Patent ID: 8655308

Claim:
A computer implemented method for charging control in a control system of a communications network, the control system comprising a policy manager and a charging system, the method comprising the steps of: at a policy manager, receiving a request for policy regulations for a subscriber, at the charging system, responsive to a stimulus, retrieving subscriber information; and storing said subscriber information in a cache; characterized by: at the policy manager, responsive to the request for policy regulations for the subscriber, providing the stimulus to the charging system to trigger the charging system to pre-emptively retrieve subscriber information in anticipation of the charging system receiving a subsequent authorization request for permission to provide a service to the subscriber; and at the charging system, receiving the subsequent authorization request for permission to provide the service to the subscriber, responsive to receiving the subsequent authorization request directly from an access gateway (AGW) or application server (AS), consulting said subscriber information in said cache to determine charging information; and providing a response to said AGW or AS based on said charging information.