Architecture independent application invocation over a telephony network

A service data point for use in a telephony network, said telephony network having a multiplicity of subscribers, said service data point comprising:

• an application database for storing at least one application therein, each said at least one application having an associated application specific code, and
• downloading means for downloading a respective one of said at least one applications to a given one of said subscribers after said given subscriber inputs an associated application specific code, wherein said at least one applications stored in said application database comprises:
• subscriber specific applications;
• and
• initiate applications for initiating download of applications from one subscriber of the telephony network to another subscriber of the telephony network.

A method for providing a voice/application call over a telephony network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving an application code in the telephony network from a first calling party and receiving a telephone number of a second called party;
• determining whether the first calling party and the second called party have a dual capability of communicating in a voice/application call in the telephony network;
• in response to determining that the parties have the dual capability of communicating in a voice/application call, establishing a trunk connection between the parties;
• determining an application mode associated with the application code, a first mode corresponding to said application residing within the telephony network, and a second mode corresponding to said application being within control of one of the parties to the call;
• in response to determining that the application associated with the application code resides within the telephony network in said first mode, downloading an application associated with the application code from an application database in the telephony network to both the called party and the calling party over the trunk connection;
• and
• in response to determining that the application associated with the application code resides within control of the second called party to a call in said second mode, downloading to the second called party an initiate application that initiates downloading of the application to the other party over the trunk connection.

A method of providing an application in a telephony network, comprising:

• receiving an invoke message with an application code in a signaling system of the telephony network;
• determining whether the application code is a specific code associated with an application;
• in response to determining that the application code is not a specific code, obtaining the specific code associated with the application;
• retrieving the application associated with the specific code in an application database in the telephony network;
• and
• transmitting the application for downloading to subscribers to the telephony network, wherein said step of transmitting the application for downloading to subscribers to the telephony network comprises the step of transmitting one or more signaling messages to a service switching point in the signaling system of the telephony network.

A telephony network for providing simultaneous voice and data calls, comprising:

• a signaling network for providing routing and signaling for said telephony network, said signaling network comprising:
• an application database for storing a plurality of applications;
• and
• a service switching point connected to a plurality of subscribers for receiving, from a calling subscriber, a B number of a called subscriber and an application code corresponding to at least one of said plurality of applications, said service switching point receiving at least one of said applications from said application database, and downloading said at least one application to at least one of said subscribers over a trunk connections, said application facilitating the data portion of said simultaneous voice and data call.