Inter-WBANs Interference Mitigation Using Orthogonal Walsh Hadamard Codes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel interference mitigation approach for coexisting WBANs using orthogonal Walsh Hadamard codes, combining distributed code allocation and time reference correlation to improve performance.

Contribution

It proposes a new distributed interference mitigation scheme, OCAIM, with a supporting time correlation method, DTRC, enhancing WBAN coexistence and reducing interference.

Findings

OCAIM outperforms existing schemes in interference mitigation.

The proposed methods reduce power consumption.

Simulation results confirm improved frame success rates.

Abstract

A Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) provides health care services. The performance and utility of WBANs can be degraded due to interference. In this paper, our contribution for co-channel interference mitigation among coexisting WBANs is threefold. First, we propose a distributed orthogonal code allocation scheme, namely, OCAIM, where, each WBAN generates sensor interference lists (SILs), and then all sensors belonging to these lists are allocated orthogonal codes. Secondly, we propose a distributed time reference correlation scheme, namely, DTRC, that is used as a building block of OCAIM. DTRC enables eachWBAN to generate a virtual time-based pattern to relate the different superframes. Accordingly, DTRC provides each WBAN with the knowledge about, 1) which superframes and, 2) which time-slots of those superframes interfere with the time-slots within its superframe. Thirdly, we further analyze the success and collision probabilities of frames transmissions when the number of coexisting WBANs grows. The simulation results demonstrate that OCAIM outperforms other competing schemes in terms of interference mitigation and power savings.