Image forming apparatus that displays a remaining amount of recording material, and control method for displaying a remaining amount of recording material in an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977388-B2
Application number	US-201615376241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus for performing image formation using a recording material includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a remaining amount of the recording material, a prediction unit configured to predict a remaining amount of the recording material based on data used for the image formation, a setting unit configured to set the predicated remaining amount of the recording material as a remaining amount of the recording material to be displayed, and a control unit configured to perform control so that when the predicted remaining amount of the recording material reaches a remaining amount of the recording material to be acquired next by the acquisition unit, the remaining amount of the recording material to be displayed is maintained at the remaining amount of the recording material to be acquired next by the acquisition unit until the acquisition unit acquires the next remaining amount of the recording material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus for performing image formation using a recording material stored in a container, the image forming apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
identify, based on an output of a remaining amount sensor, that a remaining amount of the recording material reaches a first threshold indicating a low amount of the recording material and that the remaining amount of the recording material reaches a second threshold indicating a lower amount of the recording material than the first threshold;
calculate a consumed amount of the recording material based on a dot count of a raster data used in the image formation;
estimate a current value indicating a current remaining amount of the recording material based on at least information indicating the calculated consumed amount of the recording material and the identification based on the output of the remaining amount sensor,
wherein, upon condition that it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold in a state where the estimated current value has not reached the first threshold, correction processing is performed such that the current value reaches the first threshold,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is not identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, the estimation is controlled such that the estimated current value is maintained at the first threshold even in a case where an image formation in which the recording material is consumed is performed,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, control is performed to estimate the current value indicating the current remaining amount of the recording material based on the at least information indicating the calculated consumed amount of the recording material and the identification based on the output of the remaining amount sensor instead of the control performed to maintain the estimated current value at the first threshold,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the second threshold and it is not identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the second threshold, control is performed to maintain the current value at the second threshold even in a case where an image formation in which the recording material is consumed is performed, and
wherein, upon condition that it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the second threshold, control is performed to shift the image forming apparatus to a state where execution of an image formation in which the recording material is consumed is not accepted; and
display, on a displaying unit, information indicating the remaining amount of the recording material based on the predicted current value.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
display, upon condition that it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the second threshold, a message for prompting replacement of the container on the display unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
display, at least upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, a message indicating the remaining amount of the recording material is low on the display unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording material is toner.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a process cartridge containing at least a toner.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
perform, at least upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, order processing for ordering a container.

7. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus performing image formation using a recording material stored in a container, the method comprising;
identifying, based on an output of a remaining amount sensor, that a remaining amount of the recording material reaches a first threshold indicating a low amount of the recording material and that the remaining amount of the recording material reaches a second threshold indicating a lower amount of the recording material than the first threshold;
calculating a consumed amount of the recording material based on a dot count of a raster data used in the image formation;
estimating a current value indicating a current remaining amount of the recording material based on at least information indicating the calculated consumed amount of the recording material and the identification based on the output of the remaining amount sensor,
wherein, upon condition that it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold in a state where the estimated current value has not reached the first threshold, correction processing is performed such that the current value reaches the first threshold,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is not identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, the estimation is controlled such that the estimated current value is maintained at the first threshold even in a case where an image formation in which the recording material is consumed is performed,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the first threshold and it is identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the first threshold, control is performed to estimate the current value indicating the current remaining amount of the recording material based on the at least information indicating the calculated consumed amount of the recording material and the identification based on the output of the remaining amount sensor instead of the control performed to maintain the estimated current value at the first threshold,
wherein, upon condition that the estimated current value has reached the second threshold and it is not identified based on the output of the remaining amount sensor that the remaining amount of the recording material has reached the second threshold, control is performed to maintain the current value at the second t

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Saiki Kenji

Classifications

• G06K15/4075 Primary

  Determining remaining quantities of ink or toner · CPC title

• G06K15/1823

  for evaluating the resources needed, e.g. rasterizing time, ink, paper stock · CPC title

• G03G15/556 Primary

  for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement · CPC title

• G03G15/553

  Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job · CPC title

• G03G15/0856

  Detection or control means for the developer level · CPC title