Patent ID: 8775621

Claim:
A method for applying a policy to a service comprising: maintaining, in association with a policy server, a database representing a policy for accessing a plurality of services for a subscriber; each said service including at least one of an identity of a provider of said service and a type of said service; said policy indicating for each said service whether access to said service for said subscriber is permitted; receiving, at a policy enforcement point, a request from a client device operated by said subscriber for access to one of said services; determining, at said policy enforcement point, a type of said service; forwarding said type of service from said policy enforcement point in a format configured for an online or offline charging system; receiving said type of service at said policy server, said policy server configured to emulate said online or offline charging system so as to receive said type of service in said format configured for said online or offline charging system; determining, at said policy server, whether said request complies with said policy; forwarding, from said policy server to said policy enforcement point, in said format configured for said online or offline charging system, data representing an instruction to said policy enforcement point to either permit or deny said client device to access said service according to said policy.