Patent ID: 7328012

Claim:
An aircraft communications system comprising: at least one portable wireless communications device positioned within the aircraft, including a transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications signals; a wireless local area network (LAN) access point positioned within the aircraft that receives and transmits wireless communications signals with the at least one portable wireless communications device; a control panel operatively connected to the wireless LAN access point and positioned within the flight deck of the aircraft and controlled by a flight deck crew wherein said wireless LAN access point is integrated within said control panel; and a communications transceiver operative with the control panel and wireless LAN access point and operative for receiving and transmitting a communications signal between the wireless LAN access point and a ground based transceiver, wherein said control panel further comprises an aural or visual alert circuit operative to indicate that a user of the at least one portable wireless communications device is transmitting a signal to the wireless LAN access point and desires communication with a crew member of the flight deck and a push-to-talk circuit operative for initiating communication between a user of the at least one portable wireless communications device and flight deck, wherein communications between the at least one portable wireless communications device and ground based transceiver through the wireless LAN access point is actuated after activation of the visual alert circuit and push-to-talk circuit at the control panel within the flight deck.