Patent ID: 7548533

Claim:
An interface device for a communication network within an aircraft having a plurality of first communication nodes arranged in a fuselage of the aircraft and a plurality of second communication nodes disposed in the fuselage of the aircraft, the interface device comprising: a switching unit; and a transmit-/receive aerial disposed in the fuselage of the aircraft, wherein the transmit-/receive aerial is divided into a transmit aerial for wireless transmission of signals to the plurality of the second communication nodes and into a receive aerial, provided separately from the transmit aerial, for wireless receiving of signals from the plurality of second communication nodes; wherein the switching unit is capable of coupling to each of the plurality of the first communication nodes and to each of the plurality of the second communication nodes, and is configured for transmitting a communication message between one of the plurality of the first communication nodes and one of the plurality of second communication nodes, allocated to the one of the plurality of first communication nodes; wherein the switching unit is coupled to the transmit aerial and the receive aerial for wireless communication with each of the plurality of the second communication nodes using the transmit-/receive aerial shared for communicating with each of the plurality of the second communication nodes, and the transmit aerial and the receive aerial are capable of communicating simultaneously with each of the plurality of the second communication nodes.