UWB for noninvasive wireless body area networks: channel measurements and results

Abstract

The paper presents UWB channel measurements from 3 to 6 GHz for a body area network (BAN) in an anechoic chamber and an office room. Both, transmit and receive antenna were placed directly on the body. Channel parameters as delay spread and path loss are extracted from the measurements and the influence of the body is highlighted. We show that in some situations there are significant echoes from the body (e.g. from the arms) and we observed deterministic echoes from the floor that could help to simplify a RAKE receiver structure. Finally, we consider the overall energy consumption of the BAN and give decision regions for singlehop and multihop links in relation to signal processing energy.