Vertical Handover Algorithm for WBANs in Ubiquitous Healthcare with Quality of Service Guarantees

Abstract

Abstract:Recently, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have become an emerging technology in healthcare, where patients are equipped withwearable and implantable body sensor nodes to gather sensory information for remote monitoring. The increasing development of coordinator devices on patients enables the internetworking of WBANs in heterogeneous wireless networks to deliver physiological information that is collected at remote terminals in a timely fashion. However, in this type of network, providing a seamless handover with a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS), especially emergency services, is a challenging task. In this paper, we proposed an effective Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) handover algorithm that guarantees seamless connectivity. A patient's mobile devices automatically connect to the best network that fulfills the QoS requirements of different types of applications. Additionally, we integrated a Content-Centric Networking (CCN) processing module into different wireless networks to reduce packet loss, enhance QoS and avoid unnecessary handovers by leveraging in-network caching to achieve efficient content dissemination for ubiquitous healthcare. Simulation results proved that our proposed approach forthe model with CCN outperforms the model without CCN and Received Signal Strength Vertical Handoff (RSS-VHD) in terms of the number of handovers, enhancing QoS, packet loss, and energy efficiency.

A Survey on Wireless Wearable Body Area Networks: A Perspective of Technology and Economy

“…The communication protocol must ensure seamless handover when the BAN user leaves the covering area of one gateway and enters another. Some of the techniques proposed for this component are [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Moreover, a detailed survey on vertical handover techniques for integrating wireless body area networks with other heterogeneous is documented by Saurav et al [ 36 ].…”

5GhNet: an intelligent QoE aware RAT selection framework for 5G-enabled healthcare network

“…Among them, Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) is a basic approach which considers multiple network parameters for RAT selection. For instance in Van et al (2017), authors proposed an effective handover approach based on improved TOPSIS method integrated with content-centric networking that allows seamless connectivity with QoS guarantees. Yadav et al (2018) presented a context aware network selection strategy based on MADM method that allows seamless connectivity for the transmission of a patient's physiological data to the clinicians with reduction in unnecessary switching.…”