Patent ID: 8359026

Claim:
A system for enabling and disabling wireless communication between a user operated wireless device located inside of an mobile platform, and a wireless access point located remotely from said mobile platform, the system comprising: electromagnetic shielding included on a body of the mobile platform to inhibit the communication of wireless signals from a remote source through the body and into a passenger area of the mobile platform; a first antenna disposed within an interior area of said mobile platform for communicating exclusively with said user operated wireless device; a second antenna disposed on an exterior surface of said mobile platform, and used exclusively for establishing a wireless communications link between said user operated wireless device and said remotely located wireless access point; a switch coupled directly between said first antenna and said second antenna for selectively enabling and disabling communication between said first and second antennas; an on-board network operated independently of the user operated wireless device, independently of the first antenna and independently of the second antenna, and also being inaccessible by the user operated wireless device; a third antenna for use exclusively with the on-board network, and used for enabling communications concerning performance of a plurality of mobile platform sensors between the on-board network and at least one transponded satellite; and the switch being responsive to an external component associated with the mobile platform to interrupt a connection between the first and second antennas in response to a signal from the external component.