A method of declaring an emergency condition in a wireless sensor network, the wireless sensor network comprising a plurality of devices including sensors arranged for monitoring at least one living body or other entity, the method comprising steps of: sensing a value of parameter related to the living body by one of the sensors wirelessly transmitting information by said sensor to another device in the network determining existence or non-existence of an emergency condition affecting said living body by using said sensed value or said transmitted information and declaring existence or non-existence of the emergency condition to at least one other device in the network. The determining step may be carried out in any of the sensor, a coordinator of the wireless sensor network, or a central monitor in communication with the coordinator. The declaring step may be performed by setting a frame control field of a frame-based wireless sensor network to a value predefined as denoting an emergency frame. An acknowledgement frame may be used by the recipient to acknowledge receipt of the emergency declaration, after which an emergency procedure is followed. The emergency procedure can involve, for example, increasing the bandwidth allocated to the sensor so as to ensure reliability of subsequent information from the sensor. The method may be applied, for example, to monitoring of patients in a hospital using MBANs operating in accordance with IEEE 802.15.6.一種宣告一無線感測器網路中的一應急條件之方法,該無線感測器網路包含包括被安排成監測至少一生命體或其它實體的感測器之複數裝置,該方法包含以下步驟:感測器中之一感測器感測有關於生命體之一參數值;感測器將資訊無線發射至網路中的另一裝置;藉由使用該感測值或該發射的資訊來判定影響該生命體之一應急條件的存在或不存在;及將該應急條件的存在或不存在向網路中的至少一其它裝置宣告。此判定步驟可於感測器、無線感測器網路的一協調者、或與此協調者通訊之一中央監測器中之任一者中執行。該宣告步驟可藉由將一基於訊框的無線感測器網路之一訊框控制欄位設為預定義為表示一應急訊框之一值而被執行。一確認訊框可被接收端用來確認應急宣告的接收,之後接著是一應急程序。此應急程序可包含,例如,增加分配給感測器的頻寬以便確保感測器之後續資訊的可靠性。本方法例如可被利用在使用依據IEEE 802.15.6而運作之MBAN監測一醫院內的病人。10...協調者11...網路裝置、感測器S11~S16...步驟
