MOFBAN: A lightweight modular framework for body area networks

Abstract

The increasing use of wireless networks, the constant miniar turization of electrical devices and the growing interest for remote health monitoring has led to the development of wireless on-body networks or WBANs. The research on communication in this type of network is still at it's infancy. The first communication protocols are being proposed, but a general architecture that can be used to integrate the protocols easily is still lacking. However, such an architecture could trigger the development of new protocols and ease the use of WBANs. In this paper, we present a lightweight modular framework for body area networks (MOFBAN). A modular structure is used which allows for a higher flexibility and improved energy efficiency. The paper first investigates the challenges and requirements needed for sending messages in a WBAN. Further, we discuss how this framework can be used when designing new protocols by defining the different components of the framework. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2007.