Virtual private network for mobile subscribers

A facility which is connectable to at least one base station within a mobile-radio network and which controls establishment and release of calls between mobile subscriber terminals assigned to the coverage area of the at least one base station, comprising

• a data base which contains, for each of said mobile subscribers, a subscriber data set having a first logic data set associated therewith for registering said mobile subscribers as subscribers of the mobile-radio network and having a respective second logic data set associated therewith for each of at least some of said mobile subscribers for registering said at least some of said mobile subscribers as subscribers of a virtual private network having access to additional services not available to mobile subscribers not designated as virtual private network subscribers, the structure of the second logic data set corresponding to the structure of the first logic data set;
• and wherein
• the data base is a home location register (HLR) which administers the mobile subscribers both as subscribers of the mobile radio network (MRN) and as subscribers of the virtual private network, based upon identifying data (IMSI) read from an authorization card in each mobile subscriber terminal and transmitted to said at least one base station, whereby a subscriber can transfer said subscriber-identifying data by removing said authorization card from a first terminal and inserting said authorization card into a second terminal.

A data base (HLR) connectable within a mobile-radio network (MRN) to a facility (MSC) which is connected to at least one base station (BS) and which controls establishment and release of calls between mobile subscriber terminals (MS1, MS2, MS3, MSX) assigned to the coverage area of the at least one base station (BS),

• 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, and
• 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 them as subscribers of a virtual private network (VN) having access to additional services not available to mobile subscribers not designated as virtual private network subscribers, the structure of the second logic data set corresponding to the structure of the first logic data set;
• and wherein
• the data base is a home location register (HLR) which administers the mobile subscribers both as subscribers of the mobile radio network (MRN) and as subscribers of the virtual private network, based upon identifying data (IMSI) read from an authorization card in each subscriber terminal and transmitted to said base station, whereby a subscriber can transfer said subscriber-identifying data by removing said authorization card from a first terminal and inserting said authorization card into a second terminal.