Indoor off-body wireless communication using static zero-elevation beamforming on front and back textile antenna arrays

Off-body wireless communication systems may be life saving for rescue workers operating in an indoor environment. A system including antennas and sensors integrated into their garment allows communication of vital measurement data to a base station in order to improve the safety and security of the rescue workers and the coordination of their intervention in general. The indoor propagation environment introduces space and time varying channel behavior, including fading, shadowing and non-constant path loss. Specifically for off-body wireless communication links, the movements of the person wearing the communication system will create altering shadowing by the human body, as well as antenna reorientation.