Micro-Preamble Transmission for Energy-Efficient Body-Coupled Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medium access control protocols for body-coupled communication networks are inefficient due to high energy consumption, significant overhead, and synchronization challenges in dynamic topologies, particularly in medical sensor networks where nodes are worn by users and have varying traffic patterns.

Innovation Solution

A method for data packet transmission that minimizes energy consumption by segmenting preambles into micro-preambles with optimal sizes and listening slots, dynamically adapting sleep times based on traffic, and eliminating contention elements to reduce latency and overhead, while using a random size offset to prevent collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a long preamble is used to catch asynchronous receiving nodes, then the network can operate asynchronously without coordination, but the overhead and energy consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveasynchronous operation capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The long preamble is divided into multiple micro-preambles separated by listening slots. Each micro-preamble is short and allows receiving nodes to wake up, detect the transmission, and send RTR packets at their own asynchronous wake-up times, eliminating the need for a single long preamble while maintaining asynchronous operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The preamble transmission uses periodic micro-preambles separated by listening slots, where nodes can periodically wake up to detect transmissions and respond. This periodic structure allows asynchronous nodes to synchronize their responses without requiring a continuous long preamble

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Loss of time

If micro-preambles are separated by listening slots to reduce overhead, then the delay is decreased, but energy efficiency is not optimized for body-area networks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission delayVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback through RTR (Ready-To-Receive) packets sent by receiving nodes during listening slots. When a receiving node detects a micro-preamble and sends an RTR packet, the transmitting node receives this feedback and stops sending remaining micro-preambles, directly reducing energy consumption while maintaining low delay

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of sending the complete sequence of micro-preambles regardless of reception status, the transmitting node performs partial action by stopping transmission upon receiving an RTR packet. This avoids excessive transmission of micro-preambles that would be wasted energy while ensuring the message is delivered

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If contention elements are used before and after preambles to detect concurrent transmissions, then collisions are avoided, but the overhead and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary collision detection during the listening slots between micro-preambles. Receiving nodes wake up early to detect the micro-preamble and send RTR packets before the complete preamble sequence is transmitted, allowing the transmitting node to stop early and avoid wasting energy on subsequent micro-preambles or contention elements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Use of energy by moving object

If nodes use fixed sleep schedules with perfect synchronization, then energy efficiency is maximized, but the protocol cannot adapt to highly dynamic topologies in body-area networks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidtopology adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from fixed synchronous schedules to dynamic asynchronous operation where nodes can independently wake up at different times. The micro-preamble structure with listening slots and RTR feedback allows the protocol to adapt to dynamic topology changes without requiring network-wide synchronization, while still maintaining energy efficiency through early termination upon receiving RTR packets

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8705426B2Energy efficient transmission in a network

Publication Date: 2014.04.22 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for data packet transmissions between a source node and a destination node in a network, the method comprising: —the nodes being configured with an initial sleeping time period duration SPinit and an initial wake-up time period duration LPinit, —the source node sending a preamble, segmented in micro-preambles, for indicating the beginning of a transmission, the micro-preambles being separated by listening slots, —the destination node sending, upon receipt of at least one of the micro-preamble, a packet indicating its presence, called “Ready-To-Receive”, or RTR, packet, and —the source node sending, in response to the RTR packet, a data packet intended for the destination node, wherein the step of sending a preamble comprises: —the source node determining, based on SPinit and on LPinit, an optimal size of the micro-preambles that minimizes the overall energy consumption in the network for sending and receiving packets related to this preamble transmission.