Waste toner collection unit detection method and image forming device

Abstract

This application proposes a waste toner collection unit detection method and image forming device, relating to the field of imaging technology. The waste toner collection unit detection method includes: a control unit controls a light emitter to transmit a first light wave signal that switches between high and low levels at a first predetermined period to a light reflection path of the waste toner collection unit. The light reflection path reflects a second light wave signal to a light receiver, which then generates a first voltage signal. Based on the first voltage signal, the control unit determines whether the waste toner collection unit is installed. This effectively detects the installation status of the waste toner collection unit and, if the waste toner collection unit is installed, performs waste toner collection unit detection, improving detection accuracy.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of imaging technology, and in particular to a waste toner collection unit detection method and an image forming device. [Background Technology]

[0002] Image forming devices such as printers and copiers are equipped with a waste toner box (i.e., a waste toner collection unit). The waste toner box can be used to hold toner that is not fully utilized during the image forming process, i.e., waste toner. When the waste toner box is full, it needs to be emptied in time, otherwise the image forming device will not be able to function normally. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the amount of waste toner in the waste toner box. However, when detecting the amount of waste toner, the current technical solution cannot effectively distinguish between the two states of the waste toner box being not installed and the waste toner box being full. In addition, when the waste toner box is not installed, the waste toner amount will be detected blindly, resulting in misjudgment of the waste toner amount, affecting the normal use of the user. [Summary of the invention]

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a waste toner collection unit detection method and an image forming device, which can effectively detect the installation status of the waste toner collection unit and perform waste toner amount detection when the waste toner collection unit is installed, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a waste powder collection unit detection method, which is applied to an image forming device, wherein the image forming device includes a detection unit, a control unit, and a waste powder collection unit; the detection unit includes a light emitter and a light receiver, and a light reflection path is provided in the waste powder collection unit; the method includes: the control unit controls the light emitter to transmit a first light wave signal to the light reflection path, the first light wave signal includes a low-level signal and a high-level signal switched at a first set period; the light reflection path reflects a second light wave signal to the light receiver; the light receiver generates a first voltage signal associated with the second light wave signal, and the voltage value of the first voltage signal changes with the switching of the first light wave signal; the control unit determines whether the first voltage signal meets a first preset condition, and when it is determined to be satisfied, determines that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0005] In one possible implementation, the first voltage signal includes a first voltage value and a second voltage value, the first voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the second voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit determines that the first voltage signal meets a first preset condition, including: the control unit determines that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold, and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the control unit determines that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, including: the control unit detects the proportion of times that the first voltage value is greater than the first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold within several switching cycles of the first light wave signal; and the control unit determines that the proportion of times exceeds a set proportion.

[0007] In one possible implementation manner, the method further includes: when the control unit determines that the first voltage signal does not meet a first preset condition, determining that the waste toner collection unit is in an uninstalled state.

[0008] In one possible implementation, after the control unit determines that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state, the method further includes: the control unit sets a first flag bit to a first value, the first flag bit is used to characterize the installation state of the waste powder collection unit, and the first value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0009] In one possible implementation, after the control unit determines that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state, the method further includes: the control unit controls the light emitter to transmit a third light wave signal to the light reflection path, the third light wave signal including a low-level signal and a high-level signal switched at a second set period; the light reflection path reflects a fourth light wave signal to the light receiver; the light receiver generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth light wave signal, the voltage value of the second voltage signal changes with the switching of the fourth light wave signal; the control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit based on the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the second voltage signal includes a third voltage value and a fourth voltage value, the third voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the fourth voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit based on the voltage value of the second voltage signal, including: the control unit collects the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value according to a third set period; the control unit performs mean filtering on the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value collected multiple times; the control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit based on the mean filtering result.

[0011] In one possible implementation, after the control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit, the method further includes: the control unit determines that the waste powder collection unit is full, sets the first flag to a second value, and the second value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is in an uninstalled state; and sets the second flag to a third value, the second flag is used to represent the capacity status of the waste powder collection unit, and the third value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is full.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the control unit determines that the waste toner collecting unit is full, including: the control unit detects that the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value are both greater than a second voltage threshold, and determines that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

[0013] In one possible implementation, after the control unit determines that the waste powder collection unit is full and sets the first flag to a second value, the method further includes: the control unit again determines whether the waste powder collection unit has been installed, and after determining that the waste powder collection unit has been installed, determines that the current waste powder collection unit is full; and after determining that the waste powder collection unit is not installed, clears the third value of the second flag.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an image forming device, comprising: a detection unit, a control unit, and a waste powder collection unit; the detection unit comprises a light emitter and a light receiver, and a light reflection path is provided in the waste powder collection unit; the control unit is used to control the light emitter to transmit a first light wave signal to the light reflection path, wherein the first light wave signal includes a low-level signal and a high-level signal switched at a first set period; the light reflection path is used to reflect a second light wave signal to the light receiver; the light receiver generates a first voltage signal associated with the second light wave signal, and the voltage value of the first voltage signal changes with the switching of the first light wave signal; the control unit determines whether the first voltage signal meets a first preset condition, and when it is determined to be met, determines that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first voltage signal includes a first voltage value and a second voltage value, the first voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the second voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit is specifically used to: determine that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, and determine that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the control unit is specifically used to: detect the proportion of the first voltage value greater than the first voltage threshold and the second voltage value less than the first voltage threshold within several switching cycles of the first light wave signal; judge that the proportion exceeds the set threshold, and determine that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0017] In one possible implementation manner, the control unit is further configured to: determine that the waste toner collecting unit is in an uninstalled state when it is determined that the first voltage signal does not meet a first preset condition.

[0018] In one possible implementation, after determining that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state, the control unit is further used to: set a first flag bit to a first value, the first flag bit is used to characterize the installation state of the waste powder collection unit, and the first value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state.

[0019] In one possible implementation, after determining that the waste powder collection unit is in an installed state, the control unit is further used to: control the light emitter to transmit a third light wave signal to the light reflection path, the third light wave signal including a low-level signal and a high-level signal switched at a second set period; the light reflection path reflects a fourth light wave signal to the light receiver; the light receiver generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth light wave signal, the voltage value of the second voltage signal changes with the switching of the fourth light wave signal; the control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit based on the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the second voltage signal includes a third voltage value and a fourth voltage value, the third voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the fourth voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit is specifically used to: collect the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value according to a third set period, respectively; the control unit performs mean filtering on the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value collected multiple times, respectively; and determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit based on the mean filtering result.

[0021] In one possible implementation, after determining the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit, the control unit is further used to: determine that the waste powder collection unit is full, set the first flag to a second value, and the second value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is in an uninstalled state; and set the second flag to a third value, the second flag is used to represent the capacity status of the waste powder collection unit, and the third value indicates that the waste powder collection unit is full.

[0022] In one possible implementation manner, the control unit is specifically configured to: detect that the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value are both greater than a second voltage threshold, and determine that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

[0023] In one possible implementation, after determining that the waste powder collection unit is full and setting the first flag bit to the second value, the control unit is further used to: determine again whether the waste powder collection unit has been installed, and after determining that the waste powder collection unit has been installed, determine that the current waste powder collection unit is full; and after determining that the waste powder collection unit is not installed, clear the third value of the second flag bit.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute the method described above.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions enable the computer to execute the method described above.

[0026] In the above technical solution, the installation status of the waste toner box can be detected using periodically changing light waves. Once the waste toner box is confirmed to be installed, the waste toner quantity can be detected. This not only improves the accuracy of waste toner quantity detection, but also reduces detection costs by not requiring changes to the mechanical structure of the image forming apparatus or the installation of additional equipment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an image forming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the principle of a waste toner box detection process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 A flowchart of a waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 A waveform diagram of a first lightwave signal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5 A waveform diagram of a first voltage signal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 A flowchart of another waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of waveforms of a first lightwave signal and a third lightwave signal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 A flowchart of another waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. [Specific implementation method]

[0037] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] It should be clear that the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "an", "the" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0040] The present application may provide an image forming device, the device forms of which include but are not limited to: a printer, a copier, an all-in-one machine that integrates printing, copying, faxing, scanning, and other functions, and a multi-function peripheral (MFP) that performs the above functions in a single device. The image forming device provided by the present application can be used to print images or text on imaging media.

[0041] When an image forming device prints images or text on imaging media, it generates some underutilized toner. This toner cannot be reused and is referred to as waste toner. The image forming device is equipped with a removable waste toner collection unit, commonly known as a waste toner box, which can be used to store this waste toner. When the waste toner box is full, the image forming device will not function properly. Therefore, the image forming device needs to detect the waste toner level in the waste toner box and, when the waste toner level reaches the capacity threshold, display a full waste toner box prompt to replace the box with a clean one to avoid disrupting normal operation.

[0042] The following describes the basic principle of how the image forming apparatus detects the amount of waste toner.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the image forming device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a control unit 110, a detection unit 120, and a waste powder collection unit 130. The detection unit 120 includes a light emitter 121 and a light receiver 122, and the light emitter 121 can be arranged adjacent to the light receiver 122. A light reflection path 131 is provided in the waste powder collection unit 130. The light reflection path 131 is capable of receiving and reflecting light wave signals. In addition, the light reflection intensity of the light reflection path 131 changes with the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit 130. The more waste powder there is, the higher the light shielding property is, and the weaker the reflected light intensity is. When the amount of waste powder reaches the capacity threshold of the waste powder box, it is equivalent to full light shielding, and the reflected light intensity is the weakest.

[0044] based on Figure 1 The image forming device of the structure shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of a waste toner box detection process provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the light emitter 121 of the detection unit 120 can transmit a light signal to the light reflection path 131 within the waste toner collection unit 130. The light reflection path 131 then transmits the transmitted light signal back to the light receiver 122 of the detection unit 120. The light receiver 122 can generate a corresponding first voltage signal based on the received light signal. The ADC module then converts this first voltage signal into a sampled value representing the amount of waste toner. The lower the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collection unit 130, the higher the light intensity received by the light receiver 122, resulting in a lower sampled value.

[0045] However, when the waste toner collection unit 130 is not installed, the light intensity received by the light receiver 122 is extremely weak due to the lack of light reflection path 131. This intensity is close to the light intensity when the waste toner collection unit 130 reaches the capacity threshold. Therefore, the above method cannot effectively distinguish between the two states of the waste toner collection unit 130 being installed and the waste toner collection unit 130 being full, resulting in an incorrect output of the waste toner amount.

[0046] In some technical solutions, a separate hardware switch can be provided to indicate the installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130. When the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, the hardware switch is triggered, thereby generating a corresponding control signal. The firmware uses this control signal to determine the installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 and perform a remaining amount check if the waste toner collection unit is installed.

[0047] However, the above method requires configuring a separate hardware structure, which is costly. In addition, manually triggering the hardware switch is unreliable and may result in false triggering, which will also affect the accuracy of waste toner box detection.

[0048] In order to solve the above problems, this application is proposed.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the waste toner box detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0050] In step 101 , a control unit controls an optical transmitter to transmit a first light wave signal to an optical reflection path. The first light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a first set period.

[0051] Step 102: The optical reflection path reflects the second light wave signal to the optical receiver.

[0052] In step 103 , the optical receiver generates a first voltage signal associated with the second lightwave signal.

[0053] In step 104, the control unit determines whether the waste toner collection unit is installed based on the first voltage signal. If it is installed, step 105 is executed; otherwise, step 101 is continued.

[0054] Step 105 : The control unit detects the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, the control unit 110 can control the detection unit 120 to send a light wave signal to the light reflection path 131 of the waste powder collection unit 130, and generate a corresponding first voltage signal based on the received reflected light wave, and determine whether the waste powder collection unit 130 is installed according to the value of the first voltage signal.

[0056] It should be noted that in actual scenarios, when the waste powder collection unit 130 is not installed, the intensity of the reflected light waves received by the detection unit 120 may be affected by natural light, resulting in errors in the first voltage signal finally generated, causing misjudgment of the installation status of the waste powder collection unit 130.

[0057] For ease of understanding, the principle of misjudging the installation status of the waste toner collecting unit 130 due to the influence of natural light is described below.

[0058] Specifically, in the absence of natural light, when the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively high due to the presence of the light reflection path 131. At this point, the generated voltage value will be less than the first voltage threshold. The first voltage threshold may be, for example, 1.3V. When the waste toner collection unit 130 is not installed, the intensity of the light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively low due to the absence of the light reflection path 131. At this point, the generated voltage value will be greater than the first voltage threshold. Therefore, in the absence of natural light, whether the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed can be determined based on the voltage value.

[0059] In the presence of natural light, when the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively high due to the presence of the light reflection path 131. At this point, the generated voltage value will be less than the first voltage threshold. The first voltage threshold may be, for example, 1.3V. When the waste toner collection unit 130 is not installed, despite the absence of the light reflection path 131, the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 will still be relatively high due to the presence of natural light. In this case, the generated voltage value will also be less than the first voltage threshold. As can be seen, in the presence of natural light, it is easy to mistakenly identify the waste toner collection unit 130 as installed when it is not installed.

[0060] To avoid the above situation, if Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment of the present application, the optical transmitter 121 of the detection unit 120 transmits a first lightwave signal to the optical reflection path 131. The first lightwave signal is a signal that periodically switches between high and low levels. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific switching method of the high and low levels of the first lightwave signal. For example, the first lightwave signal can be a coded signal such as 1010101..., or the first lightwave signal can be a coded signal such as 10001000.... Alternatively, in another implementation, the first lightwave signal can be a random switching method between high and low levels, for example, 10011101... When the first light wave signal is at a low level, it is equivalent to the light emitter 121 stopping emitting light wave signals to the light reflection path 131. When the first light wave signal is at a high level, it is equivalent to the light emitter 121 emitting light wave signals to the light reflection path 131. By using different coded signals to be emitted and judging whether the light receiver 122 receives the corresponding signal, it is judged whether the waste toner box is installed. For example, if the light emitter emits the coded signal 1010101... and the light receiver 122 can also receive the coded signal 1010101..., it means that the waste toner box has been correctly installed.

[0061] Based on the periodic switching characteristics of the first light wave signal, the second light wave signal reflected by the light reflection path 131 of the waste toner collection unit 130 to the light receiver 122 also has a periodic waveform characteristic. Correspondingly, the first voltage signal associated with the second light wave signal generated by the light receiver 122 also has a periodic waveform characteristic. Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, the first voltage signal associated with the second lightwave signal may include a first voltage value and a second voltage value, wherein the first voltage value corresponds to a low level of the first lightwave signal and the second voltage value corresponds to a high level of the first lightwave signal.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 110 may determine the installation status of the waste toner collecting unit 130 according to the first voltage value and the second voltage value in the first voltage signal.

[0063] Specifically, if the first voltage value is greater than the first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, then it can be determined that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is in the installed state. If the first voltage value and the second voltage value are both greater than the first voltage threshold, then it can be determined that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is not in the installed state.

[0064] In this implementation, since there's no separate hardware switch, the optical receiver is directly exposed to external light, causing interference and affecting the accuracy of the judgment result. To prevent this, in this embodiment, the sampled values ​​corresponding to the lightwave signal in both the low-level and high-level states are collected simultaneously. The installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 is determined based on these two sampled values. Only when both sampled values ​​meet specific conditions is the waste toner collection unit 130 determined to be installed. This eliminates interference from external natural light on the judgment result, improving judgment accuracy.

[0065] For ease of understanding, the implementation principle of the above technical effects is explained below.

[0066] Specifically, similar to the above description, as shown in Table 1 below, in the absence of external natural light, when the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, when the first lightwave signal is at a high level, the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively high due to the presence of the light reflection path 131. In this case, the generated voltage value will be less than the first voltage threshold. When the first lightwave signal is at a low level, the detection unit 120 cannot receive the reflected light, and the generated voltage value will be greater than the first voltage threshold. When the waste toner collection unit 130 is not installed, then due to the lack of the light reflection path 131, the first lightwave signal cannot be reflected to the detection unit 120 regardless of whether it is at a high level or a low level. As a result, the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively weak, and the generated voltage value will be greater than the first voltage threshold.

[0067] In the presence of natural light, regardless of whether the waste powder collection unit 130 is in an installed state, and regardless of whether the first light wave signal is at a high level or a low level, natural light will directly illuminate or be reflected from other components to the detection unit 120. The intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 120 is relatively high, and the generated voltage value will be less than the first voltage threshold.

[0068] As can be seen, based on the switching of the first lightwave signal's high and low levels, when the voltage values ​​corresponding to both the low and high levels are less than the voltage threshold, it can be determined that natural light is affecting the device. At this point, new voltage values ​​can be collected. Only when the voltage value corresponding to the high level is less than the voltage threshold and the voltage value corresponding to the low level is greater than the voltage threshold can the waste toner collection unit 130 be confirmed to be installed, eliminating the influence of natural light and significantly improving detection accuracy.

[0069]

[0070] Table 1

[0071] In another implementation, to further improve the accuracy of the installation status detection results, the first voltage signal generated during multiple switching cycles of the first lightwave signal can be collected at a set sampling interval. Furthermore, the number of times the first voltage signal satisfies the installation status determination criteria during each switching cycle can be counted. Based on the count results, if the number of times the installation status determination criteria are met during each switching cycle exceeds a set percentage, it can be determined that the waste toner collection unit 130 is in the installed state.

[0072] For example, the number of times the first voltage signal satisfies the installation status determination criteria within 50 switching cycles can be counted. When it is detected that the first voltage value is greater than the first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold within a switching cycle, the count value is incremented by one. If the first voltage signal satisfies the installation status determination criteria more than 40 times, i.e., more than 80%, then it can be determined that the waste toner collection unit 130 is in the installed state.

[0073] Furthermore, if it is determined that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is not installed, the installation state of the waste toner collecting unit 130 may be further detected. After it is determined that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is installed, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit 130 may be further detected.

[0074] In the above technical solution, a first voltage signal with a periodically varying waveform is generated by emitting a light wave signal that periodically switches between high and low levels. The installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 is then determined based on the voltage values ​​at different waveform positions of this first voltage signal. This allows accurate detection of the installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 without adding any additional hardware. Furthermore, by detecting the waste toner level only after determining that the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, the above technical solution improves the accuracy of waste toner box detection and avoids confusion with situations where the waste toner collection unit 130 is not installed.

[0075] In another embodiment of the present application, a method for the control unit 110 to detect the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit 130 is described.

[0076] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of another waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the waste toner box detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0077] Step 1051 : Control the optical transmitter to transmit a third light wave signal to the optical reflection path, where the third light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a second set period.

[0078] Step 1052: The optical reflection path reflects the fourth light wave signal to the optical receiver.

[0079] In step 1053 , the optical receiver generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth lightwave signal.

[0080] Step 1054 : The control unit determines the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit according to the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0081] Specifically, after determining that the waste toner box is in the installed state, the control unit 110 can control the light emitter 121 to transmit a third light wave signal to the light reflection path 131. Similar to the first light wave signal, the third light wave signal includes a low-level signal and a high-level signal that are switched with a second set period. The second set period may be different from the first set period, or, in another implementation, the second set period may be the same as the first set period. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific switching method of the high and low levels of the third light wave signal. For example, the third light wave signal can be, for example, 101010..., or it can also be 111100111100..., etc.

[0082] Figure 7 The waveform diagrams of the first light wave signal and the third light wave signal are given. Figure 7 As shown, the generation duration of the first lightwave signal and the third lightwave signal can be 100ms respectively. The first lightwave signal switches between high and low levels at a 50% duty cycle, and each high and low level duration is 10ms; the third lightwave signal switches between high and low levels at a 50% duty cycle, and each high and low level duration is 500ms.

[0083] Similar to the waste toner box installation status detection process in the previous embodiment, light reflection path 131 reflects the fourth light wave signal to light receiver 122, which generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth light wave signal. The voltage value of the second voltage signal varies with the periodic switching of the third light wave signal. Control unit 110 can determine the amount of waste toner in waste toner collection unit 130 based on the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0084] Specifically, Figure 7 Taking the third light wave signal shown as an example, in order to improve the accuracy of the waste powder amount detection result, in the embodiment of the present application, when the third light wave signal is in a low-level state, the control unit 110 can collect the third voltage value corresponding to the low-level state multiple times according to the third set period; when the third light wave signal is in a high-level state, the control unit 110 can collect the fourth voltage value corresponding to the high-level state multiple times according to the third set period. The third set period can be, for example, 10ms. Then, based on Figure 7The third light wave signal shown can collect the third voltage value corresponding to the low level state 50 times and the fourth voltage value corresponding to the high level state 50 times respectively.

[0085] Furthermore, the control unit 110 may perform mean filtering on the detected plurality of third voltage values ​​and fourth voltage values, and then determine the amount of waste toner based on the voltage values ​​obtained after the filtering process.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, by detecting the corresponding voltage value in the low-level state, a fault situation can be detected, thereby eliminating the influence of the hardware fault on the waste powder amount detection result and improving the accuracy of the detection result.

[0087] Specifically, if the result obtained after the mean filtering of each third voltage value is less than or equal to the second voltage threshold, then it can be considered that the hardware detection circuit is faulty. In this case, the result obtained after the mean filtering of each fourth voltage value can be discarded and the above-mentioned waste powder amount detection process can be re-executed. If the result obtained after the mean filtering of each third voltage value is greater than the second voltage threshold, then it can be considered that the hardware detection circuit is normal. In this case, the waste powder amount can be determined based on the result obtained after the mean filtering of each fourth voltage value. The corresponding relationship between the value of the fourth voltage value and the waste powder amount can be determined based on actual conditions. Table 2 below provides a set of reference data for ease of understanding and does not limit the embodiments of this application.

[0088]

[0089] Table 2

[0090] Through the above technical solution, the accuracy of the waste powder amount detection result can be improved, and the influence of the detection circuit failure on the detection result can be eliminated.

[0091] Figure 8 This is a flow chart of another waste toner box detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the waste toner box detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0092] In step 201, the control unit detects whether the first flag bit is a first value. If not, the control unit executes step 202; otherwise, the control unit executes step 210.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, the control unit 110 may first detect the value of the first flag bit before detecting whether the waste powder collection unit 130 is in an installed state. The first flag bit is used to represent the installation state of the waste powder collection unit 130. When it is detected that the first flag bit is the second value, it can be determined that the waste powder collection unit 130 is in an uninstalled state. At this time, the control unit 110 may start the process of detecting the installation state of the waste powder collection unit 130, and after detecting that it is in an installed state, detect the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit 130. When it is detected that the first flag bit is the first value, it can be determined that the waste powder collection unit 130 is in an installed state. At this time, the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collection unit 130 can be directly detected.

[0094] Step 202: Start the timer and the counter respectively.

[0095] Step 203: The control unit controls the optical transmitter to transmit a first light wave signal.

[0096] Step 204: The control unit collects a first voltage signal generated after the first light wave signal is reflected.

[0097] In step 205 , the control unit determines whether the value of the first voltage signal satisfies the installation condition of the waste toner collection unit. If yes, the control unit proceeds to step 206 ; otherwise, the control unit proceeds to step 204 .

[0098] Step 206: The control unit increases the count value of the counter by one.

[0099] In step 207, the control unit determines whether the timer duration reaches the duration threshold. If not, continue to step 204; otherwise, proceed to step 208.

[0100] In step 208 , the control unit determines whether the count value of the counter reaches a set threshold value. If so, step 209 is executed; otherwise, step 214 is executed.

[0101] Step 209: The control unit sets the first flag bit to a first value.

[0102] After starting the process of detecting the installation status of the waste toner collecting unit 130 , in the embodiment of the present application, first, a timer and a counter may be started.

[0103] Furthermore, the light emitter 121 can be controlled to emit a first light wave signal to the light reflection path 131 of the waste toner collecting unit 130 , and the first light wave signal switches between high and low levels according to a set switching cycle.

[0104] Then, a first voltage signal corresponding to the reflected signal of the reflected first lightwave signal can be collected. If the value of the first voltage signal satisfies the installation condition of the waste toner collection unit 130, that is, the first voltage value is greater than the first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, the counter value can be incremented. Furthermore, a timer can be used to determine whether the current timing duration has reached a duration threshold. The duration threshold can be determined based on the duration required for the first lightwave signal to switch N times.

[0105] If the current timing duration does not reach the duration threshold, then the value of the first voltage signal in the next switching cycle can be judged to determine whether the waste powder collection unit has been installed. If the set threshold is reached, then it can be determined whether the count value has reached the set threshold. The set threshold can be determined based on the number of switching times N, for example, 80% of N. If the set threshold is reached, then it can be confirmed that the waste powder collection unit 130 is in the installed state. Therefore, the first flag bit can be set to a first value. The first value can be used to indicate that the waste powder collection unit 130 is in the installed state. If the count value has not yet reached the set threshold, then it can be considered that the proportion of the number of times the first voltage signal collected during the N switching cycles of the first light wave signal meets the waste powder collection unit 130 installed condition has not reached the set proportion. At this time, the timer and counter can be initialized.

[0106] In step 210 , the control unit detects the amount of waste toner.

[0107] In step 211 , the control unit records the currently detected amount of waste toner and reports it.

[0108] In step 212, the control unit determines whether the amount of waste toner reaches a capacity threshold. If so, step 213 is executed; otherwise, step 210 is executed.

[0109] In step 213, the control unit sets the second flag bit to the third value and sets the first flag bit to the second value.

[0110] Step 214: The control unit initializes the timer and the counter.

[0111] After determining that the waste powder collection unit 130 is in the installed state, the amount of waste powder can be further detected. The specific method for detecting the amount of waste powder can refer to the aforementioned embodiment. In the embodiment of the present application, after each detection of the amount of waste powder, the amount of waste powder detected this time can be compared. If the amount of waste powder detected this time is different from the previous waste powder box detection result, then the amount of waste powder detected this time can be recorded and reported. If the amount of waste powder detected this time is the same as the previous result, then the currently recorded amount of waste powder can be kept unchanged. Further, it can be determined whether the amount of waste powder detected this time has reached the capacity threshold, that is, whether the waste powder collection unit 130 is full. The condition for the amount of waste powder to reach the capacity threshold can specifically be that it is detected that the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value are both greater than the second voltage threshold. The second voltage threshold is different from the aforementioned first voltage threshold, for example, it can be 1.2V.

[0112] After determining that the waste toner level has reached the capacity threshold of waste toner collection unit 130, control unit 110 may set the second flag to a third value. The second flag indicates the capacity status of waste toner collection unit 130, and the third value indicates that waste toner collection unit 130 is full. Setting the second flag to the third value locks waste toner collection unit 130, rendering the image forming apparatus inoperable.

[0113] Furthermore, after the waste toner collection unit 130 is full, the user typically removes it for replacement, at which point the installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 changes. To avoid inconsistencies between the state of the first flag and the actual state of the waste toner collection unit 130, in an embodiment of the present application, the control unit 110 may further set the first flag to a second value, thereby triggering a re-detection of the installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130 and updating the first flag based on the re-detected installation status of the waste toner collection unit 130. This allows the waste toner collection unit 130 to be distinguished between being full and not installed based on the re-detected detection result, resolving the technical issue in the prior art of requiring a separate switch to determine whether the waste toner collection unit is installed, resulting in high hardware costs.

[0114] After re-detecting that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is in the installed state, it can be determined that the user has not removed the waste toner collecting unit 130 and the waste toner collecting unit is still in the full state.

[0115] Alternatively, after re-detecting that the waste toner collection unit 130 is installed, the waste toner level may be detected again to prevent the user from having already replaced the waste toner collection unit. When the waste toner level is detected to be less than the first capacity value, the second flag may be set to a fourth value, indicating that the waste toner collection unit 130 is not full and the toner level is normal. A normal toner level means that the toner level is not nearly full, for example, less than 70% of the waste toner collection unit 130's capacity. This allows the lock on the waste toner collection unit 130 to be canceled, allowing the image forming apparatus to continue normal use. The first capacity value may be set to be less than a capacity threshold of the waste toner collection unit 130, for example, 70%. When the waste toner level is detected to be greater than the first capacity value, the second flag may be maintained at the third value. This allows the lock on the waste toner collection unit 130 to remain when the waste toner collection unit 130 is full or nearly full, preventing normal use of the image forming apparatus. Thus, it is possible to avoid the waste toner amount switching back and forth between full and nearly full due to vibration of the image forming apparatus during use, thereby preventing the value of the second flag from switching back and forth.

[0116] After re-detecting that the waste toner collecting unit 130 is not installed, it can be determined that the user has removed the waste toner collecting unit 130 . Then, the second flag bit can be updated and the third value in the second flag bit can be cleared.

[0117] The above technical solution can distinguish between the full and uninstalled waste toner box states and provide prompts respectively. The waste toner level can then be detected after the waste toner box is confirmed to be installed, thereby improving the accuracy of waste toner box detection.

[0118] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute the waste powder box detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0119] The electronic device may be any image forming device such as a printing device, a copying device, etc. This embodiment does not limit the specific form of the electronic device.

[0120] Figure 9 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic device suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 9 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not limit the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present application.

[0121] like Figure 9As shown, the electronic device is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. Components of the electronic device may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors 410, a memory 430, and a communication bus 440 connecting different system components (including the memory 430 and the processor 410).

[0122] Communication bus 440 represents one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Examples of such architectures include, but are not limited to, the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, the Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, the Enhanced ISA bus, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnection (PCI) bus.

[0123] Electronic devices typically include a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the electronic device, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0124] The memory 430 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The electronic device may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. Figure 9 Not shown, a disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile disk (e.g., a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile optical disk (e.g., a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (hereinafter referred to as: CD-ROM), a Digital Video Disc Read Only Memory (hereinafter referred to as: DVD-ROM), or other optical media) may be provided. In these cases, each drive can be connected to the communication bus 440 via one or more data medium interfaces. The memory 430 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configured to perform the functions of the various embodiments of the present application.

[0125] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules may be stored in memory 430. Such program modules include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which, or some combination thereof, may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules generally perform the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0126] The electronic device may also communicate with one or more external devices (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, display, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device, and / or any device that enables the electronic device to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.). Such communication may be performed through the communication interface 420. In addition, the electronic device may also communicate with the network adapter ( Figure 9 The network adapter can communicate with other modules of the electronic device through the communication bus 440. It should be understood that although Figure 9 Not shown, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with the electronic device, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, disk arrays (Redundant Arrays of Independent Drives; hereinafter referred to as: RAID) systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0127] The processor 410 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the programs stored in the memory 430, such as implementing the waste toner collection unit detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0128] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions. The computer instructions enable the computer to execute the waste toner collection unit detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0129] The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can adopt any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or component, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device or device.

[0130] A computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries computer-readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0131] Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RFID, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0132] The computer program code for performing the operations of the present application can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, using an Internet service provider to connect via the Internet).

[0133] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0134] Any process or method description in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent a module, segment or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a custom logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present application includes alternative implementations in which functions may be performed out of the order shown or discussed, including performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present application belong.

[0135] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of the device or unit, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0136] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0137] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A waste powder collection unit detection method, characterized in that: Applied to an image forming device, the image forming device includes a detection unit, a control unit, and a waste toner collection unit; the detection unit includes a light emitter and a light receiver, and the waste toner collection unit is provided with a light reflection path; the method includes: The control unit controls the optical transmitter to transmit a first light wave signal to the optical reflection path, wherein the first light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a first set period; The optical reflection path reflects the second light wave signal to the optical receiver; the optical receiver generates a first voltage signal associated with the second light wave signal, and the voltage value of the first voltage signal changes with the switching of the first light wave signal; The control unit determines whether the first voltage signal satisfies a first preset condition, and when it is determined that the first voltage signal satisfies a first preset condition, determines that the waste toner collecting unit is in an installed state; The first voltage signal includes a first voltage value and a second voltage value, the first voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the second voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; The control unit determines that the first voltage signal meets a first preset condition, including: The control unit determines that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold, and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold; The control unit determines that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, including: The control unit detects, within a plurality of switching cycles of the first lightwave signal, a percentage of times that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold; The control unit determines that the number of times exceeds a set ratio.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the control unit determines that the first voltage signal does not meet a first preset condition, it determines that the waste toner collecting unit is in an unmounted state.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After the control unit determines that the waste toner collection unit is in the installed state, the method further includes: The control unit sets a first flag bit to a first value, where the first flag bit is used to represent the installation state of the waste toner collecting unit. The first value indicates that the waste toner collecting unit is in the installed state.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein After the control unit determines that the waste toner collection unit is in the installed state, the method further includes: The control unit controls the optical transmitter to transmit a third light wave signal to the optical reflection path, wherein the third light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a second set period; The optical reflection path reflects the fourth light wave signal to the optical receiver; the optical receiver generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth light wave signal, and the voltage value of the second voltage signal changes with the switching of the fourth light wave signal; The control unit determines the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit according to the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The second voltage signal includes a third voltage value and a fourth voltage value, the third voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the fourth voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; The control unit determines the amount of waste powder in the waste powder collecting unit according to the voltage value of the second voltage signal, including: The control unit collects the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value according to a third set period respectively; The control unit performs mean filtering on the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value collected multiple times respectively; The control unit determines the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit according to the mean filtering result.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that After the control unit determines the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit, the method further includes: The control unit determines that the waste toner collecting unit is full, and sets the first flag to a second value, wherein the second value indicates that the waste toner collecting unit is not installed; and The second flag bit is set to a third value, where the second flag bit is used to represent the capacity status of the waste toner collecting unit, and the third value indicates that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The control unit determines that the waste toner collecting unit is full, comprising: The control unit detects that the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value are both greater than a second voltage threshold, and determines that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that After the control unit determines that the waste powder collection unit is full and sets the first flag bit to a second value, the method further includes: The control unit again determines whether the waste powder collection unit is installed, and after determining that the waste powder collection unit is installed, determines that the current waste powder collection unit is full; and after determining that the waste powder collection unit is not installed, clears the third value of the second flag.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising: A detection unit, a control unit, and a waste powder collection unit; the detection unit includes a light emitter and a light receiver, and the waste powder collection unit is provided with a light reflection path; The control unit is used to control the optical transmitter to transmit a first light wave signal to the light reflection path, wherein the first light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a first set period; The optical reflection path is used to reflect the second light wave signal to the optical receiver; the optical receiver generates a first voltage signal associated with the second light wave signal, and the voltage value of the first voltage signal changes with the switching of the first light wave signal; The control unit determines whether the first voltage signal satisfies a first preset condition, and when it is determined that the first voltage signal satisfies a first preset condition, determines that the waste toner collecting unit is in an installed state; The first voltage signal includes a first voltage value and a second voltage value, the first voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the second voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit is specifically configured to: determining that the first voltage value is greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value is less than the first voltage threshold, and determining that the waste toner collecting unit is in an installed state; The control unit is specifically used for: detecting a proportion of the first voltage value being greater than a first voltage threshold and the second voltage value being less than the first voltage threshold within a plurality of switching cycles of the first lightwave signal; It is determined that the proportion exceeds a set threshold, and it is determined that the waste toner collection unit is in an installed state.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The control unit is further configured to: When it is determined that the first voltage signal does not meet a first preset condition, it is determined that the waste toner collecting unit is in an unmounted state.

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that After determining that the waste toner collection unit is in the installed state, the control unit is further configured to: The first flag bit is set to a first value, where the first flag bit is used to represent the installation state of the waste toner collecting unit. The first value indicates that the waste toner collecting unit is in the installed state.

12. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that After determining that the waste toner collection unit is in the installed state, the control unit is further configured to: controlling the optical transmitter to transmit a third light wave signal to the optical reflection path, wherein the third light wave signal includes a low level signal and a high level signal switched at a second set period; The optical reflection path reflects the fourth light wave signal to the optical receiver; the optical receiver generates a second voltage signal associated with the fourth light wave signal, and the voltage value of the second voltage signal changes with the switching of the fourth light wave signal; The control unit determines the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit according to the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The second voltage signal includes a third voltage value and a fourth voltage value, the third voltage value corresponds to the low-level signal, and the fourth voltage value corresponds to the high-level signal; the control unit is specifically configured to: collecting the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value respectively according to a third set period; The control unit performs mean filtering on the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value collected multiple times respectively; The amount of waste powder in the waste powder collecting unit is determined according to the mean filtering result.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that After determining the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collecting unit, the control unit is further configured to: determining that the waste toner collection unit is full, setting the first flag bit to a second value, wherein the second value indicates that the waste toner collection unit is not installed; as well as, The second flag bit is set to a third value, where the second flag bit is used to represent the capacity status of the waste toner collecting unit, and the third value indicates that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that The control unit is specifically configured to include: It is detected that the third voltage value and the fourth voltage value are both greater than the second voltage threshold, and it is determined that the waste toner collecting unit is full.

16. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that After determining that the waste toner collection unit is full and setting the first flag bit to a second value, the control unit is further configured to: It is again determined whether the waste toner collection unit is installed, and after determining that the waste toner collection unit is installed, it is determined that the current waste toner collection unit is full; and after determining that the waste toner collection unit is not installed, the third value of the second flag is cleared.

17. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute any one of the methods according to claims 1 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions enable the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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