Theoretical modeling of wireless body area networks ranging errors based on RSSI

Abstract

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have been subject to important research efforts for the past years. They are indeed expected to fulfil the needs of a variety of emerging human centric applications at very low cost and ultra-low power (e.g. healthcare, wellness, security, sports, gaming). Even more recently these networks have been considered for radiolocation purposes (i.e. out of transmitted signals on and around the body). This new localization add-on is rather based on the estimation of the separating distance between the WBANs devices, based on radio technologies such as Narrow-Band (N-B) and/or even Impulse Radio-Ultra Wideband (IR-UWB). In this context we present herein a theoretical modeling of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) ranging errors based on Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). This model consists in applying a Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) expression for discussions, but using recent experimental channel model parameters (i.e. path loss and shadowing parameters) obtained over Off-body links, which have been specified in the ISM band at 2.45 GHz.