Image forming apparatus and method of calculating toner consumption amount
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on an image carrier based on image data which are fed, whereina toner consumption amount is calculated based on a total of a first integrating value which is obtained by integrating a first toner amount which is consumed during an ordinary toner image forming operation, and a second integrating value which is obtained by integrating a second toner amount which is consumed during an operation under a non-ordinary mode which is different from the ordinary toner image forming operation.
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Abstract
During an ordinary image forming operation, the number of print dots is counted based on an image signal, and a toner consumption amount is calculated from the result. Meanwhile, during an operation under a non-ordinary mode which is different from the ordinary image forming operation, a test pattern offset value Totn is extracted as a toner consumption amount which corresponds to the operation (Step S141). The test pattern offset value Totn and a drive offset value Todn, which corresponds to the amount of toner which is scattered into inside an apparatus, are subtracted from a remaining toner amount Tr which is stored in a memory, whereby a remaining toner amount of toner remaining in the developer 4Y after the operation is calculated (Steps S142 through S146).
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on an image carrier based on image data which are fed, wherein
a toner consumption amount is calculated based on a total of a first integrating value which is obtained by integrating a first toner amount which is consumed during an ordinary toner image forming operation, and a second integrating value which is obtained by integrating a second toner amount which is consumed during an operation under a non-ordinary mode which is different from the ordinary toner image forming operation.
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10. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on an image carrier based on image data which a refed, said method comprising the steps of:
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calculating a first toner amount which is consumed during an ordinary toner image forming operation; and calculating a second toner amount which is consumed during an operation under a non-ordinary mode which is different from the ordinary toner image forming operation, wherein a total toner consumption amount is calculated based on a sum of a first integrating value which is obtained by integrating the first toner amount and a second integrating value which is obtained by integrating the second toner amount.
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11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
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image forming means which forms a toner image on an image carrier based on an image signal which is fed; and detecting means which detects a toner amount of toner which is consumed as said image forming means forms a toner image, wherein a toner consumption amount is calculated based on an integrating value which is obtained by integrating the toner amount detected by said detecting means, as routes for feeding the image signal to said image forming means, a first route and a second route which is different from said first route are provided, and said detecting means executes a first toner amount detecting process which is based on the image signal which is fed to said image forming means through said first route, executes a second toner amount detecting process which is based on the image signal which is fed to said image forming means through said second route, and ensures that the first toner amount detecting process is different from the second toner amount detecting process. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus which comprises image forming means which forms a toner image on an image carrier based on an image signal which is fed, and in which a first route and a second route which is different from said first route are provided as routes for feeding the image signal to said image forming means, said method comprising:
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a first detection step of detecting a toner amount of toner which is consumed as said image forming means forms a toner image based on an image signal which is fed to said image forming means through said first route; a second detection step of detecting a toner amount of toner which is consumed as said image forming means forms a toner image based on an image signal which is fed to said image forming means through said second route; and a step of calculating a toner consumption amount based on an integrating value which is obtained by integrating the toner amounts detected at said first detection step and at said second detection step, wherein the toner amounts are detected through different processes between said first detection step and said second detection step.
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19. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
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image forming means which forms a toner image on an image carrier in a predetermined unit based on an operation signal inputted from a controller; consumption amount calculating means which adds a toner amount of toner which is used in an ordinary toner image formed by said image forming means and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed separately from the toner which is used in the ordinary toner image, to thereby calculate a toner consumption amount of toner consumed through a toner image forming operation which is performed by said image forming means; and offset value setting means which changes the offset value in accordance with an operation signal inputted from said controller. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount, comprising:
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an image forming step of forming a toner image on an image carrier in a predetermined unit based on an operation signal inputted from a controller; a toner consumption amount calculating step of adding a toner amount of toner which is used in an ordinary toner image formed in said image forming step and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed separately from the toner used in the ordinary toner image; and an offset value setting step of changing the offset value in accordance with the operation signal inputted from said controller.
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25. An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit, comprising:
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consumption amount calculating means which adds a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner, thereby calculating, in the predetermined unit, a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and offset value setting means which changes the offset value in accordance with an operating state of said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit, comprising:
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consumption amount calculating means which adds a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner, thereby calculating, in the predetermined unit, a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and offset value setting means which changes the offset value in accordance with a history of use of toner. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit, comprising:
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consumption amount calculating means which adds a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner, thereby calculating, in the predetermined unit, a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and offset value setting means which changes the offset value in accordance with an image forming condition which is used in forming the toner image.
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36. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image; calculating a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner; adding the total amount of image constituting toner and the offset value, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and changing the offset value in accordance with an operating state of said image forming apparatus.
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37. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image; calculating a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner; adding the total amount of image constituting toner and the offset value, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and changing the offset value in accordance with a history of use of toner.
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38. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image in a predetermined unit comprising the steps of:
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calculating a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes the toner image; calculating a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed in forming the toner image separately from the image constituting toner; adding the total amount of image constituting toner and the offset value, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount of toner which is consumed as the toner image is formed; and changing the offset value in accordance with an image forming condition which is used in forming the toner image.
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39. An image forming apparatus in which at the time of color printing of an original image using toner in a plurality of color components, a predetermined special image formed using toner in a color component which is hard for human eyes to recognize is superimposed on the original image, said apparatus comprising:
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consumption amount calculating means which adds a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes a toner image and a toner amount, as an offset value, of toner which is consumed during the color printing separately from the image constituting toner, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount in a predetermined unit, for each color component; and storage means which stores a plurality of offset values corresponding to the plurality of color components respectively, wherein the offset value corresponding to the color component used in forming the special image is set to be larger than the offset values corresponding to the other color components. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of calculating a toner consumption amount for use in an image forming apparatus in which at the time of color printing of an original image using toner in a plurality of color components, a predetermined special image formed using toner in a color component which is hard for human eyes to recognize is superimposed on the original image, said method comprising the steps of:
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calculating a total amount of image constituting toner which constitutes a toner image of the original image in a predetermined unit for each color component; setting a plurality of toner a mounts of toner which is consumed during the color printing separately from the image constituting toner, as a plurality of offset values for the respective color components; and adding the total amount of image constituting toner to the offset value for each color component, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount, wherein among the plurality of offset values, the offset value corresponding to the color component used in the special image is set to be larger than the offset values corresponding to the other color components.
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Specification