METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVELY MONITORING PERSONAL CELLULAR DEVICES AND CONTROLLING ACCESS TO A CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK WITHIN AN AIRBORNE MOBILE PLATFORM

摘要

A system and method for monitoring and controlling the use of wireless personal electronic devices (PEDs), for example cellular devices, on board an aircraft during various phases of operation of the aircraft. The system uses a picocell associated with an on-board cellular system to detect all cellular devices that are turned on while they are inside the aircraft. Those cellular devices that are operating during restricted phases of flight where the use of cellular devices is not permitted are reported to a cellular monitoring/control system and logged into a blacklisted cellular devices file. Any device being logged in the blacklisted cellular devices file is thereafter prevented from using the on-board cellular system during those phases of flight where such use would otherwise be permitted. The cellular monitoring/control system may be in communication with an aircraft avionics system to better assist it in determining when one phase of flight has ended and a new phase of flight of the aircraft has begun, to thus automatically determine when certain phases of flight have begun during which use of cellular devices is permitted or not permitted.