Scalable on-body pathloss models based on surface wave propagation for wireless body area networks

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dirk Manteuffel
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 252499296

Nowadays the use of wireless communication technologies for the intercommunication of body-worn applications is increasing rapidly. These applications range from security technologies, multimedia products and telemetric sports applications to healthcare systems. Especially the combination of these applications offers a wide variation of possible realizations. In accordance with the ongoing miniaturization of wearable devices the interaction between the antenna and the user becomes more severe. Along with the lack of the traditional free-space antenna theory in describing the excitation of on-body surface waves, this leads to insufficient insight in the development of such body centric systems so far. Therefore, the aim of this research proposal is a derivation of scalable, physically motivated pathloss models for wireless body area networks that can later be used to develop optimized design strategies. The models shall be closely connected to basic geometric and dielectric parameters of the on-body channel, making it scalable. Corresponding to the preceding research activities of the applicant a developed antenna de-embedding approach will be used to separate antenna and channel characteristic. Based on this, the pathloss models will be derived by the adaption of the ground wave propagation theory (e.g. from terrestrial and naval wireless communications). Here, each modification step towards a more realistic model is verified by numerical simulations and practical measurements.Finally, the physically motivated pathloss models are calculated for different on-body propagation links. Here, the underlying modeling process contains the basic geometric features, the frequency, the dielectric tissue values of the on-body channel and the antenna integration setup itself. By variation of these explicit parameters the model can be adapted to a wide class of specific propagation scenarios.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants