Increasing number of ageing population and people who need continuous health monitoring and rising the costs of health care have triggered the concept of the novel wireless technology-driven human body monitoring. Human body monitoring can be performed using a network of small and intelligent wireless medical sensors which may be attached to the body surface or implanted into the tissues. It enables carers to predict, diagnose, and react to adverse events earlier than ever. The concept of Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) was introduced to fully exploit the benefits of wireless technologies in telemedicine and m-health. The main focus of this research is the design and performance evaluation of strategies and architectures that would allow seamless and efficient interconnection of patient’s body area network and the stationary (e.g., hospital room or ward) wireless networks. I first introduce the architecture of a healthcare system which bridges WBANs and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). I adopt IEEE 802.15.6 standard for the patient’s body network because it is specifically designed for WBANs. Since IEEE 802.15.6 has strict Quality of Service (QoS) and priorities to transfer the medical data to the medical server a QoS-enabled WLAN for the next hop is needed to preserve the end-to-end QoS. IEEE 802.11e standard is selected for the WLAN in the hospital room or ward because it provides prioritization for the stations in the network. I investigate in detail the requirements posed by different healthcare parameters and to analyze the performance of various alternative interconnection strategies, using the rigorous mathematical apparatus of Queuing Theory and Probabilistic Analysis; these results are independently validated through discrete event simulation models. This thesis has three main parts; performance evaluation and MAC parameters settings of IEEE 802.11e Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), performance evaluation and tuning the MAC parameters of IEEE 802.15.6, and designing a seamless and efficient interconnection strategy which bridges IEEE 802.11e EDCA and IEEE 802.15.6 standards for a healthcare system.

Metamaterials are humanly engineered artificial electromagnetic materials which produce electromagnetic properties that are unusual, yet can be observed readily in nature. These unconventional properties are not a result of the material composition but rather of the structure formed. The objective of this thesis is to investigate and design smaller and wideband metamaterial-inspired antennas for personal communication applications, especially for WiMAX, lower band and higher band WLAN applications. These antennas have been simulated using HFSS Structure Simulator and CST Microwave Studio software. The first design to be analysed is a low-profile metamaterial-inspired CPW-Fed monopole antenna for WLAN applications. The antenna is based on a simple strip loaded with a rectangular patch incorporating a zigzag E-shape metamaterial-inspired unit cell to enable miniaturization effect. Secondly, a physically compact, CSRR loaded monopole antenna with DGS has been proposed for WiMAX/WLAN operations. The introduction of CSRR induces frequency at lower WLAN 2.45 GHz band while the DGS has provided bandwidth enhancement in WiMAX and upper WLAN frequency bands, keeping the radiation pattern stable. The next class of antenna is a compact cloud-shaped monopole antenna consisting of a staircase-shaped DGS has been proposed for UWB operation ranges from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. The novel shaped antenna along with carefully designed DGS has resulted in a positive gain throughout the operational bandwidth. Finally, a quad-band, CPW-Fed metamaterial-inspired antenna with CRLH-TL and EBG is designed for multi-band: Satellite, LTE, WiMAX and WLAN.

Abstract The contemporary information age is equipped with rich and affordable telecommunication services. In the future, people have even more flexibility when true wireless Internet and real-time multimedia are provided seamlessly over heterogeneous wireless networks. Optimally combining the capacity and services of the current and emerging networks requires a holistic view of mobility, resource and service management. This thesis contributes to the research and development of these hybrid systems with three main contributions. Firstly, a system architecture for vertical handoff in location-aware heterogeneous wireless networks is proposed. The proposed architecture enables the mobile node to prepare for approaching vertical handoffs and wake-up a hotspot interface. The needed communication procedures are discussed, and inter-related issues of mobility and geolocation information are considered in proportion to usability, advantages and limitations. Secondly, a framework for the analysis of vertical handoff algorithm sensitivity to various mobility parameters including velocity, handoff delay and dwell time is introduced. Handoff smoothing with a dwell-timer is analyzed as one potential scheme for optimizing vertical handoff locally. It is compared to a power based algorithm to find out its sensitivity to the changes in effective data rates, velocity of the terminal and the amount of handoff delay. The analysis focuses on the transition region, having case studies on both moving-in and moving-out scenarios. An optimal value for dwell-timer is found through simulations, showing a performance gain over power based algorithm as a function of mean throughput. The analysis is extended also to a multiple network scenario. Thirdly, experimental results on the behaviour of protocols used in wireless IP networks are presented. Prototype systems demonstrate results of using Mobile IP with a fuzzy logic algorithm for vertical handoff in a heterogeneous network environment and the role of IPv6 when using a voice application in a wireless LAN environment. Latest contributions include developing plug-and-play middleware functionalities for Symbian mobile devices, extending the use of the earlier results to state-of-the-art mobile devices.

Wireless devices search for access points when they want to connect to a network. A devicechooses an access point based on the received signal strength between the device and theaccess point. That method is good for staying connected in a local area network but it doesnot always offer the best performance, which can result in a slower connection. This is thestandard method of connection for wireless clients, which will be referred to as the standardprotocol. Larger networks commonly have a lot of access points in an area, which increasesthe coverage area and makes loss of signal a rare occurrence. Overlapping coverage zonesare also common, offering multiple choices for a client. The company Inteno wanted an alternativeconnection method for their gateways. The new method that was developed wouldforce the client to connect to an access point depending on the bitrate to the master, as wellas the received signal strength. These factors are affected by many different parameters.These parameters were noise, signal strength, link-rate, bandwidth usage and connectiontype. A new metric had to be introduced to make the decision process easier by unifying theavailable parameters. The new metric that was introduced is called score. A score system wascreated based on these metrics. The best suited access point would be the one with the highestscore. The developed protocol chose the gateway with the highest bitrate available, while thestandard protocol would invariably pick the closest gateway regardless. The developed protocolcould have been integrated to the standard protocol to gain the benefits of both. Thiscould not be accomplished since the information was not easily accessible on Inteno’s gatewaysand had to be neglected in this thesis. / Trådlösa enheter söker efter accesspunkt när de vill ansluta till ett nätverk. En enhet väljer enaccesspunkt beroende på den mottagna signalstyrkan mellan enheten och accesspunkten.Denna metod medför en stabil uppkoppling i ett lokalt nätverk, men medför inte alltid bästamöjliga prestanda, vilket kan resultera i en långsammare anslutning till Internet. Detta ärstandard uppkopplings metod för trådlösa klienter, vilket kommer refereras som standardprotokollen. Större nätverk har vanligtvis en mängd olika accesspunkter i ett område, vilketgör att signalstyrkan sällan förloras. Överlappande täckningsområden är också vanliga ochger en klient flera alternativa accesspunkter att välja mellan. Företaget Inteno ville tacklaproblemet genom att skapa en ny anslutningsmetod för deras nätverksnoder. Den nya metodenskulle tvinga klienter att ansluta sig till en accesspunkt beroende på bithastigheten mothuvudnoden, så väl som den mottagna signalstyrkan. Faktorerna påverkas av många olikaparametrar. Parametrarna var, brus, signalstyrka, länkhastighet, dataanvändning och anslutningstyp.Ett nytt mått behövde införas för att göra beslutsprocessen enklare, genom att förenade tillgängliga parametrarna. Det nya måttet som infördes var poäng. Ett poängsystemskapades och baserades på de önskade värdena. Den accesspunkten med högst poäng erbjödden bästa uppkopplingen till huvudnoden. Det utvecklade protokollet valde nätverksnodenmed den högsta överföringshastighet som var tillgänglig, medan standardprotokollet alltidvalde den närmaste nätverksnoden utan hänsyn till andra faktorer. Den utvecklade protokolletkunde ha integrerats med standardprotokollet för att utnyttja fördelarna av bägge protokollen.Detta var inte möjligt eftersom informationen inte var lättåtkomlig på Intenos nätverksnoderoch fick försummas i avhandlingen.

Metamaterials are humanly engineered artificial electromagnetic materials which produce electromagnetic properties that are unusual, yet can be observed readily in nature. These unconventional properties are not a result of the material composition but rather of the structure formed. The objective of this thesis is to investigate and design smaller and wideband metamaterial-inspired antennas for personal communication applications, especially for WiMAX, lower band and higher band WLAN applications. These antennas have been simulated using HFSS Structure Simulator and CST Microwave Studio software. The first design to be analysed is a low-profile metamaterial-inspired CPW-Fed monopole antenna for WLAN applications. The antenna is based on a simple strip loaded with a rectangular patch incorporating a zigzag E-shape metamaterial-inspired unit cell to enable miniaturization effect. Secondly, a physically compact, CSRR loaded monopole antenna with DGS has been proposed for WiMAX/WLAN operations. The introduction of CSRR induces frequency at lower WLAN 2.45 GHz band while the DGS has provided bandwidth enhancement in WiMAX and upper WLAN frequency bands, keeping the radiation pattern stable. The next class of antenna is a compact cloud-shaped monopole antenna consisting of a staircase-shaped DGS has been proposed for UWB operation ranges from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. The novel shaped antenna along with carefully designed DGS has resulted in a positive gain throughout the operational bandwidth. Finally, a quad-band, CPW-Fed metamaterial-inspired antenna with CRLH-TL and EBG is designed for multi-band: Satellite, LTE, WiMAX and WLAN.

Libyan Ministry of Higher Education. / The full text will be available at the end of the embargo: 28th Nov 2024 / Subtitle: Simulation and Measurement of Reconfigurable Antennas for Cognitive Radio, UWB Applications, Investigation of Antenna Gain and Efficiency, Frequency Tuneable Range, Antenna Radiation Performance and Antenna Design Optimization using Parametric Studies as well as using MIMO antenna for wireless body area networks

The rapidly growing demand for UWB as high data rates wireless communications technology, since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated the bandwidth of UWB from 3.1GHz to 10.6 GHz. Antenna also plays an essential role in UWB system. However, there are some difficulties in designing UWB antenna as compared to narrowband antenna. The primary requirement of UWB antennas is be able to operate over frequencies released by the FCC. Moreover, the satisfaction of radiation properties and good time domain performance over the entire frequency range are also necessary. In this thesis, designing and analysing printed crescent shape monopole antenna, Planar Inverted F-L Antenna (PIFLA) and Planar Inverted FF Antenna (PIFFA) are focused. A Planar Inverted FF Antenna (PIFFA) can be created to reduce the potential for interference between a UWB system and other communications protocols by using spiral slot. The antennas exhibits broadside directional pattern. The performances such as return loss, radiation pattern and current distribution of the UWB antennas are extensively investigated and carried out. All the results have been demonstrated using simulation and experimentally whereby all results satisfy the performance under - 10dB point in the bandwidth of UWB. In addition the miniaturization of MIMO/diversity Planar Inverted-F antenna (PIFA) which is suitable for pattern diversity in UWB applications is presented. This antenna assembly is formed by two identical PIFAs, a T-shaped decoupling structure which connects the two PIFAs and a finite ground plane with a total compact envelope dimension of 50 x 90 x 7.5mm³. The radiation performance of the proposed MIMO antenna was quite encouraging and provided an acceptable agreement between the computed and measured envelope correlation coefficient and channel capacity loss.

藉由研究無線通信產業標準的制訂過程與主流標準的形成機制，本研究探討過去有關影響產業標準建立的文獻與個案，提出系統發展過程中，各影響因素扮演的角色與提供的功能，以瞭解在無線通信產業中，影響一標準脫穎而出成為市場主流的關鍵因素。本研究主要的研究發現如下： 一、政府的政策對標準後續發展相當重要，若政府態度是採開放競爭，則將在境內形成多種標準競爭而耗掉大部分能量，未來在標準向外推展上較吃虧。反之政府若能主導統一標準，常能使相關資源更集中焦點來發展單一標準，未來對外推展上較能成功。 二、協會能否發揮協商能力，使各業者提出之標準能相結合，是主流標準形成之關鍵之一，協會若能使各業者放棄成見，取得共識形成單一標準將有助於標準之發展。 三、對標準主導者而言，若能成為主流標準確實擁有很多潛在利益，為爭取標準的支持度，便會有很多遊說及策略聯盟產生，若能取得越多成員支持，常較能形成主流標準，因此標準擁有者若能降低權利金門檻，甚至將其免費授權並公開架構，標準成為市場主流之成長速度將會加快。但若成員過於複雜也容易阻礙標準演進的進度。 四、第三代行動電話的應用以多媒體為主，這是相當革命性的嚐試，故能否找到消費者公認的殺手級應用服務（killer application）成為成敗關鍵要素之一。 五、標準形成之發源地需有足夠的經濟規模量的支持，才能累積足夠資源向境外擴展。 六、標準形成在發酵期必須取得單一標準共識，在漸進變化期於境內快速建立成功經驗，並順利將成功複製於境外地區，這個模式較能成功成為主流標準。另在建立標準時需有明確的願景與目標、具國際化的規格設計，才可減少在對外擴展時之障礙。 / This thesis is intended to make explicit the roles played and functions provided by the various factors in the process of system development by means of an investigation of the process of the formation of a wireless communications standard and the mechanism that makes it a dominant. By studying the documents and cases on the factors affecting the establishment of a standard, we have come to recognize six fundamentals that make it stand out as a dominant. These six fundamentals are summarized as follows: 1. The policy made by the government plays an essential part in the further development of the formation of a given standard. If the government adopts an attitude of open competition, then lots of related resources will be wasted on the keen competition between vying forces in the local market, which is, in turn, detrimental to outward expansion. On the contrary, if the government integrates the related resources and helps form a unitary standard, the standard may succeed in opening other markets. 2. The Association is also an important positive contributor in the process of the formation of a unitary standard. The Association should do its best to mediate between each vying standard to reach an agreement and adopt a unitary standard, which is definitely instrumental in the further development. 3. For those who want to direct the formation of a standard and get the tremendous potential profits from it, they will do a lot of lobbying and form strategic alliances to attract more supports for the standard. When succeeding in doing so, the owners of the unitary standard can speed up the growth of its market by lowering the royalty and license limit, or even by opening its architecture with a free authorization. 4. The application of the third-generation cellular phones features multi-media, which is a considerably revolutionary attempt. Therefore, the success of it depends on whether the standard can come up with a killer application that appeals to consumers. 5. The local market from which the standard originates should be big enough to support it, so the standard can stand firm on the strong basis and reach out for other markets. 6. The formation of a standard should be based on an agreement of a unitary standard at the ferment stage. And at the transition stage, it should build up a successful experience as soon as possible in the local market and then successfully duplicate the model in the international ones. Besides, a definite goal and a clear vision as well as internationalized regulations and designs all contribute to lifting the barriers in its expanding outwards.

No description available.

[pt] O crescimento da Internet, tanto do ponto de vista do número de usuários como dos serviços oferecidos, e o rápido progresso da tecnologia de comunicação sem fio, tornou possível uma demanda crescente por sistemas sem fios que permitam o acesso a Internet. Porém, um dos principais fatores desafiadores para o desenvolvimento desta nova forma de acesso é a mobilidade das estações móveis. A fim de resolver todos os problemas relacionados à introdução da mobilidade nesta nova forma de acesso, a Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) através de pesquisas definiu o Mobile IP como o protocolo padrão para esse novo cenário. Embora este protocolo receba inúmeras contribuições que visam melhorar o seu desempenho tanto nas questões de handoff e de segurança dos registros dos usuários, este protocolo não recebe a mesma atenção para a questão da falha dos seus Agentes de Mobilidade. Estes agentes suportam as conexões das estações móveis integrando as redes sem fio com as redes IP amplamente difundida. Portanto, o objetivo desta dissertação é apresentar uma proposta de tolerância à falha dos Agentes de Mobilidade a fim de contribuir nesta linha de pesquisa. / [en] The growth of the Internet, as much of the point of view of the number of users as of the offered services, and the fast progress of the wireless communication technology, it became possible a demand for wireless systems that allow the access the Internet. However, one of the main challenging factors for the development this new access way is the mobility of the mobile stations. In order to solve all of the problems related to the introduction of the mobility in this new access form, the Internet Engineering Task Forces (IETF) through researches it defined Mobile IP as the standard protocol for that new scenery. Although this protocol receives countless contributions that seek to improve it so much acting in the handoff subjects and of safety of the users' registrations, this protocol doesn't receive the same attention for the subject of the fault of their Mobility Agents. These agents support the connections of the mobile stations integrating the wireless networks with IP netowrks spread. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation is to present a proposal of fault tolerance of the Mobility Agents in order to contribute in this research line.