Image forming devices and image forming methods

• US 6,567,622 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Quintin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Royer, William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/013,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20030077086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 399/14, 399/82, 399/24-29
• US Class Current: 399/24
• 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 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement

Abstract

Image forming devices and image forming methods are described. One aspect provides an image forming device including an image engine configured to use a consumable to image a job; and processing circuitry coupled with the image engine and configured to monitor for an occurrence of a predetermined status of the consumable during imaging of the job and to select one of first ceasing imaging of the job before completion of the imaging of the job and second ceasing imaging of the job after completion of the imaging of the job, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing responsive to the monitoring of the predetermined status of the consumable.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

an image engine configured to use a consumable to image a job; and

processing circuitry coupled with the image engine and configured to monitor for an occurrence of a predetermined status of the consumable during imaging of the job and to select one of first ceasing imaging of the job before completion of the imaging of the job and second ceasing imaging of the job after completion of the imaging of the job, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing responsive to the monitoring of the predetermined status of the consumable.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to access a value indicating a desirability to complete imaging of the job, and to select one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing using the value.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first ceasing comprises ceasing after a completion of imaging of a hard image being imaged during the occurrence of the predetermined status.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a requirement amount of the consumable to complete the job after the occurrence of the predetermined status, and to select one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing responsive to the determination.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the first ceasing responsive to the requirement amount exceeding the predetermined status.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control an indication of the occurrence of the predetermined status of the consumable.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the image engine comprises a print engine.

8. An image forming method comprising:

imaging at least a portion of a job comprising a plurality of hard images using a consumable;

monitoring for an occurrence of a predetermined status of the consumable; and

selecting one of first ceasing imaging of the job after a completion of imaging of a hard image being imaged during the occurrence of the predetermined status and second ceasing imaging after a completion of the imaging of the job, the selecting being responsive to the monitoring.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising accessing a value indicating a desirability to complete imaging of the job, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing using the value.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining a requirement amount of the consumable to complete the job after the occurrence of the predetermined status, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting one of the first ceasing and the second ceasing responsive to the determining.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the selecting comprises selecting the first ceasing responsive to the requirement amount exceeding the predetermined status.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the imaging comprises printing.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising indicating the occurrence of the predetermined status of the consumable.

14. An image forming method comprising:

providing a job comprising image data corresponding to a plurality of hard images;

imaging at least one of the plurality of hard images using a consumable and corresponding to a first portion of the job, the imaging comprising imaging using an image forming device;

detecting an occurrence of a predetermined status of the consumable during the imaging of the first portion of the job;

analyzing a requirement amount of the consumable to complete imaging of a second portion of the job with respect to the predetermined status of the consumable after the detecting;

providing a plurality of options for imaging the second portion of the job using the image forming device; and

selecting one of the plurality of options for imaging the second portion of the job responsive to the analyzing.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the providing a plurality of options for imaging comprises providing a first of the plurality of options for imaging comprising ceasing imaging of the job after imaging the first portion of the job, and providing a second of the plurality of options for imaging comprising ceasing imaging of the job after imaging the second portion of the job.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the providing a plurality of options for imaging comprises providing a first of the plurality of options for imaging comprising ceasing imaging of the job after imaging the first portion of the job and before imaging the second portion of the job.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the ceasing comprises ceasing responsive to the analyzing indicating that the requirement amount of the consumable exceeds the predetermined status of the consumable.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing a value indicating a desirability to complete the job, and wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing using the value.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising indicating the predetermined status of the consumable.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the imaging comprises printing at least one of the hard images.