Patent ID: 8806521

Claim:
A communications system for an aircraft, the communications system comprising an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system and at least one personal electronic device (PED) carried by an aircraft passenger; said aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising: at least one IFE video entertainment source, a plurality of IFE passenger seat displays, at least one IFE wireless transceiver that wirelessly communicates within the aircraft, and at least one IFE controller for selectively displaying video from said at least one IFE entertainment source on said plurality of IFE passenger seat displays, for generating a respective unique registration token image on each IFE passenger seat display, and for communicating within the aircraft via said at least one IFE wireless transceiver, wherein each unique registration token image has a unique identification associated therewith and to each respective IFE passenger seat display; said at least one PED comprising: a PED optical sensor, a PED memory for storing an in-flight coupon to be redeemed by the passenger while in-flight, a PED wireless transceiver, a PED controller for communicating directly with said at least one IFE wireless transceiver via said PED wireless transceiver based upon said PED optical sensor sensing the respective unique registration token image so that said PED controller is registered with said at least one IFE controller, said at least one PED that sensed the respective unique registration token image is assigned to the IFE passenger seat display that displayed the respective unique registration token image being sensed, and after registration and assigning, the registered and assigned PED providing the stored in-flight coupon to said at least one IFE controller for redemption.