Image forming system, image forming apparatus and method for setting printing function with toner container having information providing section that stores information about the quality of toner in the container

• US 7,756,427 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Tetsuji, Yasui, Toru, Hanano, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAINGER, QUANA MASHELL
• Application Number:
  US11/969,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 399/12, 399/27, 399/46, 399/82, 347/19
• US Class Current: 399/12
• 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 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0697 being an electronically readable memory

Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming system, which comprises an image forming apparatus, and a toner container mountable to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a control section, and an information acquisition section which acquires the toner-quality information about a toner container which is demountably mounted thereto. The control section is operable, based on the toner-quality information acquired by the information acquisition section, to identify the quality of the toner contained in the toner container and set a printing function based on the identified toner quality.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus; and

a toner container mountable to the image forming apparatus, the toner container including an information providing section which provides toner-quality information indicative of quality of a toner contained in the toner container, to the image forming apparatus, said information providing section having a storage section that stores therein the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container,

the image forming apparatus includes;

a toner-container mounting section which allows the toner container to be demountably mounted thereon;

an information acquisition section which acquires the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, from the information providing section of the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section;

a printing-data producing section which produces printing data;

a control section which controls respective operations of the information acquisition section and the printing-data producing section, the control section being operable, based on the toner-quality information acquired by the information acquisition section, to identify the quality of the toner contained in the toner container and set a printing function based on the identified toner quality, to the printing-data producing section; and

a remaining-amount management section which manages a remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container on the toner-container mounting section,

wherein upon detecting based on a management result from the toner-container mounting section that the remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section becomes zero, the control section is operable to delete the toner-quality information stored in the storing section at the time, and

wherein, when the information acquisition section fails to acquire the toner-quality information about toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section, the control section is operable to set to the printing-data producing section, a printing function that is lower than that of the case where the information acquisition section acquires the toner-quality information, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.

2. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the information providing section is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having said storage section.

3. A method for setting a printing function for an image forming system, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring toner-quality information indicative of quality of a toner contained in a toner container which is mounted to an image forming apparatus;

(b) identifying the quality of the toner contained in the toner container, based on the toner-quality information acquired in step (a), and setting a printing function based on the identified toner quality; and

(c) performing a printing job according to the printing function set in step (b)

wherein said step (a) includes the steps of storing in a storage section the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, and detecting a remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container, and

upon detecting that the remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section becomes zero in said step (a), the toner-quality information stored in the storage section is deleted,

wherein in said step (b), in response to a failure to acquire the toner-quality information in said step (a), a printing function is set from a narrower range than the range for the printing function when the toner-quality information is acquired, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in step (b), in response to a failure to acquire the toner-quality information in step (a), a printing function, that is lower than that of the case where the toner-quality information is acquired, is set, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.

5. An image forming system, comprising:

an image forming apparatus; and

a toner container mountable to the image forming apparatus, the toner container including an information providing section which provides toner-quality information indicative of quality of a toner contained in the toner container, to the image forming apparatus, said information providing section having a storage section that stores therein the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container,

the image forming apparatus includes;

a toner-container mounting section which allows the toner container to be demountably mounted thereon;

an information acquisition section which acquires the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, from the information providing section of the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section;

a printing-data producing section which produces printing data;

a control section which controls respective operations of the information acquisition section and the printing-data producing section, the control section being operable, based on the toner-quality information acquired by the information acquisition section, to identify the quality of the toner contained in the toner container and set a printing function based on the identified toner quality, to the printing-data producing section; and

a remaining-amount management section which manages a remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container on the toner-container mounting section,

wherein upon detecting based on a management result from the toner-container mounting section that the remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section becomes zero, the control section is operable to delete the toner-quality information stored in the storing section at the time, and

wherein when the information acquisition section fails to acquire the toner-quality information about toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section, the control section is operable to set to the printing-data producing section, a printing function from a narrower range than the range for the printing function when the information acquisition section acquires the toner-quality information, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.

6. The image forming system of claim 5, wherein the information providing section is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having said storage section.

7. An image forming apparatus designed to allow a toner container including an information providing section which provides toner-quality information indicative of quality of a toner contained in the toner container, to be mounted thereto and which has a storage section for storing therein the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a toner-container mounting section which allows the toner container to be demountably mounted thereon;

an information acquisition section which acquires the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, from the information providing section of the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section;

a printing-data producing section which produces printing data;

a control section which controls respective operations of the information acquisition section and the printing-data producing section, the control section being operable, based on the toner-quality information acquired by the information acquisition section, to identify the quality of the toner contained in the toner container and set a printing function based on the identified toner quality, to the printing-data producing section; and

a remaining-amount management section which manages a remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container on the toner-container mounting section,

wherein upon detecting based on a management result from the toner-container mounting section that the remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section becomes zero, the control section is operable to delete the toner-quality information stored in the storage section at the time, and

wherein when the information acquisition section fails to acquire the toner-quality information about toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section, the control section is operable to set to the printing-data producing section, a printing function that is lower than that of the case where the information acquisition section acquires the toner-quality information, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.

8. An image forming apparatus designed to allow a toner container including an information providing section which provides toner-quality information indicative of quality of a toner contained in the toner container, to be mounted thereto and which has a storage section for storing therein the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a toner-container mounting section which allows the toner container to be demountably mounted thereon;

an information acquisition section which acquires the toner-quality information about the toner contained in the toner container, from the information providing section of the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section;

a printing-data producing section which produces printing data;

a control section which controls respective operations of the information acquisition section and the printing-data producing section, the control section being operable, based on the toner-quality information acquired by the information acquisition section, to identify the quality of the toner contained in the toner container and set a printing function based on the identified toner quality, to the printing-data producing section; and

a remaining-amount management section which manages a remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container on the toner-container mounting section,

wherein upon detecting based on a management result from the toner-container mounting section that the remaining amount of the toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section becomes zero, the control section is operable to delete the toner-quality information stored in the storage section at the time, and

wherein when the information acquisition section fails to acquire the toner-quality information about toner contained in the toner container mounted on the toner-container mounting section, the control section is operable to set to the printing-data producing section, a printing function from a narrower range than the range for the printing function when the information acquisition section acquires the toner-quality information, regardless of the quality of the toner contained in the toner container.