IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20100253956A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tadashi, Nakazato, Hiroshi, Ogo, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/752,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253956A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a controller section that executes image processing on data of an image to be outputted, and a printing execution unit that forms the image on a printing medium on the basis of the image-processed output data transferred from the controller section; the controller section including a color-material counting section that measures the quantities in which the respective color materials of the plurality of colors are consumed on the basis of the output data; and a determination section that acquires the measured values from the color-material counting section for each output unit, and determining that printing was conducted in color for the output unit when the measured values of the color materials other than the black color material have changed and that printing was conducted in monochrome for the output unit when the measured value of the black color material alone has changed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus which can perform printing using a plurality of color materials including a black color material comprising:

a controller section that executes image processing on data of an image to be outputted; and

a printing execution unit that forms the image on a printing medium on the basis of the image-processed output data transferred from the controller section;

the controller section comprising;

a color-material counting section that measures the quantities in which the respective color materials of the plurality of colors are consumed on the basis of the output data; and

a determination section that acquires the measured values from the color-material counting section for each specified output unit, and determining that printing was conducted in color for the specified output unit when the measured values of the color materials other than the black color material have changed and that printing was conducted in monochrome for the specified output unit when the measured value of the black color material alone has changed.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory section that stores the number of specified output units printed in color and the number of specified output units printed in monochrome;

wherein the stored numbers of specified output units are updated on the basis of the result of determination made by the determination section.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the output data are data showing an ON or OFF status of the operation conducted for forming images by the printing execution unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination by the determination section is conducted after the printed medium is outputted after the formation of images on the specified output units.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a specified output unit is a single page of the printed medium.

6. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus which can perform printing using a plurality of color materials including a black color material having a controller section for executing image processing on data of an image to be outputted, and a printing execution unit for forming the image on a printing medium on the basis of the image-processed output data transferred from the controller section comprising:

counting the color materials by measuring the quantities in which the respective color materials of the plurality of colors are consumed on the basis of the output data; and

making a determination by acquiring values measured in the color-material counting for each specified output unit, and determining that printing was conducted in color for the specified output unit when the measured values of the color materials other than the black color material have changed and that printing was conducted in monochrome for the specified output unit when the measured value of the black color material alone has changed.