Toner cartridge with memory for image forming apparatus

• US 8,805,211 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba America Business Solutions Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Homma, Toru, Hashidume, Hiroshi, Ajima, Hisanobu, Tohata, Nobuo, Nakajima, Takahiro, Hatano, Takumi
• Primary Examiner(s): HYDER, G.M. ALI
• Application Number:
  US14/016,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 399/12, 399/262
• US Class Current: 399/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0849 Detection or control means for the developer concentration
• 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 21/1878 Electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0697 being an electronically readable memory

Abstract

An image forming apparatus mounted with a toner cartridge having a memory unit includes a toner cartridge which stores a plurality of control data depending on toner in the memory unit, an acquisition unit which selects one of the plurality of control data in the memory unit and acquires image formation-related information and a setting unit which sets image formation parameters on the basis of the image formation-related information.

Claims

1. An image forming method comprising:

selecting a table from a plurality of tables stored in a memory of a toner cartridge, the plural tables including information corresponding to image formation process parameters dependent on at least one of a toner characteristic and an ambient condition; and

reading the information from the selected table and controlling an image forming process based on the information to change the image formation process parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the toner cartridge is mounted in an image forming apparatus, acquiring identification data of the toner cartridge with a control unit of the image forming apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, when the acquired identification data matches identifying data previously stored in the image forming apparatus, the control unit controls the image forming process based on the information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring toner resistance,

wherein selecting a table from the plurality of tables includes selecting a table in which the image forming process parameters are dependent on toner resistance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting the information from the selected table in which a plurality of data are set depending on environmental temperature.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting the information from the selected table in which a plurality of data are set depending on environmental humidity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting the information from the selected table in which a plurality of data are set depending on life time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting the information from the selected table in which a plurality of data are set depending on number of printed sheets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the toner characteristic is toner resistance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the toner characteristic is a particle diameter of toner.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the toner characteristic is a lot number for the toner.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is color information.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

measuring toner resistance; and

controlling the image forming process based on the information and the measured toner resistance.

14. An image forming method comprising:

selecting a table from a plurality of tables stored in a memory of a toner cartridge, the plural tables including information corresponding to image formation process parameters dependent on at least one of a toner characteristic and an ambient condition;

acquiring identification data of the toner cartridge with a control unit of the image forming apparatus;

when the acquired identification data matches identifying data previously stored in the image forming apparatus, reading the information from the selected table and controlling an image forming process based on the information to change the image formation process parameters; and

when the identification data acquired does not match the identifying data, the control unit controls the image forming process without reading the information from the selected table and without changing the image formation process parameters.