Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

MIMO Capacity for On-Body Communications in Scattered Environments

  • Published:
Wireless Personal Communications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The reliability of on-body communications is a major requirement for many applications. This paper introduces a novel method to enable effective on-body communications, making use of several on-body antennas to create a virtual MIMO system. Strategies for the selection of the best wearable antenna placements based on appropriated metrics, with examples for a 2 × 2 MIMO system, are given. The model includes a statistical description of the antenna-user coupling, the channel variability due to body dynamics, as well as the scattered propagation environment. The channel model assumes that the received signal results from the contribution of one on-body component and of several environment multipath ones. The comparison in system performance between a street and inside an office shows that multipath in large environments is negligible compared to the on-body component (at the selected frequency of 2.45 GHz). The best performance is obtained when the sink (receiver) nodes are on the front and back of the body, and data sensors (transmitters) are on the head, with a relative capacity gain over SISO of roughly 2.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hall, P., & Hao, Y. (2006). Antennas and propagation for body-centric wireless communications. Norwood, MA: Artech House.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hall, P., Hao, Y., Nechayev, Y., Aomainy, A., Constantinou, C., Parini, C., et al. (2007). Antennas and propagation for on-body communication systems. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, 49(3), 41–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Takada, J. (2008). Static propagation and channel models in body area. Document TD(08)639. In Proceedings of COST 2100—6th Management Committee Meeting. Lille, France.

  4. Liu, L., Doncker, P., & Oestges, C. (2009). Fading correlation measurement and modelling on the front and back side of a human body. In Proceedings of EuCAP’2009—European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, Berlin, Germany.

  5. Aoyagi, T., Takada, J., Takizawa, K., Yazdandoost, K., Li, H., Hernandez, M., Hamaguchi, K., & Miura, R. (2012). Propagation characteristics for 2.45 GHz dynamic wearable WBAN using multiport VNA. In Proceedings of ISMICT 2012—6th International Symposium on Medical Information and Communication Technology, La Jolla, CA.

  6. Van Roy, S., Quitin, F., Liu, L., Oestges, C., Horlin, F., Dricot, J. M., & Doncker, P. (2013). Dynamic channel modelling and validation for multi-sensor body area networks. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 61(4), 2200–2208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Liu, L., DErrico, R., Ouvry, L., Doncker, P., & Oestges, C. (2011). Dynamic channel modeling at 24 GHz for on-body area networks. Advances in Electronics and Telecommunications, 2(4), 17–27.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Gallo, M., Hall, P., Bai, Q., Nechayev, Y., Constantinou, C., & Bozzetti, M. (2011). Simulation and measurement of dynamic on-body communication channels. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 59(2), 623–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Aoyagi, T., Iswandi, I., Kim, M., Takada, J., Hamaguchi, K., & Kohno, R. (2011). Body motion and channel response of dynamic body area channel. In Proceedings of EuCAP’2011—European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, Rome, Italy.

  10. Ryckaert, J., Doncker, P., Meys, R., Hoye, A., & Donnay, S. (2004). Channel model for wireless communication around human body. Electronic Letters, 40(9), 543–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Reichman, A., & Takada, J. (2012). Body Communications. In Roberto Verdone & Alberto Zanella (Eds.), Pervasive mobile and ambient wireless communications. London, UK: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  12. D’Errico, R., Rosini, R., & Maman, M. (2011). A performance evaluation of cooperative schemes for on-body area networks based on measured time-variant channels. In Proceedings of ICC 2011—IEEE International Conference on Communications, Kyoto, Japan.

  13. Brown, T., Kyritsi, P., & Carvalho, E. (2012). Practical guide to MIMO radio channel: With MATLAB examples. Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  14. Vaughan, R., & Andersen, J. (1987). Antenna diversity in mobile communications. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 36(4), 149–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chang, W., & Tarng, J. (2008). Frequency-space-polarization on UWB MIMO performance for body area network applications. IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, 7, 577–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ghanem, K., Khan, I., Hall, P., & Hanzo, L. (2012). MIMO stochastic model and capacity evaluation of on-body channels. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 60(6), 2980–2986.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Khan, I., Ullah, I., & Hall, P. (2011). Transmit-receive diversity for 2 × 2 multiple-input multiple-output channel in body area networks. IET Microwaves, Antennas and Propagation, 5(13), 1589–1593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Khan, I., Hall, P., Nechayev, Y., & Akhoondzadeh-Asl, L. (2010). Multiple antenna systems for increasing on-body channel capacity and reducing BAN-to-BAN interference. In Proceedings of iWAT, International Workshop on Antenna Technology, Lisbon, Portugal.

  19. Khan, I., & Hall, P. (2010). Experimental evaluation of MIMO capacity and correlation for narrowband body-centric wireless channels. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 58(1), 195–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mackowiak, M., Oliveira, C., & Correia, L. M. (2012). Radiation pattern of wearable antennas: A statistical analysis of the influence of the human body. International Journal of Wireless Information Networks, 19(3), 209–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Oliveira, C., & Correia, L. M. (2013). Perspectives for the use of MIMO in dynamic body area networks. In Proceedings of EuCAP 2013—European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, Gothenburg, Sweden.

  22. Oliveira, C., Mackowiak, M., & Correia, L. M. (2013). Modelling on- and off-body channels in body area networks. In Proceedings of IMOC—International Microwave and Optoelectronics Conference, Brazil, RJ.

  23. Foschini, G. J., & Gans, M. J. (1998). On limits of wireless communications in a fading environment when using multiple antennas. Wireless Personal Communications, 6(3), 311–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Proakis, J. G. (2001). Digital communications. New York, USA: Mac Graw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Poser. (2014) http://Poser.smithmicro.com/Poser.html.

  26. Virtual Family. (2014). IT’IS—Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, 2014. http://www.itis.ethz.ch/index/index_humanmodels.html.

  27. Knoblauch, R., Pietrucha, M., & Nitzburg, M. (1996). Field studies of pedestrian walking speed and start-up time. Transportation research record 1538. (pp. 27–38). Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council.

    Google Scholar 

  28. CST—Computer Simulation Technology, CST. (2014). http://www.CST.com.

  29. Medeiros, C. R., Castela, A. M., Costa, J. R. & Fernandes, C. A. (2007). Evaluation of modelling accuracy of reconfigurable patch antennas. In Proceedings of ConfTele’2007—6th Conference on Telecommunications, Peniche, Portugal.

  30. Wang, Y. (2008). Body-centric radio propagation channels: Characteristics and models. Ph.D. Thesis, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INOV-INESC Inovação/Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Carla Oliveira & Luis M. Correia

Authors
  1. Carla Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luis M. Correia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carla Oliveira.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Oliveira, C., Correia, L.M. MIMO Capacity for On-Body Communications in Scattered Environments. Wireless Pers Commun 83, 2999–3016 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-015-2578-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-015-2578-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation