Channel aware wireless body area network with cognitive radio technology in disaster cases

Abstract

Today, developments in wireless technologies and the increase in disaster cases reveal the necessity of various wireless technologies cooperation. Several technologies are able to cooperate with each other for eHealth, IoT, and so forth applications in disaster cases with the pros and cons of today's communications. Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) and cognitive radio (CR) are promising technologies that can be used together to troubleshoot communication problems and make rescue operations successful in disaster situations. WBAN is a radio frequency-based wireless network technology that aims to monitor the functions and conditions of the human body through the sensor nodes that form a network. CR proposes solutions to current problems of wireless communications such as spectrum scarcity and inefficient use of the spectrum. In this study, CR-based WBAN architecture is proposed in disaster cases, and so the emergency, time-critical, and vital signs of WBAN users (endangered people and rescue team members) are able to reach the health unit or disaster management unit in an opportunistic way. CR technology is integrated with a WBAN architecture utilizing the CSMA/C-based IEEE 802.15.6 standard, and performance analysis is executed with the Riverbed Modeler simulation software. Furthermore, using the channel bonding technique, the throughput, the delay, the packet delivery ratios, and energy consumption ratios of the proposed architecture are investigated. According to the results, it was found that CR-based WBAN architecture was 25% more successful in energy efficiency and 5% more successful in packet delivery ratio with channel bonding technique than the traditional WBAN. K E Y W O R D S channel bonding, cognitive radio network, disaster case, IEEE 802.15.6, wireless body area network 1 | INTRODUCTION Nature occasionally causes various problems such as tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, and flood. As a result, man and man-made structures are damaged. There were many earthquakes in the world in recent years especially in Turkey. The cellular communication infrastructure collapses for a long time immediately after the earthquake. The people

Performance issues in wireless body area networks for the healthcare application: a survey and future prospects

“…Figure 1 illustrates a WBAN and beyond WBAN architecture comprising of three functional sections, namely; intra-BAN, inter-BAN, and the health care unit. The intra-BAN segment composes wireless biological sensors which can measure and share information between themselves and also interact with the coordinator (master node) [12]. An intra-BAN's master node can manage and aggregate measured physiological parameters from source devices [13].…”

“…An intra-BAN's master node can manage and aggregate measured physiological parameters from source devices [13]. Further, an intra-BAN's master node has abilities to forward information to the computing unit, or coupling of the intra-BAN to other networks, such as neighboring WBAN, gateways, access points, or telecommunications base stations [12]. Inter-BAN section, which is represented by the wireless interface, links the intra-BANs' coordinator with the access points, neighboring WBANs, or body to body communication (B2B).…”

“…Due to scarce resources, WBAN may require to use unlicensed frequency band outside the ISM spectrum. On this basis Cognitive Radio (CR) enabled base stations can be used for spectrum sensing and allow WBAN to access and transmit packets to the related medical units [12]. So, incorporating WBAN and CR technology (2021) 3:155 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-04058-2…”

“…Apart from the use of WBAN for information monitoring (health etc.,), the coverage distance by the WBAN is short. Hence in [12] authors propose the use of WBAN alongside with CR. Where the CR will support data communication based on opportunistic channel access to link the information in the WBAN network to the intended health units using the unlicensed frequency spectrum outside the ISM band.…”

“…WBAN may require to use unlicensed band outside ISM. In this case, CR enabled base stations, may help to link WBAN with the healthcare units [12].…”