Patent ID: 9603058
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04M,H04W

Claim:
1. A method for initiating a session, the method comprising: at a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) node: determining, independent of contact from a service node, that the service node requires policy information after receiving a credit control request (CCR) from a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) associated with an Internet protocol (IP) connectivity access network (CAN) session involving the service node, wherein the determining that the service node requires policy information further comprises determining that the service node requires policy information based on the IP CAN session involving the service node, wherein the service node is a DPI node; and in response to determining that the service node requires policy information, communicating a session independent trigger message from the PCRF node to the service node, wherein the trigger message is sent prior to a session being established between the PCRF node and the service node, wherein the trigger message triggers the service node to initiate a session with the PCRF node to obtain the policy information from the PCRF node, wherein the trigger message includes an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with the PCRF node, wherein after receiving the trigger message and initiating the session, the service node obtains the policy information from the PCRF node.