Channel modeling and characterization for VLC-based MBSNs impaired by 3D user mobility

Abstract

This paper focuses on channel modeling and characterization of indoor visible light communication (VLC)-based medical body sensor networks (MBSNs) which establish links between light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and MBSNs nodes couple with photodetectors (PDs) placed on the shoulder (D1), wrist (D2), and ankle (D3) of the mobile user who walks over random trajectories in 3D scenarios of ICU ward and family type patient room. We adopt non-sequential ray-tracing to obtain channel impulse responses (CIRs) and channel characteristics over random trajectories. Based on simulation results, it is observed that channel DC gains exhibit sinusoidal behaviour for D1 and D2 except for D3 (i.e., due to the number of diffuse rays received at D3), as the user approaches and moves away from the luminaries. It is also revealed that a flat fading channel can be modeled if a data rate lower than 7.03 Mbit/s, i.e., sufficient for MBSNs applications, is chosen.