Virtual private network for mobile subscribers

• US 6,029,067 A
• Filed: 07/12/1996
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pfundstein, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US08/679,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/461, 455/463, 455/518, 455/519, 455/416, 455/414, 455/554, 455/555, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

To install a virtual private network (VN) within a given mobile-radio network (MRN), a facility is proposed which is connected to the base stations (BS) and controls the establishment and release of calls between mobile subscribers (MS1. . . MSX) assigned to the coverage area of the base stations, and a data base (HLR) connected to the facility, which contains a subscriber data set (DS) for each of said mobile subscribers with a first logic data set (LDS) for registering them as subscribers of the mobile-radio network. Each of some of these mobile subscribers (MS1, MS2, MS3) has a second logic data set (LDS-VN) for registering them as subscribers of a virtual private network. In this way, in addition to the data set (LDS) allowing access to the mobile-radio network (MRN) as such, the invention adds to the subscriber data set in the existing data base (HLR) a further data set (LDS-VN), which enables a mobile subscriber to access a virtual private network (VPN). Essentially this only requires taking steps in the mobile-radio software area, whereby the installation of one or several virtual private networks can be very easily accomplished. The implementation of an intelligent network which is superimposed on the mobile-radio network can be omitted.

Claims

1. A mobile-radio network (MRN) comprising

at least one base station (BS),

a facility (MSC) connected therewith for controlling establishment and release of calls between mobile subscribers (MS1, MS2, MS3, MSX) assigned to the coverage area of the at least one base station (BS), and

a data base (HLR) connected to the facility (MSC),

wherein

the data base (HLR) contains for each of said mobile subscribers (MS1, MS2, MS3, MSX) a first subscriber data set (DS) having a first logic data set (LDS) associated therewith for registering said mobile subscribers as subscribers of the mobile-radio network;

the subscriber data set (DS) for at least some of said mobile subscribers (MS1, MS2, MS3) has a second logic data set (LDS-VN) associated therewith for registering said at least some of said mobile subscribers as subscribers of a virtual private network (VN);

the data base (HLR) creates the second logic data set (LDS-VN) in such a way that the structure of the second logic data set corresponds to the first logic data set (LDS);

each of the first and second logic data sets (LDS, LDS-VN) contains a service list (SSL) with service codes (CFU, BOIC) which identify subscriber services, and

the second logic data set (LDS-VN) contains a further service code (VN-OPT) different from said service codes to activate said second logic data set (LDS-VN) within the first subscriber data set (DS).

2. A mobile-radio network (MRN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the further service code (VN-OPT) is assigned a number (VNCHRN) which contains code digits (DIF, VNSRV, VNPX, EXT) for identifying service features (DIF, VNSRV) of the virtual private network (VN) and for identifying (VNPX, EXT) the mobile subscriber (MS3) as a subscriber of said virtual private network.