A Hybrid Distance Estimation for Wireless Body Sensor Networks

Wireless body area networks become a new research issue in recent years. In this paper, we propose hibernation and distance estimation schemes for wireless USB (WUSB) over wireless body area networks (WBAN) hierarchical protocol for body sensor networks (BSNs). The proposed middleware platform is composed of hibernation and optimal short distance estimation solution. Firstly, this paper provides WUSB private channel allocation scheme at the m-periodic allocation hibernation of a WBAN superframe. Secondly, three typical location estimation schemes of time difference of arrival (TDoA), frequency difference of arrival (FDoA), and angle of arrival (AoA) are analyzed through comparison of experiment results to propose optimal short distance estimation solution which is executed at each body sensor node on the basis of WUSB over WBAN protocol. And the WBAN host interprets status and motion of the body-sensor objects. The hybrid TDoA/FDoA/AoA algorithm based on UWB ranging shows best performances among the other hybrid schemes for wireless BSNs.