TH-HPG: threshold based hello packet generation scheme for intra wireless body area networks

Abstract

Sensor Nodes (SNs) in Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) sense and forward data towards Body Network Coordinator (BNC). Sensed data in WBAN contains information related to human physiological signals and vital signs. Other than sensed data, control packets are also forwarded among Senosr Nodes (SNs) and commonly known as Hello packets which announce the status of SN to its Neighbor Nodes (NNs) in the network. Updated Hello packets are required to forward latest information about SNs in the network. However, reduced number of Hello packets is the necessity as control packets generate overhead traffic in the network. The proposed, Threshold based Hello Packet Generation (TH-HPG) scheme produces reduced number of Hello packets and announces the availability of SN with updated status information. Performance analysis of TH-HPG scheme with state-of-the-art schemes demonstrate the better performance in terms of energy consumption and number of control packets generated (control overhead).