Recording device, consumable supply for recording device and information processing method

Abstract

To reduce processing burden for a consumable supply memory in a reproduction plant.SOLUTION: A recording device includes a composite machine 200 and an ink cartridge 50 which is detachably attached to the composite machine 200. The ink cartridge 50 has a cartridge memory 115 which stores usage amount information on ink contained in the ink cartridge 50 and reproduction history information of the ink cartridge 50. The composite machine 200 has a communication part 285 capable of communicating with the cartridge memory 115, and a processor 210. The processor 210 acquires reproduction history information by means of communication via the communication part 285 from the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 mounted on the composite machine 200 in S5, S7 and judges whether or not S36 for initializing the value of the usage amount information stored on the cartridge memory 115 is executed according to the acquired reproduction history information, in S15 and S20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device that processes information related to detachable consumables, consumables for the recording device, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, consumables for recording devices that can be recycled or reused from the viewpoint of environmental protection and ecology have been known, as described in Patent Document 1. This document lists cartridges as an example of consumables. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-114334 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, reuse of consumables for recording devices is usually carried out at a dedicated recycling factory. The recycling factory collects used consumables, such as ink and toner, that have been depleted, and then redistributes the consumables into each consumable to make them reusable (reused) products that can be used by users again.

[0005] Recently, in order to properly and efficiently manage consumables in a recording device, a configuration has been proposed in which a consumable memory is provided in the consumables and a communication unit is provided in the recording device main body, and various information is exchanged between the communication unit and the consumable memory through communication. In this case, the consumable memory stores, for example, usage information indicating the remaining amount and usage amount of the internal consumables. As the consumables are installed in the recording device main body and used, and the remaining amount of the consumables decreases, communication is performed from the communication unit of the recording device main body to the consumable memory at appropriate times, and the usage information stored in the consumable memory is updated. As a result, the remaining amount indicated by the usage information in the consumable memory for a used consumable is almost zero.

[0006] When a consumable product equipped with such a consumable product memory is reused as described above, the consumable material is refilled inside the consumable product by the re-dispensing described above, so it is necessary to initialize the usage information by returning it to the content corresponding to the refill state, for example, 100% which indicates a full state. However, the amount of consumable material required for re-dispensing may differ depending on the type and size of the consumable, and the required communication specifications may differ depending on the specifications of the consumable memory, which may increase the processing burden on the recycling plant. In particular, to widely popularize the reuse of consumables, it is necessary for as many waste disposal companies as possible to handle recycling at the recycling plant, but depending on the size and capacity of the companies, the increased processing burden may become a hindrance.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a recording device, consumables for recording devices, and an information processing method that can reduce the processing load on the consumables memory in a remanufacturing factory. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a recording device comprising a recording device main body and a consumable item detachable from the recording device main body, wherein the consumable item has a consumable item memory that stores at least usage information of consumable materials contained in the consumable item and playback history information of the consumable item, and the recording device main body has a communication unit that can communicate with the consumable item memory, and a controller, and the controller executes a first acquisition process that acquires the playback history information from the consumable item memory of the consumable item attached to the recording device main body by communication via the communication unit, and a determination process that determines whether to execute an initialization process that initializes the value of the usage information stored in the consumable item memory in accordance with the acquired playback history information.

[0009] In the present invention, the consumable memory stores information on the amount of use of the consumables and information on the reproduction history of the consumables. Of the stored contents, the usage information is processed under the initiative of the recording device. The controller of the recording device executes the first acquisition process to communicate with the consumable memory of the consumable attached to the recording device body via the communication unit, and acquire the playback history information. Based on the acquired playback history information, the controller executes a determination process to determine whether to execute an initialization process for initializing the value of the usage information stored in the consumable memory. If it is determined based on the playback history information that the initialization process should be executed, the initialization process for the value of the usage information in the consumable memory is executed.

[0010] According to the present invention, the recording device identifies the regeneration history of the consumables and initializes the usage information accordingly, so that the regeneration factory does not need to initialize the usage information and only needs to perform the simple process of updating the regeneration history information, thereby reducing the processing burden on the regeneration factory. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the processing load on the consumables memory in the remanufacturing factory can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are functional block diagrams showing the overall schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention, and functional block diagrams showing the schematic configuration of an ink cartridge; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of recycling and reuse of an ink cartridge in a comparative example. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of recycling and reusing an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a processor of the multifunction peripheral. [Figure 5] 10 is a table showing an initial usage amount table stored in the multifunction peripheral. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a control unit of the ink cartridge. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are functional block diagrams showing the overall schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral and the schematic configuration of a cartridge in a modified example in which a cartridge memory stores usage amount information; [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a processor of the multifunction peripheral. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a control unit of the ink cartridge. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a processor of the multifunction device in a modified example in which a command to copy data is sent from the multifunction device to the cartridge. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a control unit of the ink cartridge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Multifunction device> FIG. 1(a) shows a schematic configuration of a multifunction device 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) shows a detailed configuration of an ink cartridge 50 provided in the multifunction device 200. The multifunction device 200 is an example of a recording device main body. The ink cartridge 50 is an example of a consumable item for a recording device, and is also an example of a consumable item.

[0015] 1(a), the multifunction peripheral 200 has a scanner unit 280, a printing unit 290, a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 285, an attachment detection sensor 265, a communication interface 270, and a cover sensor 275. The scanner unit 280, the printing unit 290, the processor 210, the storage device 215, the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, the communication unit 285, the attachment detection sensor 265, the cover sensor 275, and the communication interface 270 are connected to one another via a bus 205.

[0016] <Storage device> The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a non-volatile storage device 230. The storage device 215 is an example of main body memory. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM. The non-volatile storage device 230 is, for example, a flash memory. The non-volatile storage device 230 includes a consumables-related information storage area 231 that stores consumables-related information related to the ink cartridge 50, a program storage area 232, and a storage area 233 for an initial usage amount table, which will be described later.

[0017] The consumable product related information storage area 231 has a type information storage area 231A, a usage amount information storage area 231B, and a usage history information storage area 231C. The functions of these areas will be described later.

[0018] Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232, and these various programs include operation programs of the multifunction device, such as a print processing program, which is related to the execution of the information processing method of this embodiment based on the flowcharts in Figures 4, 8, 10, etc. This print processing program is stored in advance in the program storage area 232 as firmware, for example.

[0019] <Other departments> The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various information related to consumables. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by the user. The user can input various instructions to the multifunction device 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0020] The scanner unit 280 optically reads an original document, which is an object to be read, using a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD or CMOS, and generates scan data representing the read image.

[0021] The printing unit 290 prints an image on the transported paper using a predetermined method while removing and transporting paper from a paper feed tray using a transport mechanism (not shown). The following description will be given taking an example of inkjet printing. The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper using ink from an ink cartridge 50 removably mounted in a cartridge holder 51, in accordance with a print job sent from the mobile terminal 300 or a print job that the printing unit 290 itself has created based on an operation on the operation unit 250. The ink cartridge 50 mounted in the cartridge holder 51 and the multifunction device 200 together are an example of a recording device.

[0022] In more detail, the printing unit 290 has an inkjet head mounted on a carriage, and printing is performed by the inkjet head ejecting ink as the carriage moves the inkjet head in the main scanning direction. In more detail, ink cartridges 50 for each ink color, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink, are included, but for convenience, unless otherwise specified, they will not be distinguished from one another and will be simply referred to as "ink cartridges 50."

[0023] The mounting detection sensor 265 is, for example, a connector that is electrically connected to an electrode of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the cartridge holder 51. Based on the detection result of the mounting detection sensor 265, the processor 210 can determine whether or not the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the cartridge holder 51.

[0024] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU. The processor 210 is an example of a controller. The processor 210 executes the print processing program stored in the program storage area 232 to perform various processes shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc., which will be described later, including data communication with the cartridge 50. The processing content of the processor 210 will be described in detail later.

[0025] The cartridge holder 51 is provided with an openable / closable cover (not shown), which is opened when the ink cartridge 50 is to be installed or removed from the cartridge holder 51, and is closed after installation or removal. The open and closed states of this cover are detected by a cover sensor 275 using a known method, and a corresponding detection signal is input to the processor 210. The processor 210 may be configured to determine whether or not the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the cartridge holder 51 based on the detection result of the cover sensor 275 instead of the attachment detection sensor 265 described above.

[0026] The communication section 285 is, for example, a terminal, and is electrically connected to the cartridge memory 115 via the electrodes 65A to 65C of the ink cartridge 50 attached to the cartridge holder 51.

[0027] <Ink cartridges> As shown in FIG. 1(b), the ink cartridge 50 is configured to include a cartridge chip 64, which is a so-called IC chip.

[0028] <Cartridge chip> The cartridge chip 64 is a printed circuit board (PCB) and includes a substrate 63, electrodes 65A to 65C, a cartridge memory 115, and a control unit 110. The cartridge memory 115 is an example of a consumable memory.

[0029] <Substrate and electrodes> The substrate 63 is a printed wiring board (PWB) and is made of glass epoxy, paper phenol, etc. The substrate 63 is attached to the surface of the ink cartridge 50. The electrodes 65A to 65C are formed on the substrate 63. These electrodes 65A to 65C function as an interface for communicating with the communication unit 285 of the multifunction peripheral 200. When the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the cartridge holder 51, the electrodes 65 are electrically connected by contacting the contacts 142A to 142C of the communication unit 285. In particular, the electrode 65A is electrically connected by contacting the contact 142A, the electrode 65B is electrically connected by contacting the contact 142B, and the electrode 65C is electrically connected by contacting the contact 142C. The number of electrodes 65 is determined according to the number of contacts 142 of the communication unit 285 and is not limited to three.

[0030] <Cartridge memory> The cartridge memory 115 has a volatile storage area 120 and a non-volatile storage area 130 which is an EEPROM of a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The nonvolatile storage area 130 has a first storage area 131, a second storage area 132, a third storage area 133, a program storage area 135, and an initialization count value storage area 136. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 135, and these various programs include programs related to the ink cartridge 50, such as an information processing program related to the execution of the information processing method of this embodiment based on the flowcharts in Figures 6, 9, 11, etc., which will be described later. The first to third storage areas 131 to 133 and the initialization count value storage area 136 will be described later. The nonvolatile storage area 130 may be composed of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory other than an EEPROM, such as a magnetoresistive memory. The volatile storage area 120 may be a volatile semiconductor memory, such as an SRAM or a DRAM. In the volatile storage area 120 or the nonvolatile storage area 130, a latch circuit or a magnetic memory may be used instead of the semiconductor memory.

[0031] <Control unit> The control unit 110 has a function of writing a predetermined address in the cartridge memory 115 when a predetermined signal is detected at the electrode 65A. In addition, when the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 reads information about the ink cartridge 50 stored in the cartridge memory 115 via the electrode 65B and the contact 142B, the control unit 110 has the function of transmitting information about the ink cartridge 50 from the cartridge memory 115 to the electrode 65B. The control unit 110 is configured with an electronic circuit having the above-mentioned functions, and executes various processes shown in Figures 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc., which will be described later, including data communication with the multifunction device 200. The electronic circuit is configured with electronic components mounted on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate 63, and pattern wiring formed on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate 63. The control unit 110 is electrically connected to the electrodes 65A, 65B, 65C and the cartridge memory 115. The control unit 110 is not limited to an electronic circuit, and may be provided with, for example, a CPU capable of performing calculations to realize the above functions.

[0032] <Information transmission between the multifunction device and ink cartridges> The processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 can acquire various information from the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 connected via the communication unit 285 and the electrodes 65A-C. In the following description, the term "acquire" by the processor 210 refers to, for example, reading information from a non-volatile storage area into a volatile area such as a DRAM. The same applies to the control unit 110. This allows the processor 210 to identify the type of ink cartridge 50 attached to the cartridge holder 51 based on the acquired information. The processor 210 associates the identification result with the cartridge ID and model number of the ink cartridge 50 and stores it as needed in the type information storage area 231A of the consumables-related information storage area 231 described above.

[0033] At this time, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 constantly obtains the remaining amount of ink or the amount of ink used in the ink cartridge 50 installed in the cartridge holder 51 using a known method. When the remaining amount of ink decreases and reaches a predetermined remaining amount threshold, or when the amount of ink used increases and reaches a predetermined used amount threshold, the display unit 240 can display a message that the ink cartridge 50 should be replaced. This makes it convenient for the user to replace the ink cartridge 50. The remaining amount of ink and the amount of ink used will hereinafter be collectively referred to as "usage amount," and the information representing these will be referred to as "usage amount information." The usage amount information obtained as described above can be written to the cartridge memory 115 by the process described below. In this case, the processor 210 can identify how much of the ink cartridge 50 has been used based on information obtained via the communication unit 285 when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the cartridge holder 51. The identification result, i.e., the usage amount information for the ink cartridge 50, is associated by the processor 210 with the cartridge ID and model number, and is stored as needed in the usage amount information storage area 231B of the consumables-related information storage area 231. In addition, when the processor 210 acquires the remaining ink amount or ink usage amount, i.e., usage amount information, of the ink cartridge 50 attached to the cartridge holder 51 as described above, it stores this history as usage history information in the usage history information storage area 231C.

[0034] <Features of the embodiment> In the above configuration, the feature of this embodiment is the manner in which the information stored in the cartridge memory 115 is processed when reusing the ink cartridge 50. An overview of this will be explained with reference to FIGS.

[0035] <Comparative Example Method Overview> That is, as mentioned above, when a used ink cartridge 50 is reused, it is usually recycled at a dedicated recycling factory. As shown in Figure 2 as a comparative example, a new ink cartridge 50 (Figure 2(a)) is installed in a printing device P including the multifunction device 200 and used (Figure 2(b)), and when the ink runs out and it is no longer used, it is collected and recovered at a recycling factory. At the recycling factory, ink is redispensed into each ink cartridge 50 (Figure 2(c)), and the ink cartridges are shipped as recycled products that can be used again by users (Figure 2(d)).

[0036] On the other hand, as described above, if ink usage information is stored in cartridge memory 115, the usage information stored in cartridge memory 115 is updated appropriately as the ink cartridge 50 is used and the remaining ink level decreases. As a result, the remaining ink level indicated by the usage information in cartridge memory 115 for a used ink cartridge 50 is nearly zero. If a collected ink cartridge 50 in this state is remanufactured at a recycling factory, the ink will have been refilled inside the ink cartridge 50 through the re-dispensing described above. For this reason, the recycling factory must initialize the usage information to reflect the ink filling state, i.e., return it to a value that indicates 100%, which indicates a full state (see Figure 2(c)). In this specification, "initialization" means "writing the initial value of the usage amount information as the amount of ink that can be reused as a recycled product." This initialization does not necessarily mean that the same value of usage information as at the time of the first factory shipment is written, but it is sufficient that a value that allows the product to be reused as a refurbished product is written. For example, a value that is less than the value of usage information at the time of the first factory shipment, and that is equal to or greater than 50% but less than 100% of the value at the time of factory shipment, may be written as the initialization value. Furthermore, the initial value does not have to exactly match the amount of ink actually filled in. For example, the ink cartridge 50 may be filled with an amount of ink that exceeds the initial value.

[0037] However, this can place a heavy burden on recycling factories, as the amount of ink required for redispensing may vary depending on the type and size of the ink cartridge 50, and the required communication specifications may differ depending on the specifications of the cartridge memory 115. In particular, to popularize the reuse of consumables, it is necessary for as many waste disposal companies as possible to handle recycling at the recycling factories, but depending on the size and capabilities of the companies, the increased processing burden could become a hindrance.

[0038] <Overview of the method of the embodiment> In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, new recycling history information is stored in the cartridge memory 115. The recycling history information indicates whether the ink cartridge 50 has been recycled in the past. In the illustrated example, a new ink cartridge 50 has "0x00," which indicates "no recycling history," stored in the cartridge memory 115 (FIG. 3(a)). In this state, the ink cartridge 50 is installed in the printing device P and used (FIG. 3(b)), and after being used as described above, it is collected at a recycling factory. Unlike the comparative example shown in FIG. 2(c) above, the recycling factory re-dispenses ink, but does not process usage information. Instead, the recycling history information is updated from the aforementioned "0x00" to "0x01," which indicates that the ink cartridge has been recycled and has a recycling history (FIG. 3(c)), and then shipped (FIG. 3(d)). Unlike the initialization of the usage information described above, updating the update history information does not affect the type or size of the ink cartridge 50 or the specifications of the cartridge memory 115, and simply changes the information from "no recycling history" to "with recycling history," so the burden on the recycling factory is small.

[0039] In this embodiment, when a recycled and shipped ink cartridge 50 is installed in a printing device P, the usage information is initialized in the printing device P (FIG. 3(b)). At that time, the printing device P initializes the usage information of the ink cartridge 50 only if the recycling history information is "0x01" indicating "recycling history available" (FIG. 3(d) → FIG. 3(b)), and does not update the usage information if the recycling history information is "0x00" indicating "no recycling history" (FIG. 3(a) → FIG. 3(b)). As a result, the usage information is not initialized when a new ink cartridge 50 is installed, and is initialized only when an ink cartridge 50 that has been recycled at a recycling factory is installed.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the initialization of usage information is performed on the printing device P side, and the recycling factory only updates the recycling history information, thereby reducing the processing burden on the recycling factory side.

[0041] <Processing flow> The processes executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 and the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 in this embodiment to implement the above method will be explained in order with reference to FIGS.

[0042] <Processing in multifunction devices> First, the processing executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 will be explained using the flowcharts of Figures 4(a) and 4(b). In the following explanation, the description of each processor may be omitted as appropriate, and phrases such as "in the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200" and "by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200" may be simply written as "in the multifunction device 200" and "by the multifunction device 200".

[0043] In FIG. 4, first, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 transmits a first transmission command to the ink cartridge 50 (S5). The first transmission command is a command instructing the control unit 110 to read and transmit the playback history information and capacity information from the first storage area 131 and the third storage area 133 of the cartridge memory 115, respectively. The capacity information is information that indicates the maximum ink storage capacity of the corresponding ink cartridge 50. In this example, there are three sizes of ink cartridges 50, and three types of capacity information corresponding to each size are pre-prepared, from smallest to largest: "standard," "large capacity," and "extra large capacity." One of the information types, "standard," "large capacity," or "extra large capacity," is stored in the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50.

[0044] At S10, the processor 210 receives and acquires the reproduction history information and capacity information transmitted from the ink cartridge 50 in response to the first transmission command at S5. The processes executed by the processor 210 at S5 and S10 are an example of a first acquisition process.

[0045] In S15, the processor 210 determines whether the playback history information acquired in S10 is "0x00", which indicates "no playback history", or "0x81", which indicates "usage amount initialized" (details will be described later). If it is "0x00" or "0x81", the determination is Yes, and this flow ends. That is, in this case, it is determined in S15 that initialization of the usage amount information in S30, which will be described later, will not be performed. If it is neither "0x00" nor "0x81", the determination is No, and the process proceeds to S20.

[0046] In S20, processor 210 determines whether the playback history information acquired in S10 is "0x01," which indicates "playback history exists." If it is not "0x01," the determination is No, and after predetermined error processing is performed in S25, this flow ends. If it is "0x01," the determination is Yes, and the flow proceeds to S30. In other words, in this case, it is determined in S20 that initialization of usage amount information in S30, which will be described later, should be performed.

[0047] In S15 and S20, it is determined whether or not to perform initialization of usage information in S30 depending on the value of the playback history information obtained in S10. Therefore, S15 and S20 are examples of judgment steps, and the processing performed by processor 210 in S15 and S20 is an example of judgment processing.

[0048] In S30, an initialization command transmission process is performed to instruct initialization of the usage amount information. The details of S30 are shown in the flow of FIG.

[0049] In FIG. 4(b), first, in S32, the initial usage amount table stored in the initial usage amount table storage area 233 of the nonvolatile storage device 230 is searched using the capacity information acquired in S10.

[0050] An example of the initial usage amount table is shown in Figure 5. As shown, this table associates each piece of capacity information for the ink cartridge 50 with an initial usage amount that should be set when redispensing ink into that ink cartridge 50. In this example, the aforementioned capacity information "standard" is associated with an initial usage amount of 15 [ml], the capacity information "large capacity" is associated with an initial usage amount of 50 [ml], and the capacity information "extra large capacity" is associated with an initial usage amount of 100 [ml].

[0051] Processor 210 searches the initial usage amount table shown in Fig. 5 and refers to its contents to obtain the initial usage amount at the time of completion of playback, which corresponds to the capacity information obtained in S10 (S34). The processes executed by processor 210 in S32 and S34 are an example of a second obtaining process.

[0052] In S36, processor 210 transmits a first initialization command to ink cartridge 50. The first initialization command is a command instructing control unit 110 to write the usage amount initial value acquired in S34 into second storage area 132 to initialize the value of usage amount information, to update the playback history information in first storage area 131 from "0x01" to "0x81", and to increment the number of initializations stored in initialization number count value storage area 136 by 1. Note that the number of initializations in count value storage area 136 is set to 0, for example, at the time of manufacture, for a new ink cartridge 50. The processing executed by processor 210 in S36 is an example of a first initialization command transmission process.

[0053] When S36 is completed, return to FIG. 4(a) and end the flow of FIG. 4(a).

[0054] <Ink cartridge processing> The processing executed by the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. As mentioned above, in the following explanation, "in the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50," "by the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50," etc. may be simply written as "in the ink cartridge 50," "by the ink cartridge 50," etc.

[0055] 6, first, the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 determines whether or not the first transmission command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S5 of FIG. 4(a) has been received. If the first transmission command has been received, a Yes determination is made, and the process proceeds to S60.

[0056] In S60, the control unit 110 reads the playback history information from the first storage area 131 of the cartridge memory 115, reads the capacity information from the third storage area 133, and transmits this information to the multifunction device 200.

[0057] In S65, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the first initialization command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S36 of Fig. 4B has been received. If the first initialization command has been received, a "Yes" determination is made, and the process proceeds to S70.

[0058] In S70, as part of the write process, the control unit 110 writes the initial usage value received and acquired in S65 to the second memory area 132, thereby initializing the value of the usage information in the second memory area 132. The process of S70 executed by the control unit 110 is an example of a usage information writing process. The process of S36 executed by the processor 210 in Fig. 4(b) and the process of S70 executed by the control unit 110 in Fig. 6 are examples of an initialization process. S36 in Fig. 4(b) and S70 in Fig. 6 are examples of an initialization step.

[0059] In S75, the control unit 110 updates the playback history information in the first storage area 131 to "0x81." As mentioned above, the recycling history information of a new ink cartridge 50 is "0x00." The recycling history information of an ink cartridge 50 recycled at a recycling factory is "0x01." When the recycled ink cartridge 50 is installed in the multifunction device 200, the recycling history information is set to "0x81" in S75.

[0060] The final "0" in the recycling history information "0x00" of a new ink cartridge 50 and the final "1" in the recycling history information "0x01" and "0x81" of a recycled ink cartridge 50 indicate whether the cartridge is new and has no recycling history, or recycled and has a recycling history. These final "0" and "1" are examples of the first information portion. The third "0" of the recycling history information "0x01" of the ink cartridge 50 after recycling at a recycling factory, and the third "8" of the recycling history information [0x81] of the ink cartridge 50 installed in the multifunction device 200 after recycling, indicate whether or not the usage information has been initialized if there has been a recycling history. These third "0" and "8" are examples of the second information portion, and an ink cartridge 50 after recycling at a recycling factory is an example of an uninitialized recycled product, and an ink cartridge 50 installed in the multifunction device 200 after recycling and whose usage information has been initialized in S75 is an example of an initialized recycled product.

[0061] In S80, the control unit 110 increments the count value of the number of initializations stored in the initialization count value storage area 136 by one. Then, this flow ends.

[0062] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, ink usage information and recycling history information of the ink cartridge 50 are stored in the cartridge memory 115. Of the stored contents, the usage information is processed under the initiative of the multifunction device 200. By executing S5 and S10, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 communicates with the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 attached to the multifunction device 200 via the communication unit 285, and acquires the reproduction history information. Based on the acquired playback history information, the processor 210 executes S15 and S20 to determine whether to execute initialization processing to initialize the value of usage amount information stored in the cartridge memory 115. If it is determined that initialization processing should be executed, the value of usage amount information in the cartridge memory 115 is initialized in S36 and S70. According to this embodiment, the multifunction device 200 identifies the recycling history of the ink cartridge 50 and initializes the usage information accordingly, so there is no need for the recycling factory to initialize the usage information; the simple process of simply updating the recycling history information is sufficient. This embodiment reduces the processing burden on the recycling factory.

[0063] In particular, in this embodiment, the content of the playback history information stored in the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 includes a first information part with a trailing "0" or "1" and a second information part with a trailing "0" or "8". The first information indicates whether the ink cartridge 50 is a refurbished product that has been refurbished, or a new product that has not been refurbished. If the ink cartridge 50 is a refurbished product, the second information indicates whether it is an initialized refurbished product that has had its usage information initialized, or an uninitialized refurbished product that has not been initialized. According to this embodiment, the regeneration history information includes both information regarding whether or not there is a regeneration history and information regarding whether or not the usage information is initialized following regeneration, so the processing burden on the regeneration factory can be reliably reduced compared to when these information are separated.

[0064] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, if the acquired recycling history information indicates that the ink cartridge 50 is an initialized recycled product or that the ink cartridge 50 is new, the processor 210 determines not to perform the initialization process. If the ink cartridge 50 is new, the value of the usage amount information is initialized at the manufacturing factory when the ink cartridge 50 is manufactured, and therefore there is no need to reinitialize the multifunction device 200 in which the ink cartridge 50 is installed. If the ink cartridge 50 is an initialized recycled product, the value of the usage amount information has already been initialized at the recycling factory, and therefore there is no need to reinitialize the multifunction device 200 in which the ink cartridge 50 is installed. According to this embodiment, if the ink cartridge 50 is a new product or an initialized recycled product, it can be handled appropriately without undergoing unnecessary processing.

[0065] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, if the acquired recycling history information indicates that the ink cartridge 50 is an uninitialized recycled product, the processor 210 determines to execute the initialization process. In this embodiment, when the ink cartridge 50 is an uninitialized recycled product, unlike when the ink cartridge 50 is a new product or an initialized recycled product, the usage amount information is initialized again in the multifunction device 200. According to this embodiment, if the ink cartridge 50 is an uninitialized recycled product, the value of the usage amount information is initialized, thereby reducing the processing burden at the recycling factory.

[0066] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the ink cartridge 50 is provided with a control unit 110 that controls reading and writing of information from and to the cartridge memory 115, and the updating of the usage amount information using the initial value of the usage amount information is ultimately performed by the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 (S36). In this embodiment, the initialization command sending process is performed by S36, which is executed by the processor 210. The storage device 215 stores the initial usage amount value at the time of completion of reconditioning for each type of ink cartridge 50. When the first initialization command is sent to the control unit 110 of the cartridge memory 115, the control unit 110 writes the initial usage amount value obtained from the storage device 215 into the second storage area 132 of the cartridge memory 115, and an initialization process is performed to initialize the value of the usage amount information (S70). According to this embodiment, the initialization process for the value of the usage information is performed using the initial usage value stored in the memory device 215, so the storage capacity of the cartridge memory 115 can be reduced compared to when the initial usage value is stored in the cartridge memory 115.

[0067] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, capacity information of the ink cartridges 50 is stored in the third memory area 133 of the cartridge memory 115. The processor 210 acquires the capacity information transmitted from the control unit 110 based on the first transmission command in S5 and S10, accesses the storage device 215 based on the capacity information (S32), and acquires the corresponding initial usage amount values ​​in S34 by referencing the initial usage amount values ​​of various ink cartridges 50 that have been stored in advance in the storage device 215. According to this embodiment, the initialization process can be performed by referencing the initial usage values ​​of various ink cartridges 50 stored in the memory device 215, obtaining the appropriate initial usage value, and writing it to the second memory area 132 of the cartridge memory 115. Even if the product lineup or capacity information of the ink cartridges 50 changes, it is sufficient to appropriately correct or update the stored contents of the memory device 215 on the multifunction device 200 side, so this can be handled smoothly.

[0068] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the following modifications (1), (2), and (3) are also included within the technical scope. These modifications will be described in order below. The same reference numerals will be used to designate parts equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment, and descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0069] (1) When the cartridge memory stores usage information FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are functional block diagrams showing the configurations of the multifunction device 200 and ink cartridge 50 in this modified example, and corresponding to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) of the above embodiment, respectively. The configuration shown in FIG. 7(a) is the same as that shown in FIG. 1(a). In FIG. 7(b), a fourth memory area 134 is newly provided in the non-volatile memory area 130 of the ink cartridge 50. In this modified example, the fourth memory area 134 pre-stores an initial usage amount value that should be set when the ink cartridge 50 has been reconditioned. When acquiring reconditioning history information from the cartridge 50, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 also acquires the initial usage amount value. The processor 210 sends a second initialization command to the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50, causing the control unit 110 to write the acquired initial usage amount value to the second memory area 132.

[0070] The process executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 and the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 of this embodiment to realize the above-described method in this modified example will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0071] <Processing in multifunction devices> The process executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8(a), which corresponds to FIG. 4(a) of the above embodiment.

[0072] In FIG. 8(a), S7 and S11 are newly provided in place of S5 and S10 in FIG. 4(a). First, in S7, the processor 210 transmits a second transmission command to the ink cartridge 50. The second transmission command is a command instructing the control unit 110 to read and transmit the playback history information and the initial usage amount from the first memory area 131 and the fourth memory area 134 of the cartridge memory 115. The fourth memory area 134 stores specific numerical information such as 15 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml, etc., according to the size of the ink cartridge 50, the maximum ink storage capacity, etc.

[0073] In S11, processor 210 receives and acquires the regeneration history information and usage amount initial value transmitted from ink cartridge 50 in response to the second transmission command in S7. The processes executed by processor 210 in S7 and S11 are an example of a first acquisition process in this modified example. Thereafter, processes equivalent to those in the above embodiment are executed in S15 to S30.

[0074] The details of the initialization command transmission process executed in S30 in this modification are shown in the flow of FIG. 8(b) which corresponds to the above-mentioned FIG. 4(b).

[0075] In FIG. 8(b), S32 and S34 in FIG. 4(b) are deleted, and S37 is newly provided in place of S36. In S37, processor 210 transmits a second initialization command to ink cartridge 50. The second initialization command is a command instructing control unit 110 to write the usage amount initial value acquired in S11 into second memory area 132 to initialize the value of usage amount information, to update the playback history information in first memory area 131 from "0x01" to "0x81", and to increment the number of initializations stored in initialization number count value memory area 136 by 1. S37 is an example of an initialization step, and the processing executed by processor 210 in S37 is an example of a second initialization command transmission process.

[0076] When S37 is completed, return to FIG. 8(a) and end the flow of FIG. 8(a).

[0077] <Ink cartridge processing> The process executed by the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, which corresponds to FIG. 6 of the above embodiment.

[0078] In FIG. 9, steps S57, S61, and S67 are newly provided in place of steps S55, S60, and S65 in FIG. First, in S57, the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 determines whether or not the second transmission command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S7 of Figure 8A has been received. If the second transmission command has been received, a Yes determination is made, and the process proceeds to S61.

[0079] In S61, the control unit 110 reads the playback history information from the first storage area 131 of the cartridge memory 115, reads the initial usage amount value from the fourth storage area 134, and transmits this information to the multifunction device 200.

[0080] In S67, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the second initialization command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S37 of Fig. 8B has been received. If the second initialization command has been received, a "Yes" determination is made, and the process proceeds to S70.

[0081] In S70, the same processing as in Figure 6 above is performed, and the control unit 110 writes the initial usage value received and acquired in S67 to the second memory area 132, and the value of the usage information in the second memory area 132 is initialized. In this modification, the process of S70 executed by the control unit 110 is also an example of a usage information writing process. In this modification, the process of S37 executed by the processor 210 in FIG. 8(b) and the process of S70 executed by the control unit 110 in FIG. 9 are examples of an initialization process. S37 in FIG. 8(b) and S70 in FIG. 9 are examples of an initialization step. The process contents of S75 and S80 are the same as those in FIG. 6 above, and a description thereof will be omitted. After S80, this flow ends.

[0082] <Effects of the modified version> In this modified example, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are obtained. In this modified example, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 executes S7 and S11 to communicate with the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 installed in the multifunction device 200 via the communication unit 285 and acquires playback history information. Based on the acquired playback history information, processor 210 executes S15 and S20, and determines whether to execute S37, which initializes the value of usage amount information stored in cartridge memory 115. If it is determined to execute S37 based on the playback history information, processor 210 initializes the value of usage amount information in cartridge memory 115 in S37. According to this modified example, as in the above embodiment, there is no need for the recycling factory to initialize the usage information, and the simple process of simply updating the recycling history information is sufficient, thereby reducing the processing burden at the recycling factory.

[0083] In this modification, the processor 210 executes S37 to perform an initialization command transmission process. The fourth memory area 134 of the cartridge memory 115 stores the initial usage amount value at the time of completion of regeneration of the ink cartridge 50. By transmitting a second transmission command to the control unit 110 in S7 and S11, the processor 210 acquires the initial usage amount value that is read from the fourth memory area 134 and transmitted by the control unit 110 based on the second transmission command (S11). In S37, the processor 210 transmits a second initialization command to the control unit 110, causing the control unit 110 to write the acquired initial usage amount value into the second memory area 132 of the cartridge memory 115, and an initialization process is performed to initialize the value of the usage amount information (S70). According to this embodiment, the initial value of the usage amount information is used to initialize the usage amount information value stored in advance in the fourth storage area 134 of the cartridge memory 115, so that the processing on the multifunction device 200 side can be simplified.

[0084] (2) When sending a command to copy data from the multifunction device to the cartridge <Processing in multifunction devices> The process executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 to implement the above-described method in this modification will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 10(a), which corresponds to FIG. 8(a) of the modification (1) above.

[0085] In FIG. 10(a), S9 and S13 are newly provided in place of S7 and S11 in FIG. 8(a). First, in S9, the processor 210 transmits a third transmission command to the ink cartridge 50. The third transmission command is a command that instructs the control unit 110 to read and transmit the playback history information from the first storage area 131 of the cartridge memory 115.

[0086] In S13, processor 210 receives and acquires the reproduction history information transmitted from ink cartridge 50 in response to the third transmission command in S9. The processes executed by processor 210 in S9 and S13 are an example of a first acquisition process in this modified example. Thereafter, in S15 to S30, processes equivalent to those in the above embodiment and modified example (2) are executed.

[0087] The details of the initialization command transmission process executed in S30 in this modification are shown in the flow of FIG. 10(b) which corresponds to the above-mentioned FIG. 8(b).

[0088] In FIG. 10(b), S38 is newly provided in place of S37 in FIG. 8(b). In S38, processor 210 transmits a third initialization command to ink cartridge 50. The third initialization command is a command instructing control unit 110 to copy the contents of fourth memory area 134 to second memory area 132 to initialize the value of usage amount information, to update playback history information in first memory area 131 from "0x01" to "0x81", and to increment the number of initializations stored in initialization number count value memory area 136 by 1. S38 is an example of an initialization step, and the processing executed by processor 210 in S38 is an example of a third initialization command transmission process.

[0089] When S38 is completed, return to FIG. 10(a) and end the flow of FIG. 10(a).

[0090] <Ink cartridge processing> The process executed by the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11, which corresponds to FIG. 9 of the modified example (2) above.

[0091] In Fig. 11, steps S59, S63, and S69 are newly provided in place of steps S57, S61, and S67 in Fig. 9. Also, step S70 in Fig. 9 is replaced by a step S70' equivalent thereto. First, in S59, the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50 determines whether or not the third transmission command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S9 of Figure 10(a) has been received. If the third transmission command has been received, a Yes determination is made, and the process proceeds to S63.

[0092] In S63, the control unit 110 reads out the playback history information from the first storage area 131 of the cartridge memory 115 and transmits it to the multifunction peripheral 200.

[0093] In S69, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the third initialization command transmitted from the multifunction device 200 in S38 of Fig. 10B has been received. If the third initialization command has been received, a "Yes" determination is made, and the process proceeds to S70'.

[0094] In S70', the control unit 110 reads the initial usage value stored in the fourth memory area 134, and as part of the write process, copies that value to the second memory area 132, thereby initializing the value of the usage information in the second memory area 132. In this modification, the process of S70' executed by the control unit 110 is an example of a usage information writing process. Also in this modification, the process of S38 executed by the processor 210 in Fig. 10(b) and the process of S70' executed by the control unit 110 in Fig. 11 are examples of an initialization process. Also, S38 in Fig. 10(b) and S70' in Fig. 11 are examples of an initialization step. The processing contents of S75 and S80 are the same as those in Figures 6 and 9, and therefore the explanation will be omitted. After S80, this flow ends.

[0095] <Effects of the modified version> In this modified example, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are obtained. In this modified example, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 executes S9 and S13 to communicate with the cartridge memory 115 of the ink cartridge 50 installed in the multifunction device 200 via the communication unit 285 and acquires playback history information. Based on the acquired playback history information, processor 210 executes S15 and S20, and determines whether to execute S38, which initializes the value of usage amount information stored in cartridge memory 115. If it is determined to execute S38 based on the playback history information, processor 210 initializes the value of usage amount information in cartridge memory 115 in S38. According to this modified example, as in the above embodiment, there is no need for the recycling factory to initialize the usage information, and the simple process of simply updating the recycling history information is sufficient, thereby reducing the processing burden at the recycling factory.

[0096] Furthermore, particularly in this modified example, the processor 210 transmits a third transmission command to the control unit 110 of the cartridge memory 115 in S9 and S13, thereby acquiring the playback history information that has been read from the first storage area 131 and transmitted by the control unit 110 based on the third transmission command (S13). When the playback history information is acquired, the processor 210 executes S38 to send a third initialization command to the control unit 110, whereby the initial value of the usage amount stored in the fourth storage area 134 by the control unit 110 is read, copied and written into the second storage area 132, and an initialization process is performed to initialize (S70'). According to this embodiment, the value of the usage amount information is initialized by simply copying the usage amount initial value stored in advance in the cartridge memory 115, so that the processing on the multifunction peripheral 200 side can be further simplified.

[0097] (3) Other In the above embodiment and each of the modified examples, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 sends a command to the control unit 110 of the ink cartridge 50, causing the control unit 110 to read and write information from and to the cartridge memory 115, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the processor 210 of the multifunction device 200 may read and write information from and to the cartridge memory 115 via the communication unit 285 and electrodes 65A-C, without going through the control unit 110. In this case, the above-mentioned S5, S7, and S9 are omitted, and in the subsequent S10, S11, and S13, the processor 210 directly acquires each piece of information from the cartridge memory 115. Also, in S36, S37, and S38, the first to third initialization commands are not output to the control unit 110 to cause the control unit 110 to write the initial value of the usage amount to the second storage area 132, but the processor 210 directly writes the initial value of the usage amount to the second storage area 132. The same applies to updating the playback history information and incrementing the initialization count value. That is, in these cases, the initialization process for initializing the value of the usage amount information in the second storage area 132 is performed by the processor 210. In the above case, the control unit 110 may be omitted from the ink cartridge 50, and the processor 210 may read and write information directly from and to the cartridge memory 115 via the electrodes 65A-C.

[0098] In the above description, ink is used as an example of a consumable material, and the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 50 or the amount used is used as the usage amount information, but this is not limiting. For example, if a laser-type multifunction device 200 is used instead of an inkjet type, toner may be used as a consumable material, and the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge or the amount used may be used as the usage amount information, or a drum may be used as a consumable item and its remaining lifespan may be used as the usage amount information.

[0099] Furthermore, the flowcharts shown in Figures 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc. do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the above flows, and steps may be added or deleted or the order may be changed within the scope that does not deviate from the intent and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0100] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0101] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 50 Ink cartridges (consumables for recording devices, an example of consumables) 110 control section 115 Cartridge memory (an example of consumable memory) 131 1st storage area 132 2nd storage area 133 Third storage area 134 4th storage area 200 Multifunction printer (example of recording device body) 210 Processor (an example of a controller) 215 Storage device (example of main memory)

Claims

1. a recording device body; and consumables detachable from the recording device body; A recording device comprising: The consumables are: a consumables memory for storing at least information on the amount of use of consumables included in the consumables and information on the reproduction history of the consumables; The recording device main body includes: a communication unit capable of communicating with the consumable memory and a controller, The controller a first acquisition process of acquiring the playback history information from the consumable memory of the consumable attached to the recording device body by communication via the communication unit; a determination process for determining whether to execute an initialization process for initializing the value of the usage amount information stored in the consumable memory in accordance with the acquired playback history information; A recording device that performs the above.

2. The playback history information is a first information portion indicating whether the consumable is a refurbished product with a refurbishment history or a new product without a refurbishment history; a second information portion indicating whether the consumable is a refurbished product that has been initialized in the usage information or an uninitialized refurbished product that has not been initialized; 2. The recording device of claim 1, comprising:

3. The controller A recording device as described in claim 2, wherein if the playback history information acquired in the first acquisition process indicates that the consumable is an initialized recycled item or that the consumable is a new item, the determination process determines not to perform the initialization process.

4. The controller 4. The recording device according to claim 3, wherein if the playback history information acquired in the first acquisition process indicates that the consumable is an uninitialized playback product, the determination process determines that the initialization process should be performed.

5. The consumables are: a control unit for controlling reading and writing of information from and to the consumable memory; The consumable memory includes: a first storage area for storing the playback history information; a second storage area for storing the usage information; It has The recording device main body further includes: a main body memory that stores initial values ​​of usage amounts at the time of completion of regeneration for each of the plurality of types of consumables; The controller further The recording device of claim 4 executes a first initialization command transmission process to write the usage initial value acquired from the main memory to the second memory area of ​​the consumable memory and transmit a first initialization command to the control unit via the communication unit to initialize the value of the usage information.

6. The consumable memory further comprises: a third storage area for storing capacity information of the corresponding consumable item; It has The controller further comprises: In the first acquisition process, a first transmission command is transmitted via the communication unit to read and transmit the playback history information and the capacity information from the first storage area and the third storage area of ​​the consumable memory, thereby acquiring the playback history information and the capacity information transmitted from the control unit in response to the first transmission command; and, executes a second acquisition process of acquiring from the main body memory the initial usage value corresponding to the capacity information acquired from the control unit of the consumable memory; 6. The recording device according to claim 5, wherein the first initialization command transmission process transmits the initial usage value obtained from the main body memory in correspondence with the capacity information to the control unit via the communication unit.

7. The consumables are: a control unit for controlling reading and writing of information from and to the consumable memory; The consumable memory includes: a first storage area for storing the playback history information; a second storage area for storing the usage information; a fourth storage area for storing an initial value of the amount of use of the corresponding consumable product at the time of completion of regeneration; It has The controller further comprises: In the first acquisition process, a second transmission command is transmitted via the communication unit to read and transmit the playback history information and the usage amount initial value from the first storage area and the fourth storage area of ​​the consumable memory, thereby acquiring the playback history information and the usage amount initial value transmitted from the control unit in response to the second transmission command; and, A recording device as described in claim 4, which executes a second initialization command transmission process to write the acquired usage initial value to the second memory area of ​​the consumable memory and transmit a second initialization command to the control unit via the communication unit to initialize the value of the usage information.

8. The consumable memory includes: a first storage area for storing the playback history information; a second storage area for storing the usage information; a fourth storage area for storing an initial value of the amount of use of the corresponding consumable product at the time of completion of regeneration; It has The consumables are: a control unit for controlling reading and writing of information from and to the consumable memory, In the first acquisition process, a third transmission command for reading and transmitting the playback history information from the first storage area of ​​the consumable memory is transmitted via the communication unit, thereby acquiring the playback history information transmitted from the control unit in response to the third transmission command; and, The recording device of claim 4, wherein, upon acquisition of the playback history information, a third initialization command transmission process is executed to read the usage initial value stored in the fourth memory area of ​​the consumable memory, write it to the second memory area of ​​the consumable memory, and transmit a third initialization command to the control unit via the communication unit to initialize the value of the usage information.

9. A consumable for a recording device, which is configured to be detachable from a recording device and includes a consumable memory capable of communicating with the recording device, and a control unit that controls reading and writing of information from and to the consumable memory, The consumable memory includes: a first storage area for storing regeneration history information of the consumable, the first storage area including a first information portion indicating whether the consumable is a refurbished product with a regeneration history or a new product with no refurbishment history, and a second information portion indicating whether the consumable is an initialized refurbished product with a history of initialization of usage information of consumables included in the consumable or an uninitialized refurbished product with no history of initialization, if the consumable is the refurbished product; a second storage area for storing usage information of consumable materials included in the consumables; a third storage area for storing capacity information of the consumable product, and a fourth storage area for storing an initial value of the amount of use of the consumable product at the time of completion of regeneration; and The control unit The consumables for the recording device execute a usage information writing process to write a predetermined usage initial value to the second storage area in response to receiving a command from the recording device.

10. receiving a first transmission command from the recording device as the command, reading the playback history information and the capacity information from the first storage area and the third storage area and transmitting them to the recording device; A consumable for a recording device as described in claim 9, wherein by receiving a first initialization command from the recording device as the command, the initial usage value corresponding to the capacity information included in the first initialization command is written to the second memory area, and the value of the usage information is initialized.

11. receiving a second transmission command from the recording device as the command, reading the playback history information and the usage amount initial value from the first storage area and the fourth storage area and transmitting them to the recording device; A consumable for a recording device as described in claim 9, wherein by receiving a second initialization command from the recording device as the command, the usage initial value contained in the second initialization command is written to the second memory area, and the value of the usage information is initialized.

12. receiving a third transmission command from the recording device as the command, reading the playback history information from the first storage area and transmitting the information to the recording device; A consumable for a recording device as described in claim 9, wherein by receiving a third initialization command from the recording device as the command, the initial usage value stored in the fourth memory area is read and written to the second memory area, thereby initializing the value of the usage information.

13. 1. An information processing method for performing predetermined processing on information on usage amount of consumable materials included in a consumable product and information on playback history of the consumable product, the information being stored in a consumable product memory provided in the consumable product that is detachably attached to a recording device body, the method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring the playback history information from the consumable memory through communication; a determination step of determining whether to execute an initialization step of initializing the value of the usage amount information stored in the consumable memory in accordance with the acquired playback history information; An information processing method comprising:

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