Antenna de-embedding in WBAN channel modeling using spherical wave functions: Transmit antenna model validation

Abstract

For designing reliable wireless body area network (WBAN) systems, channel modeling plays an important role. Antenna de-embedding, in which the contribution of antennas is separately modeled from the channel, has been one of the biggest challenges in WBAN channel modeling. While the antenna de-embedding in mobile communication has been achieved by double-directional channel modeling, this approach can not be applied to the WBAN channel because the antennas are operating close to the human body. Instead, this paper evaluates an antenna de-embedding scheme using spherical-wave-functions (SWFs). The antennas are modeled by the spherical wave coefficients. The channel without the antennas is modeled by a mode-to-mode mapping matrix M which describes the relationship between the radiated and impinging spherical waves. This paper shows the numerical validation of the transmit antenna model. The E-field distribution throughout the region is successfully reproduced by the antenna model in the proposed approach.