Context aware and channel‐based resource allocation for wireless body area networks. Issue 1 (1st March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rezvani, Sanaz; Ghorashi, Seyed Ali
• Is Part Of: IET wireless sensor systems. Volume 3:Issue 1(2013)
• Page Start: 16
• Page End: 25
• Publication Date: 2013-03-01
• Subjects: access protocols -- fading channels -- resource allocation -- telecommunication network reliability -- telecommunication standards -- telecommunication traffic -- body area networks; context aware resource allocation -- channel‐based resource allocation -- wireless body area networks -- miniature sensors -- WBAN -- remote health monitoring -- cell phones -- laptops -- nonmedical applications -- emergency situations -- channel condition -- fading effects -- packet loss -- traffic prioritisation -- channel utilisation -- medium access control protocol -- MAC protocol -- adaptive resource allocation -- medical situation -- IEEE 802.15.4 -- IEEE 802.15.6; Wireless sensor networks -- Periodicals; 681.2
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-wss.2012.0100
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2043-6386

Abstract

Abstract : Integration of miniature sensors composes a wireless body area network (WBAN), which enables remote health monitoring. To make this technology widely acceptable in the society, some studies suggest commonly used gadgets such as cell phones or laptops as a hub for WBANs. In these cases, envisaged medical and non‐medical applications of WBANs must have the same priority unless in emergency situations. Also, medical applications of WBANs need some strict requirements that are not that important for non‐medical applications, such as very low‐power consumption or reliability. In addition, channel condition may change in WBANs because of fading effects and this causes packet loss. Therefore proper traffic prioritisation, high reliability and efficient channel utilisation are vitally important issues in these networks. In this study, the authors improve the performance of the medium access control (MAC) protocol of WBANs using an adaptive resource allocation and traffic prioritisation according to the medical situation of user and channel condition. Through adaptively separating and managing the possible traffics of WBANs, the heterogeneous requirements of different applications are provided. Analytical and simulation results show that the proposed MAC protocol outperforms IEEE 802.15.4 and IEEE 802.15.6 MAC protocols in terms of power consumption as well as the channel utilisation and reliability.