Wearable Computing

8Integration of Body Sensor Networks and Building Networks

8.1 Introduction

This chapter provides a research‐ and technical‐oriented perspective on the integration of body sensor networks (BSNs) and Building Networks (BNs), which are based on wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs). The aim of this integration is twofold: (i) supporting indoor wearable computing based on BSNs through a data collection and provision infrastructure offered by BNs and (ii) seamlessly including data coming from BSNs into WSAN‐based infrastructures like BNs. This integration would therefore enable the construction of human‐centered smart environments ranging from smart buildings to fully automated ambient‐assisted living contexts. After providing some fundamentals on BNs, and presenting the motivations and challenges related to the BSN/BN integration, the chapter focuses on the definition of the integration layers according to a networking‐based approach. We will then discuss and compare the state‐of‐the‐art about BSN/WSN integration with respect to the defined layers. Finally, the chapter presents an agent‐oriented gateway for the integration of BSNs, based on SPINE (see Chapter 3), and BNs, based on the Building Management Framework. Moreover, a set of diverse human‐centered smart environments that can be supported through the proposed gateway and, more generally, through BSN/WSN integration is also enumerated.

8.2 Background

8.2.1 Building Sensor Networks and Systems

A wireless sensor network (WSN) ...