Image forming apparatus, control method, and storage medium

• US 9,946,204 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsay, Jr., Walter L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eley, Jessica L
• Application Number:
  US14/470,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20150063839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 399 27, 399 59, 399 63
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0856 Detection or control means for the developer level
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement

Abstract

Control is performed so that a current value gradually shifts, corresponding to a sensor value. More specifically, when a predicted value of a remaining toner amount is calculated, processing for correcting a consumed toner amount corresponding to the sensor value is performed for a consumed toner amount.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for executing print processing on a sheet using a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, control;

an obtaining unit configured to discretely obtain a remaining amount of the recording material based on an output from a sensor, wherein the sensor detects the remaining amount of the recording material by at least one of a magnetic permeability detection method, a magnet method, a piezoelectric vibration method, and a transmissive light method;

a derivation unit configured to derive a consumption value of the recording material based on a dot count value of raster data for the printing processing, in a case where the image forming apparatus executes the print processing;

a predicting unit configured to predict the remaining amount of the recording material based on the consumption value of the recording material, wherein the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing;

a correcting unit configured to, upon condition that the predicted remaining amount of the recording material predicted by the predicting unit is larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material obtained by the obtaining unit, execute correction processing for increasing the consumption value of the recording material derived by the derivation unit by a predetermined amount, wherein the correcting unit executes the correction processing in a case where the condition on which the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material is satisfied; and

a notifying unit configured to notify a current remaining amount of the recording material based on the predicted remaining amount of the recording material.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit displays the current remaining amount of the recording material on a display unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording material is toner.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the derivation unit obtains, based on the output from the sensor, the remaining amount of the recording material having reached a predetermined threshold value.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount is derived from a capacity of a cartridge storing the recording material.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor outputs discrete values for the remaining amount of the recording material.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount corresponds to a predetermined percentage of an amount of recording material that a cartridge can store.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing on one page.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing corresponding to one print job.

10. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus that executes print processing on a sheet using a recording material, the method comprising:

discretely obtaining a remaining amount of the recording material based on an output from a sensor by detecting the remaining amount of the recording material by at least one of a magnetic permeability detection method, a magnet method, a piezoelectric vibration method, and a transmissive light method;

deriving a consumption value of the recording material based on a dot count value of raster data for the printing processing, in a case where the image forming apparatus executes the print processing;

predicting the remaining amount of the recording material based on the consumption value of the recording material and updating the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing;

upon condition that the predicted remaining amount of the recording material is larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material, executing correction processing for increasing the consumption value of the derived recording material by a predetermined amount, wherein the correction processing is executed in a case where the condition where updating the predicted remaining amount of the recording material is satisfied; and

notifying a current remaining amount of the recording material based on the predicted remaining amount of the recording material.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, execute a control method for controlling an image forming apparatus executing print processing on a sheet using a recording material, the control method comprising:

discretely obtaining a remaining amount of the recording material based on an output from a sensor by detecting the remaining amount of the recording material by at least one of a magnetic permeability detection method, a magnet method, a piezoelectric vibration method, and a transmissive light method;

deriving a consumption value of the recording material based on a dot count value of raster data for the printing processing, in a case where the image forming apparatus executes the print processing;

predicting the remaining amount of the recording material based the consumption value of the recording material and updating the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing;

upon condition that the predicted remaining amount of the recording material is larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material, executing correction processing for increasing the consumption value of the derived recording material by a predetermined amount, wherein the correction processing is executed in a case where the condition where updating the predicted remaining amount of the recording material is satisfied; and

notifying a current remaining amount of the recording material based on the predicted remaining amount of the recording material.

12. An image forming apparatus for executing print processing on a sheet using a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, control;

an obtaining unit configured to discretely obtain a remaining amount of the recording material based on an output from a sensor, wherein the sensor detects the remaining amount of the recording material by at least one of a magnetic permeability detection method, a magnet method, a piezoelectric vibration method, and a transmissive light method;

a derivation unit configured to derive a consumption value of the recording material based on a dot count value of raster data for the printing processing, in a case where the image forming apparatus executes the print processing;

a predicting unit configured to predict the remaining amount of the recording material based on the consumption value of the recording material ,wherein the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material on at least one condition of executing the print processing;

a determination unit configured to whether the predicted remaining amount of the recording material predicted by the prediction unit is larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material obtained by the obtaining unit,

wherein in a case where the predicting unit updates the predicted remaining amount of the recording material, the predicting unit predicts the remaining amount of the recording material based on at least the consumption value and a predetermined offset amount, according to the determination unit having determined that the predicted remaining amount of the recording material predicted by the predicting unit is larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material obtained by the obtaining unit, and the predicting unit predicts the remaining amount of the recording material based on at least the consumption value and not based on the predetermined offset amount, according to the determination unit having determined that the predicted remaining amount of the recording material predicted by the predicting unit is not larger than the obtained remaining amount of the recording material obtained by the obtaining unit.