Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Asakura

Hirotaka Asakura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20180288820
    Abstract: A communication device may shift an operation state of the communication device from a specific state to a G/O state in a case where a first wireless connection via a first wireless interface is established with a first external device under a situation where the operation state of the communication device is the specific state and predetermined information is received from the first external device using the first wireless connection, and after the operation state of the communication device has shifted to the G/O state in response to receiving the predetermined information from the first external device, establish a second wireless connection via a second wireless interface with the first external device so as to cause the first external device to participate as a client in a first wireless network in which the communication device operates as a G/O.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Shibata, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Patent number: 10091284
    Abstract: A communication apparatus may include a first wireless interface and a second wireless interface configured to establish a first type of wireless connection with an external apparatus, the first type of wireless connection being a connection where the communication apparatus operates as a client and the external apparatus operates as a server. The second wireless interface may be further configured to supply wireless information to the external apparatus using the first type of wireless connection, regardless of whether request information for requesting supply of the wireless information is obtained from the external apparatus. A controller may be configured to establish a particular wireless connection with the external apparatus via the first wireless interface using the wireless information after the wireless information is supplied to the external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180255593
    Abstract: In a case where a first wireless communication with an external device is executed via a first wireless interface, a communication device may determine whether a specific signal including parent station information is received from the external device via a second wireless interface. The parent station information may indicate that an operation state of the external device is a state in which the external device operates as a parent station of a wireless network. The communication device may supply a communication instruction to the second wireless interface in a case where it is determined that the specific signal including the parent station information is received. The communication instruction may be for executing a second wireless communication with the external device via the second wireless interface. The second wireless communication may include a communication for participating as a child station in the wireless network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Ryoya Tsuji, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180255203
    Abstract: A terminal device may send a registration request, which requests the server to register virtual printer relation information related to a virtual printer, to a server, and communicate a wireless profile with an existent printer using a first terminal interface. The wireless profile may be used in a wireless network, which is established by using a second terminal interface, and is a wireless network to which both the terminal device and the existent printer are to belong. The terminal device may establish a belonging state, which is a state in which both the terminal device and the existent printer belong to the wireless network, using the second terminal interface, and send authentication information to the existent printer via the established wireless network. The authentication information may be associated with the virtual printer relation information in the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180248697
    Abstract: A communication device may establish a first wireless connection with a first external device, and receive target wireless setting information from the first external device by using the first wireless connection, the target wireless setting information being for participating as a child station in a target wireless network formed by a target access point different from the first external device. The communication device may control a display unit to display a predetermined screen for accepting a trigger operation, the trigger operation being a trigger of participation in the target wireless network, and establish a target wireless connection with the target access point by using the target wireless setting information so as to participate as the child station in the target wireless network, in a case where the trigger operation is accepted after the predetermined screen has been displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Yusuke Shimada, Hirotaka Asakura, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180241847
    Abstract: A terminal device may display a first screen including a first button, send a first request including a search command to a communication device by using a first wireless connection in a case where the first button is selected, display a second screen including a second button in a case where a first response including one or more identification information is received from the communication device by using the first wireless connection, and send a second request including wireless setting information and a connection command to the communication device by using the first wireless connection in a case where the second button is selected. The connection command may be for causing the communication device to establish a second wireless connection by using the wireless setting information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Yusuke Shimada, Hirotaka Asakura, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180242378
    Abstract: A communication device may, in response to a wireless link via a first wireless interface being established with a terminal device while the communication device is a first parent station state, receive predetermined information from the terminal device via a second wireless interface, if the predetermined information is received, shift the communication device from the first parent station state to a second parent station state, wherein the communication device is maintained in the first parent station state if the predetermined information is not received even if the wireless link via the first wireless interface has been established with the terminal device and after the communication device has been shifted to the second parent station state, establish a first wireless connection via the second wireless interface with the terminal device so as to cause the terminal device to participate in the second wireless network as a child station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Hirotaka Asakura, Yusuke Shimada, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180239572
    Abstract: A communication device may, in response to a wireless link via the first wireless interface being established with a terminal device while the communication device is a parent station state, receive a predetermined signal from the terminal device via the second wireless interface, if the predetermined signal is received from the terminal device, shift the communication device from the parent station state to a specific state where the communication device does not operate as a parent station, wherein the communication device is maintained in the parent station state if the predetermined signal is not received from the terminal device even if the wireless link via the first wireless interface has been established with the terminal device and establish a first wireless connection via the second wireless interface with the terminal device so as to participate in a second wireless network as a child station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Hirotaka Asakura, Yusuke Shimada, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 10051155
    Abstract: A communication device may receive any one signal among two or more types of signals from a target device, receive format information from the target device, receive a specific signal including information described in the predetermined format from the target device in a case where the format information indicates that the target device supports the predetermined format, determine whether or not related information related to a predetermined application software is included in the specific signal, and execute an authentication of the target device by using first identification information included in the specific signal in a case where it is determined that the related information is included in the specific signal, wherein the authentication of the target device by using information included in the specific signal is not executed in a case where it is determined that the related information is not included in the specific signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180225073
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program readable by a computer of a communication apparatus, the computer program causing the communication apparatus to: when first trigger information for establishing first wireless connection is received, supply a first connection instruction to a first wireless interface and store device information into a memory; when second trigger information is received, supply a second connection instruction to the first wireless interface; and in a specific case where it is not possible to re-establish first wireless connection with the external apparatus, display, on a display, display information for re-establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus. The display information includes first display information in case the device information is first device information, and second display information in case the device information is second device information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Makoto NONOYAMA, Hirotaka ASAKURA
  • Publication number: 20180217789
    Abstract: A communication device may, in a specific situation where the communication device is in a parent station state in which the communication device operates as a parent station of a first wireless network and N pieces of first external devices participate in the first wireless network as child stations, receive a belonging request from a second external device. The communication device may shift from the parent station state to a first state, in a case where the belonging request is received in the specific situation, execute a wireless communication of target data with the second external device, shift from the first state to the parent station state, and cause M pieces of the first external devices among the N pieces of the first external devices to participate in the first wireless network again as child stations after the communication device has been shifted to the parent station state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Ryoya Tsuji, Hirotaka Asakura, Yusuke Shimada, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180206291
    Abstract: A communication device may shift an operation state of the communication device from a child station state to a specific state, in a case where a first wireless connection with a second external device is established via a second wireless interface under a predetermined state where the communication device is participating, as a child station, in a first wireless network in which a first external device is a parent station, receive a request signal from the second external device via a first wireless interface after the operation state has been shifted to the specific state, and in a case where the request signal is received from the second external device, establish a second wireless connection with the second external device via the first wireless interface so as to belong to a second wireless network for executing a wireless communication via the first wireless interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Shun Takeuchi, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180184476
    Abstract: A communication device may shift an operation state from a first operation state to a second operation state in response to establishment of a first wireless connection via a first wireless interface with an external device. In the first operation state, a first response signal indicating that a WPS process is inexecutable is sent to the external device in a case where a first request signal is received from the external device, and in the second operation state, a second response signal indicating that the WPS process is executable is sent to the external device. The communication device may establish a second wireless connection via a second wireless interface with the external device by executing the WPS process, in a case where the first request signal is received from the external device via the second wireless interface after the operation state has been shifted to the second operation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hirotaka Asakura, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180184366
    Abstract: Computer-readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may cause a communication device to acquire predetermined information from a first interface under a state where a number of child stations participating in a first wireless network in which an external device operates as a parent station is equal to an upper limit, shift an operation state of the communication device to a parent station state from a specific state so as to form a second wireless network in a case where the predetermined information is acquired from the first interface, and supply a first predetermined instruction to an OS program. The first predetermined instruction may include an instruction for causing a second interface to send a participation request to the external device. The participation request may be a command for requesting the external device to participate in the second wireless network as a child station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hirotaka Asakura, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20180184485
    Abstract: A communication device may shift an operation state of the communication device from a parent station state for operating as a parent station of a first wireless network to a specific state different from the parent station state, in a case where a predetermined communication with an external device not belonging to the first wireless network is executed under a first state where the communication device is operating as the parent station of the first wireless network; and after the operation state of the communication device has been shifted to the specific state, establish a first wireless connection with the external device operating as a parent station of a second wireless network via a first wireless interface of the communication device, so as to cause the communication device to participate in the second wireless network as a child station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shibata, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180159596
    Abstract: A communication device may monitor an establishment of a first type of communication link between a communication device and an external device while the communication device is in a first state in which a P2P mode of an NFC standard is active and a first mode of the NFC standard is active. The communication device may send first data to the external device by using the first type of communication link. The first data may include a command for causing the external device to execute an activation of a particular application. The communication device may change the state of the communication device from the first state to a second state in which the P2P mode is active, and perform the two-way communication with the external device that operates the particular application by using a second type of communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Patent number: 9986132
    Abstract: A terminal device may send to a server a registration request requesting the server to register virtual printer relation information related to a virtual printer, receive authentication information from the server, acquire adaptability information indicating whether execution of a server print function is permitted or not from an existent printer, and in a case where the adaptability information indicates the execution of the server print function is permitted, send the authentication information to the existent printer. In a case where the adaptability information indicates the execution of the server print function is not permitted, the sending of the authentication information may not be performed. The authentication information may be associated with the virtual printer relation information in the server, and configured to be used when the existent printer acquires print data of a print target stored in the server from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Patent number: 9973914
    Abstract: A communication device may include a first type of interface and a second type of interface. The communication device may execute the communication of object data with a mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state. Also, the communication device may execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanobu Suzuki, Hirotaka Asakura, Munehisa Matsuda, Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9961485
    Abstract: A communication device may perform a predetermined communication using a first type communication link via a wireless interface with the target device being a first type device, determine, by using attribute information, which of the first type device or a second type device the target device is, execute an authentication of the target device being the second type device, disconnect the second type communication link without executing an authentication of the target device in a case where it is determined that the target device is the first type device, and perform the predetermined communication using the first type communication link via the wireless interface with the target device being the first type device in a case where the first type communication link is established between the communication device and the target device being the first type device after the second type communication link has been disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Asakura
  • Publication number: 20180096123
    Abstract: A communication device may receive a first specific signal not including authentication information from a first terminal device via an NFC interface, change an operation mode of the NFC interface from a first operation mode to a third operation mode, supply first authentication information to the NFC interface, store first authentication information in a predetermined area, change the operation mode of the NFC interface from the third operation mode to the first operation mode, receive a second specific signal including the first authentication information from the first terminal device via the NFC interface and execute an authentication using the first authentication information by determining whether the first authentication information included in the second specific signal is stored in the predetermined area without changing the operation mode of the NFC interface from the first operation mode in a case where the second specific signal is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi SHIBATA, Hirotaka ASAKURA