Background color anomaly recognition method, image forming device and equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of image forming, in particular to a background color anomaly recognition method, an image forming device and equipment. The background color abnormity identification method comprises the following steps: when a printing operation instruction of a to-be-printed portrait is received, obtaining a first expected carbon powder dosage required for executing printing on the to-be-printed portrait; and after printing of the to-be-printed portrait is completed, whether background color abnormity occurs on a printing medium or not is determined according to the deviation value of the first expected carbon powder consumption and the actual carbon powder consumption. In the embodiment of the invention, the carbon powder amount required by transfer printing is determined according to the pixel point density of the portrait, and then whether the background color of the printing medium is abnormal or not is judged according to the carbon powder amount after printing. Therefore, the abnormal background color can be effectively identified, the consistency and definition of printing output are ensured, and the printing quality is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of image forming technology, and in particular to a background color abnormality recognition method, an image forming device and equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the field of color laser printer technology, various factors related to the toner cartridge, such as aging and wear of the scraper, dirt and wear of the charging roller, and fatigue of the photosensitive drum, can cause abnormal background colors on the print media during user printing. This problem not only significantly affects the image quality and color accuracy of the printed product, reducing print quality, but can also shorten the life of the consumables and increase maintenance costs for users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present invention provide a background color anomaly recognition method, device and equipment to solve the problem in the prior art that background color anomalies on a printing medium cannot be accurately recognized during printing.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for identifying background color anomalies, wherein the method is applied to an image forming device and comprises:

[0005] Upon receiving a print job instruction for a portrait to be printed, obtaining a first expected toner usage required for printing the portrait to be printed;

[0006] After the printing of the image to be printed is completed, it is determined whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, whether a background color abnormality occurs is determined based on the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage, which can effectively identify abnormal background colors, ensure the consistency and clarity of the printed output, and significantly improve the print quality.

[0008] Optionally, obtaining a first expected toner amount required to print the image to be printed includes:

[0009] Analyzing the image to be printed to determine the pixel density scanned by the target laser scanner;

[0010] A first expected toner usage amount required for printing the image to be printed is determined according to the pixel density and toner properties of the toner in the toner cartridge.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, the first expected toner usage required for printing the image to be printed is determined based on the pixel density and toner characteristics, so that a more accurate estimate of the first expected toner usage required for printing can be made, thereby facilitating the subsequent determination of the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

[0012] Optionally, determining whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage includes:

[0013] Before printing the image to be printed, obtaining a first toner remaining amount of toner in the toner box by using a toner remaining amount detection component;

[0014] replenishing the toner in the toner box according to the first expected toner usage;

[0015] After printing the image to be printed, obtaining a second toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge after toner refilling is completed by the toner remaining amount detecting component;

[0016] determining a deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage according to the first remaining toner amount and the second remaining toner amount;

[0017] Whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium is determined according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present application, before printing the image to be printed, the first toner remaining amount is obtained, and the toner in the powder cartridge is replenished according to the first expected toner usage. After printing the image to be printed, the second toner remaining amount is obtained, and the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is determined based on the first toner remaining amount and the second toner remaining amount. Then, it is determined whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium based on the deviation value. Obtaining the first toner remaining amount and the second toner remaining amount can accurately determine the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage, and then accurately judge whether the background color is abnormal.

[0019] Optionally, determining whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage includes:

[0020] When the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is greater than the background color abnormality threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present application, a background color abnormality threshold is set. When the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is greater than the threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality has occurred. This can provide a certain fault tolerance space for toner usage. When the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is within an acceptable range, the background color will not be determined as abnormal, and small deviations that are acceptable to the user will not be prompted, which is in line with the user experience.

[0022] Optionally, obtaining, by the toner remaining amount detecting component, a second toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge after toner replenishment is completed, includes:

[0023] After the rotation time of the powder box reaches a preset first time, a second toner remaining amount of the toner in the powder box is obtained.

[0024] In the embodiment of the present application, the remaining amount of the second toner is obtained only after the powder box rotates for a certain period of time, so that the obtained remaining amount of the second toner can be more accurate.

[0025] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0026] Acquiring environmental information of an environment in which the image forming device is located, the environmental information including at least one of temperature, humidity, and altitude;

[0027] A second expected toner usage required to print the image to be printed is determined based on the environmental information, the printing medium used to perform printing, at least one of the life span of the transfer roller, and the first expected toner usage, wherein the second expected toner usage represents a theoretically calculated amount of toner transferred to the printing medium.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present application, a second expected toner usage required for printing the image to be printed is determined based on environmental information, the printing medium used for printing, at least one of the life of the transfer roller, and the first expected toner usage. Since environmental information, the type of printing medium, and the life of the transfer roller can all affect the transfer effect, the present application takes these factors into consideration to make the determined second expected toner usage more accurate.

[0029] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0030] determining a theoretical waste toner amount according to the first expected toner usage and the second expected toner usage;

[0031] Compare the theoretical waste powder amount with the actual waste powder generation;

[0032] When the difference between the theoretical waste toner amount and the actual waste toner generation amount is greater than a preset waste toner amount threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present application, when the difference between the theoretical amount of waste powder and the actual amount of waste powder generated is greater than a preset waste powder threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality has occurred. By judging whether the amount of waste powder generated is normal, it is determined whether the background color is abnormal, thereby ensuring the consistency and clarity of the printed output and significantly improving the print quality.

[0034] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0035] an acquisition module, which, upon receiving a print job instruction for a portrait to be printed, acquires a first expected toner usage required for printing the portrait to be printed;

[0036] The determination module determines whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage after printing the image to be printed is completed.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, including:

[0038] at least one processor; and

[0039] at least one memory in communication with the processor, wherein:

[0040] The memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute the method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0041] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium includes a stored program, wherein when the program is running, the device where the storage medium is located is controlled to execute any method described in the first aspect.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, the amount of toner required for transfer is determined based on the pixel density required for transfer, or based on factors such as the environment in which the image forming device is located. The amount of toner after printing is then used to determine whether the background color of the print medium is abnormal. This effectively identifies abnormal background colors, ensures the consistency and clarity of printouts, and significantly improves print quality.

[0043] At the same time, by accurately monitoring and comparing toner consumption, the use and management of consumables are optimized, unnecessary waste is reduced, and the user's use and maintenance costs are lowered.

[0044] For users, it is possible to promptly discover and resolve abnormal background color issues, thereby avoiding unnecessary trouble and misunderstanding, improving user experience and satisfaction with the image forming device, and enhancing user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] 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.

[0046] Figure 1 FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of an abnormal background color provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a background color anomaly recognition system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 FIG2 is a flow chart of a method for identifying background color anomalies provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 6 FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] Image forming devices include but are not limited to printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, and multifunction devices that integrate printing, copying, faxing, scanning and other functions into one, and their function is to print images or text on imaging media.

[0055] like Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 1 mainly shows a portion where a toner image is transferred onto a recording medium. The image forming apparatus is a color image forming apparatus and includes four image forming units for forming a yellow toner image, a magenta toner image, a cyan toner image, and a black toner image.

[0056] Each image forming unit includes one of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, which serves as a rotating component. The suffixes "a" to "d" in the reference numerals 101a to 101d represent "yellow," "magenta," "cyan," and "black," respectively. That is, photosensitive drum 101a is a photosensitive component for forming a yellow toner image, photosensitive drum 101b is a photosensitive component for forming a magenta toner image, photosensitive drum 101c is a photosensitive component for forming a cyan toner image, and photosensitive drum 101d is a photosensitive component for forming a black toner image. It should be noted that photosensitive drums 101a to 101c may also be collectively referred to as "color photosensitive drums." The definitions of the suffixes a to d also apply to the laser scanners 109a to 109d.

[0057] The photosensitive drum 101d is driven by a first motor 111 (equivalent to the imaging motor K) for the monochrome photosensitive drum via gears; the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c are driven by a second motor 112 (imaging motor YMC) for the color photosensitive drum via gears. The first motor 111 and the second motor 112 can be DC brushless motors. The photosensitive drums 101a to 101c are assembled so that the eccentric components of the rotating shaft of the photosensitive drum and the rotating shaft of the gear cancel each other out, and the cycles of peripheral speed changes caused by the eccentricity of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c have the same phase. Since the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c are driven by a single second motor 112, the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c rotate in the same phase. Therefore, the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c are rotationally driven while maintaining their phase. The rotational phases of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c are detected by the second phase sensor 122; the rotational phase of the photosensitive drum 101d is detected by the first phase sensor 121. The configuration of the first phase sensor 121 and the second phase sensor 122 will be described in more detail below. It is understood that the first motor and the second motor in the embodiment of the present application may include one or more motors for driving the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, that is, each photosensitive drum may be individually provided with a motor for driving its rotation and a corresponding gear. The second phase sensor may include a phase sensor for detecting at least one phase of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, that is, each photosensitive drum 101a to 101d may be provided with an independent phase sensor for detecting the rotational phase. Exemplarily, if the first motor is used to drive the monochrome photosensitive drum 101d via gears, the second motor may refer to a motor that drives at least one of the color photosensitive drums 101a to 101c, that is, the second motor may include at least one motor for driving the color photosensitive drums 101a to 101c respectively, the first phase sensor is used to detect the rotation phase of the monochrome photosensitive drum, and the second phase sensor may be used to detect the rotation phase of at least one of the color photosensitive drums 101a to 101c, that is, the second phase sensor may include at least one phase sensor for detecting the rotation phase of at least one of the color photosensitive drums 101a to 101c.

[0058] Each developing unit (not shown in the figure; one developing unit corresponds to each photosensitive drum) deposits toner (developer) onto the latent image formed on one of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, forming a toner image. Thus, the latent image is visualized. The latent image on each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is formed by exposure performed by one of the laser scanners 109a to 109d (LSU) based on an image signal. The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, as visible images, are sequentially transferred to a transfer belt 104 rotated by a drive roller 103.

[0059] The toner image transferred to the transfer belt 104 is simultaneously transferred to a recording medium by a transfer roller 105. The recording medium to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fuser unit 106, which includes a fuser roller driven by a fuser drive motor. In the fuser unit 106, the toner image is fixed to the recording medium by heating.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present application, upon receiving an image forming job instruction, the image forming apparatus transmits image signals for each color to laser scanners 109a to 109d, thereby forming latent images on photosensitive drums 101a to 101d. The four-color latent images formed on photosensitive drums 101a to 101d are developed by developing units, respectively, forming four-color toner images on photosensitive drums 101a to 101d. The four-color toner images are transferred to transfer belt 104, which is rotated by drive roller 103, so that they overlap with each other.

[0061] Subsequently, the recording medium is conveyed from the paper feed cassette 107 in the direction indicated by arrow P. The toner image formed on the transfer belt 104 is transferred to the recording medium by the transfer roller 105. The toner image transferred to the recording medium is then fixed to the recording medium by the fuser unit 106 under the action of heat and pressure. Thereafter, the recording medium is discharged onto the paper output tray 108.

[0062] In applications such as Figure 1 When the image forming device shown prints the portrait to be printed, the background color of the printing medium may be abnormal. It should be noted that the printing medium includes but is not limited to paper, sheets, cards, etc. In daily life and office environments, although background color abnormalities may be regarded as acceptable printing defects in some cases, for users who pursue high-quality image quality, this phenomenon is intolerable. It may destroy the integrity of the image and reduce the appearance and professionalism of the printout, especially in scenarios that require high-precision color display. More importantly, many color laser printers do not issue clear errors or prompts when background color abnormalities occur. This makes it difficult for ordinary users to quickly locate the cause when encountering such problems, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0063] In the field of color laser printer technology, various factors within the imaging components, such as aging and wear of the scraper, dirt or wear of the charging roller, and fatigue of the photosensitive drum, can cause abnormal background colors on the print media during user print jobs. This problem not only significantly impacts the image quality and color accuracy of printed products, reducing print quality, but can also cause abnormalities in the high-voltage system to cause more toner to be consumed than expected, thereby shortening the lifespan of non-toner consumables such as toner cartridges. In extreme cases, non-toner consumables such as toner cartridges and toner cartridges may not have enough remaining toner, increasing maintenance costs for users. The high-voltage system is explained below. An A3 printer has over twenty high-voltage circuits (the specific number depends on the model). This application collectively refers to these circuits as the high-voltage system. A high-voltage system abnormality may be caused by abnormalities in one or more of these circuits. A high-voltage abnormality can occur when high voltage is not being output or when the output high voltage value does not meet expectations. Therefore, addressing the issue of abnormal background colors on print media is of great significance in the field of color laser printers.

[0064] like Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an abnormal background color provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 , a is a schematic diagram of the effect of the original image that needs to be presented on the printing medium, and b is a schematic diagram of the effect of abnormal background color of the printing medium caused by various factors of the imaging component, such as aging and wear of the scraper, dirt or wear of the charging roller, and fatigue of the photosensitive drum. It can be seen that the effect of b is quite different from that of a, which obviously does not meet the user's expectations. It should be noted that background color abnormality does not only refer to color abnormality of a certain part of the image, nor does it only refer to color abnormality of a specific type of image. Color abnormality of every part of the image is the background color abnormality mentioned in this application. Color abnormality of any type of image is the background color abnormality mentioned in this application. For example, if an image is a pure yellow image without other graphics or text, the color abnormality of this image also belongs to the background color abnormality mentioned in this application.

[0065] like Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a background color anomaly recognition system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The background color anomaly recognition system is deployed in an image forming device. Figure 3 The background color anomaly recognition system includes: a processor 310, a powder box 320, a laser scanner 330 and a toner supply assembly 340. The processor 310 establishes communication connections with the powder box 320, the laser scanner 330 and the toner supply assembly 340 respectively.

[0066] The powder cartridge 320 specifically includes a toner remaining amount detector 322. The toner in the powder cartridge is used for imaging during the printing process and is continuously consumed during the imaging process. The toner remaining amount detector 322 is used to detect the remaining toner in the powder cartridge. Specifically, it measures a first toner remaining amount before printing and a second toner remaining amount after printing and toner refilling.

[0067] The laser scanner 330 includes a target laser scanner required for printing the image to be printed this time, and is used to determine the pixel density of the scan.

[0068] The toner supply assembly 340 is used to replenish the toner in the powder box.

[0069] The processor 310 is used to determine a first expected toner usage based on the pixel density scanned by the target laser scanner, and control the toner supply component to replenish the powder box accordingly, thereby determining the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage through the first toner remaining amount and the second toner remaining amount of the powder box, thereby determining whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium.

[0070] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG, a flowchart of a background color anomaly recognition method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is applied to Figure 3 See the processor shown. Figure 4 , the specific steps of the method include:

[0071] S401 , upon receiving a print job instruction for a portrait to be printed, obtaining a first expected toner usage required for printing the portrait to be printed.

[0072] Specifically, when receiving the image to be printed and the printing instruction of the image to be printed, the content of the image to be printed is analyzed to determine the pixel density scanned by the target laser scanner required to execute the printing job.

[0073] The pixel density may be the number of pixels on the printing medium or the number of pixels per unit area, and the present invention does not impose any specific limitation thereto.

[0074] A first expected toner usage required for printing the image to be printed is determined based on toner characteristics of the toner in the toner cartridge and the determined pixel density.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present application, the first expected toner usage required for printing the image to be printed is determined based on the pixel density and toner characteristics, so that a more accurate estimate of the first expected toner usage required for printing can be made, thereby facilitating the subsequent determination of the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present application, a first remaining amount of toner in the powder cartridge is obtained and recorded by a remaining toner detection component disposed in the powder cartridge. It should be noted that the remaining toner detection component may be a toner concentration sensor for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the powder cartridge, or may be other detection mechanisms for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the powder cartridge, and this application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0077] S402: After the image to be printed is printed, it is determined whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

[0078] Specifically, after the image to be printed is printed on the print medium according to the print instruction, the toner supply component is controlled to replenish the toner in the toner cartridge according to the first expected toner usage determined in S401. Alternatively, the toner supply component is controlled to replenish the toner in the toner cartridge according to the first expected toner usage determined in S401, and then the image to be printed is printed on the print medium according to the print instruction. After toner replenishment and printing are completed, the toner remaining amount detection component is again used to obtain and record a second toner remaining amount in the toner cartridge. Based on the first and second toner remaining amounts, it is determined whether a background color abnormality has occurred on the print medium.

[0079] Among them, the difference between the second toner remaining amount and the first toner remaining amount is taken as the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage, and the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is compared with the background color abnormality threshold preset for the toner usage. When the deviation value is less than or equal to the background color abnormality threshold, it is determined that no background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium; when the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is greater than the background color abnormality threshold, it indicates that an abnormality occurs in charging, developing or primary transfer, and the toner consumption does not meet the preset value, which will produce a background color that is too light or too dark on the background of the printing medium, and it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium.

[0080] The following explains the reason for taking the difference between the second remaining toner amount and the first remaining toner amount as the deviation value between the first expected toner amount and the actual toner amount. It can be understood that after the first expected toner amount is determined by S401, toner replenishment is completed according to the first expected toner amount. That is to say, if the toner actually consumed in charging, developing and primary transfer is the same as the first expected toner amount calculated in step S401, then after charging, developing and primary transfer, the toner actually consumed in charging, developing and primary transfer is the same as the first expected toner amount. If the toner is the same as the toner used in the previous printing, the remaining toner amount will be the same as the toner amount measured before charging, developing and the first transfer. If the toner amount remaining after charging, developing and the first transfer is significantly different from that before charging, developing and the first transfer, it means that the first expected toner usage is significantly different from the actual toner usage. The difference between the second toner remaining amount and the first toner remaining amount can directly reflect the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage. For example: in a certain printing job, the toner remaining before charging, developing and the first transfer is the same as the toner amount measured before charging, developing and the first transfer. The toner concentration (i.e., the first toner remaining amount) is recorded as CS1 by the toner remaining amount detection component. According to the embodiment shown in S401, the first expected toner usage is determined to be SU1. Then, the toner in the toner cartridge is replenished with the amount of SU1. After completing charging, developing, and primary transfer, the toner concentration (i.e., the second toner remaining amount) is recorded as CE1 by the toner remaining amount detection component. The deviation between the second toner remaining amount and the first toner remaining amount is calculated as ΔC=CE1-CS1. It can be understood that if the actual toner usage is different from the first expected toner usage, The toner usage is the same, that is, if the actual toner consumption of charging, developing and primary transfer is equal to the estimated toner consumption, the second toner remaining amount will be equal to the first toner remaining amount, ΔC will be equal to 0. If ΔC is not equal to 0, it means that the actual toner consumption of charging, developing and primary transfer is not equal to the estimated toner consumption. When the absolute value of ΔC is larger, the deviation is larger. ΔZ is used to represent the background color abnormality threshold preset for toner usage. When the absolute value of ΔC is greater than ΔZ, it indicates that an abnormality has occurred in charging, developing or primary transfer.

[0081] In an embodiment of the present application, before printing the image to be printed, a first toner remaining amount is obtained. After printing the image to be printed, the toner in the powder cartridge is replenished according to the first expected toner usage. Then, a second toner remaining amount is obtained. Based on the first and second toner remaining amounts, a deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is determined. Then, based on the deviation, whether a background color abnormality occurs on the print medium is determined. Obtaining the first and second toner remaining amounts can accurately determine the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage, thereby accurately determining whether the background color is abnormal. In some embodiments, in addition to replenishing the toner in the powder cartridge according to the first expected toner usage after printing the image to be printed, the toner in the powder cartridge can also be replenished according to the first expected toner usage before printing the image to be printed.

[0082] In some embodiments, in addition to setting the preset background color abnormality threshold as a fixed value, a multi-level background color abnormality threshold may be set to adjust the background color abnormality range according to the actual needs of the user.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, a background color abnormality threshold is set. When the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is greater than the threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality has occurred. This can provide a certain fault tolerance space for toner usage. When the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is within an acceptable range, the background color will not be determined as abnormal, and small deviations that are acceptable to the user will not be prompted, which is in line with the user experience.

[0084] Optionally, when it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium, a prompt message can be displayed on the display screen of the image forming device, or a prompt message can be sent to the user based on the connection relationship between the image forming device and the terminal device held by the user, to prompt that the current printing task may have a background color abnormality problem.

[0085] When a user determines that a background color anomaly has occurred on a print medium and has affected print quality, the user can send a maintenance request to the after-sales service center of the image forming device via a terminal device connected to the image forming device. In an embodiment of the present invention, the amount of toner required for transfer is determined based on the pixel density required to perform the transfer, and then the amount of toner after printing is used to determine whether the background color of the print medium is abnormal. This can effectively identify abnormal background colors, ensure the consistency and clarity of print output, and significantly improve print quality. By sending a maintenance request to the after-sales service center of the image forming device via a terminal device connected to the image forming device, staff can conduct timely maintenance to prevent the abnormality from affecting more users.

[0086] At the same time, by accurately monitoring and comparing toner consumption, the use and management of consumables are optimized, unnecessary waste is reduced, and the user's usage and maintenance costs are lowered. For users, background color anomalies can be discovered and resolved in a timely manner, avoiding unnecessary confusion and misunderstandings, improving the user's experience and satisfaction with the image forming device, and enhancing the user's usage experience. Optionally, in some embodiments, when executing the toner remaining amount detection component to obtain the second toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge after toner refilling, considering that in a two-component device, the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge are separate, for example, in some image forming device models, the toner cartridge is designed to support printing of approximately 10,000 pages, while in this model, the toner cartridge is designed to support printing of approximately 60,000 pages. The user can manually replace the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge's lifespan ends. Moreover, in a two-component device, the toner and the toner cartridge are not in direct contact. That is, because the toner and the toner cartridge are separate, the toner remaining amount detection component may have a toner detection lag problem. Therefore, by increasing the control of the powder box rotation for a period of time, after the powder box rotation time reaches the preset first time, ensuring that the toner flow inside the powder box is sufficiently uniform, and then obtaining the second toner remaining amount in the powder box, the possibility of misjudgment is reduced.

[0087] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the cause of the background color abnormality may occur during the secondary transfer process.

[0088] To address this issue, after obtaining the first expected toner usage, it is necessary to further obtain environmental information of the environment in which the image forming apparatus is located, wherein the environmental information includes at least one of temperature, humidity, and altitude.

[0089] The second expected toner amount is determined based on environmental information, at least one of the print medium used for printing, and the life of the transfer roller, as well as the first expected toner amount. The second expected toner amount represents the theoretically calculated amount of toner transferred to the print medium (i.e., the theoretical secondary transfer toner amount). It is understood that the secondary transfer toner amount may vary under different environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, and the type of print medium and the life of the transfer roller may also affect the secondary transfer toner amount. In an embodiment of the present application, the second expected toner amount required to print the image to be printed is determined based on environmental information, at least one of the print medium used for printing, and the life of the transfer roller, as well as the first expected toner amount. Since environmental information, the type of print medium, and the life of the transfer roller can all affect the transfer effect, the present application takes these factors into account to make the determined second expected toner amount more accurate, thereby making the subsequent judgment of background color anomalies more accurate and more in line with user experience.

[0090] It is understood that during the printing process, toner collected from the toner cartridge during charging, developing, and primary transfer is used for secondary transfer to paper, meaning that the collected toner is transferred to the print medium. However, in general, not all of the toner collected from the toner cartridge is transferred to the print medium. The toner that is not transferred to the print medium is waste toner that needs to be collected. Therefore, the theoretical amount of waste toner generated can be determined by subtracting the amount of toner transferred to the print medium from the amount of toner collected from the toner cartridge. The difference between the first expected toner usage and the second expected toner usage is determined as the theoretical amount of waste toner generated during the printing process, i.e., the theoretical waste toner amount. The second expected toner usage represents the amount of toner transferred from the image forming device to the print medium. The theoretical waste toner amount is compared with the actual waste toner amount. If the difference between the theoretical and actual waste toner amounts is less than or equal to a preset waste toner amount threshold, it is determined that no background color anomaly has occurred on the print medium. If the difference between the theoretical and actual waste toner amounts is greater than the preset waste toner amount threshold, it is determined that a background color anomaly has occurred on the print medium.

[0091] In one possible implementation, the actual amount of waste toner generated can be determined by collecting the change in waste toner volume in the waste toner box before and after printing. For example, before printing, the sensor collects the total amount of waste toner in the waste toner box as RT. After printing is completed, the sensor collects the total amount of waste toner in the waste toner box as RT1. The waste toner generated for this printing is RT1-RT. Therefore, the actual amount of waste toner generated can be accurately determined. In addition to setting the preset waste toner volume threshold to a fixed value, multiple waste toner volume thresholds can also be set to adjust the background color abnormality range according to the user's actual needs, thereby reducing error notifications caused by background color abnormalities.

[0092] Corresponding to the above-mentioned background color abnormality recognition method, the embodiment of the present application further provides an image forming device. Figure 5 , is a structural diagram of an image forming device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The image forming device may include: an acquisition module 501 and a determination module 502.

[0093] The acquisition module 501 acquires a first expected toner usage required for printing the image to be printed upon receiving a print job instruction for the image to be printed.

[0094] The determination module 502 determines whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage after the printing of the to-be-printed portrait is completed.

[0095] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of this specification. Figure 6As shown, the electronic device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processing unit, wherein: the memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processing unit, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute the background color anomaly recognition method provided in this embodiment.

[0096] The electronic device can be a device capable of intelligently communicating with a user, such as a cloud server. The specific form of the electronic device is not limited in this specification. It is understood that the electronic device here is the machine mentioned in the method embodiment.

[0097] Figure 6 A block diagram is shown of an exemplary electronic device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present description. Figure 6 The electronic device shown is only an example and should not limit the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of this specification.

[0098] like Figure 6 As 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 610, a communication interface 620, a memory 630, and a communication bus 640 connecting different system components (including the memory 630, the communication interface 620, and the processor 610).

[0099] Communication bus 640 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 these 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] Memory 630 may include computer-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. Memory 630 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of various embodiments of this specification.

[0102] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules may be stored in memory 630. Such program modules include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules generally implement the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0103] The processor 610 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the programs stored in the memory 630, such as implementing the background color anomaly recognition method provided in the embodiment shown in this specification.

[0104] An embodiment of the present specification provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions enable the computer to execute the background color anomaly recognition method provided by the embodiment shown in the present specification.

[0105] The above-mentioned non-transitory 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 device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media 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 (Read Only Memory; hereinafter referred to as: ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory; hereinafter referred to as: 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 thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by an instruction execution system, device or device or used in combination with it.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0108] Computer program code for performing the operations of this specification 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 through the Internet).

[0109] The foregoing description of this specification describes specific embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or the sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0110] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout this specification, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0111] 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 this specification 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 this specification belong.

[0112] The word "if," as used herein, may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if (stated condition or event) is detected" may be interpreted as "when it is determined" or "in response to the determination" or "when detecting (stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (stated condition or event)," depending on the context.

[0113] It should be noted that the terminals involved in the embodiments of this specification may include but are not limited to personal computers (Personal Computer; hereinafter referred to as: PC), personal digital assistants (Personal Digital Assistant; hereinafter referred to as: PDA), wireless handheld devices, tablet computers (Tablet Computer), mobile phones, MP3 players, MP4 players, etc.

[0114] In the embodiments provided in this specification, 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 illustrative. 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.

[0115] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this specification may be integrated into a single processing unit, 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 hardware plus software functional units.

[0116] The above-mentioned integrated unit implemented in the form of a software functional unit can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned software functional unit stored in a storage medium includes a number of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or a processor to perform some steps of the method described in various embodiments of this specification.

[0117] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included in the scope of protection of this specification.

Claims

1. A method for identifying background color anomalies, characterized in that: The method is applied to an image forming device, and includes: Upon receiving a print job instruction for a portrait to be printed, obtaining a first expected toner usage required for printing the portrait to be printed; After the printing of the image to be printed is completed, it is determined whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to the deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of a first expected toner amount required for printing the image to be printed includes: Analyzing the image to be printed to determine the pixel density scanned by the target laser scanner; A first expected toner usage amount required for printing the image to be printed is determined according to the pixel density and toner properties of the toner in the toner cartridge.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage includes: Before printing the image to be printed, obtaining a first toner remaining amount of toner in the toner box by using a toner remaining amount detection component; replenishing the toner in the toner box according to the first expected toner usage; After printing the image to be printed, obtaining a second toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge after toner refilling is completed by the toner remaining amount detecting component; determining a deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage according to the first remaining toner amount and the second remaining toner amount; Whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium is determined according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining whether a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage includes: When the deviation between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage is greater than the background color abnormality threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The obtaining, by the toner remaining amount detecting component, a second toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge after toner replenishment is completed, comprises: After the rotation time of the powder box reaches a preset first time, a second toner remaining amount of the toner in the powder box is obtained.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Acquiring environmental information of an environment in which the image forming device is located, the environmental information including at least one of temperature, humidity, and altitude; A second expected toner usage required to print the image to be printed is determined based on the environmental information, the printing medium used to perform printing, at least one of the life span of the transfer roller, and the first expected toner usage, wherein the second expected toner usage represents a theoretically calculated amount of toner transferred to the printing medium.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining a theoretical waste toner amount according to the first expected toner usage and the second expected toner usage; Compare the theoretical waste powder amount with the actual waste powder generation; When the difference between the theoretical waste toner amount and the actual waste toner generation amount is greater than a preset waste toner amount threshold, it is determined that a background color abnormality occurs.

8. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that: The device comprises: an acquisition module, which, upon receiving a print job instruction for a portrait to be printed, acquires a first expected toner usage required for printing the portrait to be printed; The determination module determines whether background color abnormality occurs on the printing medium according to a deviation value between the first expected toner usage and the actual toner usage after printing the image to be printed is completed.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory in communication with 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 according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium includes a stored program, wherein when the program is executed, the device where the storage medium is located is controlled to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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