Method and apparatus for VOIP roaming

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring a user data profile from a user's home terminal to a visiting terminal is disclosed. User or network configuration settings are transferred from a home telephony adapter to a visiting telephony adapter. In accordance with one embodiment, a computer readable medium, such as a flash drive is inserted into the home telephony adapter and, either with or without authentication, user or network configuration settings are transferred from the home telephony adapter to the medium. In another embodiment, the medium is then inserted into the visiting telephony adapter.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a visiting telephony adapter having a universal serial bus port:
 for receiving an authentication before receiving user profile data; 
 for receiving the user profile data from a universal serial bus memory device, wherein the user profile data comprises a telephone number associated with a home telephony adapter, a first setting for a call forwarding feature, a second setting for a caller identification feature, a third setting for a call waiting feature, and a fourth setting for a three-way calling feature, wherein the home telephony adapter is for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device after receiving an authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device, wherein the authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device comprises a password; 
 for transmitting a registration message to a call control element, the registration message comprising a request to associate the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter with an internet protocol address associated with the visiting telephony adapter, wherein the registration message is for causing a network configuration setting to be transferred to the visiting telephony adapter; and 
 for receiving the forwarded telephone call, wherein the forwarded telephone call was destined for the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the call control element is:
 for authenticating the registration message; and 
 for associating the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter with the Internet protocol address associated with the visiting telephony adapter. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the home telephony adapter is geographically separated from the visiting telephony adapter. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user profile data further comprises at least one of:
 a fifth setting for a ring tone selection feature, a sixth setting for a display feature, and a seventh setting for a telephone book information feature. 
 
     
     
       5. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a visiting telephony adapter having a universal serial bus port, an authentication before receiving user profile data; 
 receiving, by the visiting telephony adapter, the user profile data from a universal serial bus memory device, wherein the user profile data comprises a telephone number associated with a home telephony adapter, a first setting for a call forwarding feature, a second setting for a caller identification feature, a third setting for a call waiting feature, and a fourth setting for a three-way calling feature, wherein the home telephony adapter is for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device after receiving an authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device, wherein the authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device comprises a password; 
 transmitting, by the visiting telephony adapter, a registration message to a call control element, the registration message comprising a request to associate the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter with an internet protocol address associated with the visiting telephony adapter, wherein the registration message is for causing a network configuration setting to be transferred to the visiting telephony adapter; and 
 receiving, by the visiting telephony adapter, the forwarded telephone call, wherein the forwarded telephone call was destined for the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the home telephony adapter is geographically separated from the visiting telephony adapter. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the call control element is for:
 authenticating the registration message; and 
 associating the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter with the internet protocol address associated with the visiting telephony adapter. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the registration message further comprises authentication information and wherein the authenticating the registration message is based on the authentication information. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user profile data further comprises at least one of:
 a fifth setting for a ring tone selection feature, a sixth setting for a display feature, and a seventh setting for a telephone book information feature. 
 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operation for receiving user profile data by a visiting telephony adapter having a universal serial bus port, the operations comprising:
 receiving an authentication before receiving the user profile data; 
 receiving the user profile data from a universal serial bus memory device, wherein the user profile data comprises a telephone number associated with a home telephony adapter, a first setting for a call forwarding feature, a second setting for a caller identification feature, a third setting for a call waiting feature, and a fourth setting for a three-way calling feature, wherein the home telephony adapter is for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device after receiving an authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device, wherein the authentication for transferring the user profile data to the universal serial bus memory device comprises a password; 
 transmitting a registration message to a call control element, wherein the registration message comprises a request to associate the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter with an internet protocol address associated with the visiting telephony adapter, wherein the registration message is for causing a network configuration setting to be transferred to the visiting telephony adapter; and 
 receiving the forwarded telephone call, wherein the forwarded telephone call was destined for the telephone number associated with the home telephony adapter. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the user profile data further comprises at least one of:
 a fifth setting for a ring tone selection feature, a sixth setting for a display feature, and a seventh setting for a telephone book information feature. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting the registration message causes the visiting telephony adapter to be registered in a network and informs the network that the first setting, the second setting, the third setting and the fourth setting are maintained. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the network comprises a voice over internet protocol network. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the home telephony adapter is geographically separated from the visiting telephony adapter.