Image forming apparatus capable of notifying user at suitable timing that printing material is running low

• US 9,836,253 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tomono, Keitaro
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIFERAW, HENOK ASRES
• Application Number:
  US15/270,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1235 caused by end of consumables, e.g. paper, ink, toner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a connector to which a cartridge containing printing material is connectable and a controller. The controller stores a subscription status indicating whether a user is subscribed to a specific service, acquires first information indicating a residual quantity of the printing material, transmits the first information to a sever, and determines whether the user is subscribed to the specific service. Under the specific service, a new cartridge is delivered by transmitting the first information. When not subscribed to the specific service and the residual quantity is a first threshold value or less, the controller notifies the user that the residual quantity is low. When subscribed to the specific service and the residual quantity is a second threshold value or less, the controller notifies the user that the residual quantity is low. The second threshold value is below the first threshold value.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a connector to which a cartridge containing printing material is connectable;

a printing device configured to print an image using the printing material contained in the cartridge connected to the connector;

a communication interface;

a storage; and

a controller configured to;

in response to receiving subscribed information from a server via the communication interface, store in the storage a first status as a subscription status, the subscription status indicating whether a user of the image forming apparatus is subscribed to a specific service, the subscribed information and the first status indicating that the user is subscribed to the specific service, the subscribed information being transmitted from the server after the user subscribes to the specific service;

acquire first information indicating a residual quantity of the printing material in the cartridge connected to the connector;

in response to the first status being stored in the storage, transmit the first information to the server via the communication interface, a new cartridge being delivered to the user in response to transmitting the first information to the server when the user is subscribed to the specific service;

determine whether the residual quantity is less than or equal to a threshold value; and

in response to the residual quantity being determined to be less than or equal to the threshold value, notify the user that the residual quantity is running low,

wherein a first threshold value is used as the threshold value when the first status is not stored in the storage, whereas a second threshold is used as the threshold value when the first status is stored in the storage, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive second information including one of the subscribed information and non-subscribed information from the server via the communication interface, the non-subscribed information indicating that the user is not subscribed to the specific service; and

when the received second information includes the non-subscribed information, store a second status as the subscription status in the storage, the second status indicating that the user is not subscribed to the specific service.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive third information via the communication interface, the third information indicating that a delivery of the new cartridge to the user has been arranged;

detect replacement of the cartridge currently connected to the connector with the new cartridge,

notify the user that the residual quantity is running low when the third information is not received after the last replacement and when the residual quantity is less than or equal to a third threshold value that is greater than the second threshold value; and

notify the user that the residual quantity is running low when the third information is received after the last replacement and when the residual quantity is less than or equal to the second threshold value.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the third threshold value differs from the first threshold value.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

in response to the first status being stored in the storage, transmit the first information to the server at a prescribed timing via the communication interface; and

in response to a failure of the transmission of the first information, notify the user of fourth information prompting the user to establish a communication with the server via the communication interface.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a probability of the failure of the transmission of the first information; and

modify contents of the fourth information in accordance with the calculated probability.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a probability of the failure of the transmission of the first information; and

in response to the calculated probability being greater than or equal to a prescribed value, notify the user of fourth information.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to notify the user of fifth information together with the fourth information in response to the calculated probability being 100%, the fifth information indicating a reason for the failure of the transmission of the first information.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the server is configured to:

receive the first information transmitted from the image forming apparatus a plurality of times;

attempt to estimate a delivery timing at which the new cartridge is delivered to the user on the basis of a plurality of sets of the received first information; and

transmit sixth information when estimating the delivery timing is impossible caused by a lack of the number of times of receiving the first information, the sixth information indicating that the communication with the image forming apparatus is unstable, and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

receive the sixth information via the communication interface; and

in response to receiving the sixth information, notify the user of the fourth information regardless of the failure of the transmission of the first information.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive service-initiating information as the subscribed information from the server via the communication interface, the service-initiating information being for beginning the specific service.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when the server receives a request to enter into an agreement for the specific service via the Internet, the subscribed information is transmitted from the server.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein one of a first cartridge and a second cartridge different from the first cartridge is selectively connected to the connector, the first cartridge being used exclusively for the specific service,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the first cartridge is connected to the connector, and

wherein the first status is stored as the subscription status in the storage after the first cartridge is determined to be connected to the connector.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an operating mode of the image forming apparatus is configured to be changed from a first mode to a second mode, a specific printing process in which the first cartridge is used being prohibited in the first mode, the specific printing process being allowed in the second mode, and

wherein the operating mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode in response to receiving the subscribed information.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive service-terminating information from the server via the communication interface, the service-terminating information being for terminating the specific service; and

in response to receiving the service-terminating information, store a second status as the subscription status in the storage, the second status indicating that the user is not subscribed to the specific service.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of a first cartridge and a second cartridge different from the first cartridge is selectively connected to the connector, the first cartridge being used exclusively for the specific service, and

wherein number of pages printed in a state where the first cartridge is connected to the connector is counted as pages printed in the specific service, whereas number of pages printed in a state where the second cartridge is connected to the connector is not counted as pages printed in the specific service.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing device includes an inkjet head configured to eject ink as the printing material to print the image.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is an electrophotographic system configured to print the image using toner as the printing material.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of program instructions for an image forming apparatus,

the image forming apparatus comprising:

a connector to which a cartridge containing printing material is connectable;

a printing device configured to print an image using the printing material contained in the cartridge connected to the connector;

a communication interface;

a storage; and

a controller,

the set of program instructions, when executed by the controller, causing the image forming apparatus to perform;

in response to receiving subscribed information from a server via the communication interface, storing in the storage a specific status as a subscription status, the subscription status indicating whether a user of the image forming apparatus is subscribed to the specific service, the subscribed information and the specific status indicating that the user is subscribed to the specific service;

acquiring specific information indicating a residual quantity of the printing material in the cartridge connected to the connector;

in response to the specific status being stored in the storage, transmitting the specific information to the server via the communication interface, a new cartridge being delivered to the user in response to transmitting the specific information to the server when the user is subscribed to the specific service;

determine whether the residual quantity is less than or equal to a threshold value; and

in response to the residual quantity being determined to be less than or equal to the threshold value, notify the user that the residual quantity is running low,

wherein a first threshold value is used as the threshold value when the specific status is not stored in the storage, whereas a second threshold is used as the threshold value when the specific status is stored in the storage, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value.