Patent ID: 8396458

Claim:
A wireless end-user device comprising: one or more modems for enabling the end-user device to communicate over at least a first wireless access network; memory configured to store a first service policy to be applied when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over the first wireless access network, the first service policy associated with a first service activity, the first service activity including a data communication associated with a particular application of a plurality of applications on the wireless end-user device; and one or more processors configured to perform the following steps, when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over the first wireless access network: determining that a traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, the traffic flow comprising one or more related data transfers or attempted data transfers, assigning a flow tag to the traffic flow, the flow tag configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first service activity when the traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the traffic flow, monitoring an attempted or successful usage of the first wireless access network associated with the flow tag, the determining, assigning, and monitoring occurring in any order, and after determining that the traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, applying the first service policy to the attempted or successful usage of the first wireless access network.