Frequency-Adaptive Approach In IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Body Sensor Networks: Continuous-Assessment or Periodic-Assessment?

Abstract

IEEE 802.15.4 is arguably considered as a welldesigned standard protocol to address the need for low-rate, low-power and low-cost Wireless Body Sensor Networks (WBSNs).Within a WBSN, Node‘s communication occurs during theirconfined active periods. The increase in number of active WBSNswould consequently result in the elevation of the overlapping ratiobetween the active periods of neighbouring WBSNs. In this paper,we address the interference caused by neighbouring WBSNsand its devastating consequences. Additionally, two frequencyadaptive approaches are proposed as the solutions for decreasingthe negative impacts of internal intereference. Frequency hoppingcould be considered as a possible approach to alleviate theWBSNs performance degradation due to such interference. Inthat regard, two frequency-adaptive approaches are proposednamely: “Continuous-Assessment” and “Periodic-Assessment”schemes and are compared with previously introduced “Initial-Choice” and “Blind-Choice” schemes in terms of channel util-isation, success rate, Satisfaction rate and energy consumption(both sensors and coordinator). Eventually, it is concluded thatContinuous-Assessment scheme outperforms the other introducedschemes in terms of above-mentioned performance measures.