condition. Alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the contact closures changes state to indicate that an upper frame  84  of the patient bed  30  has been raised out of its lowest position. Further alternatively or additionally, the medical device  30  includes patient bed  30  and at least one of the second contact closures changes state to indicate that a nurse call button (e.g., one of the buttons of control panel  78 ) of the patient bed  30  has been pressed. 
     Optionally, the medical device  30  includes a speaker  110  and a microphone  112  and the wireless transceiver  122  is configured for transmission and receipt of audio messages after the medical device  30  and the wall unit  32  are paired. Further optionally, the housing  134  of the wall unit  32  carries a light  184  that is illuminated to indicate a pairing state between the medical device  30  and the wall unit  32 . For example, the light  184  surrounds a perimeter of the second AC outlet  136 . 
     In some embodiments, the wall unit  32  includes a controller  114  that is configured to determine whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device  30  based on device data received by the wireless transceiver  122  from the medical device  3 -. For example, the medical device  30  includes a frame  86  and casters  82  that are coupled to the frame  86  and the controller  114  initiates unpairing based on the device data indicating that brakes of the casters  82  are released. Alternatively or additionally, the controller  114  initiates unpairing based on the device data indicating that the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  has been unplugged. Further alternatively or additionally, the controller  114  determines whether to initiate unpairing from the medical device  30  in response to the AC plug sensor  132  sensing that the power plug  180  has been unplugged from the second AC outlet  136 . 
     If desired, the AC plug sensor  132  includes a photo emitter  254 ,  254 ′ and a photo detector  256 ,  256 ′ that cooperate to detect presence of at least one prong  182  of the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  being inserted into the second AC outlet  136 . For example, the photo emitter  254  emits infrared (IR) light  262  in a generally horizontal direction for detection by the photo detector  256  and the at least one prong  182  blocks the IR light  262  from reaching the photo detector  256  after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . Alternatively, the photo emitter  254 ′ emits infrared (IR) light  262 ′ in a generally vertical direction for detection by the photo detector  256 ′ and the at least one prong  182  blocks the IR light  262 ′ from reaching the photo detector  256 ′ after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . 
     In some embodiments, the AC plug sensor  132  includes a mechanical switch  268  that moves from a first state to a second state in response to the power plug  180  of the medical device  30  being plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . For example, the mechanical switch  268  includes a plunger switch  268  that has a plunger  270  that is pressed inwardly by a plug body of the power plug  180  when the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . Alternatively or additionally, the AC plug sensor  132  includes a current sensor  274  to sense current flowing to at least one prong  182  of the power plug  180  after the power plug  180  is plugged into the second AC outlet  136 . 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that the AC plug sensor  132  includes a reader that detects a tag  280  that is coupled to the power plug  180 . If desired, the reader is configured to detect the tag  280  by reading a transponder that is carried by the tag  280 . For example, the reader is configured to detect the tag  280  by reading a near field communication (NFC) transponder that is carried by the tag  280 . Optionally, the reader emits energy to power the NFC transponder to enable the NFC transponder to send a signal back to the reader. The NFC transponder is provided by an NFC integrated circuit chip in some embodiments of tag  280 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 20 , a first medical device, illustratively medical bed  30 , connects to a second medical device, illustratively a medical monitor  360 , with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cord  362  to initiate a wireless pairing operation  380 , shown in  FIG. 21 , between the bed  30  and the monitor  360 . Thus, the wireless pairing scenarios contemplated above between bed  30  and wall unit  32  may similarly be implemented between bed  30  and other medical devices. Medical monitor  360  is another example of a communication unit according to the present disclosure. 
     Bed  30  of  FIG. 20  is the same as bed  30  of  FIG. 1  and so the same reference numerals are used for like components and the descriptions are not repeated. However, bed  30  of  FIG. 20  has a USB port  364  to which a first USB connector  366  of cord  362  connects. Monitor  360  also has a USB port (not shown, but well known in the art) to which a second USB connector  368  of cord  362  connects. Illustratively, monitor  360  includes a display screen  370  on which patient physiological information is displayed. Monitor  360  is shown somewhat diagrammatically in  FIG. 20  and represents devices such as electrocardiograms (EKG&#39;s), electroencephalograms (EEG&#39;s), respiration rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and the like, including combinations of these. Illustrative monitor  360  is mounted to a wheeled stand  372  so as to be movable from room-to-room, as needed. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 21 , a swim lane diagram of steps of the wireless pairing operation  380  between the medical devices  30 ,  360  of  FIG. 20  is shown. More particularly, the steps of operation  380  are carried out by a first algorithm as indicated by a block  382  labeled BED/MED DEVICE ALGORITHM and a second algorithm as indicated by a block  384  labeled MONITOR/MED DEVICE ALGORITHM. As the labels imply, block  382  represents an algorithm performed by bed  30  and block  384  represents an algorithm performed by monitor  360 , or by other first and second medical devices in other embodiments. 
     Operation  380  begins in response to a hardwire connection being made between devices  30 ,  360 , such as by the illustrative hardwire connection made in  FIG. 20  by USB cord  362 . This hardwire connection is depicted in  FIG. 21  by a double-headed arrow  386  labeled HARDWIRE (E.G. USB) CONNECTION BETWEEN DEVICE MADE. After the hardwire connection is made, the bed  30 , which serves as a USB peripheral, senses the connection and a first connection time is recorded (e.g., stored in memory of bed  30 ) as indicated at a block  388  labeled as 1. CONNECTION SENSED 2. TIME  1  RECORDED. Thereafter, bed  30  begins to make one or more BT scans as indicated at block  390  labeled 3. BEGIN BT SCAN. Substantially simultaneously (e.g., within a few seconds), the monitor  360 , which serves as a USB host, senses the connection and a second connection time is recorded (e.g., stored in memory of monitor  360 ) as indicated at a block  392  labeled as 1. CONNECTION SENSED 2. TIME  2  RECORDED. Thereafter, monitor  360  begins to transmit one or more BT advertisements as indicated at block  394  labeled 3. BEGIN BT ADVERTISEMENT. 
     As shown in  FIG. 21 , the one or more BT scans made at block  390  is represented by an arrow  396  labeled BT SCAN and the one or more BT advertisements transmitted at block  394  are represented by an arrow  398  labeled BT ADVERTISEMENT W/TIME  2 . Thus, the BT advertisements made by monitor  360  include time  2 . After a scan  396  of bed  30  detects an advertisement  398  of monitor  360 , bed  30  subtracts time  2  from time  1  and compares the difference to a threshold as indicated at a block  400  labeled TIME  1 −TIME  2 &lt;THRESHOLD?. The threshold may be, for example, 2 or 3 seconds or less or some other larger threshold, at the discretion of the system designer. If the difference between time  2  and time  1  is less than the threshold, then bed  30  auto-pairs to monitor  360  or whatever device sent a BT advertisement with time  2  as indicated at a block  402  labeled IF YES AUTO-PAIR TO MONITOR (THE DEVICE HAVE BT ADVERTISEMENT WITH TIME  2 ). 
     The paired state between bed  30  and monitor  360  is represented in  FIG. 21  by a double-headed arrow  404  labeled BT PAIRED. Either or both of devices  30 ,  360  have a visual or audible means of indicating that the wireless pairing has successfully been made and that the hardwire connection can be removed, such as by unplugging USB cord  362  from the respective USB ports. For example, a message may be displayed on GUI  38  of bed  20  and/or on display screen  370  of monitor  360  to indicate the successful pairing. Alternatively or additionally, a voice message announcing the successful wireless pairing between devices  30 ,  360  may be sounded by either of devices  30 ,  360 . 
     After devices  30 ,  360  are wirelessly paired, cord  362  is able to be disconnected and the wireless pairing will remain as long as devices  30 ,  360  are within wireless communication range of each other. Thus, the location of monitor  360  relative to bed  30  is not limited by the length of cord  362 , assuming that the wireless communication range is greater than the length of cord  362 . Also, after devices  30 ,  360  are wirelessly paired, monitor  360  transmits monitor data, including the sensed patient physiological data, to bed  30  as indicated in  FIG. 21  by an arrow  406  labeled SEND MONITOR DATA VIA BT. After bed  30  receives monitor data from monitor  360 , the bed is able to use the monitor data and/or display the monitor data on GUI  38 , for example, in accordance with the programming of bed  30 , as indicated at a block  408  labeled BED USES AND/OR DISPLAYS MONITOR DATA. 
     In connection with block  408 , bed  30  may initiate a therapy (e.g., lateral rotation therapy of mattress  88 , alternating pressure therapy of mattress  88 , or percussion and vibration (P&amp;V) therapy of mattress  88 ), turn on a patient position monitoring or bed exit monitoring system of bed  30 , send a message (e.g., informational message or alert/alarm message) to a nurse call system  43 , or generate a local arm on bed  30  (e.g., display an alarm message on GUI  38  and/or sound an audible alarm using a sound producing device such a speaker or buzzer of bed  30 ). Bed  30  also may display on GUI  38  the physiological data (e.g., graphical trace and/or numeric data) sensed by monitor  360 . 
     In one variant embodiment, the roles of the bed  30  and monitor  360  as USB peripheral and USB host are reversed such that the bed  30  serves as USB host and the monitor  360  serves as USB peripheral. In such a variant embodiment, the positions of blocks  382 ,  384  in operation  380  are reversed. In addition, block  408  is moved over to the right hand swim lane in  FIG. 21  and direction of arrow  406  is reversed. In a further variant embodiment, data is transmitted over the hardwire connection (e.g., cord  362  in the illustrative example) to pair the two devices  30 ,  360 . For example, the MAC addresses or manufacturer ID&#39;s or other device ID&#39;s or codes are exchanged between devices  30 ,  360  over the hardwire connection and then, after the hardwire connection is removed, devices  30 ,  360  communicate via BT using the exchanged ID&#39;s or codes. In still a further variant embodiment, the scans and advertisements by devices  30 ,  360  do not begin until ID&#39;s or codes are exchanged between devices  30 ,  360  over the hardwire connection. For example, either or both of devices  30 ,  360  may be programmed to only participate in a wireless pairing operation if the ID or code received over the hardwire connection matches an authorized ID or code stored in memory of the respective device  30 ,  360 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 22 , a first device, such as a mobile phone  410 , connects to a second device, such as a speaker unit  412 , with a mini-USB cord  414  or similar such cord, to initiate a wireless pairing operation  430 , shown in  FIG. 23 , between the phone  410  and the speaker unit  412 . Thus, the wireless pairing scenarios contemplated above between medical devices  30 ,  360  may similarly be implemented between non-medical devices such as consumer devices. Mobile phone  410  and speaker unit  412  are each additional examples of communication units according to the present disclosure. 
     Cord  414  includes a first connector  416  such as a lightning connector of the type available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. or a USB connector. Mobile phone  410  includes a port (not shown, but well known in the art) configured to receive connector  416 . At an opposite end of cord  414  is a second connector  418  such as a mini-USB connector or a USB-C connector that connects to a port  420  of device  412 . Of course, other types of connectors  416 ,  418  of cord  414  are within the scope of the present disclosure as dictated by the given type of ports provided by the first and second devices with which the given cord is to interconnect. 
     As its name implies, speaker unit  412  includes one or more speakers (not shown) through which sound is played. In some embodiments, for example, speaker unit  412  is an AMAZON® ECHO® unit or an AMAZON® ALEXA® unit. Mobile phone  410  includes a display screen (e.g., a touchscreen) on which information regarding the wireless pairing status between devices  410 ,  412  is displayed. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 23 , a swim lane diagram of steps of the wireless pairing operation  430  between the devices  410 ,  412  of  FIG. 22  is shown. More particularly, the steps of operation  430  are carried out by a first algorithm as indicated by a block  432  labeled PHONE ALGORITHM and a second algorithm as indicated by a block  434  labeled SPEAKER ALGORITHM. As the labels imply, block  432  represents an algorithm performed by phone  410  and block  434  represents an algorithm performed by speaker unit  412 , or by other first and second devices in other embodiments. 
     Operation  430  begins in response to a hardwire connection being made between devices  410 ,  412 , such as by the illustrative hardwire connection made in  FIG. 22  by mini-USB cord  414 . This hardwire connection is depicted in  FIG. 23  by a double-headed arrow  436  labeled CONNECTION BETWEEN DEVICES MADE (HARDWIRE). After the hardwire connection is made, the phone  410  senses the connection via a current sensor and a first connection time is recorded (e.g., stored in memory of phone  410 ) as indicated at a block  438  labeled as 1. CURRENT SENSED 2. TIME  1  RECORDED. Substantially simultaneously (e.g., within a few seconds), the speaker unit  412  senses the connection via a current sensor and a second connection time is recorded (e.g., stored in memory of speaker unit  412 ) as indicated at a block  440  labeled as 1. CURRENT SENSED 2. TIME  2  RECORDED. Alternatively, the connection of connectors  416 ,  418  of cord  414  to respective devices  410 ,  412  may be sensed in some other way than current sensing (e.g., limit switch, infrared beam obstruction, etc.) as indicated by a double headed arrow  442  labeled (AN/OR CONNECTION SENSED) and extending between blocks  438 ,  440 . 
     After the steps of block  438  occur, phone  410  begins to make one or more BT scans as indicated by a series of arrows  444  labeled as BT SCAN. After the steps of block  440  occur, speaker unit begins to transmit one or more BT advertisements with the time at which plug-in of cord  414  was sensed as indicated by a series of arrows  446  labeled, in one instance, BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/TIME of PLUG IN SENSE), and labeled, in another instance, BT ADVERTISEMENT (W/TIME OF PLUG-IN). Thus, the BT advertisements made by speaker unit  412  include time  2 . After a scan  444  of phone  410  detects an advertisement  446  of speaker unit  412 , phone  410  compared time  1  with time  2  as indicated at a block  448  labeled TIME  1  COMPARED W/TIME  2 . 
     After time  1  and time  2  are compared at block  448 , operation  430  proceeds to determine if time  1  and time  2  are within a threshold amount of time of each other. This is accomplished by subtracting time  2  from time  1 , for example. The threshold may be, for example, 2 or 3 seconds or less or some other larger threshold, at the discretion of the system designer. If the difference between time  1  and time  2  is within the threshold, then phone  410  displays a message on display screen  422  asking a user whether to pair the devices  410 ,  412  via Bluetooth as indicated by blocks  450 ,  452  with block  450  being labeled IF TIME  1 −TIME  2  WITHIN RANGE OR THRESHOLD ASK USER IF WANT TO and block  452  being labeled PAIR VIA BT W/HARD-CONNECTED DEVICE. If the user indicates on display screen  422  of phone  410  that such a wireless pairing should be made, as indicated at a block  454  labeled IF YES, PAIR BT, then devices  410 ,  412  become wirelessly paired as indicated by double-headed arrow  456  shown in  FIGS. 22 and 23 . 
     According to this disclosure, either or both of devices  410 ,  412  have a visual or audible means of indicating that the wireless pairing has successfully been made and that the hardwire connection can be removed, such as by unplugging mini-USB cord  414  from the respective ports. For example, a message may be displayed on display screen  422  of phone  410  to indicate the successful pairing. Alternatively or additionally, a voice message announcing the successful wireless pairing between devices  410 ,  412  may be sounded by either of devices  410 ,  412 . 
     After devices  410 ,  412  are wirelessly paired, cord  414  is able to be disconnected and the wireless pairing will remain as long as devices  410 ,  412  are within wireless communication range of each other. Thus, the location of speaker unit  412  relative to phone  410  is not limited by the length of cord  414 , assuming that the wireless communication range is greater than the length of cord  414 . 
     In one variant embodiment, the roles of the phone  410  and speaker unit  412  are reversed in operation  430 . In such a variant embodiment, the positions of blocks  432 ,  434  in operation  430  and the positions of the headings PHONE and SPEAKER above blocks  438 ,  440  are reversed. In a further variant embodiment, data is transmitted over the hardwire connection (e.g., cord  414  in the illustrative example) to pair the two devices  410 ,  412 . For example, the MAC addresses or manufacturer ID&#39;s or other device ID&#39;s or codes are exchanged between devices  410 ,  412  over the hardwire connection and then, after the hardwire connection is removed, devices  410 ,  412  communicate via BT using the exchanged ID&#39;s or codes. In still a further variant embodiment, the scans and advertisements by devices  410 ,  412  do not begin until ID&#39;s or codes are exchanged between devices  410 ,  412  over the hardwire connection. For example, either or both of devices  410 ,  412  may be programmed to only participate in a wireless pairing operation if the ID or code received over the hardwire connection matches an authorized ID or code stored in memory of the respective device  410 ,  412 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 24 and 25 , an alternative embodiment wall module  460  includes a housing  462  that carries an AC duplex outlet  464  having a first AC receptacle  466  and a second AC receptacle  468  beneath the first AC receptacle  466 . Housing  462  is formed to include a front recess  470  in a front wall  472  thereof. Receptacles  466 ,  468  of duplex AC outlet  464  are accessible within recess  470 . Housing  426  is generally box-shaped and includes a top wall  474 , a bottom wall  476 , and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls  478  extending between top and bottom walls  474 ,  476 . Walls  474 ,  476 ,  478  join each other at rounded corners of housing  462  and also join with front wall  472  at rounded edges. In some embodiments, the dimensions of wall module  460  as defined by housing  462  are about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters (cm)) in width, about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in height, and about 1.25 inches (3.175 cm) in depth. 
     A label  480  is adhered to a central region of top wall  474  and includes a bed icon. Thus, a caregiver or other healthcare facility staff member viewing wall module  460  from above is notified by the bed indicia on label  480  that a patient bed, such as bed  30 , should be plugged into one of receptacles  466 ,  468 . Front wall  472  of housing  426  includes a generally rectangular informational zone  482  to the left of recess  470 . Zone  482  includes an illuminateable wireless bed communication icon  484 , an illuminateable nurse call icon  486 , and an illuminateable caution icon  488  which is illuminated so as to be visible in  FIG. 25 , but is not illuminated and so is not visible in  FIG. 24 . Each of illuminateable icons  484 ,  486 ,  488  is a deadfront icon. The term “deadfront” refers to an image that, when backlit, can readily be seen but when not back lit cannot readily be seen or, stated another way, is substantially invisible. Thus, in  FIG. 24 , icons  484 ,  486  are backlit so as to be readily visible and icon  488  is deadfronted. In  FIG. 25 , all of icons  484 ,  486 ,  488  are backlit. 
     Wall module  460  includes a nurse call cable  490  extending downwardly from bottom  476  of housing  462 . Only a portion of cable  490  can be seen in  FIGS. 24 and 25 . In response to wall module  462  successfully communicating wirelessly with bed  30  via Bluetooth, icon  484  is turned on so that icon  484  is visible. In some embodiments, the backlighting of icon  484  is green. During the wireless pairing process with bed  30 , such as when wall module  460  is sending or receiving a Bluetooth advertisement, icon  484  flashes green, or more particularly, the green backlighting of icon  484  is turned on and off repeatedly. 
     In response to cable  490  being connected to ASBC  164  of nurse call system  43  and after wall module  460  has successfully been wirelessly paired with bed  30  for wireless Bluetooth communications, the illumination of icon  486  is turned on so that icon  486  is visible. In some embodiments, the backlighting of icon  486  is white in color. If no bed is plugged into either of receptacles  464 ,  468  such that no Bluetooth communication between wall module  460  and any bed  30  is occurring, then the backlighting of all of icons  484 ,  486 ,  488  is turned off such that all of icons  484 ,  486 ,  488  become deadfronted. Accordingly, the icon illumination scenarios shown in  FIGS. 24 and 25  are provided only for discussion purposes, it being understood that the depicted illumination scenarios can only occur if a bed  30  is plugged into one of receptacles  466 ,  468 . However, if bed  30  is hardwired to the nurse call system  43 , such as via the use of Y-cable  216  or T-cable  248 , then icon  486  is backlit and icon  484  remains unlit. 
     Caution icon  488  is only illuminated if an error occurs. In some embodiments, the backlighting of icon  488  is yellow or amber in color. One example of an error that may occur resulting in illumination of icon  488  is if nurse call cable  490  becomes disconnected from ASBC  164 . In such a situation, nurse call icon  486  is turned off in addition to caution icon  488  being turned on. In some embodiments in which bed  30  includes GUI  38 , then a message regarding the error is also displayed on GUI  38 . Such a message may read, for example, “The Wall Module Cable has become disconnected from the wall.” An image depicting the disconnected cable is be shown on the GUI  38  as well in some embodiments. Other errors resulting in illumination of caution icon  488  include those occurring in the internal circuitry of wall module  460 . If bed  30  is hardwired to the nurse call system  43 , such as via the use of Y-cable  216  or T-cable  248 , when an error in the internal circuitry of wall module  460  occurs, then nurse call icon  486  remains illuminated along with the illumination of caution icon  488 . 
     If a Y-cable  216  is being used with wall module  460  and the bed  30  becomes disconnected from nurse call connector  228  at the end of cord branch  226  (or if T-cable  248  is being used and bed  30  becomes disconnected from connector  250 ), then nurse call icon  486  is turned off. In this situation, if bed  30  includes a GUI  38 , then a message appears on GUI  38  with instructions to either unplug bed  30  from wall module  460  and plug it back in to wall module  460  in order to initiate a new Bluetooth pairing process between bed  30  and wall module  460 , or to reconnect the wired connection between bed  30  and Y-cable  216  (or T-cable  248 ). Such a message may read, for example, “Please unplug and replug bed power cord into Wall Module or use the wired Call Light Connection.” 
     If bed  30  is paired wirelessly with wall module  460  and then the wireless pairing drops unexpectedly or an error occurs in the internal circuitry of wall module  460 , then icons  484 ,  486  are turned off and caution icon  488  is illuminated. In this situation, if bed  30  includes a GUI  38 , then a message appears on GUI  38  with instructions to either unplug bed  30  from wall module  460  and plug it back in to wall module  460  in order to initiate a new Bluetooth pairing process between bed  30  and wall module  460 , or to reconnect the wired connection between bed  30  and the nurse call system  43 . Such a message may read, for example, “Please unplug and replug bed power cord into Wall Module or use the wired Call Light Connection.” So, basically, if a wired or wireless connection to the nurse call system  43  from bed  30  is dropped or lost, the message on GUI  38  advises the user to reestablish the connection to the nurse call system  43  either wirelessly or via a wired connection by appropriate action. 
     In a variant embodiment of wall module  460 , duplex AC outlet receptacle  464  is oriented so that receptacles  466 ,  468  are in a side-by-side arrangement rather than in the above-below arrangement depicted in  FIGS. 24 and 25 . In such a variant embodiment, label  480  is attached to whichever of sidewalls  478  of housing  462  becomes the upwardly facing wall and icons  484 ,  486 ,  488  are rotated by 90 degrees within zone  482  so as to have the proper upright orientation. In such a variant embodiment of wall module  460 , nurse call cable  490  can either remain extending from wall  476  of housing  462  (i.e., projecting sideways from housing  462 ) or be moved so as to extend downwardly from which of sidewalls  478  becomes the downwardly facing wall at the option of the module designer. 
     The variant embodiment of wall module  460  having receptacles  466 ,  468  in the side-by-side arrangement, basically results from rotating the illustrative wall module  460  by 90 degrees. Thus, it should be understood that the description below of wall module  460  having receptacles  466 ,  468  in the above-below arrangement is equally applicable to the variant embodiment of wall module  460  having receptacles  466 ,  468  in the side-by-side arrangement with the described structures simply being rotated by 90 degrees in the variant embodiment. 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 24 and 25 , recess  470  in the front wall  472  of housing  462  is defined by a recess top wall  492 , a recess bottom wall  494 , a pair of spaced apart recess sidewalls  496 , and a recess back wall  498 . Walls  492 ,  494 ,  496  extend forwardly from recess back wall  498  to a front wall surface  500  of front wall  472 . Recess sidewalls  496  extend generally vertically between top and bottom walls  492 ,  494  and blend therewith at rounded corner regions. Sidewalls  496  taper by a slight amount inwardly from front wall surface  500  to recess back wall  498 . Thus, in  FIG. 25 , portions of a first pair of apertures  502  formed in one of recess sidewalls  496  and portions of a second pair of apertures  504  formed in the other of recess sidewalls  496  can be seen. 
     A first infrared (IR) beam is provided in front of receptacle  466  between an upper set of apertures  502 ,  504  and a second IR beam is provided in front of receptacle  468  between a lower set of apertures  502 ,  504 . If desired, a transparent lens or window  506  covers or fills one or more of openings  502 ,  504  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 24  with regard to openings  502 . When power plug  180  of bed  30  is plugged into receptacle  466  or receptacle  468 , the respective IR beam is blocked or broken which results in the detection by the circuitry of wall module  460  that bed  30  has been plugged into wall module  460 . In a variant embodiment of wall module  460 , a single generally vertically oriented IR beam is provided between an aperture formed in recess top wall  492  and an aperture formed in recess bottom wall  494 . Thus, when power plug  180  is plugged into either of receptacles  466 ,  468 , the single IR beam is broken which results in the detection by the circuitry of wall module  460  that bed  30  has been plugged into wall module  460 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 26 , bed  30  has its power plug  180  at the end of power cord  144  plugged into wall module  460  which, illustratively, is mounted to panel  148  of service chase  150 . In particular, plug  180  is plugged into the lower receptacle  468  of duplex AC outlet  464 . Also in the  FIG. 26  example, nurse call cable  490  is shown to be the same as Y-cable  216  of  FIG. 7  and so the same reference numbers are used to denote portions of cable  490  that are the same as portions of cable  216 . Other portions of  FIG. 26  that are the same as  FIG. 7  are also denoted with like reference numbers. Accordingly, the descriptions above the various portions of  FIG. 26  having like reference numbers are equally applicable to  FIG. 26  and so the descriptions are not repeated. 
     Wall module  460  uses breakbeam technology in connection with its AC plug sensor such that when the IR beam in front of either of receptacles  466 ,  468  is broken, wall module  460  the steps for wirelessly pairing wall module  460  and bed  30  occurs in the same manner as described above. Thus, the present disclosure contemplates that any of the wireless pairing algorithms discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 6A-6D  may be implemented by wall module  460  and bed  30  in various embodiments. Furthermore, the discussion above of the circuitry of wall module  32  in connection with  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 9  is equally applicable to wall module  460  unless specifically noted otherwise and so the description is not repeated. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 27 , an embodiment of wall module  460  is shown in which bed icon label  480  is omitted from top wall  474  of housing  462  and is replaced with a bed power label  510 . Label  510  is adhered to vertical wall or panel  148  of service chase  150  above wall module  460 . In the illustrative example of label  510 , the text “BED POWER” and “PUISSANCE DU LIT” appears next to a bed icon. Thus, English and French text is provided on illustrative label  510  to indicate, in two different languages, that power cord  144  of bed  30  should be plugged into either of receptacles  466 ,  468  of duplex AC outlet  464  of wall module  460 . In other embodiments of label  510 , text is provided in only one language. Embodiments of label  510  having two or more languages including at least one language other than English or other than French are contemplated by the present disclosure as well. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 28-33 , steps for installing wall module  460  in a healthcare facility are shown. In  FIG. 28 , duplex AC outlet  464  of a healthcare facility is detached from an electrical gang box  512  of the healthcare facility and is arranged for insertion into a rear recess  514  formed in a back wall  516  of housing  462  of wall module  460 . Gang box  512  remains mounted to a wall  511  and/or to a stud  513  of the healthcare facility. Recess  514  formed in back wall  516  is about the same size as recess  470  formed in front wall  472  and these recesses  470 ,  514  are generally aligned. Recess  514  in the back wall  516  of housing  462  is defined by a recess top wall  518 , a recess bottom wall  520 , a pair of spaced apart recess sidewalls  522 , and a recess front wall  524 . Walls  518 ,  520 ,  522  extend rearwardly from recess front wall  524  to a back wall surface  526  of back wall  472 . Recess sidewalls  522  extend generally vertically between top and bottom walls  518 ,  520  and blend therewith at rounded corner regions. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 28 , a short coupling screw  528  is shown in front of the wall module  460  and is arranged for insertion through screw-receiving apertures  530 , shown in  FIGS. 34 and 35 , formed in recess back wall  498  and recess front wall  524  for threaded engagement with a thread bore  532  of duplex AC outlet  464 . Threaded bore  532  is situated between the first and second AC receptacles  466 ,  468  of AC outlet  464 . Each of recess back wall  498  and recess front wall  514  are formed to include an upper opening  534  shaped to receive upper AC receptacle  466  therethrough and a lower opening  536  shaped to receive lower AC receptacle  468  therethrough. Housing  462  is configured to that recess back wall  498  is positioned against recess front wall  514  either in abutting relation or with minimal spacing, such as on the order of about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, therebetween. Apertures  530  of walls  498 ,  514  are generally aligned (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances) and in registry with each other, openings  534  of walls  498 ,  514  are aligned and in registry with each other, and openings  536  of walls  498 ,  514  are aligned and in registry with each other. 
     When duplex AC outlet  464  is removed from gang box  512 , the power conductors or wires of the healthcare facility are left attached to the duplex AC outlet as shown in  FIG. 28 . In particular, a ground wire  538  remains electrically coupled to a ground frame  540  of outlet  464  by use of a screw  542  that clamps an exposed portion of wire  538  to ground frame  540 , a neutral wire  544  remains electrically coupled to a neutral bus  546  of outlet  464  by use of a screw  548  that clamps an exposed portion of wire  544  to neutral bus  546 , and a hot wire  550  remains electrically coupled to a hot bus  552  (see  FIG. 34 ) of outlet  464  by use of a screw  554  that clamps an exposed portion of wire  550  to hot bus  552 . Wires  538 ,  544 ,  550  are routed into gang box  512  from suitable AC power cabling (not shown) of the healthcare facility. For example, wires  538 ,  544 ,  550  extend into gang box  512  through a hole formed by removing one of circular punch outs  551  from a side of gang box  512  that faces stud  513 . 
     After duplex AC outlet  464  is removed from gang box  512 , electrical wiring from wall module  460  is electrically coupled to neutral bus  546  and hot bus  552 . In particular, a neutral wire  556  extends from back wall  516  of housing  462  and has an exposed portion clamped to neutral bus  546  by use of a screw  558 . Similarly, a hot wire  560  extends from back wall  516  of housing  462  and has an exposed portion clamped to hot bus  552  by use of a screw  562  (see  FIG. 34 ). Thus, the circuitry of wall module  460  receives its power from the healthcare facility via electrical wiring  544 ,  550 ,  556 ,  560  and buses  546 ,  552  of duplex AC outlet  464 . Wall module  460  includes a grommet and strain relief  564  at the interface between wires  556 ,  560  and back wall  516  of housing  462 . Wires  556 ,  560  are press fit through respective passages formed in grommet and strain relief  564  and couple to the circuitry of wall module  460  in the interior region thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 29 , further steps of the process for installing wall module  460  are shown in which the duplex AC outlet  464  has been inserted into recess  514  of back wall  516  of wall module  460 . When placed in recess  514 , upper and lower flanges  566  of ground frame  540  abut recess front wall  524 . Furthermore, front regions of outlets  466 ,  468  project through openings  534 ,  536  of recess front wall  524  and recess back wall  498  such that a slight amount of front regions of outlets  466 ,  468 , such as on the order of about 0.1 mm to about 2 mm, extend beyond recess back wall  498  into recess  470 . 
     Also in  FIG. 29 , upper and lower spacers  568  are shown arranged for insertion into recess  514  of back wall  516  of wall module  460  and are aligned with respective upper and lower flanges  566  of ground frame  540  of duplex AC outlet  464 . Additionally, upper and lower long screws  570  are shown in  FIG. 29  arranged for insertion through apertures  572  in the recess back and front walls  498 ,  524  of wall module  460 . Apertures  572  in recess back wall  498  cannot be seen but they are substantially the same as aperture  530  in recess back wall  498  shown in  FIG. 35 . Upper and lower long screws  570  also are arranged in  FIG. 29  to extend through apertures  574  in the respective upper and lower flanges  566  of ground frame  540  and through passages  576  formed in the respective upper and lower spacers  568  for receipt in threaded receivers (not shown, but well known in the art) of gang box  512 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 30 , still further steps of the process for installing wall module  460  in the healthcare facility are shown in which the upper and lower spacers  566  have been inserted into recess  514  of back wall  516  of wall module  460  and in which long screws  570  have been inserted through apertures  572  and passages  576  such that threaded portions of the long screws  570  project from the upper and lower spacers  568  toward the gang box  512 . When inserted into recess  514 , spacers  568  fill the space in recess  514  between flanges  566  and the back surface  526  of wall module  460  provided by back wall  516  around the opening into recess  514 .  FIG. 31  shows wall module  460  fastened to gang box  512 . When wall module  460  is fastened to gang box  512 , screws  570  are threaded into the threaded apertures of gang box  512  until back wall  516  of housing  462  of wall module  464  abuts wall  511  of the healthcare facility. The present disclosure contemplates that fasteners other than screws  528 ,  570  may be used in wall module  464  if desired. Such other fasteners may include for example, rivets, snaps, snap fingers, barbed couplers, dowels, biscuits, straps, ties, cam locks, adhesive, magnets, clamps, clasps, and similar such devices. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 32 , the depicted wall module  460  is shown with nurse call cable  490  being 37-pin nurse call cable  44  that terminates at nurse call connector  162 . Thus, the description above of cable  44  and connector used with wall module  32  is equally applicable to wall module  460  and the description is not repeated. In  FIG. 32 , connector  162  is arranged for coupling to nurse call port  126  of ASBC  164  which is mounted to room wall  511  of the respective patient room. Nurse call connector  162  is movable in the direction of arrow  578  to couple to nurse call port  126  of ASBC  164 . The discussion above of ASBC  164 , nurse call port  126 , speaker pillow port  166 , and jack receptacle  168  in connection with  FIGS. 3 and 4  is equally applicable to  FIG. 32  and the description is not repeated. As shown in  FIG. 33 , nurse call connector  162  of nurse call cable  44  is coupled to nurse call port  126  of ASBC  164  which completes the installation process of wall module  460  in the respective patient room. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 34 , an exploded view of wall module  460  is shown. Several of the components of wall module  460  and the associated features were discussed above and the descriptions of these are not repeated. As shown in  FIG. 34 , housing  462  of wall module  460  includes a molded front plate  580  and a molded back plate  582 . Molded front plate  580  includes walls  474 ,  476 ,  478 ,  492 ,  494 ,  496  and a main wall  592 . Front wall  472  and front surface  500  of housing  462  actually are provided by an overlay  590  that adheres to main wall  592  of molded front plate  580 . A central region of wall  592  is recessed inwardly from an outer peripheral region of wall  592  by an amount that is about the same as the thickness of overlay  590  such as on the order of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm. Overlay  590  includes a rectangular opening  594  through which recess  470  is accessible. 
     Molded back plate  582  includes walls  516 ,  518 ,  520 ,  522 ,  524 . Molded back plate  582  also includes a rim or ridge  584  that extends by a slight amount (e.g., about 2 to about 3 mm) from the periphery of back wall  516  toward molded front plate  580 . Molded back plate  582  includes a passage wall  585  adjacent to recess sidewall  522  that forms an opening  587  for receipt of strain relief and grommet  564 . A groove provided in the grommet portion of strain relief and grommet  564  receives a lip  589  of wall  585  therein as shown best in  FIG. 35 . A portion of lip  589  projects from recess sidewall  522  as also shown in  FIG. 35 . 
     Molded back plate  582  further includes four tubular standoffs  586  in the corner regions thereof as shown in  FIG. 34 . Wall module  460  includes four coupling screws  588  that extend through standoffs  586  and are threaded into threaded bosses  596 , two of which are shown in  FIG. 35 , that are molded into the corner regions of molded front plate  580  in the interior region thereof. Thus, when molded back plate  582  is attached to molded front plate  580  with screws  588 , ridge  584  abuts walls  474 ,  476 ,  478 . Other fasteners (see above) may be used to connect plates  580 ,  582  together in other embodiments. Molded front and back plates  580 ,  582  are made from a plastics material having suitable strength characteristics or from a metal material, such as powdered or sintered metal like aluminum, for example. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 34 , wall module  460  includes a nurse call circuit board  598  and a main circuit board  600  having a rectangular opening  602  for receipt of AC outlets  466 ,  468  of duplex AC outlet  464  therethrough. Nurse call circuit board  598  includes components associated with the nurse call functionality of wall module  460  such as including, for example, shift registers and/or relays  124 , port  128 , and audio codec  238  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 9 . Main circuit board  600  includes circuit components associated with other functions of wall module  460  such as including, for example, SOM  114  with microprocessor  116 , memory  118 , WiFi module  120 , and Bluetooth module  122  also shown in  FIGS. 2 and 9 . Furthermore, main circuit board  600  has two photo emitters  254  and two photodetectors  256  supported on opposite sides of rectangular opening  602 . As shown in  FIG. 35 , nurse call circuit board  598  and main circuit board  600  are supported within an interior region  601  of housing  462  of wall module  460  in spaced apart, parallel relation. 
     Photo emitters  254  of wall module  460  are aligned with respective holes  502  formed in one of recess sidewalls  496  and photodetectors  256  of wall module  460  are aligned with respective holes  504  formed in the other of recess sidewalls  496  as shown best in  FIG. 35 . Main circuit board  600 , therefore, also includes detection circuit  264  shown in  FIG. 14 . As alluded to above in connection with the discussion of  FIGS. 14 and 15 , beams of IR light  262 ,  262 ′ are provided in front of receptacles or outlets  260  in some contemplated variant embodiments. Illustrative wall module  460  is such a modified embodiment, similar to  FIG. 14 , in which beams of IR light  262  between photo emitters  254  and photodetectors  256  are provided in front of receptacles  466 ,  468 . As noted above, one of these beams of IR light are broken or interrupted when plug  180  from bed  30  is plugged into receptacle  466  or receptacle  468 . In another variant embodiment of wall module  460 , similar to  FIG. 15 , a single beam of IR light  262 ′ between photo emitter  254 ′ and photodetector  256 ′ is provided in front of both receptacles  466 ,  468  and is broken in response to plug  180  being plugged into either of receptacles  466 ,  468 . 
     Circuit board  598  includes apertures  604  formed in two of the corner regions thereof. Circuit board  600  includes apertures  606  formed in three of the corner regions thereof. Tubular standoffs  586  and/or bosses  596 , as the case may be, extend through the respective apertures  604 ,  606  of circuit boards  598 ,  600  to hold the circuit boards  598 ,  600  in place in the interior region of housing  462 . As shown in  FIG. 34 , wall module includes a WiFi/Bluetooth antenna  608 . Antenna  608  is rectangular in shape and has a pair of apertures  610  in a bottom region thereof for connection to the electric circuitry of board  600 . A pair of apertures  612  are formed in main wall  592  of molded front plate  580  for receipt of a pair of clips (not shown) that are used to attach antenna  608  behind main wall  592 . LED&#39;s  184  shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 9  are built into the overlay  590  behind the respective icons  484 ,  486 ,  488 . An aperture  614  is formed in main wall  592  of molded front plate  580  and a ribbon cable (not shown) extending from overlay  590  is routed through aperture  614  for connection to main circuit board  600 . The ribbon cable includes the conductors that used for turning the LED&#39;s  184  of overlay  590  on and off. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 36 , an alternative embodiment system  620  is shown. System  620  has some components and features that are substantially the same as system  20  discussed above and therefore, the same reference numbers are used to denote such components and features of system  620  without repeating the descriptions. Thus, the descriptions above of such features and components of system  20  are equally applicable to system  620  unless specifically noted otherwise. System  620  has an architecture in which wall module  460  of  FIGS. 24-35  communicates wirelessly with bed  30  via communication links  34 ,  37 . Wall module  460  also communicates via a wired communication link, such as cable  490 , with ASBC  164  and via a wired communication link  622  with one or more nurse call servers  46  that, in turn, communicates with remote server  70  via the Internet (aka the cloud)  72 . 
     In the embodiment of system  620  of  FIG. 36 , bed  30 , wall module  460 , ASBC  164 , remote server  70 , and the nurse call software on the one or more nurse call servers  46  are provided by the same manufacturer. Thus, communications from bed  30  over wireless link  34  includes nurse calls, bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data occurring on, or detected by, bed  30  and that are formatted in a manner that is compatible for handling by the other hardware components of system  620 . With regard to systems  20 ,  620 , nurse calls are generated in response to the patient on bed  30  pressing a nurse call button on control panel  78  of bed  30  or on a controller housing supported by an arm of bed  30  that overlies the patient or on a patient control pendant, control pod, or pillow speaker unit that is wired to the circuitry of bed  30  by a cable or the like. In this regard, see U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0333317 A1 (see particularly, the discussion of nurse call button 558 at paragraphs 116-118), U.S. Pat. No. 10,363,182 (see particularly, nurse call button 100 in FIG. 2 and the discussion thereof at col. 6, lines 28-30), U.S. Pat. No. 8,104,117 (see particularly, FIG. 4 and the discussion of user inputs including a button 46 for nurse call at col. 6, lines 12-20), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,006 (see particularly FIGS. 68-73) and the discussion of nurse call button 1528 at col. 56, lines 46-48), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. 
     Further with regard to system  20  of  FIG. 1  and system  620  of  FIG. 36  (and the other systems of  FIGS. 37-42  described below), examples of bed alerts include one or more of the following: (i) bed exit alerts indicating that a patient has exited from bed  30  or has shifted sufficient weight (e.g., 30 lbs.) off of bed  30  just prior to actually leaving the bed completely, (ii) patient position alerts indicating that the patient has sat up in bed  30  or has moved toward a side of bed  30  beyond a threshold amount, (iii) siderail down alerts indicating that one or more of siderails  40 ,  80  have been moved to a lowered position, (iv) caster brake alerts indicating that caster brakes of bed  30  have been released or unbraked, (v) bed not down alerts indicating that upper frame  84  of bed  30  has been moved out of its lowest position relative to base frame  86  of bed  30 , (vi) head-of-bed (HOB) angle alarms indicating that a head section of bed  30  has been lowered below a threshold angle (e.g., about 30 degrees, about 45 degrees, or about 60 degrees), and (vii) air mattress alerts indicating that a malfunction in an air mattress or related pneumatic system has occurred. This list is not intended to be exhaustive and so other bed alerts may be transmitted by bed  30  to wall modules  32 ,  460  via respective wireless links  34  in other embodiments. 
     Still further with regard to system  20  of  FIG. 1  and system  620  of  FIG. 36  (and the other systems of  FIGS. 37-42  described below), examples of bed status data include data indicating one or more of the following: (i) whether the bed brakes are set or braked, (ii) whether upper frame  84  is in its lowest position relative to base frame  86 , (iii) whether siderails  40 ,  80  are in the respective raised positions, (iv) an HOB angle value, (v) motor lockout status (e.g., data indicating whether lift system motors are locked out, whether any of the mattress support deck articulation motors are locked, or that all bed movement motors are locked out), (vi) whether a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) release handle has been pulled to rapidly lower a head section of the mattress support deck, to move thigh and foot sections of the mattress support deck into positions substantially coplanar with the head section, and to move the upper frame  84  of bed  30  into a Trendelenburg position, (vii) whether the mattress support deck and upper frame  84  have been moved into a chair egress position, (viii) whether a patient has been detected by a weigh scale system of bed  30 , (ix) whether a therapy surface  90  on bed  30  has been turned on (mattress  90  is sometimes referred to herein as a surface, as is known in the art), (x) whether a turn assist mode of surface  90  has been activated (i.e., turned on), (xi) whether a maximum inflation mode of surface  90  has been activated, (xii) whether a surface therapy of surface  90  has been activated (e.g., percussion therapy, vibration therapy, rotation therapy, or an opti-rest therapy in which mattress zones such as head, seat, thigh, and foot zones of surface  90  are sequentially deflated partially and then re-inflated), (xiii) whether a percussion/vibration module is present on bed  30  for embodiments of bed  30  in which a percussion/vibration module is used with the pneumatic system of bed  30 , (xiv) whether a rotation module is present on bed  30  for embodiments of bed  30  in which a percussion/vibration module is used with the pneumatic system of bed  30 , (xv) whether a bed weigh scale is installed on bed  30 , (xvi) whether a bed exit alarm is installed on bed  30 , (xvii) whether a powered air surface  90  is installed on bed  30 , (xviii) bed ID, (xix) bed type, and (xx) whether service is required for bed  30 . This list is not intended to be exhaustive and so other bed status data may be transmitted by bed  30  to wall modules  32 ,  460  via respective wireless links  34  in other embodiments. 
     Yet further with regard to system  20  of  FIG. 1  and system  620  of  FIG. 36  (and the other systems of  FIGS. 37-42  described below), patient data transmitted from bed  30  includes, for example, one or more of the following: patient weight as measured by the weigh scale system of bed  30 , heart rate measured by one or more heart rate sensors provided on some embodiments of bed  30 , and respiration rate measured by one or more respiration sensors provided on some embodiments of bed  30 . In some embodiments, the same sensor or sensors that measure heart rate on bed  30  also are used to measure respiration rate. Other embodiments of bed  30  may include one or more sensors to measure other physiological characteristics of the patient supported on bed  30 , such as blood pressure, pulse oximetry, and temperature, just to name a few. Bed  30  may also read and/or store patient ID (e.g., a medical record number MRN) of the patient for transmission as patient data in some embodiments. These examples of patient data are not intended to be exhaustive and so other patient data may be transmitted by bed  30  to wall modules  32 ,  460  via respective wireless links  34  in other embodiments. 
     In  FIG. 36 , a diagrammatic location icon  624  is shown above ASBC  164  to indicate that a location ID is programmed into ASBC  164  in connection with the installation of ASBC  164  in the healthcare facility. The location ID in ASBC  164  corresponds to the room in which bed  30  and the respective wall module  32 ,  460 , as the case may be, are located. In some embodiments, a computer coupled to nurse call server  46 , such as a master nurse station computer, is used to assign the location ID&#39;s to the various ASBC&#39;s  164  installed in the healthcare facility. In some embodiments, nurse call server  46  associates the bed ID of bed  30  with the location ID of the room, as stored in ASBC  164 , in response the bed ID and location ID being transmitted over communication link  622  to server  46 . In the embodiment of system  620  shown in  FIG. 36 , the location ID is not transmitted to wall module  460  or to bed  30 . 
     In some embodiments of system  620 , the functionality of local bed data server  62  of  FIG. 1  is also included on one or more of nurse call servers  46 . If desired, therefore, the bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data received by one or more servers  46  from bed  30  (really, from multiple beds  30  of the healthcare facility) are transmitted to one or more EMR servers  64 , one or more ADT servers  66 , and one or more other servers  68  (e.g., on or more RTLS servers), as well as to remote server  70  via the cloud  72 . Furthermore, a status board  48  is communicatively coupled to one or more nurse call servers  46  for display of some or all of the bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data in some embodiments of system  620 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 37 , another alternative embodiment system  630  is shown. System  630  has some components and features that are substantially the same as systems  20 ,  620  discussed above and therefore, the same reference numbers are used to denote such components and features of system  630  without repeating the descriptions. Thus, the descriptions above of such features and components of systems  20 ,  620  are equally applicable to system  630  unless specifically noted otherwise. System  630  has an architecture in which wall module  460  of  FIGS. 24-35  communicates wirelessly with bed  30  via communication links  34 ,  37 . However, in system  630 , bed  30  only sends nurse calls and bed alerts to wall module  460 . Thus, bed status data and patent data is not sent from bed  30  to wall module  460  in system  630 . All bed alerts are sent as priority alerts in some embodiments of system  630 . Wall module  460  communicates via wired communication link  490  with a nurse call interface  164 ′ and via a wired communication link  622 ′ with one or more nurse call servers  46 ′. 
     In the embodiment of system  630  of  FIG. 37 , bed  30  and wall module  460  are provided by a first manufacturer but ASBC  164 ′ and the nurse call software on the one or more nurse call servers  46 ′ are provided by a different third party manufacturer (i.e., not the first manufacturer and not the healthcare facility). Thus, prime symbols (“′”) are used to denote portions of system  630  that are not provided by the first manufacturer. Basically, system  630  is illustrated herein to show that wall module  460  is able to be used with a third party nurse call system, if desired, as long as the third party nurse call system is equipped with a 37-pin connector on interface  164 ′ for connection to nurse call cable  490  extending from wall module  460 . It is within the present disclosure for the one or more nurse call servers  46 ′ of system  630  to be communicatively coupled to other computer devices but these are not shown in  FIG. 37  because such additional system architecture is at the discretion of the healthcare facility. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 38 , yet another alternative embodiment system  640  is shown. System  640  has some components and features that are substantially the same as systems  20 ,  620 ,  630  discussed above and therefore, the same reference numbers are used to denote such components and features of system  640  without repeating the descriptions. Thus, the descriptions above of such features and components of systems  20 ,  620 ,  630  are equally applicable to system  640  unless specifically noted otherwise. System  640  has an architecture in which wall module  460  of  FIGS. 24-35  communicates wirelessly with bed  30  via communication links  34 ,  37 . Wall module  460  also communicates with nurse call interface  164 ′ via cable or communication link  490 , and interface  164 ′, in turn, communicates with third party nurse call server  46 ′ via communication link  622 ′. This portion of system  640  is the same as system  630  described above. However, in system  640 , bed  30  is also equipped with WiFi communication capability, indicated by the 802.11 Wireless text and WiFi icon, in  FIG. 38 . In particular, bed  30  communicates with the cloud  72  via wireless communication link  56  in system  640 . WAP  52  and facility network  60 , shown in  FIG. 1  for example, are not shown in  FIG. 38  but are present in system  640  in some embodiments. Thus, in system  640 , nurse calls and bed alerts are sent to one or more servers  46 ′ from bed  30  via wall module  460 , whereas bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data are sent to the remote server  70  from bed  30  via the Internet or cloud  72 . 
     In some embodiments, the remote server  70  of systems  620 ,  640  is configured to transmit bed alerts and bed status data back to other computer devices of the healthcare facility. For example, the bed alerts and bed status data are transmitted by server  70  as health level seven (HL7) messages to an EMR server  64  of the healthcare facility in some embodiments of systems  620 ,  640 . Server  70  is also connected to a computer having a display screen for display of a dashboard that includes the bed alerts and bed status data in some embodiments of systems  620 ,  640 . In some embodiments of systems  620 ,  640 , remote server  70  receives room location information (e.g., location ID) corresponding to the room location of bed(s)  30  of the healthcare facility and transmits the location information back to the respective bed(s)  30  via the cloud  72  and wireless communication link  56 . GUI(s)  38  of bed(s)  30 , in turn, display(s) the location information. The location information may be transmitted to remote server  70  from one or more ADT servers  64  of the healthcare facility, for example. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 39 , still a further alternative embodiment system  650  is shown. System  650  is basically the same as system  640  of  FIG. 38  except that in system  650 , in addition to communication with bed  30 , wall module  460  also communicates with remote server  70  via wireless communication link  54  and the cloud  72 . Like system  640 , system  650  includes WAP  52  and facility network  60  although these components are not shown in  FIG. 39 . Thus, wall module  460  communicates with WAP  52  via wireless communication link  54  that, in turn, communicates with cloud  72  via the network  60  of the healthcare facility. Furthermore, in system  650 , bed  30  communicates bed status data and patient data, in addition to nurse calls and bed alerts, to wall module  460 . 
     In  FIG. 39 , a diagrammatic location icon  654  is shown above wall module  460  to indicate that a location ID is programmed into wall module  460  in connection with the installation of wall module  460  in the healthcare facility. The location ID in wall module  460  corresponds to the room in which bed  30  and wall module  460  are located. In some embodiments, the location ID is communicated to wall module  460  from ADT server  66  via network  60  and one of WAP&#39;s  52 . In other embodiments, an RTLS server  68  communicates the location ID to wall module  460  via network  60  and one of WAP&#39;s  52 . In still other embodiments, the location ID is programmed into wall module  460  locally via a wired connection of a computer device (e.g., laptop computer, tablet computer, or other hand held electronic device) to an electrical port (e.g., a USB port or a JTAG connector) on the back or wall module  460  or internally of wall module  460 . If the electrical port for programming the location ID into wall module  460  is in the interior region  601  of wall module  460 , then molded back plate  582  is disconnected from molded front plate  480  to gain access to the electrical port in some embodiments. Alternatively, an openable or removable access door may be provided as part of back wall  516  for accessing the electrical port. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 39 , wall module  460  of system  650  transmits the location ID and the bed ID (e.g., bed serial number) via the cloud  72  to remote server  70 . Bed  30  transmits bed alerts, bed status data which includes the bed ID, and patient data to remote server  70  via the cloud  72 . Of course, these transmissions from wall module  460  and bed  30  also involve the use of one or more WAP&#39;s and infrastructure of facility network  60  as noted above. Because the bed ID is common to the transmissions from wall module  460  and from bed  30 , remote server  70  is able to associate the bed alerts, bed status, and patient data to the room location corresponding to the location ID. In some embodiments, nurse call server  46  associates the bed ID of bed  30  with the location ID of the room, as stored in ASBC  164 , in response the bed ID and location ID being transmitted over communication link  622  to server  46 . In the embodiment of system  620  shown in  FIG. 36 , the location ID is not transmitted to wall module  460  or to bed  30 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 40 , yet still another alternative embodiment system  660  is shown. System  660  is basically the same as system  640  of  FIG. 38  except that in system  660 , in addition to Bluetooth communication with wall module  460 , bed  30  also communicates using WiFi technology one or more bed data servers  62  of the healthcare facility via wireless communication link  56 . Like system  640 , system  660  includes one or more WAP&#39;s  52  and facility network  60  although these components are not shown in  FIG. 40 . Thus, bed  30  communicates with one of WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communication link  56  that, in turn, communicates with one or more of servers  62  via the network  60  of the healthcare facility. Furthermore, in system  660 , bed  30  communicates bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data to bed data server(s)  62 . Also, like in system  640 , bed  30  in system  660  communicates nurse calls and bed alerts to wall module  460  via wireless communications link  34 . It is within the present disclosure for the one or more bed data servers  62  of system  660  to be communicatively coupled to other computer devices but these are not shown in  FIG. 40  because such additional system architecture is at the discretion of the healthcare facility. 
     In some embodiments of system  660 , a status board  48  is coupled to one or more of bed data servers  62 , either directly, or via infrastructure of facility network  60  and/or components of nurse call system  43  so that some or all of the bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data from bed  30  can be displayed on the status board  48 . Further, in some embodiments of system  660 , an RTLS server  68  communicates with bed data server(s)  62  to provide location information (e.g., location ID) of bed  30  which, in turn, enables the bed location to also be displayed on status board  48 . In this regard, server(s)  62  of system  660  include(s) software, such as SMARTSYNC™ software available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc., to effectuate associating the location ID with the bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data. For example, in some embodiments, bed  30  has an RFID tag attached thereto for communication with transmitters, receivers, and/or transceivers that are located throughout the healthcare facility and that communicate with the RTLS server  68 . Such RFID tags communicate with the transmitters, receivers, and/or transceivers using one or more wireless communication technologies such as radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), or ultrasound communication technologies as is known in the art. In some embodiments, the bed data server(s)  62  of system  660  is configured to transmit bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data to other computer devices of the healthcare facility. For example, the bed alerts, bed status data, and patient data are transmitted by server(s)  62  as HL7 messages to an EMR server  64  of the healthcare facility in some embodiments of system  660 . 
     Referring now  FIG. 41 , yet still a further alternative embodiment system  670  is shown. System  670  has bed  30  connected to wall module  32  via nurse call  232  that extends from bed  30 . Thus, in system  670 , cable  232  connects to Y-cable  214 , T-cable  248 , or nurse call port  128  of wall module  32 , as the case may be. Wall module  32 , in turn, is coupled to ASBC  164  via wired communication link  44  and ASBC  164  is coupled to one or more nurse call servers  46  and/or bed data servers  62  via wired communication link  622  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 41 . As noted above in connection with system  20 , the software that provides the nurse call functionality and the bed status data handling functionality of servers  46 ,  62 , are stored and run by the same server. Thus, like system  20 , in some embodiments of system  670 , the software that implements functions of the local bed data server  62  is SMARTSYNC™ software available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc. and the software that implements functions of nurse call server  46  is NAVICARE® nurse call software, also available from Hill-Rom Company, Inc., which software is stored and run by the same server. 
     As also shown in  FIG. 41 , bed  30  communicates via wireless communication link  56  with one or more digital health gateway servers  672 . More particularly, bed  30  communicates with one of WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communication link  56  that, in turn, communicates with one or more of servers  672  via the network  60  of the healthcare facility. The present disclosure contemplates that digital health gateway servers  672  are located within the healthcare facilities&#39; computer network (e.g., Ethernet) in some embodiments and are located remotely in other embodiments. Thus, if digital health gateway servers  672  are located remotely from the healthcare facility, then the facility network  60  communicates through the Internet or cloud  72  with the one or more digital health gateway servers  672 . 
     The one or more digital health gateway servers  672  of system  670  receive a more robust set of bed data (and bed alerts and patient data in some embodiments of system  670 ) than the bed data that is received by the one or more nurse call servers  46  and bed data servers  62  via ASBC  164 . Furthermore, in the illustrative embodiment, bed  30  is configured to permit a caregiver or other user to manually enter location data (e.g., room number) using GUI  38  of bed  30 . The manually entered location data is stored in memory  96  and/or memory  104  of bed for transmission via WiFi module  100  over wireless data link  56  to the one or more digital health gateway servers  672  along with the bed data. Additional details of manual entry of location data on a patient bed can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 11,011,267 (see particularly, FIGS. 5-11 and the related discussion at col. 19, line 51—col. 22, line 25) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0345568 A1 (see particularly, FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 7-9 and the related discussion at paragraphs 80-97 and 113-120), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure which shall control as to any inconsistencies. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 41 , location icon  624  is shown above ASBC  164  and location icon  654  is shown above wall module  32 . Thus, the discussion above in connection programming ASBC  164  with location information in connection with system  620  of  FIG. 36  and programming wall module  460  with location information in connection with system  650  of  FIG. 39  is equally applicable to ASBC  164  and wall module  32  of system  670  of  FIG. 41  and so the descriptions are not repeated. It should be noted that both ASBC  164  and wall module  32  are programmed with location information because bed  30  is able to connect via wired connection  232  to either of these devices. Accordingly, if nurse call cable  232  from bed  30  is directly into ASBC  164  of system  670 , wall module  32  is bypassed and so, the one or more nurse call servers  46  and/or bed data servers  62  rely only on the location data from ASBC  164  to determine the location of bed  30 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 41 , bed  30  of system  670  communicates via wireless communication link  56  with one or more remote service servers  674 . More particularly, bed  30  communicates with one of WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communication link  56  that, in turn, communicates with one or more of servers  674  via the network  60  of the healthcare facility. The present disclosure contemplates that remote service servers  674  are located within the healthcare facilities&#39; computer network (e.g., Ethernet) in some embodiments and are located remotely in other embodiments. Thus, if remote service servers  674  are located remotely from the healthcare facility, then the facility network  60  communicates through the Internet or cloud  72  with the one or more remote service servers  672 . 
     Remote service servers  672  receive bed configuration data from bed  30 , including bed serial number, bed type, and software version numbers of the various software modules that are stored and run on bed  30  (e.g., weight scale software module, main control board software module, communication board software module, pneumatic system software module, and the like). Based on the software version(s) received by one or more remote servers  674 , updated software for the various software modules is downloaded wirelessly to bed  30  as needed if the software version on bed  30  is an outdated software version. In some embodiments of system  670 , the various software modules are combined into a single software package for bed  30  such that only one software version number is included in the bed configuration data sent to one or more remote service servers  674 . In such embodiments, the software downloads to bed  30  from the one or more remote service servers  674  include a single updated software package. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 42 , a further embodiment system  680  is shown. All of the components of system  680  have been described above in connection with other system embodiments and so, like reference numbers have been used to denote components of system  680  that have been discussed above in connection with the various other system embodiments. One of the differences in system  680  as compared to the previously discussed systems  20 ,  620 ,  630 ,  640 ,  650 ,  660 ,  670  is that wall module  32  communicates via wireless communication link  54  with one or more digital gateway servers  672 . More particularly, wall module  32  communicates with one of WAP&#39;s  52  via wireless communication link  54  that, in turn, communicates with one or more of servers  672  via the network  60  of the healthcare facility. If digital health gateway servers  672  are located remotely from the healthcare facility, then the facility network  60  communicates through the Internet or cloud  72  with the one or more digital health gateway servers  672  as well. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 42 , wall module  32  of system  680  also communicates wirelessly with bed  30  via communication links  34 ,  37 . In  FIG. 42 , bed status data and patient data is shown being communicated from bed  30  to wall module  32 , but bed alerts are also communicated to wall module  32  in system  680  according to this disclosure. Bed  30  of system  680  further communicates wirelessly with one or more remote service servers  674  via wireless communication link  56  to send bed configuration data and receive software downloads in the same manner as described above in connection with system  670 . 
     In system  680 , wall module  32  is able to communicate with one or more nurse call servers  46  and/or one or more bed data servers  62  via wired communication link  44  and ASBC  164  and via wireless communication link  54 . Thus, some bed status data and alerts are sent to one or more servers  46 ,  62  from wall module  32  via a first communication path including wired communication link  44  and ASBC  164  and some bed status data, patient data, and location information is sent to one or more servers  46 ,  62  from wall module  32  via a second path including wireless communication link  54 . Some or all of the data sent via the first, wired path may also be sent via the second, wireless path. As noted above, the nurse call and bed data handling functionality of servers  46 ,  62  reside on a single server in some embodiments. 
     In system  680 , location information is programmed into wall module  32  in the same manner as described above. It should be appreciated that the programming of wall module  32  dictates which data is sent to one or more servers  46 ,  62  along each of the first (wired) and second (wireless) paths. This is in contrast to the systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,500,401 in which a controller on a patient bed determines whether to send data from the bed along two different wireless paths, one that includes a wireless access point and one that does not. Wall module  32  of system  680  also determines which bed status data, patient data, and location data is transmitted via wireless communication link  54  to one or more digital health gateway servers  672 . Thus, in system  680 , wall module  32  is configured to transmit data via a wired communication link to a local server, transmit data via a wireless communication link to the same local server, and transmit data via a wireless communication link to a remote server. As also indicated in  FIG. 42 , the data sent wirelessly from wall module  32  via wireless communication link  54  in system  680  may be destined for a third party nurse call system or server. In such embodiments, one or more nurse call servers  46  run nurse call software that is provided by the third party and that is capable of receiving the data transmitted wirelessly from wall module  32 . 
     In the discussion above of  FIGS. 1 and 36-42 , systems  20 ,  670 ,  680  having wall modules  32  may just as well have wall modules  460  in lieu of the illustrative wall modules  32  in other embodiments. Similarly, systems  620 ,  630 ,  640 ,  650 ,  660  having wall modules  460  may just as well have wall modules  32  in lieu of the illustrative wall modules  460  in other embodiments. Each of systems  20 ,  620 ,  630 ,  640 ,  650 ,  660 ,  670 ,  680  may include the variants of wall modules  32 ,  460  discussed throughout the present disclosure in other embodiments. 
     As is apparent in the above discussion, wall units or modules  32 ,  460  are versatile in that they can be used in a wide variety of system architectures in a healthcare facility. In some architectures, wall modules  32 ,  460  do not have WiFi communication capability or, at least, do not have the WiFi communication capability enabled, if present. Similarly, in some architectures, bed(s)  30  do not have WiFi communication capability or, at least, do not have the WiFi communication capability enabled, if present. Thus, the present disclosure contemplates that, in some architectures, bed  30  and the corresponding wall module  32 ,  460  both have WiFi communication capability enabled for communication of various types of data as described above. However, in the disclosed embodiments, bed  30  and the corresponding wall module  32 ,  460  are configured to communicate wirelessly with each other after wireless pairing as also described above. Some beds  30  may not have the ability to communicate with wall modules  32 ,  460  or may have such capability disabled. In such beds  30 , wall modules  32 ,  460  are configured for direct wired connection to cables  232  that extend from beds  30  using, for example, Y-cables  214 , T-cables  248 , or nurse call ports  128  provided on wall modules  32  (and on wall modules  460  in alternative embodiments). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 43 , an embodiment of patient bed  30  is shown in which an ambient light sensor circuit  700  is coupled to each of head end siderails  40  (aka head rails  40 ) of the patient bed for use by a respective controller  702  in controlling a brightness at which illuminable indicators  704  on the head rails  40  are operated. In the illustrative example, ambient light sensor circuits  700  and controllers  702  are included as part of respective head rail printed circuit boards  706 , referred to herein as head rail boards  706 , that are contained in the interior regions of siderails  40 . Also in the illustrative embodiment, indicators  704  on each of head rails  40  includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED&#39;s)  708 . In other embodiments, only one of head rails  40  includes GUI  38  and in still other embodiments, GUI&#39;s  38  are omitted from both head rails  40 . 
     It is within the scope of the present disclosure for any one or more of ambient light sensor circuits  700 , controller  702 , one or more GUI&#39;s  38  and one or more LED&#39;s  708  to be located elsewhere on bed  30  in addition to, or in lieu of, being included on siderails  40 . For example, other barriers on patient bed  30  such as siderails  80 , a head board, and/or a foot board may contain these. Alternatively or additionally, any one or more of circuits  700 , controllers  702 , GUI  38 , and LED&#39;s  708  are included on base frame  86  and/or upper frame  84 , such as on a foot end frame member of a foot section of bed  30 , for example, at the discretion of the bed designer. Embodiments in which only one ambient light sensor circuit  700  and one controller  702  are included in patient bed  30  are also contemplated by the present disclosure. 
     In the illustrative example of  FIG. 43 , controller  702  of each head rail board  706  is communicatively coupled to controller  96 ,  98 ,  100  of main control board  82  of bed  30 . The controller block in  FIG. 43  is intended to represent the microprocessor  96 , memory  98 , and WiFi module  100  shown in  FIG. 2 , for example, and so all of these reference numbers are use in connection with the controller block in  FIG. 43 . Controllers  702  also include a microprocessor and memory, for example. To reduce the clutter in  FIG. 43 , blocks representing these separate portions of controller  96 ,  98 ,  100  and controllers  702  are omitted. 
     Controllers  702  each provide an ambient light sensor enable signal  710  to the respective ambient light sensor circuit  700  to enable (aka turn on or activate) circuit  700  to sense ambient light as shown in  FIGS. 43 and 44 . Controllers  702  each receive an ambient light output signal  712  that is indicative of the ambient light sensed by an ambient light sensor  714 , shown in  FIG. 44 , of circuit  700 . In the illustrative embodiment, ambient light sensor  714  is a model no. APDS-9007 ambient light photo sensor with logarithmic current output available from Broadcom Limited of San Jose, Calif., USA. As shown in  FIG. 44 , ground pin  1  of sensor  714  is coupled to ground (aka V SS ). Ground pin  1  is also coupled to an output line from out pin  3  of sensor  714  via a parallel combination of first and second 10 microfarad (μF) capacitors  716 ,  718  and a 100 kilo ohm (kΩ) resistor  720 . Capacitors  716 ,  718  serve as a low-pass filter to filter out AC noise (e.g., 50/60 Hertz (Hz) and 100 Hz) generated by light sources such a fluorescent lamps or incandescent lamps and resistor  720  serves as a load resistor that determines the amount of current-to-voltage conversion in the circuit  700 . The ambient light output signal is provided from out pin  3  of sensor. VCC pin  4  of sensor  714  is coupled to a +3.3 Volt DC (VDC) power supply and to V SS  through a 0.1 μF capacitor  722 . Pins  2  and  5  of sensor  714  are “no connect” pins that do not connect to any other circuit elements. 
     As indicated in  FIG. 44 , the ambient light output signal has a voltage of about 2.8 Volts (V) at 1000 Lux. Any Lux value between 401 Lux and 1000 Lux is generally considered normal lighting for indoor environments. Any Lux value of 400 and below is considered dim (201 Lux to 400 Lux) or dark (51 Lux to 200 Lux) or very dark (11 Lux to 50 Lux) lighting conditions for indoor environments. The APDS-9007 ambient light photo sensor has a dynamic range of 3 Lux to 70,000 Lux, but that full dynamic range is not needed in circuit  700 . An ambient light output signal  712  of about 0.5 V corresponds to roughly 10 Lux in some embodiments. 
     In the illustrative example of  FIGS. 43 and 44 , the ambient light output signal  712  is analyzed by the respective controller  702  to determine whether the ambient light has a first brightness above a threshold value or a second brightness below the threshold value. At the discretion of the system designer, the threshold value may be 400 Lux, 200 Lux, or 50 Lux which corresponds to the breakpoints between normal lighting, dim lighting, dark lighting, or very dark lighting discussed above. In other embodiments, a different threshold value for determining the dividing line between “light” brightness conditions and “dark” brightness conditions is used. In still other embodiments, controllers  702  are programmed with multiple threshold values so that more than two brightness conditions are determinable (e.g., high, medium, and low brightness conditions). Further granularity such as four brightness conditions, five brightness conditions, etc. are within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In the illustrative embodiment, controllers  702  output pulse width modulated (PWM) signals to the one or more LED&#39;s  708  to control the brightness at which the one or more LED&#39;s  708  are illuminated. For example, if the ambient light is above the threshold value such that controller  702  determines the room in which patient bed  30  is located has “light” brightness conditions, then a PWM signal of a first duty cycle (e.g., 75%, 80%, 85%, or 90%, just to give a few arbitrary examples) is applied by controller  702  to the one or more LED&#39;s  708 . On the other hand, if the ambient light is below the threshold value such that controller  702  determines the room in which patient bed  30  is located has “dark” brightness conditions, then a PWM signal of a second duty cycle (e.g., 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% or 50%, just to give a few arbitrary examples) is applied by controller  702  to the one or more LED&#39;s  708 . The actual value of the PWM signals for “light” and “dark” brightness conditions is at the discretion of the system designer. 
     As alluded to above, in other embodiments, controllers  702  are configured to determine more than two brightness levels based on respective ambient light output signals  712  (e.g., three brightness levels, four brightness levels, etc.). In such other embodiments, PWM signals corresponding to the number of brightness levels being determined by controllers  702  are applied to the respective one or more LED&#39;s  708 . Of course, the higher the PWM duty cycle, the brighter the one or more LED&#39;s  708  will illuminate. Thus, for three brightness levels, the PWM duty cycles may be, for example, 33%, 50%, and 67% just to give an arbitrary example. For four brightness levels, the PWM duty cycles may be, for example, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%, again, just to give an arbitrary example. 
     With regard to brightness control of GUI&#39;s  38  on bed  30 , it should be appreciated that GUI&#39;s  38  have their own control circuits (e.g., controllers with microprocessors, memory, and I/O ports) and so it is not necessary for PWM signals to be provided to GUI&#39;s  38  by respective controllers  702 , although that is not to rule out the possibility that PWM signals from controllers  702  could be used for brightness control of GUI&#39;s  38  in some embodiments. In some embodiments, however, controllers  702  send multi-bit messages to GUI&#39;s  38  with at least one bit of the multi-bit message being allocated for brightness control (e.g., 0 for “dark” brightness control and 1 for “light” brightness control, or vice versa). 
     In embodiments in which brightness of GUI&#39;s  38  are controlled at more than two brightness levels, then two bits of the multi-bit message are allocated for brightness control to give up to four levels of brightness control (e.g., 00, 01, 10, or 11 for the allocated two bits, as appropriate). If more than four levels of brightness control of GUI&#39;s  38  are desired by the system designer, then an appropriate number of bits (e.g., three bits) are allocated in the multi-bit messages from controllers  702  to respective GUI&#39;s  38 . Thus, controllers  702  each include analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, which are included in a microcontroller integrated circuit chip (e.g., DART or Variscite chips disclosed herein) that convert the analog ambient light output signals  712  into digital data that is includes in the multi-bit messages sent from controllers  702  to respective GUI&#39;s  38 . 
     Controller  96 ,  98 ,  100  (referred to hereinafter as simply controller  96 ) receives an ambient light results signal from each of controllers  702 . In some embodiments, the ambient light results signal is embedded in a multi-bit digital message from each of controllers  702 . As such, the multi-bit digital message from controllers  702  to controller  96  has at least one bit allocated for brightness control and more than one bit, depending upon the number of levels of brightness control. For example, the digital data related to detected ambient light can be the same as discussed above in connection with control of the brightness of GUI&#39;s  38 . In other embodiments, controller  96  receives PWM signals from controllers  702  having the same duty cycles as the PWM signal provided from controllers  702  to LED&#39;s  708 . 
     Controller  96  processes the incoming multi-bit messages or PWM signals, as the case may be, from controllers  702  and provides a combined results signal to controller  102 ,  104 ,  106  (referred to hereinafter as simply controller  102 ) pertaining to the ambient light detected by sensors  714  of circuits  700 . Of course, if patient bed  30  has only one ambient light sensor circuit  700  and one controller  702  for brightness control of indicators  704 , then the combined results signal relating to brightness control will be the same as the results signal received by controller  96  from the single controller  702  in some embodiments. The combined results signal is encoded digitally in an allocated bit, or in allocated bits, in a multi-bit message at the discretion of the system designer, although this not to rule out the possibility that the combined results signal from controller  96  to controller  102  could be a PWM signal. 
     The bits allocated for brightness control information in the multi-bit message that includes the combined results signal may or may not be the same bits as the multi-bit messages sent by controllers  702  to controller  96 . For example, the number of bits in the messages between controllers  702  and controller  96  may be different than the number of bits in the messages between controller  96  and controller  102 , for example. Thus, the positions of the bits pertaining to be brightness control in the messages from controller  96  to controller  102  may be different than those of the messages from controllers  702  to controller  96  in some embodiments, or they may be at the same positions in the multi-bit messages in other embodiments. 
     In some instances, it is possible that the results signals from controllers  702  to controller  96  do not match. For example, in a light/dark two level brightness control situation, one of controllers  702  may indicate that “light” ambient lighting was detected by the corresponding ambient light sensor circuit  700  and the other of controllers  702  may indicate that “dark” ambient lighting was detected by the corresponding ambient light sensor circuit  700 . Such a situation may occur, for example, if patient bed  30  is situated in a patient room with one of siderails  40  adjacent a wall of the patient room and the other of the siderails exposed to open space in the patient room. Presumably, but not necessarily, the ambient light sensor circuit  700  in the siderail  40  adjacent the room wall may detect dark ambient lighting conditions and the other ambient light sensor circuit  700  in the other siderail  40  may detect light ambient lighting conditions. The present disclosure contemplates that controller  96  is configured to give precedence to the results signal indicating light ambient lighting conditions and generates the combined results signal accordingly so that indicators  184  of the corresponding wall module  32 ,  460  are controlled to be illuminated brightly rather than dimly. 
     In some embodiments in which the light/dark two level brightness control scheme is implemented, if there is a conflict between the results signals from controllers  702  to controller  96 , controller  96  provides a feedback signal to whichever of controllers  702  has its corresponding circuit  700  detecting a dark level of ambient lighting. The feedback signal is used by the respective controller  702  to override the dark ambient lighting condition detected by the associated circuit  700  such that the corresponding indicators are controlled by the respective controller  702  to shine or illuminate at the light (e.g., high) brightness level rather than the dim (e.g., low) brightness level. 
     At the discretion of the system designer, the results signals from controllers  702  to controller  96  may include digital values of the Lux values corresponding to the voltages of the ambient light output signals  712 , or the voltage values of signals  712  themselves. In such embodiments, controller  96  is configured to average the digital values in the results signals from controllers  702  and then provide averaged results signals back to controllers  702  which, in turn, use the averaged values indicated in the averaged results signals for determination of the level at which indicators  704  are to be illuminated. Such an averaging approach may be used in systems implementing two, three, four, or more levels of brightness control for indicators  704 . Controllers  702  simply compare the averaged values to the one or more brightness level thresholds to determine the brightness level at which indicators  704  are to be controlled. A similar averaging approach can be used if the results signals to controller  96  from controllers  702  are PWM signals. For example, if one controller  702  provides a 60% duty cycle PWM signal to controller  96  and the other controller  702  provides a 40% duty cycle PWM signal to controller, then the averaged results signals sent from controller  96  back to controllers  702  is a 50% duty cycle PWM signal. 
     In some embodiments having more than two brightness levels for illuminating indicators  704  on patient bed  30 , if the results signals from controllers  702  are in conflict, controller  96  may pick an intermediate brightness level at which to operate the indicators  704  if the conflicting signals are two levels apart, otherwise the higher brightness level is chosen. For example, in a three brightness level scenario having high, medium, and low brightness levels, if one of the results signals indicates that indicators  704  on one of siderails  40  should be operated at a high brightness level and the other of the results signals indicates that indicators  704  on the other of siderails  40  should be operated at a low brightness level, then controller  96  provides feedback signals to both of controllers  702  indicating that the indicators  704  on both siderails  40  should be operated at the medium brightness level. In a four brightness level scenario, a similar intermediate level approach is implemented by controller  96  if there is only one intermediate level between the results signals from controllers  702 . If there are two intermediate levels between the results signals from controllers  702 , then controller  96  is configured to pick the brightest level from among the two intermediate levels in some embodiments. 
     Regardless of which method described above is used for controlling the brightness of indicators  704 , controller  96  provides the combined results signal to controller  102  of communication board  94  as either part of a multi-bit message or as a PWM signal as described above. If a PWM signal is provided to controller  102  from controller  96 , then controller  102  converts the PWM signal to one or more bits of a multi-bit message that is output to Bluetooth transceiver  106  of patient bed  30 . If the combined results signal is already embedded digitally in the multi-bit message received by controller  102  from controller  96 , then the digital combined results information pertaining to indicator brightness control does not need to be converted into digital form. In any event, the multi-bit message including the combined results signal information is transmitted wirelessly from Bluetooth transceiver  106  of patient bed  30  to Bluetooth module  122  of wall module  32  or wall module  460 , as the case may be, via wireless communication link  34 . Controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  then determines the brightness level at which the indicator(s), embodied as one or more LED&#39;s  184  in the illustrative embodiments, are to be controlled. 
     In some embodiments, a single bit in the multi-bit message communicated via wireless communications link  34  from transceiver  106  to transceiver  122  is allocated for brightness control. Thus, the one or more LED&#39;s  184  of wall module  32 ,  460  are controlled so as to be illuminated at the “light” (e.g., high) brightness level or the “dark” (e.g., low or dim) brightness level. In this regard, the controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  provides a PWM signal to each of the LED&#39;s  184  corresponding to the brightness level at which the one or more LED&#39;s  184  are to be controlled. The discussion above of PWM signal control of LED&#39;s  704  by controllers  702  on patient bed  30  is equally applicable to PWM signal control of LED&#39;s  184  for wall module  32 ,  460  and so, is not repeated. In other embodiments, one or more LED&#39;s  184  of wall module  32 ,  460  are controlled at more than two brightness levels by controller  114  in the same manner as discussed above with regard to the manner in which controllers  702  control the brightness levels of LED&#39;s  708 . 
     Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the brightness level at which LED&#39;s  184  of wall module  32 ,  460  are illuminated is controlled based on the amount of ambient light sensed by ambient light sensors  714  included in circuits  700  of bed  30 . Accordingly, wall module  43 ,  460  does not need to include its own ambient light sensor or associated ambient light sensor circuit. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the brightness at which LED&#39;s  184  of wall module  32 ,  460  are illuminated substantially matches the brightness at which LED&#39;s  708  of patient bed  30  are illuminated. When the patient room in which bed  30  and module  32 ,  460  are located is dark, it is desirable for the indicators  184 ,  704  to be dimmed so as not to potentially interfere with the patient&#39;s ability to sleep. However, when the ambient light in the patient room is high, it is desirable for the indicators  184 ,  704  to be illuminated more brightly so as to be more easily discernable in the light. 
     The present disclosure further contemplates that wall module  32 ,  460  similarly controls the brightness of the one or more LED&#39;s  184  of wall module  32 ,  460  when the bed  30  has a wired connection to wall module  32 ,  460  such as via any one or more of cables  216 ,  232 ,  248  discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 2, 8, 9 ,  11 ,  13 ,  26 , and via cable  490  having branch  226  and connector  228  as discussed above in connection with  FIG. 41 , for example. In such configurations, controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  processes the multi-bit messages received via the wired connections with regard to brightness control in the same manner as described above with regard to wireless multi-bit messages. Furthermore, it should be understood that the indicator brightness control aspects described herein in connection with  FIGS. 43 and 44  can be implemented in the various systems described herein with regard to  FIGS. 1-42  and the variants thereof. 
     Although, use of one or more ambient light sensors  714  on patient bed  30  to sense ambient light which is, in turn, used to control brightness of one or more indicators  704  of patient bed  30  and also one or more indicators  184  of wall module  30 , or wall module  460 , as the case may be, is described above, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for a similar ambient light sensing and indicator brightness control scheme to be used between first and second devices of various types, such as between the following: (i) bed  30  and medical monitor  360  shown in  FIG. 20  and (ii) mobile phone  410  and speaker unit  412  shown in  FIG. 22 , just to give a couple of additional examples. Additional types of devices that may implement the contemplated ambient light sensing and indicator brightness control scheme between them include any of the other types of devices mentioned herein above, such as medical devices that may include but are not limited to, for example, physiological monitors such as electrocardiographs (EKG&#39;s), electroencephalographs (EEG&#39;s), pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, respiration rate monitors, and temperature monitors; other patient care equipment including intravenous (IV) pumps, drug infusion pumps, respiratory therapy devices, ventilators, sequential compression devices (SCD&#39;s) for preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and passive motion machines; as well as other types of patient support apparatuses such as stretchers, chairs, wheelchairs, surgical tables, patient lifts, and examination tables, just to name a few. 
     It should be appreciated, therefore, that having one or more ambient light sensors on a first device to control brightness of indicators on a second device by encoding ambient light control data in a wireless message from the first device to the second device is the broad concept contemplated by the present disclosure. Such an arrangement allows the second device to be made smaller and less expensively due to the absence of the ambient light sensor in the second device. Furthermore, by controlling brightness of indicators on two devices (e.g., indicators  184 ,  704  in the illustrative example of  FIG. 43 ) in the same manner by using the same ambient light control data, the indicators on the two devices will be dimmed or made brighter, as the case may be, substantially simultaneously (e.g., within the time needed for signal processing and transmission by the circuitry of the two devices, such as on the order of 5 seconds or less). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 45A and 45B , a system  730  includes bed  30  and wall module  32  or wall module  460  (both reference numbers are used to denote the illustrated wall module). System  730  further includes ASBC  164  which is coupled to an audio source  732  via a hardwire connection  734 . ASBC  164  of system  730  is also coupled to a pillow speaker unit  736  via a hardwire connection  738 . Bed  30 , wall modules  32 ,  460 , and ASBC  164  were all discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 1-19 and 24-44  and that discussion is equally applicable to these same elements in system  730  of  FIGS. 45A and 45B . The discussion below focusses on aspects of the communication between wall module  32 ,  460 , as the case may be, and bed  30  and in particular, the discussion below relates to handling of audio in and between wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30 . 
     In system  730 , audio signals  740  are transmitted wirelessly between wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30 . The audio signals  740  are separate from the Bluetooth communications over Bluetooth communications link  34  discussed above. This is because it has been found that sending audio packets via Bluetooth between wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30  introduces a delay or communication latency that is unacceptable under certain scenarios. In particular, it has been found that because audio source  732  is connected to ASBC  164  via hardwire connection  734 , and because ASBC  164  is connected to pillow speaker unit  736  via hardwire connection  738 , the audio originating from audio source  732  is played almost instantly (aka in real time) by a pillow speaker  737  of pillow speaker unit  736 , assuming the pillow speaker  737  is not muted and is turned on (i.e., the volume of the pillow speaker unit  736  is not all the way off). However, it has been found that due to communication latency over Bluetooth communication link  34 , any audio originating from audio source  732  that were to be transmitted over link  34  as audio packets is not played through one or more speakers  742  of bed  30  until about 100 milliseconds-about 200 milliseconds later than it is played through the pillow speaker  737  of pillow speaker unit  736 . It has been found that this produces a delay or echo effect that is undesirable. 
     To alleviate the undesirable echo effect of the audio between speaker  737  and speaker(s)  742  according to some illustrative embodiments, audio transmission  740  is made from wall module  32 ,  460  to bed  30  by components having a low communication latency. Low communication latency according to the present disclosure means that the audio played through speaker(s)  742  is less than  50  milliseconds delayed from the audio played through pillow speaker  737 . As long as the audio played through speakers  737 ,  742  is less than 50 milliseconds delayed, it has been found that listeners perceive the audio as being played substantially simultaneously. In the illustrative embodiment, bed  30  has two speakers  742 , one on a first of siderails  40  and another on a second of siderails  40 . In other embodiments, bed  30  has only one speaker  742 . In still further embodiments, bed  30  has more than two speakers  742 . 
     In the illustrative example of system  730  of  FIGS. 45A and 45B , wall module  32 ,  460  includes a frequency modulation (FM) transceiver  744  and bed  30  includes an FM transceiver  746 . Audio is communicated bidirectionally between transceivers  744 ,  746 . However, other radio transceivers (e.g., amplitude modulation (AM) transceivers or short wave radio transceivers) that are capable of modulating an analog audio signal may be used in wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30  in lieu of FM transceivers  744 ,  746 , if desired in other embodiments. Wireless communication between transceivers  744 ,  746  over communications link  740  has low latency such that the audio played by speakers  737 ,  742  is perceived as occurring substantially simultaneously (e.g., less than 50 milliseconds delay). 
     Transceiver  744  is coupled electrically to controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  for bidirectional wired communication. Some aspects of the operation of transceiver  744  is controlled by commands sent from controller  114 . Controller  114  communicates information to controller  114  for use in decision making, as well. For example, communication link  740  between transceivers  744 ,  746  is not established until wall module  32 ,  460  is paired with bed  30 , such as any of the methods described hereinabove in which a time-based pairing operation is implemented. After wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30  are paired for communications over wireless communications link  34 , controller  114  signals transceiver  744  to establish communication link  740  with bed  30  as will be described in further detail below. 
     With reference to  FIG. 45A , among the electrical conductors of nurse call cable  44  are one or more analog audio input lines  748  that are coupled to an analog audio input  70  of wall module  32 ,  460  and one or more analog audio output lines  752  that are coupled to an analog audio output  754  of wall module  32 ,  460 . Thus, analog audio input line(s)  748  and analog audio output line(s) are hardwire connections between ASBC  164  and wall module  32 ,  460 . In the illustrative example, lines  748  include a left bed speaker line  748   a,  labeled as BED_SPKR_HI_L in  FIG. 45A , and a right bed speaker line  748   b,  labeled as BED_SPKR_HI_R in  FIG. 45A . This is because the 37-pin connector  126  of ASBC  164  has connectors allocated for left and right bed speakers when bed  30  is connected directly to 37-pin connector  126  via a standard 37-pin nurse call cable. As indicated in  FIG. 45A , the analog audio signals on lines  748   a,    748   b  are 1 Volt root mean square (Vrms) signals. In other embodiments, lines  748 ,  742  are included in other cables disclosed herein, such as cables  216  (particularly portions  218 ,  222 ),  248 ,  490  depending upon the embodiment, in lieu of cable  44 . 
     Wall module includes a summer  756  that combines the analog audio signals communicated on lines  748   a,    748   b  into a single audio signal that is input into a limiter/compressor/expander (LCE)  758 . The LCE  758  is an analog circuit that applies varying gain based on the input voltage level of the signal coming into the LCE  758 . If the input level is too high, the LCE  758  will limit the output voltage so that the output voltage does not overdrive a line input  760  to the FM transceiver  744 . If the input level is too low, the LCE  758  will expand the output voltage, which counterintuitively means that the output voltage will be attenuated because the input signal to the LCE  758  is too low to be real audio and therefore, is considered to be noise. Thus, for low input levels, the LCE  758  serves as a noise gate. If the input level is in between the thresholds or levels that are too high and too low, then the LCE  758  operates within a compression region in which some level of gain is applied to the audio signal, or not, depending upon the configuration of the LCE  758 . Compression generally means that the quieter and louder audio levels are made to be closer to each other to limit the dynamic range of the audio signal. As indicated in  FIG. 45A , the analog audio signal output by LCE  758  on line  460  in the illustrative example is 0-4.5 Volts-Ampere (VA). 
     The analog audio signal on line  460  is provided to FM transceiver  744  which, in turn, converts the analog audio signal into wireless FM audio signal  740  for transmission from transceiver  744  of wall module  32 ,  460  to transceiver  746  of bed  30 . Transceiver  746  is included on siderail communication (SCM or SideComm) board  94  in the illustrative example. The operation of FM transceiver  746  is controlled by software resident on a microprocessor or microcontroller  762  of SCM board  94 . In the illustrative embodiment, microcontroller  762  is a model no. MSP432 microcontroller available from Texas Instruments of Dallas, Tex. In other embodiments, FM transceiver  746  is controlled by software resident in memory  104  and executed by microprocessor  102  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Transceiver  746  converts the incoming wireless FM audio signal  740  into a wired audio signal that is provided to a power amplifier  764  on a line  766 . As indicated in  FIG. 45B , in the illustrative example power amplifier  764  applies a 2.94 V/V gain to the audio signal on line  766  and outputs the amplified audio signal to the bed speaker(s)  742  on first and second lines  768 ,  770  that are interconnected by a switch  772 . When bed  30  is communicating wirelessly with wall module  32 ,  460 , including via transceivers  744 ,  746 , switch  772  is in the illustrative position in which lines  768 ,  770  are electrically interconnected. However, if bed  30  is plugged into ASBC  164  directly with a 37-pin nurse call cable, then switch  772  is moved to a second position disconnecting line  768  from line  770  and connecting bed speaker(s)  742  to a line  774  that carries the hardwire audio signal provided to bed  30  from audio source  732  via ASBC  164  and the 37-pin nurse call cable. In essence, if the bed  30  is hardwire connected to audio source  732 , then wall module  32 ,  460  is bypassed such that the FM audio signal  740  from transceiver  744  to transceiver  746  is not necessary in order for bed  30  to play the audio originating from audio source  732 . 
     In the illustrative embodiment, the position of switch  772  is controlled by microprocessor  102  of bed  30  as indicated diagrammatically in  FIG. 45B  by a dotted arrow. In the illustrative example, microprocessor  102  is included in a model no. STM32F microcontroller available from STMicroelectronics of Geneva, Switzerland. Thus, the term “microcontroller  102 ” is sometimes used herein and is shorthand for both microprocessor  102  and memory  104 . In other embodiments, the functions carried out by microcontroller  102  and microcontroller  762  are carried out by a single microcontroller such that one or the other of microcontrollers  102 ,  762  are omitted from SCM board  94 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 45B , bed  30  includes one or more microphones  776  that communicate with FM transceiver  746  via first and second lines  778 ,  780  that are interconnected by a switch  782 . In some embodiments, bed  30  has a first microphone  776  on one of siderails  40  and a second microphone on the other of siderails  40 . Similar to switch  772 , if bed  30  is plugged into ASBC  164  directly with a 37-pin nurse call cable, then switch  782  is moved to a second position disconnecting line  778  from line  780  and connecting microphone(s)  776  to a line  784  that carries the hardwire audio signal from microphone(s)  776  of bed  30  via the 37-pin nurse call cable and ASBC  164  to a destination audio receiver that is communicatively coupled to ASBC  164 . The destination audio receiver includes, for example, a speaker at a master nurse station computer, a speaker of a room station or staff station, a speaker of a wireless communication device carried by a caregiver, and the like. Thus, if the bed  30  is hardwire connected to ASBC  164 , then wall module  32 ,  460  is bypassed such that the FM audio signal  740  from transceiver  746  to transceiver  744  is not necessary in order for bed  30  to transmit the audio detected by microphone(s)  776  of bed  30 . 
     Similar to switch  772 , the position of switch  782  is also controlled by microcontroller  102  as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 45B  by a dotted line arrow. In other embodiments, microcontroller  762  is used to control the positions of switches  772 ,  782 . Furthermore, in  FIG. 45B , a transfer function, H, block  777  is shown and is intended to represent the ambient noise within the patient room that is picked up by microphone  776 . The ambient noise includes audio from speakers  737 ,  742  as well as other noises such as people talking, equipment beeps, wheel noise from equipment being transported in the room or hallway, bed motor and pump noises, etc. Speaker(s)  742  and microphone(s)  776  shown in  FIG. 45B  are essentially the same as speaker  110  and microphone  112  shown in  FIG. 2 . However, different reference numbers are used in  FIG. 45B  that in  FIG. 2  due to the diagrammatic circles indicating the plural (i.e., “speakers” and “microphones”) of these elements whereas  FIG. 2  depicts only one of each. 
     Assuming bed  30  is not connected directly to ASBC  164  by a 37-pin nurse call cable such that switch  782  is in the position shown in  FIG. 45B  interconnecting lines  778 ,  780 , then the analog audio signal on line  780  from microphone(s)  776  is provided to FM transceiver  746  which, in turn, converts the analog audio signal into wireless FM audio signal  740  for transmission from transceiver  746  of bed  30  to FM transceiver  744  of wall module  32 ,  460 . Transceiver  744  converts the incoming wireless FM audio signal  740  into a wired audio signal that is provided to an amplifier  786  on a line  788 . As indicated in  FIG. 45A , amplifier  786  outputs a 0-4.5 VA analog audio signal on a line  790  that is connected to analog audio output  754  of wall module  32 ,  460  which, as noted above, is connected to ASBC  164  via line  752  of cable  44 . In  FIG. 45A , line  752  is shown terminating as an “X” of ASBC  164  because the destination audio receiver is established during use and depends upon which device has opened up a communication channel with bed  30  to receive audio back from bed microphones  776 . 
     It should be appreciated that, in a real world healthcare facility environment, multiple beds  30  and multiple wall modules  32 ,  460  may be within FM reception range of each other. Thus, it is desirable to select transmission and reception frequencies between transceivers  744 ,  746  between each wall module  32 ,  460  and its associated paired bed  30  that are not the same as any of the transmission and reception frequencies of other wall modules  32 ,  460  and other beds  30 . To accomplish this, transceiver  744  of wall module  32 ,  460  scans the frequency spectrum of interest (e.g., FM frequencies in the illustrative example) and determines which frequencies are in use by other devices and stores those frequencies in memory, such as memory  118  of controller  114 , as unavailable frequencies. 
     Once the frequency spectrum is scanned, controller  114  selects an available transmission frequency and an available reception frequency and tunes transceiver  744  to those selected available frequencies. Controller  114  also sends a notification via Bluetooth communications link  34  from transceiver  122  of wall module  32 ,  460  to transceiver  106  of bed  30  to notify controller  102  and/or controller  762  of bed  30  of the selected available transmission and reception frequencies. Controller  102  or controller  762  of bed  30 , as the case may be, then tunes transceiver  746  to the selected available frequencies. It should be understood that the selected available transmission and receptions frequencies for audio signals  740  are frequencies that are not currently in use by other devices within reception range of transceivers  744 ,  746 . Furthermore, it should be understood that because wall module  32 ,  460  is communicating the selected available transmission and reception frequencies to bed  30  over Bluetooth communications link  34 , such communication only occurs after the wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30  have become paired using any of the time-based Bluetooth pairing operations described above. 
     In one contemplated embodiment, transceiver  744  scans the FM spectrum channels by scanning at even frequencies in 200 kilohertz (kHz) steps from a minimum frequency of 76.0 megahertz (MHz) to a maximum frequency of 108.0 MHz so as to avoid commercial FM radio frequencies that broadcast at odd frequencies in 200 kHz steps from a minimum commercial radio frequency of 76.1 MHz to a maximum commercial radio frequency 108.1 MHz. Thus, the selected available FM transmission frequency and FM reception frequency will be even frequencies, such as 76.0 MHz, 76.2 MHz, 88.4 MHz, 90.6 MHz, 91.8 MHz, 93.0 MHz, 107.8 MHz, 108.0 MHz, just to give several random examples. The FM transmission frequency is different than the FM reception frequency in the contemplated embodiments. Furthermore, the transmission frequency of transceiver  744  is the reception frequency of transceiver  746  and the transmission frequency of transceiver  746  is the reception frequency of transceiver  744 . 
     When scanning the frequency spectrum of interest, the transceiver  744  tunes to a particular reception frequency and determines if whether an audio signal above a threshold signal strength is received at that frequency (e.g., by determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI)). If the audio signal is above the RSSI threshold, then the particular frequency is designated as unavailable. Transceiver  744  is then tuned to the next particular reception frequency and a similar determination made. This process repeats until the full spectrum of interest is scanned and all of the unavailable frequencies determined. The remaining frequencies (i.e., the one that are not unavailable) are the possible available frequencies from which to select. Any manner of selection from among the available frequencies are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, selection of the two lowest available frequencies or the two highest available frequencies are contemplated. Alternatively, selection of two available frequencies that are roughly midway between the two unavailable frequencies that are furthest apart is another contemplated possibility. In any event, once wall module  32 ,  460  selects the transmission and reception frequencies for communications link  740  between transceivers  744 ,  746 , the frequency scanning operation is terminated in some embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, even if bed  30  has a wired connection to ASBC  164  to receive/transmit audio on lines  774 ,  784 , respectively, transceiver  744  still operates to scan the frequency spectrum of interest to determine the unavailable frequencies and, in some embodiments, to also make a selection of an available transmission frequency and an available reception frequency for audio communications link  740 . Thus, if the wired connection between bed  30  and ASBC  164  is lost, wall module  32 ,  460  is able to notify bed  30  of the selected transmission and reception frequencies as quickly as possible after pairing and begin the audio signal transmission over audio communications link  740 . 
     The present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which wall module  32 ,  460  make Bluetooth broadcasts or transmissions to devices other than the paired bed  30  to notify the other devices of the transmission and reception frequencies selected by wall module  32 ,  460  during the frequency spectrum scanning process. Alternatively or additionally, the other devices identify the transmission and reception frequencies as unavailable in response to those frequencies being used in communications link  740  between transceivers  744 , 746 . In either case, this permits the other such devices to store those transmission and reception frequencies in respective memory as unavailable frequencies. As noted above, pairing between wall module  32 ,  460  and patient bed  30  includes an exchange of unique identifiers between the Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32 ,  460  and the Bluetooth transceiver  106  of patient bed  30 . In some embodiments, patient bed  30  and wall module  32 ,  460  communicate using a side channel to verify that the respective unique identifier from the other of patient bed  30  and wall module  32 ,  460  is present to confirm the audio transmission  740  received by the corresponding wireless transceiver  744 ,  746  originates from an expected source. For example, the side channel is another selected available frequency from those that are scanned by transceiver  744  during the frequency scanning process. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 46 , a system  730 ′ is shown with pillow speaker unit  736  coupled generically to nurse call system  43  via cable  738 . Thus, system  730 ′ of  FIG. 46  is illustrative of the situation in which pillow speaker unit  736  couples to port  166  of ASBC  164  but is also illustrative of other situations in which pillow speaker unit  736  does not couple to port  166  of ASBC  164  but instead couples to nurse call system  43  via some other port or some other nurse call system infrastructure  42 . Furthermore, system  730 ′ illustrates audio source  732  coupled generically via hardware connection  734  to nurse call system  43 . Thus, audio source  732  may be coupled to nurse call system  43  via infrastructure  42  other than ASBC  164  but that is not to rule out the possibility that the audio source is coupled to ASBC  164  in system  730 ′. 
     System  730 ′ of  FIG. 46  differs from system  730  of  FIGS. 45A and 45B  in that transceiver  744  is omitted from wall module  32 ,  460  and transceiver  746  is omitted from bed  30 . Instead of using low latency transceivers  744 ,  746  for communication of audio signals between wall module  32 ,  460  and bed  30 , a correlator is implemented in the software of wall module  32 ,  460  to compare the audio signal from audio source  732  that is fed to wall module  32 ,  460  via wired data link  44  in the illustrative example, and the wireless audio signal that is picked up by microphone  776  of bed  30  and transmitted from Bluetooth transceiver  106  of bed  30  to Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32 ,  460  via wireless data link  34 . More particularly, controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  calculates a correlation parameter, such as a correlation coefficient, based on the comparison between the audio signal of wireless data link  34  and wired data link  44  (or wired data links  216 ,  248 ,  490  in other embodiments). Thus, in system  730 ′, connector  234  of wall module  32 ,  460  serves as a first audio input that receives a first audio signal on cable  44  or portions  218 ,  222  of cable  216  (see  FIG. 9 ) or cable  248  or cable  490 , as the case may be, and Bluetooth transceiver  122  of wall module  32 ,  460  serves as a second audio input that receives a second audio signal as part of the data transmitted over wireless communications link  34 . 
     If the correlation parameter determined by controller  114  is above a threshold, then wall module  32 ,  460  either stops sending audio data originating from the audio source  732  and/or sends a command signal to bed  30  to turn off speaker(s)  742  (e.g., to disable speaker(s)  742  from playing any audio). In essence, microphone  776  of bed  30  detects the audio being played by speaker(s)  742  of bed  30  as well as other ambient audio  777  in the room, including audio being played by speaker  737  of pillow speaker unit  736 , assuming speaker  737  is not turned off. A high correlation parameter value is indicative that bed speaker(s)  742  and pillow speaker  737  are both playing the audio originating from audio source  732  such that an undesirable echo or delay is occurring. The echo is produced because the real time audio signal fed to wall module  32 ,  460  via hardwire connection of cable  44 ,  216 ,  248 ,  490 , depending upon the embodiment, is played substantially instantaneously through pillow speaker  737 , while the same audio is also played by speaker(s)  742  of bed  30  after a delay period (e.g., more than 50 milliseconds) due to the communication latency of the wireless communication link  34  from wall module  32 ,  460  to bed  30 . In that situation, therefore, wall module  32 ,  460  either commands bed  30  to turn off speaker(s)  742  so that the audio is played only by speaker  737  of pillow speaker unit  736  or wall module  32 ,  460  stops sending audio packets to bed  30 . In either case, the echo is eliminated. 
     If the correlation parameter is below the threshold value, then the one or more speakers  742  of bed  30  are left on because the low correlation parameter is indicative that audio is not also being played through speaker  737  of pillow speaker unit  736 . Another situation in which the correlation parameter may be below the threshold value is if the sound from the pillow speaker  237  is muffled, such as by being placed underneath bedding (e.g., sheets and/or blankets) or being placed at a position relatively far away (e.g., three or four feet or more) from microphone  776  of bed  30 . A further situation in which the correlation parameter may be below the threshold value is if the sound from the pillow speaker  237  is turned down significantly such that the sound emanating from speaker(s)  742  of bed  30  dominates or drowns out the sound emanating from pillow speaker  237 . 
     Even after wall module  32 ,  460  operates to turn off speaker(s)  742  of bed, either by ceasing to send audio packets or by sending a mute command to bed  30 , wall module  32 ,  460  continues to receive audio packets corresponding to sound picked up by microphone  776  of bed  30  for comparison to the incoming hardwire audio signal received at the first audio input. Thus, wall module  32 ,  460  continues to determine the value of the correlation parameter and compare it to the threshold to determine whether the speaker(s)  742  of bed  30  should be turned back on, such as by re-enabling Bluetooth transceiver  122  to start sending audio packets over data link  34  or by sending an unmute command to bed  30  via data link  34 . Thus, the present disclosure contemplates that wall module  32 ,  460  of system  730 ′ calculates the correlation parameter value on an ongoing basis, which may be continuous or at discrete intervals, and dynamically operates to turn speaker(s)  742  of bed  30  on and off based on whether the correlation parameter value is above or below the threshold value. 
     Prophetically, it is believed that the correlation parameter threshold will be a correlation coefficient that has an absolute value somewhere in the range of about 0.4- about 0.9. More particularly, the present disclosure contemplates that a Pearson correlation coefficient is calculated by controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460 , but that is not to rule out the possibility of using other types of correlation coefficients (e.g., Spearman&#39;s correlation coefficient or polychoric correlation coefficient) in other embodiments. In still other embodiments, the correlation parameter comprises some other variable such as covariance and/or standard deviation just to name a couple. 
     The Pearson correlation coefficient value can vary mathematically between −1 and +1, but the correlator of wall module  32 ,  460  evaluates the absolute value of the correlation coefficient value. From a practical standpoint, the audio signal from audio source  732  will always be played first through speaker  737  and then, after the latency delay period, will play through speaker(s)  742  (assuming speaker(s) is turned on), such that the correlation coefficient value calculated by the correlator of controller  112  of wall module  32 ,  460  will have an absolute value between 0 and +1. There are a number of available software packages or modules that have a correlation coefficient calculator. Such software includes MATLAB software available from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass. and GNU Octave software available from Octave of San Francisco, Calif., for example, just to name a couple. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 47 , an algorithm  800  implemented by wall module  32 ,  460  to determine whether to mute the one or more speakers  742  of the patient bed  30  is shown. Algorithm  800  is illustrative of one possible algorithm contemplated above in connection with the discussion of  FIG. 46 . Those skilled in the art will understand how algorithm  800  may be modified to achieve the other embodiments and scenarios discuss above in connection with  FIG. 46 . 
     As indicated at block  804  of algorithm  800 , wired audio from nurse call system  43  is provided to wall module  32 ,  460  as a first audio input signal which is labeled as “Input  1 ” in  FIG. 47 . At block  802  of algorithm  800 , wireless audio  802  from bed microphone  776  is also provided to wall module  32 ,  460  as a second audio input signal (particularly, audio packets) which is labeled as “Input  2 ” in  FIG. 47 . Wall module  32 ,  460  then compares Input  1  and Input  2  to determine a correlation coefficient value between the inputs. At block  806 , controller  114  of wall module  32 ,  460  determines whether the calculated correlation value (referred to in block  806  as simply a “correlation”) is above a threshold value (referred to in block  806  as simply a “threshold”). 
     As indicated at block  808 , if the correlation determined at block  806  is not above the threshold, then wall module  32 ,  460  continues to operate to play the audio on bed  30  through speaker(s)  742 . As indicated at block  810 , if the correlation determined at block  806  is above the threshold, then wall module  32 ,  460  proceeds to determine whether the audio from microphone  776  of bed  30  is delayed by greater than a set time (e.g., a time delay threshold) as compared to the wired audio signal from the nurse call system  43 . If at block  810  the set time is less than the time delay threshold, then wall module  32 ,  460  continues to operate to play the audio on bed  30  through speaker(s)  742  as indicated at block  808 . If at block  810  the set time is greater than the time delay threshold, then wall module  32 ,  460  ceases to send any audio packets to bed  30  over wireless communications link  34  as indicated at block  812 . 
     In some embodiments, the delay between the wired and wireless audio signals (e.g., Input  1  and Input  2 ) is determined by calculating a cross-correlation or autocorrelation between the two signals. The MATLAB and GNU Octave software mentioned above have the capability to calculate a cross-correlation value and an autocorrelation value, for example. Another way to determine a time delay is to plot a power spectrum of the two signals, determine peaks of the two signals in the plot, and determine a time difference between the occurrences of the two peaks. In any event, the present disclosure contemplates that a time delay of 50 milliseconds or less between the two audio signals (e.g., Input  1  and Input  2 ) is acceptable, as noted above, but other time delay thresholds can be used if desired. For example, the time delay threshold implemented at block  810  is 25 milliseconds in some embodiments. Thus, time delay thresholds between about 25 milliseconds and about 50 milliseconds are within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     While the systems  730 ,  730 ′ described above are contemplated as being used for handling of wired and wireless audio between bed  30  and wall unit  32 ,  460 , the present disclosure contemplates that FM transceivers  744 ,  746  and the associated circuitry discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 45A and 45B  and the correlator discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 46 and 47  may just as well be used in other combinations of devices for the same respective purposes. Such other combinations of devices may include, for example, medical device  360  in combination with bed  30  as discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 20 and 21  and may include, for example, mobile phone  410  in combination with speaker unit  412  as discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 22 and 23 . 
     When terms of degree such as “generally,” “substantially,” and “about” are used herein in connection with a numerical value or a qualitative term susceptible to a numerical measurement (e.g., vertical, horizontal, aligned), it is contemplated that an amount that is plus or minus 10 percent, and possibly up to plus or minus 20 percent, of the numerical value which is covered by such language, unless specifically noted otherwise. For example, “vertical” may be defined as 90 degrees from horizontal and so “substantially vertical” according to the present disclosure means 90 degrees plus or minus 9 degrees, and possibly up to plus or minus 18 degrees. The same tolerance range for “substantially horizontal” is also contemplated. Otherwise, a suitable definition for “generally,” “substantially,” and “about” is largely, but not necessarily wholly, the term specified. 
     Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail above, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims.