Sensor-based augmentation of blockage recovery

1. A method for improving long-term blockage recovery of a communications signal, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a blockage source using at least one application-specific sensor, said at least one application-specific sensor comprising a proximity sensor;

ascertaining time spent in blockage; and

predicting a likely blockage recovery interval from an output of the at least one application-specific sensor.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising combining information obtained from at least one application-specific sensor with the time spent in the blockage and predicting a likely blockage recovery interval.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor directly measures the source of the blockage.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor detects when static blockage conditions are likely to change.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises an accelerometer.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises a vehicle ignition sensor.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining whether blockage is short-term or long-term.

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of monitoring the blockage source using a plurality of application-specific sensors.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of application-specific sensors is a mixture of proximity sensors, ignition sensors and accelerometers.

10. A method for predicting a likely long-term communications signal blockage recovery interval, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a signal is blocked;

assuming that the signal blockage is short term, determining whether the signal is still blocked but may still be considered a short-term blockage;

sampling the communications signal at a higher rate;

using at least one application-specific sensor which comprises a proximity sensor, detecting whether the short-term blockage may be considered detected long-term blockage;

assuming detected long-term blockage, sampling the communications signal at a lower rate;

returning to a higher rate and periodic communications signal sampling once removal of the source of blockage has been detected;

assuming the short-term blockage is still present, determining whether the blockage may now be considered undetected long-term blockage;

assuming undetected long-term blockage, sampling the communications signal at a lower rate;

returning to a higher rate and periodic communications signal sampling upon detection by the at least one application-specific sensor that static blockage conditions are likely to change; and

acquiring the detected signal from periodic sampling.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises an accelerometer.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises an ignition sensor.

13. A communication device for communicating over a signal and for recovering from a blockage in the signal, the communication device comprising:

an antenna for communicating over the signal;

at least one application-specific sensor, comprising a proximity sensor, for monitoring a source of the blockage in the signal;

a power source for the communication device; and

a processor, in communication with the antenna, the at least one application-specific sensor, and the power source, for predicting a likely blockage recovery interval from an output of the at least one application-specific sensor.

14. The communication device according to claim 13 , wherein the processor predicts the likely blockage recovery interval further in accordance with time spent in blockage.

15. The communication device according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises an acceleration sensor.

16. The communication device according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one application-specific sensor further comprises an ignition sensor.

17. The communication device according to claim 16 , wherein the ignition sensor comprises a connection to a vehicle electrical system.

18. The communication device according to claim 17 , wherein the connection is over a cable harness.