Remaining amount management device

Abstract

To accurately detect whether a full amount of printing consumable materials in a storage body has been input to a tank.SOLUTION: A printer 200 includes a tank 32 that stores ink input from a bottle and a level sensor 90. A control device 50 acquires printing amount information for the ink in S201, determines whether or not the currently estimated remaining amount calculated after the ink in the tank 32 falls below an upper reference level HL has reached a first threshold in S220, determines whether or not the currently estimated remaining amount calculated after the ink level in the tank 32 has reduced below the upper reference level HL has reached a second threshold in S270, prohibits image formation in S280 when it is determined that the second threshold has been reached in S270, determines that the full amount of ink from the bottle has been input in S125 when the ink level in the tank 32 has increased to the upper reference level HL or greater, and permits image formation in S145 when it is determined that the full amount of ink has been input in S125.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remaining amount management device that manages the remaining amount of printing consumables in a tank of a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional technique is known in which a sensor is provided at the bottom of a tank of a printing device, and the latest remaining amount of printing consumables in the printing device is calculated and managed based on the detection results of the level of the printing consumables by the sensor, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-190361 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the printing consumables in the tank are consumed and reduced due to printing execution, the user pours the printing consumables from the reservoir into the tank, thereby replenishing the printing consumables in the tank.

[0005] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, since the sensor position in the tank is toward the lower side, it is difficult to distinguish whether the amount of printing consumables that the user puts from the reservoir into the tank is the entire amount in the reservoir.

[0006] On the other hand, in recent years, there has been known a service in which a specific contract is concluded between a printing device and a user, and the user is charged according to the printing content based on the contract. Depending on the content of the contracted service, printing consumables may be delivered from a specific delivery source to the user according to the consumption of the printing consumables, without the user having to bear any financial burden. In this case, if printing is performed without the entire amount of printing consumables in the storage body being added as described above and the printing consumables in the tank are consumed, new printing consumables will be delivered even though there is printing consumables remaining in the storage body, which is a significant disadvantage to the service provider.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a remaining amount management device that can accurately detect when all of the printing consumables in a reservoir have been poured into a tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a level sensor capable of detecting the level of printing consumables in a tank in a printing device is provided on the top of the tank. When an image is formed by a printing unit, the printing consumables in the tank are consumed and the liquid level of the printing consumables decreases. A remaining amount management device executes a print amount acquisition process to acquire print amount information of the printing consumables due to the image formation, for example, an ink dot count. After a decrease in the level of the printing consumables in the tank from above an upper reference level to below the upper reference level is detected by the level sensor, a current estimated remaining amount of the printing consumables is calculated using the print amount information acquired by the print amount acquisition process.

[0009] When the printing consumables in the tank are consumed and the tank becomes almost empty, for example, printing becomes impossible, but in response to this, a second threshold value for the remaining amount of the printing consumables is set in the present invention. By executing a second determination process in the remaining amount management device, it is determined whether or not the current estimated remaining amount of the printing consumables described above has reached the second threshold value, and if it is determined that the second threshold value has been reached, a printing prohibition process is executed to prohibit image formation by the printing unit.

[0010] On the other hand, in the present invention, in an ideal situation, it is assumed that the printing consumables in the reservoir are all poured into the tank every time they are used, for example, when the printing consumables in the tank are consumed and the remaining amount of the printing consumables is somewhat low, the printing consumables in the reservoir are newly poured into the tank. For this purpose, a first threshold value for the remaining amount of the printing consumables is set. The remaining amount management device executes a first determination process to determine whether or not the current estimated remaining amount of the printing consumables described above has reached the first threshold value.

[0011] When the printing consumables are consumed and the first threshold is determined to be reached by the first determination process, the remaining amount management device executes a third determination process. In the third determination process, it can be determined that the entire amount of the printing consumables has been dispensed from the reservoir to the tank based on the detection by a level sensor provided at the top of the tank that the level of the printing consumables in the tank has increased from below the upper reference level to above the upper reference level. When the remaining amount management device determines that the entire amount of the printing consumables has been dispensed by the third determination process, it allows image formation by the printing unit in a printing permission process.

[0012] According to the present invention, when a user inserts printing consumables from a storage body into a tank in response to consumption of the printing consumables, if the entire amount is inserted, subsequent printing can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect when the printing consumables in the storage body have been inserted into the tank. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect whether the entire amount of printing consumables in the reservoir has been poured into the tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of a print processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer provided in the print processing system. [Diagram 3]5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ink in the tank and the ON / OFF state behavior of the level sensor. FIG. [Figure 4] This is an external view showing the state in which the opening cover on the printer housing is open and the ink inlets of the four tanks are exposed to the outside. [Diagram 5] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a calculation principle of a remaining amount before insertion based on a count-up. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure performed by the printer. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart showing details of the printer initialization process in S100. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a level sensor check process in S120. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen display. [Figure 10] 11 is a flowchart showing details of a process at S300 when the cover is opened and closed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen display. [Figure 12] 11 is a flowchart showing details of the process at S200 when ink is consumed. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a count increment process in S210. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a consumables remaining amount check process in S215. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen display. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] A print processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. This embodiment is an embodiment of a print processing system 1 that provides a print service based on a print contract that charges an amount according to the number of prints made by a printer 200. In this print processing system 1, when a certain amount of printing consumables (described in detail later) used in the printer 200 is consumed, new printing consumables are automatically delivered and inserted from the service provider side at no financial cost to the user.

[0017] <Outline of the printing processing system> 1, the print processing system 1 includes an information management server 100, a printer 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a delivery management server 400. The information management server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and the delivery management server 400 are connected to a network NT and can communicate with each other. The printer 200 is an example of a printing device and also an example of a remaining amount management device.

[0018] <Printer configuration> The printer 200 provided in the print processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the printer 200 includes a carriage 2, an inkjet head 3, a platen 4, and transport rollers 5 and 6. The side where the transport roller 6 is located is the front side of the printer 200, and the side where the transport roller 5 is located is the rear side of the printer 200. The direction from the rear side to the front side is the transport direction, and the left-right direction is the main scanning direction.

[0019] The carriage 2 is connected to a carriage motor 56 (see FIG. 1) via a belt or the like (not shown), and is driven by the carriage motor 56 to move along the guide rails 11 and 12 in the main scanning direction.

[0020] The inkjet head 3 is connected to four tubes 31. The four tubes 31 are respectively connected to four tanks 32 arranged in the main scanning direction at the right front end of the printer 200. Black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks stored in the four tanks 32 are supplied to the inkjet head 3 via the tubes 31.

[0021] The printer 200 of this embodiment is, for example, a relatively low-cost model, and is used by pouring ink into each tank 32 from a corresponding bottle (not shown). The bottle is an example of a reservoir. That is, each tank 32 is provided with a cap 32a, and ink is filled into the tank 32 by manually pouring ink from the bottle with the cap 32a removed. The capacity of the bottle is, for example, set to a fixed value, i.e., a predetermined capacity. In the above-mentioned delivery service, the bottle is delivered to the user, and all of the ink in the bottle can be supplied to the tank 32 in the predetermined volume unit by a single pouring operation by the user. Ink is an example of a printing consumable.

[0022] The inkjet head 3 is mounted on the carriage 2, and the carriage 2 moves the inkjet head 3 in the main scanning direction while the inkjet head 3 ejects ink, thereby forming an image, i.e., printing. The inkjet head 3 has a flow path unit 13. The inkjet head 3 and the carriage 2 are an example of a printing unit.

[0023] In the flow passage unit 13, four nozzle rows 9 each including a plurality of nozzles 10 are arranged in the main scanning direction. As an example, the nozzles 10 eject black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks in this order from right to left. To the nozzles 10 included in one nozzle row, ink of one corresponding color is supplied via the common tube 31 and a common ink flow passage. That is, ink from one tank 32 is supplied via the tube 31 → the ink flow passage of the flow passage unit 13 → each nozzle 10.

[0024] The platen 4 is located below the inkjet head 3 and faces the nozzle surface during printing. The platen 4 extends across the entire width of the recording paper P in the main scanning direction and supports the recording paper P from below. The recording paper P is an example of a print medium. The transport rollers 5 and 6 are located upstream and downstream of the platen 4 in the transport direction, respectively. The transport rollers 5 and 6 are connected to a transport motor 57 (see FIG. 1) via gears and the like (not shown), and are rotated by the drive of the transport motor 57 to transport the recording paper P in the transport direction.

[0025] With the above configuration, the printer 200 prints on the recording paper P by ejecting ink from multiple nozzles 10 of the inkjet head 3 while moving the carriage 2 in the main scanning direction each time the recording paper P is transported a predetermined distance by the transport rollers 5 and 6.

[0026] <Level sensor> Each tank 32 is provided with a level sensor 90 for detecting whether the ink level inside is equal to or higher than the upper reference level corresponding to the upper part of the tank 32. The level sensor 90 detects the ink level by a known method and outputs a corresponding detection signal. The detection signal of the level sensor 90 is ON when the ink level is equal to or higher than the upper reference level, and is OFF when the ink level is lower than the upper reference level. The upper reference level is preferably the level of the ink level when 75% or more of the capacity of the tank 32 is contained. This reduces wasted space when the entire amount of ink in the ink bottle is poured in, and the printer 200 does not become large. It is more preferable that the upper reference level is the level of the ink level when 80% or more of the capacity of the tank 32 is contained.

[0027] The relationship between the amount of ink in the tank 32 and the ON / OFF state behavior of the level sensor 90 is shown in Figure 3. The level sensor 90 is indicated by a simplified black triangle in the figure, and the presence or absence of ink at the upper reference level HL is detected by the level sensor 90. In this example, the upper reference level HL is located slightly below the top end of the tank 32, and is spaced from the bottom surface of the tank 32. In more detail, as will be described later, the upper reference level HL is set to a height that the liquid level I will not reach unless the entire predetermined amount of ink is poured in from a state in which the ink in the tank 32 is empty.

[0028] Fig. 3(a) shows a state in which the tank 32 is empty of ink, and the level sensor 90 is in the OFF state. Fig. 3(b) shows a state in which ink is poured from a bottle into the tank 32, causing the liquid level I to rise slightly. In this state, the liquid level I has not yet reached the upper reference level HL, so the level sensor 90 remains in the OFF state.

[0029] FIG. 3(d) shows the state in which the ink level I has reached the upper reference level HL after passing through the state in FIG. 3(c) in which more ink has been poured from the state in FIG. 3(b). When this state is reached, the level sensor 90 switches from the OFF state to the ON state. As more ink is poured in, the ink level I rises, and the tank 32 reaches the state in FIG. 3(e) in which the ink is essentially full. In FIGS. 3(d) to 3(e), the level sensor 90 remains in the ON state.

[0030] On the other hand, when printing is performed by the inkjet head 3 from the ink-full state shown in Fig. 3(e) and the ink is consumed, the liquid level I drops slightly, and the state in which the liquid level I has fallen below the upper reference level HL is shown in Fig. 3(f). When this state occurs, the level sensor 90 switches from the ON state to the OFF state.

[0031] From the state of Fig. 3(f), the state of Fig. 3(g), Fig. 3(h), and Fig. 3(i) is reached where ink is further consumed, and then the state of Fig. 3(j) is reached where ink in the tank 32 is empty (meaning that the available ink is empty, although in reality some ink may remain in the tank 32). In Fig. 3(g) to Fig. 3(i), the level sensor 90 is maintained in the OFF state.

[0032] 4 shows the printer 200 with the opening / closing cover 200B provided on the housing 200A open. When the opening / closing cover 200B is open, the ink inlet (not shown) of each of the four tanks 32 arranged inside the housing 200A can be exposed to the outside. In this example, the magenta tank 32M, the cyan tank 32C, the yellow tank 32Y, and the black tank 32K are arranged in this order from left to right. Each of the tanks 32M, 32C, 32Y, and 32K is provided with the level sensor 90 for detecting whether the ink level I in the tank has reached the upper reference level HL. Although not shown, for example, housing 200A is provided with an opening / closing sensor 80 (see FIG. 1) that detects the open / closed state of opening / closing cover 200B using a known method. Opening / closing sensor 80 detects whether opening / closing cover 200B is in an open or closed state, and outputs a corresponding detection signal. Opening / closing cover 200B is an example of an opening / closing part.

[0033] <Electrical configuration of the print processing system> Returning to FIG. 1, the electrical configuration of the print processing system 1 will be described.

[0034] <Information management server> The information management server 100 is a server installed and managed by a service provider, that is, for example, the manufacturer of the printer 200 or the operating company of the above-mentioned printing service, and has a processor 110, a storage device 115, and an interface 190. The processor 110, the storage device 115, and the interface 190 are connected to each other via a bus 105.

[0035] The memory device 115 includes a volatile memory device 120 and a non-volatile memory device 130 . The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM, and has a user ID storage area 121, a device number storage area 122, a printer ID storage area 124, and a remaining ink storage area 125. The information stored in these storage areas is used to manage the use of printing services by each printer and each user. The non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and has a program storage area 131.

[0036] The processor 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU. The processor 110 executes various processes including data communication with the mobile terminal 300, the printer 200, and the delivery management server 400 connected to the network NT by executing a program stored in the program storage area 131. The program storage area 131 of the non-volatile storage device 130 and the processor 110 that uses the program storage area 131 are an example of a control unit.

[0037] The interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to a network NT.

[0038] <Delivery management server> The delivery management server 400 is installed in a delivery service company that provides delivery services for various items including the above-mentioned bottles, and has a processor, a storage device, and an interface for connecting to the network NT (not shown).

[0039] <Mobile devices> The mobile terminal 300 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and is connected to a network NT via wireless communication. The mobile terminal 300 has a processor 310, a storage device 315, an interface 390 for connecting to the network NT, a display unit 301, and an operation unit 350. Various programs are stored in a program storage area provided in the storage device. Instead of the mobile terminal 300, other information terminals such as a tablet computer or a desktop PC may be used.

[0040] <Printer> The printer 200 is provided with a control device 50 for controlling the operation of the printer 200, a carriage motor 56, a transport motor 57, a level sensor 90, an open / close sensor 80, and an appropriate display unit 201. The control device 50 includes a CPU 51, a ROM 52, a RAM 53, an EEPROM 54, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) 55, an interface 60, and the like. The RAM 53 includes an input counter 126 and a sensor counter 127 (details will be described later). The input counter 126 and the sensor counter 127 are appropriately backed up in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM 54 so that control can be continued even if the power of the printer 200 is turned off and on. The ROM 52 includes a program storage area 52A. The programs stored in the program storage area 52A include programs for executing the processes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 to 8, 10, and 12 to 14 described later. The control device 50 includes these components and thereby controls a carriage motor 56, a conveying motor 57, and the like. In addition, detection signals from the level sensor 90 and the open / close sensor 80 described above are input to the control device 50. Then, the control device 50 operates as a remaining amount management device described later.

[0041] The interface 60 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0042] 1 illustrates only one CPU 51, the control device 50 may include multiple CPUs 51, and the multiple CPUs 51 may share the processing. Also, in FIG. 1 illustrates only one ASIC 55, the control device 50 may include multiple ASICs 55, and the multiple ASICs 55 may share the processing.

[0043] <Background of this embodiment> As described above, in the print processing system 1 of this embodiment, when the ink in the tank 32 runs out, a new bottle is delivered to the user free of charge, without any financial burden on the user. The user manually pours the ink from the bottle into the tank 32 to fill the ink. At this time, as described above, the entire amount of ink in the bottle can be supplied to the tank 32 by a single pouring operation by the user.

[0044] For example, when ink is consumed by printing and tank 32 is empty as shown in FIG. 3(a), all of the ink in the bottle is poured into tank 32, causing the liquid level I to rise as shown in FIG. 3(b) → FIG. 3(c) → FIG. 3(d). Then, finally, tank 32 becomes substantially full of ink as shown in FIG. 3(e). When printing is performed again from this state, ink is consumed and the liquid level I changes as shown in FIG. 3(e) → FIG. 3(f) → FIG. 3(g) → FIG. 3(h) → FIG. 3(i) → FIG. 3(j). After this, tank 32 becomes empty and bottles are delivered again.

[0045] However, if the user, for some reason, either intentionally or unintentionally, does not pour in the entire amount of ink in the delivered bottle, the rise in the liquid level I will stop, for example, at Figure 3(a) → Figure 3(b) → Figure 3(c). If printing is performed again from this state and ink is consumed, the liquid level I will change as shown in Figure 3(c) → Figure 3(g) → Figure 3(h) → Figure 3(i) → Figure 3(j). In other words, in this case, a new bottle will be delivered in a short period of time even though there is ink remaining in the bottle, which is a great disadvantage to the service provider.

[0046] <Features of the embodiment> The feature of this embodiment is to accurately detect whether the user has poured the entire amount of ink in the bottle in order to prevent a new bottle from being delivered to a user with ink remaining in the bottle as described above. For this purpose, as one example, the level sensor 90 is disposed at a position (height) where the detection signal of the level sensor 90 does not switch from OFF to ON unless the entire amount of ink in the delivered bottle is poured from the tank 32 when the ink in the tank 32 is empty. Then, the above-mentioned pouring counter 126, sensor counter 127, etc. are provided, and based on the detection result of the level sensor 90 and the count values ​​of the pouring counter 126 and the sensor counter 127 (described in detail later), it is detected whether the user has poured the entire amount of ink in the bottle into the tank 32.

[0047] <Input counter and sensor counter> The sensor counter 127 is a counter that counts up as the liquid level I in the tank 32 drops and the detection signal of the level sensor 90 switches from ON to OFF as described above, for example at an initial value

[0000] , and then counts up as the liquid level I drops from there. The input counter 126 is a counter that counts up as the ink level I decreases from an initial value

[0000] , which is the state in which the tank 32 is empty and the entire amount of ink is input from the bottle into the tank 32. When printing is performed, the amount of ink discharged from the multiple nozzles 10 of the inkjet head 3, which corresponds to the amount of printing, is detected by a known method, and the amount of ink consumption calculated by a known method based on the amount of ink discharged is obtained by the control device 50 of the printer 200. Then, a value corresponding to the obtained amount of ink consumption is added to the count values ​​of the input counter 126 and the sensor counter 127, respectively.

[0048] At this time, in this embodiment, the relationship between the height of the liquid surface in the tank 32 and the remaining amount of ink is known by design, and the detection position of the level sensor 90 in the tank 32 is known by design. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5(a), count value A corresponding to the ink volume exceeding the height position of the level sensor 90 when the ink is substantially full is known by design. Also, there is a predetermined height position within the tank 32 that represents an ink-low state where the amount of ink remaining in the tank 32 is low. Therefore, the count value B, which corresponds to the ink volume from the height position of the level sensor 90 to the ink-low state, is known by design. Furthermore, there is a predetermined height position within the tank 32 that represents an ink empty state in which the ink remaining in the tank 32 has run out. Therefore, the count value C that corresponds to the ink volume from ink low to ink empty is known by design. On the other hand, as described above, the capacity of the bottle is known, but in this embodiment, as described above with reference to Figures 3(a) to (j), when the tank 32 is empty, the tank 32 becomes substantially full of ink by pouring in the entire amount of ink in the bottle (hereinafter, where appropriate, this state will be simply referred to as "full ink state" or the like). In other words, the count value corresponding to the total amount of ink in one bottle is A+B+C, which is a value known by design (see Figure 5(a)).

[0049] <Count-up behavior> The count-up by the input counter 126 and the sensor counter 127 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5(a), after ink is poured into the tank 32, the ink is consumed by printing. When the ink level I drops to the upper reference level HL as shown in FIG. 5(b), the count value of the sensor counter 127 begins to count up from

[0000] .

[0051] In this example, when the ink in the tank 32 is consumed and the sensor count value reaches B, i.e., when the ink level is low, as described below, a new bottle is automatically ordered and delivered to the user.

[0052] <Detection principle for full amount added> Assume that the ordered bottle is delivered to the user, and the user pours the ink from the new bottle into the tank 32 when the count value of the sensor counter 127 increases to [zzz] as shown in FIG. 5(c). The count value V corresponding to the pre-addition remaining amount immediately before the ink is poured (hereinafter simply referred to as the "pre-addition remaining amount V" as appropriate) is V=B+C-[zzz]. As a result, when the user pours the entire amount of ink in the newly arrived bottle, the pre-addition remaining amount V is added to the total amount of ink in the bottle (A+B+C) as shown in FIG. 5(d). The pre-addition remaining amount V is within the range of 0 to C depending on the timing at which the user pours the ink. The upper reference level HL where the level sensor 90 is located is set so that even if the pre-addition remaining amount is zero, when the entire amount of ink in the bottle is poured, the liquid level I exceeds the upper reference level HL, and the amount of ink that exceeds the upper reference level HL is small. Therefore, when the detection signal of the level sensor 90 switches from ON to OFF after the ink becomes low, it can be detected that the entire amount of ink in the bottle has been poured. This is the basic principle of detecting whether the entire amount of ink in the bottle has been dispensed.

[0053] Here, if there is a remaining amount V at the time of insertion, even if a small amount of ink is not inserted and remains in the bottle, the detection signal of the level sensor 90 switches from OFF to ON. Therefore, it is also possible to further detect after the fact that the entire amount was not inserted as follows.

[0054] When the total amount of ink in the bottle (A+B+C) in FIG. 5(d) is added to the remaining amount V before insertion, and the count value of the insertion counter 126 starts counting up from

[0000] , ink is consumed by printing, and when the ink level I drops to the full ink level as shown in FIG. 5(e), the count value of the insertion counter 126 increases to [xxx]. When the ink level I subsequently drops to the upper reference level HL, the count value of the insertion counter 126 increases to [yyy]. If the total amount of ink in the bottle is inserted by the user as described above, the value of "yyy" is equal to the sum of A+V, i.e., "yyy" = A+V It should be. On the other hand, if the entire amount of ink in the bottle is not poured in, the position of the liquid level I will be lower than that in Figure 5(d) when in the state corresponding to Figure 5(d). "yyy" <A+V In reality, it is necessary to further consider the variability described below, but if the count value of the input counter when the detection signal of the level sensor 90 switches from ON to OFF is smaller than the appropriate range, it is possible to detect afterwards that the entire amount was not input.

[0055] <Control procedure> An example of a control procedure performed by the control device 50 of the printer 200 to realize the above method will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0056] <Main flow> In the main flow shown in Fig. 6, first in S10, it is determined whether or not this is the first determination when the printer 200 is turned on. If this is not the first determination when the printer is turned on, the determination is No, and the process proceeds to S30, which will be described later. If this is the first determination when the printer is turned on, the determination is Yes, and the printer initialization process (details of which will be described later) is executed in S100, and then this flow ends.

[0057] In S30, it is determined whether or not opening-closing cover 200B is open based on the detection result of opening-closing sensor 80 in printer 200. If opening-closing cover 200B is not open, the result is No, and processing proceeds to S20, which will be described later. If opening-closing cover 200B is open, the result is Yes, and the cover opening / closing processing of S300 (details of which will be described later) is executed, and then this flow ends.

[0058] In S20, it is determined whether ink has been consumed. Ink consumption includes consumption due to printing as well as consumption for maintenance such as purging. If ink has not been consumed, the result is No and the process moves to S500, which will be described later. If there has been a print job, the result is Yes and the ink consumption process of S200 (details of which will be described later) is executed, and then this flow ends.

[0059] In S500, any other appropriate process that does not fall under any of S100, S200, and S300 is executed, and then this flow ends.

[0060] <Printer initialization process> Fig. 7 shows the details of the printer initialization process of S100. In Fig. 7, first, in S110, a predetermined initialization is performed on each operating device, display device, and other devices in the printer 200. After that, a level sensor check process of S120 is performed, and this routine ends. The printer initialization process of S100 includes the level sensor check process of S120 because some users may put ink into the tank 32 while the power is off.

[0061] <Level sensor check process> FIG. 8 shows details of the level sensor check process in S120. First, in S125, it is determined whether the level sensor 90 is ON. That is, it is determined whether the ink level I in the tank is at the same level as or higher than the upper reference level HL. If it is OFF (lower than the upper reference level HL), the result is No and the process moves to S171, which will be described later. If it is ON (the same level as or higher than the upper reference level HL), the result is Yes and the process moves to S130.

[0062] In S130, the count value of the sensor counter 127 (hereinafter referred to as the "sensor count" as appropriate; the same applies in the drawings) is reset to 0. At this time, the sensor count before the reset is stored separately as the pre-replenishment sensor count. In S135, it is determined whether an ordered flag indicating that a bottle of ink has been ordered is ON. If the ordered flag is OFF, the result is No, and this routine ends. If the ordered flag is ON, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S140. When the power is on, the level sensor 90 is ON and the ordered flag is ON, assuming that the ordered bottle is delivered to the user and ink is poured into the tank 32 while the power is off. The fact that a bottle of ink has been ordered in S135 also indicates that the sensor count has reached or exceeded the first threshold (see S220 and S260). The processes executed in S125 and S130 are an example of a third determination process.

[0063] In S140, the count value of the input counter 126 (hereinafter referred to as the "dot count" as appropriate; the same applies in the drawings) is reset to zero.

[0064] In S142, the value obtained by subtracting the pre-replenishment sensor count (the sensor count before being reset in S130) from the sum of the previously known values ​​B and C is defined as the previously mentioned pre-insertion remaining amount V. This is done on the assumption that the entire amount of ink in one bottle has been inserted into the tank 32.

[0065] In S143, a full amount loading completion notification screen, which indicates that the full amount of ink in the bottle has been loaded, is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. For example, an embedded web server (EWS) may be installed in the printer 200, and display data may be sent to the browser of the mobile terminal 300 to display the full amount loading completion notification screen on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300. FIG. 9(a) shows an example of the display. As shown in the figure, in this example, a full amount loading completion notification screen 301A displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 displays a message saying "The ink in the tank is full." This message is an example of full amount loading completion information, and the process executed in S143 is an example of a full amount loading completion process.

[0066] In S145, the above-mentioned Ordered flag, a Warning flag indicating that a warning has been issued (described later), and an Empty flag indicating that the tank 32 is nearly empty (described later) are all turned OFF. The process of turning OFF the Empty flag in S145 corresponds to an example of a printing permission process. After execution of S145, this routine is terminated.

[0067] In S171, it is determined whether pre-level sensor information stored at this time is ON or not. If the pre-level sensor information is ON, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S172. If the pre-level sensor information is OFF, the result is No, and the process proceeds to S173.

[0068] In S173, it is determined whether the above-mentioned Empty flag or a forced stop flag for forcibly stopping the printing operation, which will be described later, is ON. If either flag is ON, the determination is Yes, and the process proceeds to S175. In S175, a full amount input attention / warning screen that requests the user to input the full amount and also issues a warning is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. FIG. 9B shows an example of the display. As shown in the figure, in this example, a full amount input attention / warning screen 301B displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 displays a message saying "Please input the full amount of the ink in the bottle we sent. If you do not input the full amount, printing will not be possible." It is also assumed that at this time, the user tried to input the full amount of the ink in the bottle into the tank 32, but was unable to input the full amount due to an input mistake such as spilling the ink. Therefore, the full amount input attention / warning screen 301B may display a message saying "Please input the full amount of the ink in the bottle we sent. If you do not input the full amount, printing will not be possible. If you cannot input the full amount, please contact XX." This message is an example of information on when input is not possible, and in this case, the process executed in S175 is also an example of a process of notifying when input is not possible. After execution of S175, this routine ends.

[0069] If both the Empty flag and the forced stop flag are OFF in S173, a No determination is made and the process proceeds to S174. In S174, as in S135 above, it is determined whether the ordered flag is ON. If the ordered flag is OFF, the result is No, and this routine ends. If the ordered flag is ON, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S176.

[0070] In S176, a full amount loading warning screen requesting the loading of the entire amount is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. FIG. 9C shows an example of the display. As shown in the figure, in this example, a message "Even if there is ink remaining in the tank, please load all of the ink when the bottle arrives." is displayed on the full amount loading guide screen 301C displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300. It is also assumed that the user tried to load all of the ink from the bottle into the tank 32 at this time, but was unable to load the entire amount due to a loading mistake such as spilling the ink. Therefore, the full amount loading guide screen 301C may display a message "Even if there is ink remaining in the tank, please load all of the ink when the bottle arrives. If you cannot load the entire amount, please contact XX." The message is an example of loading failure notification information, and in this case, the process executed in S176 is also an example of loading failure notification process. After execution of S176, this routine ends.

[0071] In S172, since the ink level I in the tank 32 fell below the upper reference level HL while the power was off or the openable cover 200B was open, it is possible that an abnormality has occurred, such as the ink in the tank 32 being aspirated. Therefore, a suction warning screen is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200, warning against the suction of ink. An example of the display is shown in FIG. 9(d). As shown in the figure, in this example, a suction warning screen 301D displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 displays the message "The ink in the tank may have been aspirated. If this occurs, please be aware that the remaining ink amount will not be managed correctly." After execution of S172, this routine ends.

[0072] <Processing when opening and closing the cover> FIG. 10 shows details of the process in S300 when the cover is opened or closed. First, in S305, the detection value by the level sensor 90 immediately after the opening / closing cover 200B is opened is obtained as pre-level sensor information and stored in an appropriate location.

[0073] In S310, a cover open alarm screen is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200, to warn that the opening / closing cover 200B is open. An example of the display is shown in Fig. 11. In this example, the message "The opening / closing cover is open" is displayed on the cover open alarm screen 301J.

[0074] In S320, it is determined whether or not opening-closing cover 200B is closed based on the detection result of opening-closing sensor 80 in printer 200. If opening-closing cover 200B is not closed, the result is No, and the process returns to S310. If opening-closing cover 200B is closed, the result is Yes, the level sensor check process of S120 described above is executed, and then this routine ends.

[0075] <Processing when ink is consumed> Fig. 12 shows details of the ink consumption process in S200. In Fig. 12, first in S211, it is determined whether or not the above-mentioned Empty flag and forced stop flag are both OFF. If either flag is ON, the result is No, and the process moves to S400 described below. In S400, a screen similar to the full amount input caution / warning screen 301B shown in Fig. 9(b) described above is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300. If both the Empty flag and forced stop flag are OFF in S211, the result is Yes, and the process moves to S210, where the count increment process is executed.

[0076] FIG. 13 shows the details of the count increment process in S210. First, in S201, the ink consumption amount based on the ink ejection amount from the inkjet head 3 is obtained, and a count value according to the ink consumption amount is added to the dot count of the input counter 126 to count up. The process executed in S201 is an example of a print amount obtaining process, and the obtained ink consumption amount is an example of print amount information.

[0077] In S202, it is determined whether the level sensor 90 is in the OFF state. If it is in the ON state, the determination is No and the process proceeds to S213 described later. If it is in the OFF state, the determination is Yes and the process proceeds to S203.

[0078] In S203, the dot count at this point is, with respect to A, B, C and the remaining amount before insertion V, Dot count < (A+V)-(A+B+C) x 0.05 (Formula 1) It is determined whether the warning completion flag is OFF or not.

[0079] The technical significance of the above formula 1 is as follows. In other words, dot count is merely a software count, and even with the same dot count, there is variation in the actual ink consumption. Errors due to this variation occur due to individual differences in printers, printing environments such as temperature, and whether the image being printed is text or an image. For example, in the calculation of the remaining amount V before insertion described above, if the count from the upper reference level HL includes a maximum error of 5%, the error is as follows: (B+CV)×0.05 · (Formula 2) It becomes. After the ink is poured from the bottle, the error from when the liquid level I drops to when it reaches the upper reference level HL is: (A+V)×0.05 · (Formula 3) It becomes.

[0080] As a result of the above, if the ink level I drops from the upper reference level HL before the ink is poured in, the ink in the tank 32 becomes low, and ink is poured in from a new bottle to fill the tank, and the ink level I drops back to the upper reference level HL. The total error is the sum of Equation 2 and Equation 3, (B+CV)×0.05+(A+V)×0.05=(A+B+C)×0.05 (Formula 4) It becomes. In other words, there is a 5% error of A+B+C, which corresponds to one bottle. In the above formula 1, this (A+B+C) x 0.05 is subtracted at the time of judgment to accommodate the above-mentioned variation. Note that 0.05 is merely an example, assuming a 5% error as described above, and other values ​​may be used as appropriate.

[0081] If the dot count is greater than or equal to (A+V)-(A+B+C)x0.05 or the warning flag is ON, the result is No and the process proceeds to S207, which will be described later. If the dot count is less than (A+V)-(A+B+C)x0.05 and the warning flag is OFF, the result is Yes and the process proceeds to S204.

[0082] In S204, a remaining ink warning screen is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200, warning that ink remains in the bottle. An example of the display is shown in FIG. 9(e). As shown in the figure, in this example, the remaining ink warning screen 301E displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 displays the message "It has been determined that ink remains in the bottle. If there is ink remaining, please insert it all." This message is an example of input warning information, and the process executed in S204 is an example of input warning processing.

[0083] In S205, the warning completion flag is turned ON, and in S206, the warning count, which indicates the number of times that a warning has been issued, is incremented by one.

[0084] In S207, it is determined whether the warning count at this point is 3 or more. If the warning count is 2 or less, the result is No, and the process proceeds to S214 described below. If the warning count is 3 or more, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S208.

[0085] In S208, a stop warning screen is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200, warning that printing will be forcibly stopped because the warning has reached three times. An example of the display is shown in Fig. 9(f). As shown in the figure, in this example, the stop warning screen 301F displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 displays the message "It has been determined that there is ink remaining in the bottle. If there is ink remaining, please refill it all. The printing function will be stopped. If there is no ink remaining, please contact XXX."

[0086] In S209, the forced stop flag is turned ON. The process executed in S209 is an example of a forced print prohibition process. In S214, the same count value as in S201 is added to the sensor count of the sensor counter 127 to count up, and this routine ends. The process executed in S214 is also an example of a print amount acquisition process, and the acquired ink consumption amount is also an example of print amount information. In S213, the sensor count of the sensor counter 127 is maintained at 0, and this routine ends.

[0087] Returning to FIG. 12, after the count increment process in S210 is completed, the process proceeds to S215, where a consumables remaining amount check process is executed.

[0088] FIG. 14 shows details of the consumables remaining amount check process in S215. First, in S220, it is determined whether the sensor count of the sensor counter 127 is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first threshold is a threshold that is preset in response to the case where the ink in the tank 32 is low and will soon be empty. The process executed in S220 is an example of a first determination process. If the count is less than the first threshold, a No determination is made and this routine ends. If the count is equal to or greater than the first threshold, a Yes determination is made and the process proceeds to S223. In S223, it is determined whether the ordered flag is OFF. If the ordered flag is ON, a No determination is made and the process proceeds to S270 described below. If the ordered flag is OFF, a Yes determination is made and the process proceeds to S225.

[0089] In S225, an InkLow screen indicating that the remaining ink level is low is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. An example display is shown in FIG. 15(a). In this example, an InkLow screen 301G has an ink display unit 321a that displays the ink color that is low, and a message display unit 321b that reads "Ink level is low." This message display is an example of first remaining amount information, and the process executed in S225 is an example of a first remaining amount information output process.

[0090] Returning to Fig. 12, in S240, the delivery management server 400 is notified that an order has been received from the user. The process executed in S240 is an example of an order instruction sending process. Note that the order instruction signal may not be sent directly to the delivery management server 400, but may be sent once to the information management server 100, which may then collect the order and send a delivery instruction for the corresponding bottle to the delivery management server 400.

[0091] In S250, an order completion notification screen indicating that a new bottle has been ordered is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. An example of the display is shown in Fig. 15(b). As shown in the figure, in this example, the order completion notification screen 301H displays the message "Ink has already been ordered. Please wait a little longer." In S260, the above-mentioned ordered flag is turned ON. After S260 is executed, this routine is terminated.

[0092] In S270, it is determined whether the sensor count of the sensor counter 127 is equal to or greater than a second threshold. The second threshold is a threshold that is preset in correspondence with an empty state in which the ink in the tank 32 has run out. The process executed in S270 is an example of a second determination process. If the sensor count is less than the second threshold, a No determination is made and the process moves to S285. In S285, the InkLow screen is displayed as in S225, and this routine ends. If the sensor count is equal to or greater than the second threshold, a Yes determination is made and the process moves to S275.

[0093] In S275, an InkEmpty screen indicating that the ink level has run out is displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 or the display unit 201 of the printer 200. An example of the display is shown in FIG. 15(c). In this example, the InkEmpty screen 301I is provided with an ink display unit 321a that displays the ink color that has run out of ink, and a message display unit 321b that reads "Ink has run out. Printing cannot be performed unless ink is added." This message display is an example of second remaining amount information, and the process executed in S275 is an example of second remaining amount information output processing. In S280, the Empty flag is turned ON. The process executed in S280 is an example of the print prohibition process. After S280 is executed, this routine ends.

[0094] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the level sensor 90 capable of detecting the level of ink in the tank 32 in the printer 200 is provided on the upper part of the tank 32. When an image is formed by the printer 200, the ink in the tank 32 is consumed and the level of the ink liquid surface I drops. S201 is executed to obtain the amount of ink consumed by image formation. After it is detected by the level sensor 90 that the level of ink in the tank 32 has decreased from equal to or higher than the upper reference level HL to below the upper reference level HL, the current estimated remaining amount of ink is calculated using the amount of ink consumed obtained in S201. When the ink in the tank 32 is consumed and the tank 32 is in an almost empty state, printing becomes impossible, but in this embodiment, a second threshold value for the remaining ink amount is set to deal with this. In S270, it is determined whether the currently estimated remaining amount of ink described above has reached the second threshold value, and if it is determined that the second threshold value has been reached, the Empty flag is set ON in S280, and image formation is prohibited. On the other hand, in this embodiment, in an ideal situation, it is assumed that the entire amount of ink in the bottle is poured into the tank 32 every time it is used, and that when the ink in the tank 32 is consumed and the remaining amount of ink is somewhat low, new ink is poured into the tank 32. For this purpose, a first threshold value for the remaining amount of ink is set. By executing S220, it is determined whether or not the above-mentioned current estimated remaining amount of ink has reached the first threshold value. After the ink is consumed and it is determined in S220 that the first threshold value has been reached, S125 is executed. In S125, it can be determined that the entire amount of ink has been poured from the bottle into the tank 32 based on the fact that the level of the ink in the tank 32 has increased from below the upper reference level HL to equal to or above the upper reference level HL, detected by the level sensor 90 provided on the top of the tank 32. If it is determined in S125 that the entire amount of ink has been poured, image formation is permitted in S145. According to this embodiment, when the user pours ink from the bottle into the tank 32 in response to ink consumption, if the entire amount is poured, subsequent printing can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect that the entire amount of ink in the bottle has been poured into the tank 32.

[0095] In particular, in this embodiment, if it is determined in S220 that the first threshold has been reached, and then it is determined in S125 that the entire amount of ink has been loaded, full-amount loading completion information indicating that full loading has been completed is output in S143. This notifies the user that full loading has been recognized, and makes it possible to inform the user that printing is possible.

[0096] In addition, particularly in this embodiment, a level sensor 90 is provided on the upper part of the tank 32. However, even if the entire amount of ink is not poured into the bottle and a small amount is left in the bottle, the level of the ink surface I may exceed the upper reference level HL. In order to deal with such a case, in this embodiment, after the ink level reaches the first threshold, if it is determined in S125 that the entire amount has been poured without reaching the second threshold, the timing until the ink level in the tank 32 falls below the upper reference level HL is checked in S203. If the ink level in the tank 32 falls below the upper reference level HL earlier than expected, it is later determined that the entire amount has not actually been poured, even if it was determined in the above-mentioned S125 that the entire amount has been poured, and the above-mentioned message is issued as pouring warning information in S204 (see FIG. 9(e)). By issuing a warning that full pouring has not been recognized, it is possible to inform the user that the ink in the bottle has not been poured into the tank 32 to its fullest.

[0097] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, if the ink level in the tank 32 does not increase from below the upper reference level HL to above the upper reference level HL after the input warning process, the input warning information in S204 is repeatedly displayed at a predetermined timing after the start of image formation. By repeatedly warning the user that full pouring has still not been recognized, it is possible to reliably inform the user that the ink in the bottle has not been poured into the tank 32.

[0098] In particular, in this embodiment, when the number of times the warning is repeatedly executed in S204 reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold, in the above example, it reaches or exceeds three times, the forced stop flag is turned ON in S209. By forcibly stopping printing when the user does not respond to the warning, it is possible to reliably prevent disadvantages from occurring to the service provider.

[0099] In this embodiment, in an exceptional situation where the ink level in the tank 32 falls from above the upper reference level HL to below the upper reference level HL while the opening / closing cover 200B is being opened or closed, even though no ink is consumed, the suction warning screen 301D is displayed in S172. This makes it possible to notify the user that the ink in the tank 32 may have been drained.

[0100] As described above, in this embodiment, a first threshold value for the remaining amount of ink is set, which corresponds to a state in which the remaining amount of ink in the tank 32 has decreased to a certain extent. When ink is consumed and the estimated remaining amount reaches the first threshold, a message corresponding to the InkLow screen 301G is displayed in S225. This makes it possible to notify the user that the remaining amount of ink is low. Also, because it is guaranteed in S125 that the full amount of ink has been poured in, it is possible to more accurately detect the timing at which the first threshold is reached. As a result, it is possible to notify the user with greater accuracy.

[0101] In particular, in this embodiment, when it is determined in S220 that the current estimated remaining amount has reached the first threshold, an order instruction for the ink is sent to the delivery management server 400 in S240. When the ink level is low, the ink is automatically ordered, which saves the user time. Also, since it is guaranteed that the full amount of ink has been added by S125, it is possible to prevent the next bottle from being delivered to the user when the ink is not yet completely used, which may occur if the ink is automatically ordered without it being certain that the full amount has been added.

[0102] As described above, in this embodiment, a second threshold value for the remaining amount of ink is set, which corresponds to an empty state in which the tank 32 is almost empty, for example. When the ink is consumed and the estimated remaining amount reaches the second threshold, a message corresponding to the InkEmpty screen 301I is displayed in S275. This notifies the user that the tank 32 is nearly empty. Also, because it is guaranteed in S125 that the entire amount has been poured in, the timing at which the second threshold is reached can be detected more accurately. As a result, the user can be notified with higher accuracy.

[0103] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the following modifications are also included within the technical scope.

[0104] For example, in the above description, the control device 50 of the printer 200 executes the procedures shown in Figures 6 to 8, 10, and 12 to 14 to operate as an example of a remaining amount management device, but the information management server 100 may execute the procedures equivalent to those described above to operate as an example of a remaining amount management device. When the information management server 100 is operated as a remaining amount management device, it may be displayed on the display unit 301 using a browser of the mobile terminal 300. Also, the mobile terminal 300 may execute the procedures equivalent to those described above to operate as an example of a remaining amount management device. Furthermore, a single device does not necessarily have to operate as a remaining amount management device, and a remaining amount management system may be configured by multiple devices, such as the information management server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and other devices, cooperating to execute each of the procedures shown in Figures 6 to 8, 10, and 12 to 14 above.

[0105] In the above, ink has been described as an example of a printing consumable material, but the printing consumable material is not limited to this. For example, if a laser printer 200 is used instead of an inkjet printer, toner is an example of the printing consumable material.

[0106] 6 to 8, 10, and 12 to 14 do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown therein, and procedures may be added or deleted or the order of procedures may be changed without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the invention. In particular, the above embodiment uses the input counter 126 and the sensor counter 127, but other counting methods may be used. For example, only the input counter 126 may be used. Alternatively, a down-counting counter may be used, in which the count value decreases as ink is consumed.

[0107] The components illustrated in the above embodiments and drawings may be modified and improved as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention with respect to the numerical values, or the structures or time-series relationships of multiple components.

[0108] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and their modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0109] The problems to be solved by the invention and the effects of the invention are not limited to those described above. In other words, the present invention may solve problems or achieve effects that are not described above, or may solve only some of the problems or achieve only some of the effects that are described.

[0110] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1 Printing processing system 2 Carriage 3 Inkjet head 32 Tank 80 Open / Close Sensor 90 Level Sensor 100 Information Management Server 110 Processor 200 Printer (an example of a printing device, an example of a remaining amount management device) 200B Opening and closing cover (example of opening and closing part) 300 mobile devices 310 Processor HL Upper Reference Level P Recording paper (an example of a printing medium)

Claims

1. A remaining amount management device for managing a remaining amount of printing consumables in a printing device having a tank for storing printing consumables input from a storage body storing the printing consumables in a predetermined volume unit, a level sensor for detecting whether the level of the printing consumables in the tank is equal to or higher than an upper reference level corresponding to an upper portion of the tank, and a printing unit for forming an image on a print medium using the printing consumables in the tank, wherein the upper reference level is set to a height that the level of the printing consumables cannot reach unless the entire amount of the predetermined volume is input from a state in which the printing consumables in the tank are empty, The remaining amount management device is a print amount acquisition process for acquiring print amount information of the printing consumables by the image formation of the printing unit; a first determination process for determining whether a current estimated remaining amount calculated using the printing amount information acquired in the printing amount acquisition process has reached a predetermined first threshold value after detecting, using the level sensor, that the level of the printing consumables in the tank has decreased from above the upper reference level to below the upper reference level; a second determination process for determining whether or not the current estimated remaining amount calculated using the printing amount information acquired in the printing amount acquisition process has reached a predetermined second threshold value after detecting, using the level sensor, that the level of the printing consumables in the tank has decreased from above the upper reference level to below the upper reference level; a print prohibition process for prohibiting image formation by the printing unit when it is determined in the second determination process that the current estimated remaining amount has reached the predetermined second threshold value; a third determination process for determining that the entire amount of the printing consumables has been dispensed from the reservoir into the tank based on detection by the level sensor that the level of the printing consumables in the tank has increased from below the upper reference level to above the upper reference level after it has been determined in the first determination process that the first threshold has been reached; a print permission process for permitting image formation by the printing unit when it is determined in the third determination process that the printing consumables have been fully inserted after it is determined in the second determination process that the second threshold has been reached and the print prohibition process is executed; A remaining amount management device configured to perform the following:

2. The remaining amount management device is When it is determined in the third determination process that the printing consumables have been fully loaded after it is determined in the first determination process that the first threshold value has been reached, a full-loading completion process is further executed to output full-loading completion information indicating that the full-loading has been completed.

2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, which is configured as follows.

3. The remaining amount management device further includes: if it is determined in the first determination process that the first threshold value has been reached, and if it is determined in the third determination process that the entire amount of the printing consumables has been inserted without being determined in the second determination process that the second threshold value has been reached, an insertion warning process is executed to output insertion warning information to warn against inserting the printing consumables into the tank because the level of the printing consumables in the tank has decreased from above the upper reference level to below the upper reference level earlier than expected.

2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount management device is configured as follows.

4. The remaining amount management device further comprises: When the level of the printing consumables in the tank does not increase from below the upper reference level to equal to or above the upper reference level after the input warning process, the input warning process is repeatedly performed at a predetermined timing after the start of image formation by the printing unit.

4. The remaining amount management device according to claim 3, which is configured as follows.

5. The remaining amount management device further includes: When the number of times that the input warning process is repeatedly executed reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold, a forced print prohibition process is performed to forcibly prohibit image formation by the printing unit.

5. The remaining amount management device according to claim 4, which is configured as follows.

6. The remaining amount management device further includes: and executing a process for outputting information on when the printing consumables cannot be inserted when the printing consumables are inserted into the tank due to an incorrect insertion when the printing consumables are inserted into the tank, when the printing consumables are not inserted into the tank due to an incorrect insertion when the printing consumables are inserted into the tank after the first determination process has determined that the first threshold value has been reached.

2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, which is configured as follows.

7. The remaining amount management device further includes: a first remaining amount information output process for outputting first remaining amount information indicating that the remaining amount of the printing consumable in the tank is low when the first determination process determines that the current estimated remaining amount has reached the first threshold value; Execute 2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, which is configured as follows.

8. The remaining amount management device is When it is determined in the first determination process that the current estimated remaining amount has reached the first threshold, an order instruction transmission process is executed to transmit an order instruction for the printing consumable.

2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, which is configured as follows.

9. The remaining amount management device is When it is determined in the second determination process that the current estimated remaining amount has reached the second threshold, a second remaining amount information output process is executed to output second remaining amount information indicating that the remaining amount of the printing consumable in the tank has reached empty.

2. The remaining amount management device according to claim 1, which is configured as follows.

Images