MOBILE RADIO COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANAGING CONNECTIVITY STATUS FOR THE SAME

1 . A method of managing connection status for a server device within a mobile radio communications device, the mobile radio communications device including a local client/server pair, the method including the steps of:

receiving an indication of a change of connection status for a local client/server pair, wherein said change of connection status is a change to a state in which the server is listening for a connection from a remote client, or receiving an indication of a change of network status;

processing the received indication to discriminate between said change of connection status and said change of network status;

generating, in response to said processing, a client/server status signal when a change of connection status for the local client/server pair occurs, the generated client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from the remote client, and generating a different status signal when a change of network status occurs; and

sending the generated client/server status signal and/or said different status signal to the server device.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when an indication of a change of connection status for the local client/server pair is received, said processing step determines the nature of said change; and said generation step generates a corresponding client/server status signal in dependence on a result of said determination.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the client/server status signal indicating the server is listening for a connection from the remote client is generated prior to the remote client sending a request.

4 . The method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein a client/server status signal indicating the client/server pair is connected is generated after a remote client sends a request.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said client/server status signal indicating the client/server pair is connected is generated subsequent to the client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from a remote client.

6 . A mobile radio communications device for communicating with a network, the device comprising: a local client/server pair; and a device for managing connection status of a server device for a channel between said server device and the local client/server pair;

wherein said managing device is configured for:

receiving an indication of a change of connection status for a local client/server pair, wherein said change of connection status is a change to a state in which the server is listening for a connection from a remote client, or receiving an indication of a change of network status;

processing the received indication to discriminate between said change of connection status and said change of network status;

generating, in response to said processing, a client/server status signal when a change of connection status for the local client/server pair occurs, the generated client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from the remote client, and generating a different status signal when a change of network status occurs; and

sending the generated client/server status signal and/or said different status signal to the server device.

7 . The device as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a smartcard server device.

8 . The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said client/server pair is a transport connection protocol client/server pair.

9 . The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said managing device is configured for:

processing a received indication of a change of connection status for the local client/server pair to determine the nature of said change; and

generating a corresponding client/server status signal in dependence on said determination.

10 . The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the managing device is configured such that the client/server status signal indicating the server is listening for a connection from the remote client is generated prior to a remote client sending a request.

11 . The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the managing device is configured such that a client/server status signal indicating the client/server pair is connected is generated after the remote client sends a request.

12 . The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the managing device is configured such that said client/server status signal indicating the client/server pair is connected is generated subsequent to the client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from the remote client.

13 . A server device for use with a mobile radio communications device, the server device comprising:

a first device for establishing a channel with a local client/server pair of the mobile radio communications device;

a second device for receiving a client/server status signal from the mobile radio communications device when a change of connection status for the local client/server pair occurs, the client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from the remote client, and for receiving a different status signal from the mobile radio communications device when a change of network status occurs;

a third device for processing the received status signal to discriminate between said client/server status signal and said different status signal; and

a fourth device for maintaining the channel when said client/server status signal is received.

14 . The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said second device is configured to receive a subsequent client/server signal indicating that the client/server pair is connected; and

said server device comprises a fifth device for exchanging data over said channel after receipt of said client/server signal indicating the client/server pair is connected.

15 . A method performed in a server device for managing communication with a mobile radio communications device, the method including the steps of:

establishing a channel with a local client/server pair of the mobile radio communications device;

receiving a client/server status signal from the mobile radio communications device, the client/server status signal indicating that the server is listening for a connection from the remote client, wherein the status signal is a client/server status signal generated in response to a change in client/server status or receiving a different status signal generated in response to a change in network status;

processing the received status signal to discriminate between said client/server status signal and said different status signal; and

maintaining the channel when said processing indicates a client/server status signal is received.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said receiving step comprises receiving a subsequent client/server signal indicating that the client/server pair is connected; and wherein said method further comprises exchanging data over said channel after receipt of said client/server signal indicating that the client/server pair is connected.