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On-body TOA-based ranging error model for motion capture applications within wearable UWB networks

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Abstract

We present herein an error model that characterizes on-body range measurements based on time of arrival (TOA) estimation in Impulse radio-ultra wideband, wireless body area networks. Considering real channel measurements over two representative on-body links for repeated walk cycles, the model is drawn as a conditional mixture, accounting for signal to noise ratio (SNR) variations and non line of sight (NLOS) channel obstructions caused by the body. Key model parameters are then investigated as a function of the previous obstruction and SNR configurations, illustrating missed/false path detection effects at low SNR. On this occasion, two TOA estimators are compared, namely a strongest path detection scheme through matched filtering and a first path detection scheme relying on high-resolution channel estimation. Finally, we discuss the possibility to generalize the previous model to any kind of on-body link, based on empirical observations regarding the dynamic range of the channel power transfer function under mobility. Accordingly, the resulting final model could integrate basic elements of classification, such as the instantaneous LOS/NLOS and static/dynamic link status.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been carried out in the frame of the CORMORAN project, which is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under the contract number ANR-11-INFR-010.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEA-Leti Minatec Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Cedex 09 Grenoble, France

    Jihad Hamie, Benoit Denis & Raffaele D’Errico

  2. Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis/UMR CNRS 6525, Parc Valrose, 06108, Cedex 2 Nice, France

    Cedric Richard

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  1. Jihad Hamie
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  2. Benoit Denis
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  3. Raffaele D’Errico
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  4. Cedric Richard
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Correspondence to Jihad Hamie.

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Hamie, J., Denis, B., D’Errico, R. et al. On-body TOA-based ranging error model for motion capture applications within wearable UWB networks. J Ambient Intell Human Comput 6, 603–612 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-013-0215-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-013-0215-6

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