Printing control device and method and program for efficient utilization of consumable products mounted thereon

• US 20060045546A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okochi, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,228,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/13
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/066 Toner cartridge or other attachable and detachable container for supplying developer material to replace the used material

Abstract

A printing control device having a consumable product detachably mounted thereon, comprises state storing unit that stores a usage state of the consumable product; detachment detecting unit that detects that the consumable product has been detached; usage state checking unit that checks the usage state of the consumable product whose detachment has been detected by the detachment detecting unit, based on data stored in the state storing unit; determination unit that determines whether the consumable product is still usable or not based on the usage state checked by the usage state checking unit; and notification unit that notifies that the consumable product is still usable if the determination unit determines that the consumable product is still usable.

Claims

1. A printing control device having a consumable product detachably mounted thereon, comprising:

a state storing unit that stores a usage state of the consumable product;

a detachment detecting unit that detects that the consumable product has been detached;

a usage state checking unit that checks the usage state of the consumable product whose detachment has been detected by the detachment detecting unit, based on data stored in the state storing unit;

a determination unit that determines whether the consumable product is still usable or not based on the usage state checked by the usage state checking unit; and

a notification unit that notifies that the consumable product is still usable if the determination unit determines that the consumable product is still usable.

2. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein, if another consumable product is attached in place of the detached consumable product that is still usable, the notification unit provides a notification to prompt a user to reattach the detached consumable product still usable.

3. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit provides the notification by way of a network.

4. The printing control device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit provides the notification by way of an electronic mail.

5. The printing control device according to claim 3, wherein the notification is provided based on Management Information Base.

6. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit provides the notification by means of an alarm sound.

7. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit provides the notification by means of a display unit installed on the printing control device.

8. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the consumable product is a toner, the state storing unit stores an available remaining amount thereof.

9. The printing control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the consumable product is a drum, the state storing unit stores a total number of rotations that the drum has made to present.

10. A printing control method for a device having a consumable product detachably mounted thereon, comprising:

storing a usage state of the consumable product in a state storing unit;

detecting that the consumable product has been detached by a detachment detecting unit;

checking the usage state of the consumable product detected by the detachment detecting unit by a usage state checking unit based on data stored in the state storing unit;

determining by a determination unit whether the consumable product is still usable based on the usage state checked by the usage state checking unit; and

notifying that the consumable product is still usable when the determination unit determines that the consumable product is still usable.

11. A printing control program to be used in a printing control method for a device having a consumable product detachably mounted thereon, comprising:

a first step of storing a usage state of the consumable product;

a second step of detecting that the consumable product has been detached;

a third step of checking the usage state of the consumable product detected in the second step, based on the data stored in the first step;

a fourth step of determining whether the consumable product is still usable or not, based on the usage state checked in the third step; and

a fifth step of notifying that the consumable product is still usable when the consumable product is determined to be still usable in the fourth step.