Consumption apparatus and program

Abstract

To provide a consumption device capable of improving convenience by effectively utilizing consumables once stored.SOLUTION: The controller 51 of the image forming device 10 executes the usage information storing process (S93, S96), the restricting process (S73, S77), the determining process (S 3, S 47), and the specifying process (S39, S45). The specific process includes at least one of a first process of not executing the usage information storing process even when a new cartridge 15 is accommodated in the accommodating portion, and a second process of changing the used information stored as the usage information in the usage information storing process to new cartridge information indicating that the cartridge 15 is new.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a consumption device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing a consumable item that has been used once in a printer (hereinafter referred to as a "consumer device") from being used in another consumer device. When a new consumable item is stored in the consumer device described in Patent Document 1, the consumer device writes the identification information of the consumable item into a memory of the consumer device, thereby preventing the consumable item from being used in another consumer device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-56289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the consumption device described in Patent Document 1, even if some abnormality occurs in the consumption device that contains the consumables, the consumables once contained in the consumption device can only be used in that consumption device and cannot be used in other consumption devices. This means that the consumables cannot be used effectively, which is a problem in terms of usability.

[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a consumption device and a program that can improve convenience by effectively utilizing consumables that have been stored once. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) To achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a consuming device including a storage unit for storing consumables and a control unit, wherein the control unit executes a usage information storage process for, when a new consumable is stored in the storage unit, storing used information indicating that the consumable has been used in the consuming device, a restriction process for restricting use of the consumable that has been used in another consuming device based on the usage information stored in the usage information storage process, a determination process for determining whether the consuming device is in an error state in which an error has occurred in the consuming device, and a specific process executed when the determination process determines that the consuming device is in the error state, the specific process including at least one of a first process for not executing the usage information storage process even when a new consumable is stored in the storage unit, and a second process for changing the used information stored as the usage information in the usage information storage process to new information indicating that the consumable is new.

[0007] According to this type of consumer device, if the consumer device is in an error state during the specific process, the usage information storage process is not executed, or the used information is changed to new information, so that the consumables stored in the error-state consumer device can be used in another consumer device. In other words, by effectively utilizing the consumables once stored, convenience can be improved.

[0008] (2) In the consumption device of the above form, the control unit may execute the second processing in the specific processing in response to the consumption device transitioning from a normal state in which the error has not occurred in the consumption device to the error state.

[0009] According to this type of consumption device, the usage restriction on the consumables can be flexibly lifted in response to changes in the state of the consumption device.

[0010] (3) In the consumption device of the above form, when the control unit changes the usage information from the used information to the new information in the second process, it may execute an identifier storage process to store the device identifier of the consumption device in a consumable memory possessed by the consumable, and when the used consumable is stored in the storage unit and the device identifier stored in the consumable memory matches the device identifier of the consumption device, it may allow the use of the consumable.

[0011] According to this embodiment, the consumption device allows the use of the consumables when the device identifier stored in the consumables memory matches the device identifier of the consumption device based on the device identifier stored in the consumables memory. Therefore, even if the contents of the memory of the consumption device are reset, the use of the consumables can be restricted in the same way as under normal circumstances.

[0012] (4) In the consumption device of the above form, the control unit may further determine, in the judgment process, whether the error occurring in the consumption device is an unrecoverable error, which is an error that cannot be recovered by user action, and if, in the judgment process, it is determined that the error occurring in the consumption device is an unrecoverable error, then execute the second process in the identification process.

[0013] According to this aspect of the consumer device, if the error is an unrecoverable error, the second process can be executed. Furthermore, if the second process is executed only in the case of an unrecoverable error, the second process can be prevented from being executed even in the case of a simple error that can be recovered by user action.

[0014] (5) In the consumption device of the above form, if the control unit determines in the judgment process that the consumption device is in the error state when the consumable item is stored in the storage unit, it may execute the first process in the identification process, and execute the usage information storage process in response to the consumption device transitioning from the error state to a normal state in which the error has not occurred in the consumption device.

[0015] In this embodiment, when the consumption device is determined to be in an error state when the consumable is stored, the first process is executed, and when the consumption device transitions to a normal state, the usage information storage process is executed. Therefore, when the consumption device is in an error state, the usage information is not stored as used information in the usage information storage process, so that the consumable can be used in another consumption device.

[0016] (6) In the consumption device of the above form, in the usage information storage process, the control unit stores the used information in a consumable memory possessed by the consumable, and stores a consumable identifier identifying the consumable in a device memory possessed by the consumption device, and in the restriction process, if the used information is stored in the consumable memory as the usage information and the consumable identifier stored in the device memory does not match the consumable identifier of the consumable stored in the storage unit, restricts the consumption of the consumable, and in the second process, changes the used information stored in the consumable memory to the new product information.

[0017] According to this type of consumption device, by rewriting the used information in the consumable memory with new product information, the consumable product can be easily handled as a new product without any restrictions.

[0018] (7) In the consumption device of the above form, the control unit may execute the usage information storage process when the consumption device is in a contract state in which a contract has been concluded for a delivery service for the consumables, and the consumables are exclusive consumables for the contract.

[0019] With this type of consumer device, the use of contract-specific consumables in other consumer devices is restricted, and the usage restrictions are lifted if the consumer device is in an error state, allowing the consumables to be used effectively.

[0020] The above-disclosed aspects may be realized in various forms other than a consumer device, such as a method executed by the consumer device, a program executed by the consumer device, or a non-transitory recording medium storing such a program. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are external perspective views of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows the image forming apparatus when the cover is in a closed state, and FIG. 1B shows the image forming apparatus when the cover is in an open state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a moving range of a carriage. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance unit. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a management system including an image forming apparatus. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a main process executed by the image forming apparatus. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a cartridge delivery process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a cartridge replacement process. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a SWAP prohibition cancellation process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for new product flag off processing; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment> An image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. The up-down direction is defined based on the usage posture in which the image forming apparatus 10 is installed on a horizontal surface ready for use, the front-to-rear direction is defined with the surface where the opening 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 is located as the front, and the left-to-right direction is defined when the image forming apparatus 10 is viewed from the front. The up-to-down direction, the front-to-rear direction, and the left-to-right direction are perpendicular to one another.

[0023] [Overview of image forming apparatus 10] The image forming device 10 according to this embodiment is an example of a consumer device that consumes ink to perform printing and the like. The image forming device 10 records an image on a print medium using an inkjet recording method. The image forming device 10 has a housing 11 that is roughly cuboid in shape. The image forming device 10 may also be a so-called "multifunction device" that has functions such as a facsimile function, a scanning function, and a copying function.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, inside the housing 11 are located a carriage 21, a head 22 having a plurality of nozzles 23, a platen 24 facing the head 22, a feed tray 25, a feed roller 26, a transport roller 27, a discharge roller 28, a discharge tray 29, a subtank 30, an ink level sensor 32, a cartridge holder 34 into which a cartridge 15 can be attached, and a tube 36.

[0025] The image forming device 10 drives the feed roller 26 and the transport roller 27 to transport the print medium supported on the feed tray 25 to the position of the platen 24. Next, the image forming device 10 ejects ink supplied from the cartridge 15 attached to the cartridge holding unit 34 via the subtank 30 and the tube 36 from the nozzles 23 of the head 22. This causes the ink to land on the print medium supported by the platen 24, recording an image on the print medium. The image forming device 10 drives the discharge roller 28 to discharge the print medium on which the image has been recorded onto the discharge tray 29.

[0026] The carriage 21 is supported by two guide rails 37, 38 extending in the left-right direction, and moves back and forth in the left-right direction. The head 22 is mounted on the carriage 21. The image forming device 10 ejects ink from the nozzles 23 of the head 22 as it moves the carriage 21 from one side to the other in the left-right direction. This causes an image to be recorded on a portion of the printing medium facing the head 22. Next, the image forming device 10 causes the transport roller 27 to transport the printing medium so that the area on which the next image is to be recorded faces the head 22. By repeatedly alternately ejecting ink and transporting the printing medium in this way, an image is recorded on a sheet of printing medium.

[0027] [Cartridge 15] As shown in FIG. 1(B), an opening 17 is located at the right end of the front surface of the housing 11. The housing 11 is provided with a cover 13 that covers the opening 17. The cover 13 is rotatably supported by the housing 11, and changes state between a closed state shown in FIG. 1(A) and an open state shown in FIG. 1(B). Four cartridge holders 34 are located in the storage space inside the housing 11 that extends beyond the opening 17. Cartridges 15 that store black, magenta, cyan, and yellow ink are attached to the four cartridge holders 34, respectively.

[0028] 2, the cartridge 15 has a liquid chamber 18 capable of containing ink. When the cartridge 15 is attached to the cartridge holding portion 34, the ink in the liquid chamber 18 flows into the liquid chamber 31 of the subtank 30 via an ink flow path 33 that connects the liquid chamber 18 with the liquid chamber 31. The subtank 30 temporarily stores the ink that has flowed into the liquid chamber 31. The ink stored in the subtank 30 is supplied to the head 22 via a tube 36.

[0029] The cartridge 15 has an IC chip 16 that stores information about the cartridge 15. The information about the cartridge 15 will be described in detail below. The IC chip 16 is electrically connected to contacts (not shown) provided on the cartridge 15. When the cartridge 15 is attached to the cartridge holding portion 34, the contacts provided on the cartridge 15 come into contact with a connector 56 provided on the cartridge holding portion 34.

[0030] [Subtank 30 and ink level sensor 32] The image forming apparatus 10 has four sub-tanks 30 corresponding to the four cartridges 15. The sub-tanks 30 are located behind the rear wall of the cartridge holding portion 34. A liquid chamber 31 is located inside each sub-tank 30. The sub-tanks 30 contain ink that flows in from the cartridges 15. The sub-tanks 30 and the cartridge holding portion 34 are an example of a container that contains consumables.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, an ink level sensor 32 is located on the rear wall of each subtank 30. The ink level sensor 32 includes a light-emitting element (not shown) and a light-receiving element (not shown) that face each other across the subtank 30. For example, the light-emitting element is located on the left side of the subtank 30, and the light-receiving element is located on the right side of the subtank 30. At least at the location of the ink level sensor 32, the material of the subtank 30 is transparent.

[0032] When the level of the ink contained in the subtank 30 is below the position of the remaining ink sensor 32, the light emitted from the light-emitting element is incident on the light-receiving element. At this time, the remaining ink sensor 32 outputs, for example, a high-level signal. On the other hand, when the level of the ink contained in the subtank 30 is above the position of the remaining ink sensor 32, the light emitted from the light-emitting element is scattered by the ink contained in the subtank 30, and the amount of light incident on the light-receiving element decreases. At this time, the remaining ink sensor 32 outputs, for example, a low-level signal. In the following explanation, the remaining ink sensor 32 will be referred to as OFF when it outputs a high-level signal, and ON when it outputs a low-level signal.

[0033] In the above explanation, the remaining ink level sensor 32 is an optical sensor, but any configuration may be used for the remaining ink level sensor 32. For example, the remaining ink level sensor 32 may be a float-type sensor or an electrode-type sensor.

[0034] [Carriage 21 movement range] As shown in Fig. 3, the platen 24 has a shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is located below the carriage 21 in the up-down direction (see Fig. 2). The left end of the platen 24 is located near the left ends of the guide rails 37 and 38 in the left-right direction. The right end of the platen 24 is located to the right of the center of the guide rails 37 and 38 in the left-right direction. A maintenance unit 40 is located to the right of the platen 24 in the left-right direction.

[0035] The maintenance unit 40 has four caps 41. While the image forming device 10 is printing, the carriage 21 moves left and right within the range of the platen 24. While the image forming device 10 is not printing, the carriage 21 is located at a position where the head 22 faces the four caps 41 (hereinafter referred to as the standby position).

[0036] [Maintenance Department 40] FIG. 4 shows a portion of the head 22 corresponding to one nozzle row and the configuration of the maintenance unit 40. Four nozzle rows, each with a plurality of nozzles 23 aligned in the front-to-rear direction, are located on the underside of the head 22. Each nozzle row corresponds to one of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. Black, magenta, cyan, or yellow ink is ejected from the plurality of nozzles 23 in each nozzle row. When the carriage 21 is located in the standby position, the cap 41 faces the nozzle rows. Inside the head 22, an ink flow path 47 is located, connecting an ink inlet 46 and the nozzles 23.

[0037] The four caps 41 rise and fall under the control of the control unit 51 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the caps 41 rise and fall between a position in contact with the lower surface of the head 22 (hereinafter referred to as the covering position) and a position spaced apart from the lower surface of the head 22 (hereinafter referred to as the spaced apart position). When the carriage 21 is located at the standby position, the caps 41 are located at the covering position. At this time, the caps 41 come into contact with the periphery of the nozzle row and cover the nozzle row. When the carriage 21 is located at a position other than the standby position, the caps 41 are located at the spaced apart position. At this time, the caps 41 are located at a position spaced apart downward from the periphery of the nozzle row.

[0038] The bottom surface of the cap 41 has an outlet 42. The internal space of the cap 41 is connected to a terminal of a flow path switching unit 43 via the outlet 42. Another terminal of the flow path switching unit 43 is connected to an internal space of the cap 41 corresponding to another nozzle row. Another terminal of the flow path switching unit 43 is connected to one end of a pump 44. The flow path switching unit 43 connects one of the four internal spaces of the cap 41 to one end of the pump 44. The other end of the pump 44 is connected to a waste liquid tank 45. The waste liquid tank 45 stores ink discharged from the head 22 during maintenance processing as waste liquid.

[0039] With the four caps 41 in the covering position, the flow path switching unit 43 connects the internal space of one of the caps 41 to the pump 44, and then the pump 44 is driven, thereby applying suction pressure from the nozzles 23 to the ink flow paths 47. As a result, the ink and gas in the ink flow paths 47 are discharged from the nozzles 23. The ink discharged from the nozzles 23 is stored in the waste liquid tank 45 as waste liquid. In this way, a purge process is performed on the multiple nozzles 23 in one nozzle row. The control unit 51 controls the caps 41, the flow path switching unit 43, and the pump 44 to perform a purge process on one nozzle row selected from the four nozzle rows.

[0040] [Configuration of management system 1] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a management system 1 including the image forming device 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the management system 1 includes a terminal device 2, an image forming device 10, a management server 4, and a delivery server 5, which are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a WAN 6. WAN stands for Wide Area Network. In this embodiment, the WAN 6 is the Internet. In response to a start request sent from the terminal device 2, the management system 1 concludes a contract with the image forming device 10, and provides and manages a delivery service based on the contract.

[0041] Specifically, when the management server 4 receives a start request sent from the terminal device 2, the management server 4 requests the terminal device 2 for information on the user who will conclude a contract and information on the image forming device 10. Upon receiving the user information and information on the image forming device 10 from the terminal device 2, the management server 4 stores the user information and information on the image forming device 10 in the device memory 55. Thereafter, the management server 4 instructs the image forming device 10 to transition to the contract mode. Upon receiving the instruction to transition to the contract mode from the management server 4, the image forming device 10 transitions from the normal mode to the contract mode. The modes of the image forming device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0042] The delivery service is a service in which charges are made according to the amount of printing within a contract period. The delivery service includes a delivery service that automatically delivers cartridges 15 that can be used in the image forming device 10, and a billing service that charges according to the number of printed sheets, which is the number of sheets of print media printed by the image forming device 10. In this embodiment, when the remaining ink level of a contract cartridge 15 housed in the image forming device 10 falls below a first threshold, that contract cartridge is delivered one by one.

[0043] There are two types of cartridges 15: commercially available cartridges and contract cartridges. Commercially available cartridges are cartridges that can be purchased at retail stores and can be used in image forming devices 10 regardless of whether a contract has been concluded. Contract cartridges are cartridges exclusive to delivery services that cannot be purchased at retail stores and can be used in image forming devices 10 only when a contract has been concluded. Cartridges handled by the delivery service are contract cartridges, and will hereinafter be referred to as "contract cartridges 15."

[0044] The billing service may include, for example, multiple service plans, and charges a fixed fee for printing up to the number of printable pages specified for each service plan within a service unit period (e.g., one month), and an additional fee for printing in excess of the number of printable pages. If the number of printed pages within a service unit period is less than the number of printable pages, the surplus is carried over to the next service unit period. In the delivery service of this embodiment, the billing service begins when the contract cartridge 15 is installed in the image forming device 10 at the start of the delivery service contract.

[0045] The terminal device 2 of this embodiment is a personal computer. The terminal device 2 includes a control unit 71, a communication unit 72, a display unit 73, an input unit 74, and a storage unit 75. The control unit 71 includes a CPU 76 and a memory 77. The CPU 76 controls the terminal device 2 by executing a program stored in the memory 77. The memory 77 includes semiconductor memory such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. The communication unit 72 is a communication module for performing data communication with the management server 4 via the WAN 6. The display unit 73 is a liquid crystal display and can display various information. The input unit 74 includes a keyboard and a mouse and outputs detection signals to the control unit 71 in response to input operations made via the keyboard and mouse. The storage unit 75 includes a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD and stores various data. HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive. SSD stands for Solid State Drive.

[0046] The management server 4 is a server that manages the delivery of each cartridge 15 based on a contract. The management server 4 includes a control unit 81, a storage unit 82, and a communication unit 83. The control unit 81 includes a CPU 84 and a memory 85. The CPU 84 controls the management server 4 by executing programs stored in the memory 85. The memory 85 includes semiconductor memory such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory, and stores programs including a management program 86 and data. The management program 86 is a computer program that causes the CPU 84 to realize the function of managing the delivery service.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the following description will be given assuming that the image forming device 10 executes all functions for managing the delivery service, but the function for managing the delivery service may be executed by the management server 4, or may be executed by the image forming device 10 in cooperation with the management server 4. The storage unit 82 includes a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various data. The communication unit 83 is a communication module that performs data communication between the terminal device 2, the image forming device 10, and the delivery server 5 via the WAN 6.

[0048] The delivery server 5 includes a control unit, a communication unit, and a storage unit (not shown), and the control unit of the delivery server 5 executes processing to notify a delivery worker to deliver the contract cartridge 15 in accordance with the contents of the cartridge delivery instruction in response to receiving the cartridge delivery instruction from the management server 4, which has received the cartridge delivery request from the image forming apparatus 10. The delivery worker delivers the contract cartridge 15 in accordance with the cartridge delivery instruction.

[0049] The image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, a display unit 53, an input unit 54, a printing unit 50, a carriage 21, a head 22, a maintenance unit 40, and a connector 56. The control unit 51 includes a CPU 57 and a device memory 55. The control unit 51 is electrically connected to the device memory 55 provided in the housing 11.

[0050] The CPU 57 controls the image forming apparatus 10 by executing programs stored in the device memory 55. The device memory 55 is a memory that includes semiconductor memory such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory, and is capable of reading and writing information. The device memory 55 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM. The device memory 55 stores a printing device program 58, a management program 59, registration information 61 related to the cartridge 15, a device ID, and the like. The printing device program 58 is a computer program that causes the CPU 57 to realize the printing function. The management program 59 is a computer program that causes the CPU 57 to realize the function of managing delivery services.

[0051] The device memory 55 stores, as registration information 61, the cartridge ID read from the IC chip 16 of the accommodated cartridge 15, as described below. The registration information 61 includes the cartridge ID and information associated with the cartridge ID, such as type information indicating whether the cartridge is a contracted product or a commercially available product, remaining amount, and a delivery completion flag. The "cartridge ID" is an example of a "consumable product identifier" that identifies the consumable product. Note that although only one cartridge 15 is shown in FIG. 5, four cartridges 15 each have their own IC chip 16.

[0052] The delivered flag is information indicating whether or not the contract cartridge 15 has been delivered, and its value is "on" if the target cartridge 15 has been delivered, and its value is "off" if the target cartridge 15 has not been delivered. The initial value of the delivered flag is "off", and it becomes "on" once delivered, and becomes "off" once the target cartridge 15 is housed in the image forming device 10. In this embodiment, "delivery" refers to the process from the delivery request for the contract cartridge 15 to its dispatch and arrival, and the delivered flag becomes "on" at the time the delivery request for the contract cartridge 15 is made, regardless of whether it has actually been dispatched.

[0053] The device ID is identification information for identifying each individual housing 11, such as a serial number. The image forming device 10 of this embodiment has two modes: a normal mode, in which a contract for the delivery service has not been concluded, and a contract mode, in which a contract for the delivery service has been concluded and the contract period for the delivery service has not expired. The device memory 55 stores the current mode of the image forming device 10. The "device ID" corresponds to an example of a "device identifier" that identifies a consumption device.

[0054] The communication unit 52 is a communication module that communicates data with the management server 4 via the WAN 6. The display unit 53 is a liquid crystal display that can display various information. The input unit 54 includes a touch panel installed on the screen of the display unit 53 and switches installed around the screen of the display unit 53. The input unit 54 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 51 in response to an input operation performed by the user via the touch panel and the switches. The printing unit 50 prints an image on a printing medium using ink stored in the cartridge 15. The connector 56 is electrically connected to the contacts of the IC chip 16 of the cartridge 15, which is removably stored in the image forming device 10.

[0055] The IC chip 16 stores information about the cartridge 15. Specifically, the IC chip 16 stores usage information, a cartridge ID, lifespan information, and the device ID of the device in which it is housed. The usage information and lifespan information can be rewritten multiple times. The IC chip 16 is an example of a "storage unit" and a "consumable memory."

[0056] The usage information indicates whether the cartridge 15 has been used in the image forming apparatus 10. The usage information indicates either "used information" indicating that the cartridge 15 has been used, or "new information" indicating that the cartridge 15 is new. Hereinafter, an unused cartridge will be simply referred to as "unused." Hereinafter, a cartridge 15 that has been used and still has a remaining lifespan will be simply referred to as "used." The usage information may be, for example, a new flag whose value is "on" if the cartridge 15 is unused, or whose value is "off" if the cartridge 15 is not unused but has just started to be used. The new flag's initial value is "on," and it is set to "off" at a predetermined timing after the cartridge 15 is housed in the image forming apparatus 10.

[0057] The cartridge ID is, for example, a serial number for identifying each individual cartridge 15. The data length of the cartridge ID is longer than the data length of the usage information. Note that the data length is expressed in bits.

[0058] The lifespan information is, for example, at least one of the cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of dots. The image forming device 10 counts the number of pages printed on one side of a print medium using ink supplied from the cartridge 15 after the signal output from the ink level sensor 32 changes from a low level signal to a high level signal as the cumulative number of printed pages. When the count value reaches a threshold, the image forming device 10 determines that the cartridge 15 has reached the end of its lifespan. Alternatively, the image forming device 10 counts the number of ink droplets supplied from the cartridge 15 and ejected from the head 22 after the signal output from the ink level sensor 32 changes from a low level signal to a high level signal as the cumulative number of dots. When the count value reaches a threshold, the image forming device 10 determines that the cartridge 15 has reached the end of its lifespan. Note that the lifespan information is not limited to the cumulative number of printed pages or the cumulative number of dots, and may be any information indicating conditions for determining the lifespan of the cartridge 15. The lifespan information may also be information indicating the remaining amount of ink.

[0059] [Main processing] Next, the processing executed by the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the main processing, including the printing processing, executed by the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10. The series of processing shown in FIG. 6 is triggered when the image forming apparatus 10 is turned on after the contract described above is concluded, and is executed repeatedly while the power is on. Hereinafter, in the description of each processing, steps will be represented as "S." As shown in FIG. 6, first, the control unit 51 determines whether the image forming apparatus 10 is in the contract mode based on the mode information stored in the device memory 55 (S11).

[0060] If the image forming apparatus 10 is in the contract mode (S11: Yes), the control unit 51 determines whether the process instructed by the user is an ink consumption process (S13). In the contract mode of this embodiment, the processes instructed by the user to the image forming apparatus 10 are broadly divided into three main processes: an ink consumption process (S21), a cartridge replacement process (S42), and other processes (S49).

[0061] An ink consumption process is a process that consumes ink, such as a printing process such as printing or copying, or a purge process. If the instructed process is an ink consumption process (S13: Yes), the control unit 51 determines whether a print-disabled error has occurred in the image forming device 10 (S15). A print-disabled error is an error that makes it impossible to execute printing. "Print-disabled errors" include "unrecoverable errors," which are errors that cannot be recovered by user action, and "recoverable errors," which are errors that can be recovered by user action.

[0062] A recoverable error is, for example, an error in which the cover 13 of the image forming apparatus 10 is left open, or there is a paper jam or no paper, and is an error that can be easily restored to a printable state by a user operation. On the other hand, an unrecoverable error is an error that cannot be easily restored to a printable state by a user operation, such as an internal malfunction of the image forming apparatus 10, and is an error that cannot be easily restored to a printable state by a user operation. Specific examples of unrecoverable errors include the waste liquid tank 45 being full of waste liquid, an abnormality in reading or writing from the IC chip 16, a request to replace the platen 24, and an abnormality in the voltage value applied to the head 22. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, a state in which a print-disabled error has occurred is referred to as an "error state," and a state in which a print-disabled error has not occurred is also referred to as a "normal state."

[0063] If a print disable error has not occurred (S15: No), that is, if the printing function is in a normal state, the control unit 51 acquires the number of printable pages from the management server 4 (S17) and determines whether the number of printable pages is 1 or more or whether the instructed process is a purge process (S19). If the number of printable pages is 1 or more or the instructed process is a purge process (S19: Yes), the control unit 51 executes an ink consumption process (S21).

[0064] The purge process is a process that can consume ink regardless of the number of printable pages under the billing service. Therefore, even if the number of printable pages is 0, if the instructed ink consumption process is a purge process (S19: Yes), the ink consumption process is possible, so the control unit 51 executes the ink consumption process. Even if the number of printable pages is 1 or more (S19: Yes), the ink consumption process is possible, so the control unit 51 executes the ink consumption process (S21).

[0065] Next, the control unit 51 executes new product flag off processing (S23). The new product flag off processing is processing for turning off the new product flag stored as usage information in the IC chip 16 of the accommodated cartridge 15, and storing the cartridge ID read from the IC chip 16 in the device memory 55. As a result, even if the cartridge 15 is accommodated in another image forming device 10, it can be identified as a "used" cartridge from the usage information, and usage can be restricted. The new product flag off processing will be described in detail later.

[0066] After the new product flag off process, the control unit 51 determines whether or not the series of jobs in the ink consumption process (S21) has ended (S25). For example, if the job is a multi-page print process, if there are still unprinted pages remaining, the job is determined to be incomplete, and if all pages have been printed, the job is determined to be complete. If the job has not ended (S25: No), the control unit 51 executes cartridge delivery process (S27) and returns the process to S15. The cartridge delivery process is a process that executes delivery of the contract cartridge 15 on the condition that the remaining amount of ink has fallen below the first threshold. Details of the cartridge delivery process will be described later.

[0067] Note that the process of S27 may be omitted depending on the printing specifications. If the job is completed (S25: Yes), the control unit 51 executes the cartridge delivery process (S29) and ends the main process. The cartridge delivery process after the job is completed is executed in preparation for the next printing, for example, because the ink may run out after the last page is printed.

[0068] On the other hand, if the number of printable pages is not 1 or more and the instructed process is not a purge process (S19: No), the control unit 51 displays an error message indicating that the number of printable pages is insufficient on the screen (e.g., LCD) of the image forming apparatus 10 (S31). At this time, a notification prompting payment for the billing service may also be displayed at the same time. The control unit 51 then determines whether the ink consumption process has been canceled (S33). If canceled (S33: Yes), the control unit 51 executes a cartridge delivery process (S29) and ends the main process. If the process has not been canceled (S33: No), the control unit 51 returns to S15.

[0069] If a print-disabled error has occurred in S15 (S15: Yes), an error indicating that printing is disabled is displayed on the screen (e.g., LCD) of image forming apparatus 10 (S35). Then, control unit 51 determines whether an unrecoverable error has occurred (S37). If an unrecoverable error has occurred (S37: Yes), control unit 51 executes a swap prohibition release process (S39).

[0070] "SWAP prohibition" means that a cartridge 15 that has been used once is prohibited from being used in another image forming device, and specifically corresponds to the process of turning off the new product flag. The swap prohibition cancellation process is a process of turning off the new product flag and changing the usage information that was once set to used information to new product information when an unrecoverable error occurs in the image forming device 10. This swap prohibition cancellation process allows the cartridge 15 that has once been housed in the image forming device 10 to be used in another image forming device. The swap prohibition cancellation process will be described in detail later.

[0071] In S37, if an unrecoverable error has not occurred (S37: No), the control unit 51 determines whether the ink consumption process has been canceled without executing the swap prohibition release process (S33).

[0072] If the instructed process is not an ink consumption process in S13 (S13: No), the control unit 51 determines whether the instructed process is a cartridge replacement process (S41). The cartridge replacement process is executed when the accommodated cartridge 15 is removed from the image forming device 10 when ink runs out, for example, and a new cartridge 15 is installed. The cartridge replacement process will be described in detail later.

[0073] If the instructed process is a cartridge replacement process (S41: Yes), the control unit 51 executes the cartridge replacement process (S42) and then ends the main process. If the instructed process is not a cartridge replacement process at S41 (S41: No), the control unit 51 determines whether an unrecoverable error has occurred (S43). If an unrecoverable error has occurred (S43: Yes), the control unit 51 executes a swap prohibition release process (S45).

[0074] Thereafter, the control unit 51 determines whether or not the printer is in a printable state (S47). If an unrecoverable error has not occurred in S43 (S43: No), the control unit 51 determines whether or not the printer is in a printable state (S47) without executing the swap prohibition release process. If the printer is in a printable state (S47: Yes), the control unit 51 executes new product flag off process (S48) and then ends the main process. If the printer is not in a printable state (S47: No), the control unit 51 executes other processes (S49) and then ends the main process. The other processes are processes that do not consume ink, such as scanner reading process or fax sending, for example.

[0075] In S11, if the image forming apparatus 10 is not in the contract mode, i.e., in the normal mode (S11: No), the control unit 51 executes the normal process (S12) and then ends the main process. The normal process is a printing process using a commercially available cartridge in the normal mode and other processes.

[0076] In the main processing described above, the processing for determining whether an unrecoverable error has occurred (S37, S43) corresponds to an example of a "determination processing" that restricts the use of consumables that have been used in other consumption devices. The swap prohibition release processing (S39, S45) corresponds to an example of a "specific processing" that is executed when an error state is determined in the determination processing, and a "second processing" that changes used information to new information that indicates that the consumable is new. Hereinafter, the swap prohibition release processing (S39, S45) is also referred to as the "second processing."

[0077] As described above, if an irrecoverable error has not occurred (S37: No, S43: No), the SWAP prohibition release process (S39, S45) is skipped and not executed. As described above, the main process is repeatedly executed while the power of the image forming apparatus 10 is on, so when the image forming apparatus 10 transitions from a normal state in which an irrecoverable error has not occurred to an error state (S37: Yes, S43: Yes), the SWAP prohibition release process (S39, S45) is executed.

[0078] In the main process, if a print-disabled error has already occurred when the cartridge 15 is accommodated, the new product flag-off process (S23, S48) is not executed. In other words, the new product flag-off process is executed after it is confirmed that the print-disabled error has returned to a normal state (S15: No, S47: Yes). In other words, the new product flag is not immediately turned off when the cartridge 15 is accommodated, and therefore the usage information for the cartridge 15 remains as new product information, so that the cartridge 15 can be used in another image forming apparatus 10.

[0079] [Cartridge shipping process] Next, the cartridge delivery process (S27, S29 in FIG. 6) will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the steps of the cartridge delivery process. The cartridge delivery process is executed when the accommodated cartridge 15 is a contract cartridge, and is executed for each contract cartridge 15. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 51 determines whether the remaining amount of the contract cartridge 15 is equal to or less than the first threshold, the delivered flag is off, and the cartridge ID is stored in the device memory 55 (S51).

[0080] In making this determination, the control unit 51 reads and obtains the remaining amount of ink in the contract cartridge 15 and the value of the delivery completion flag from the storage unit 82. The remaining amount may be obtained from lifespan information as described above, or from the output signal from the ink remaining amount sensor 32. The first threshold is set to a predetermined value when the ink is low and before it runs out completely. As an example, if the remaining amount of ink when unused is 100, the first threshold is set to 5 to 10. Note that the amount of ink used may be used instead of the remaining amount of ink. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus 10 may send information about the remaining amount or the amount used to the management server 4, and the control unit 51 of the management server 4 may make the determination in S51.

[0081] If the remaining amount of ink in the contract cartridge 15 is equal to or less than the first threshold, the delivered flag is off, and the cartridge ID is stored in the device memory 55 (S51: Yes), the control unit 51 requests the management server 4 to deliver the contract cartridge 15 (S52).Then, the control unit 51 changes the delivered flag from off to on (S53) and ends the cartridge delivery process.

[0082] Note that if at least one of the following occurs (S51: No): the remaining amount of ink in the contract cartridge 15 is greater than the first threshold, the delivered flag is on, or the cartridge ID is not stored in the device memory 55, the control unit 51 terminates the cartridge delivery process. This is because if the remaining amount of ink in the contract cartridge 15 is greater than the first threshold, there is still a sufficient amount of ink remaining, so there is no need to deliver a new contract cartridge 15. Also, if the delivered flag is on, the delivery procedure for the contract cartridge 15 has already begun, so there is no need to deliver a new contract cartridge 15.

[0083] [Cartridge replacement process] Next, the cartridge replacement process (S42 in FIG. 6) will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the cartridge replacement process. The cartridge replacement process is executed for the replaced cartridge 15. If there are multiple replaced cartridges 15, the cartridge replacement process is executed for each cartridge 15. Hereinafter, the process shown in FIG. 8 will be described assuming that there is only one replaced cartridge 15. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 51 determines whether the replaced cartridge 15 is a contract cartridge (S61). This determination is made by obtaining type information stored in the IC chip 16 of the replaced cartridge 15.

[0084] If the replaced cartridge 15 is a contract cartridge (S61: Yes), the control unit 51 determines whether the new product flag is off (S63). If the new product flag is not off (S63: No), the replaced cartridge is a contract cartridge and is new. The control unit 51 then determines whether the image forming device 10 is in an error state (S65). The "error state" here refers to a state in which a print-disabled error has occurred, regardless of whether the error is unrecoverable or recoverable. Note that the new product flag being off means that usage information and used-up information are stored in the IC chip 16. If the image forming device 10 is not in an error state (S65: No), the control unit 51 executes new product flag off processing (S67), determines that the replaced cartridge 15 is a usable contract cartridge (S69), and terminates the cartridge replacement process.

[0085] On the other hand, if the image forming device 10 is in an error state (S65: Yes), the new product flag off process (S67) is not executed, and the replaced cartridge 15 is determined to be a usable contract cartridge (S69), and the cartridge replacement process is terminated. In this way, if the image forming device 10 is in an error state, the new product flag off process is not executed. Therefore, the usage information for the replaced cartridge 15 remains the new product flag on even after the replaced cartridge 15 has been temporarily housed in the image forming device 10.

[0086] If the replaced cartridge 15 is not a contracted cartridge (S61: No), the control unit 51 determines that the replaced cartridge 15 is a commercially available product (S62), and ends the cartridge replacement process.

[0087] If the new product flag is off in S63 (S63: Yes), this means that the replaced contract cartridge 15 is a second-hand product, and the control unit 51 determines whether the cartridge ID of the replaced contract cartridge 15 is stored in the device memory 55 (S71). In this determination, the control unit 51 acquires the information stored in the IC chip 16 of the contract cartridge 15 and compares the cartridge ID of the newly installed contract cartridge 15 with the information stored in the device memory 55. If the information acquired from the device memory 55 does not contain information matching the cartridge ID of the replaced contract cartridge 15, it determines that the cartridge is not registered.

[0088] If the cartridge ID of the replaced contract cartridge 15 is registered (S71: No), the cartridge ID of the replaced contract cartridge 15 is registered even though it is a second-hand product, so it can be determined that the contract cartridge is a second-hand product that the user has used once in the image forming device 10. Therefore, the control unit 51 determines that the replaced contract cartridge 15 is a usable contract cartridge (S69) and ends the cartridge replacement process.

[0089] If the cartridge ID of the replaced contract cartridge 15 is not stored (S71: Yes), the control unit 51 determines whether the device ID stored in the device memory 55 matches the device ID stored in the IC chip 16 (S73). If the device ID stored in the device memory 55 matches the device ID stored in the IC chip 16 (S73: No), the control unit 51 executes new product flag off processing (S75), determines that the replaced contract cartridge 15 is a usable contract cartridge (S69), and ends the cartridge replacement processing. In other words, if the device ID stored in the device memory 55 matches the device ID stored in the IC chip 16, use of the accommodated contract cartridge 15 is permitted.

[0090] If the device ID stored in the device memory 55 does not match the device ID stored in the IC chip 16, or if the device ID is not stored in the IC chip 16 (S73: Yes), the control unit 51 determines that the replaced contract cartridge 15 is an unusable contract cartridge (S77) and terminates the cartridge replacement process. By determining in S77 that the contract cartridge is an unusable contract cartridge, the use of the accommodated contract cartridge 15 is restricted. Specifically, the fact that the cartridge cannot be used can be displayed on the display unit 53, or the user can be notified by voice, buzzer, etc.

[0091] The processes of S73 and S77 are examples of "restriction processing" that restricts the use of consumables that have been used in other consumption devices. The process of S65 that determines whether an error state exists is an example of "determination processing." Furthermore, the process of not executing the new product flag off process of S67 when it is determined that an error state exists in the determination processing of S65 is an example of "specific processing" and "first processing" that does not execute the usage information storage process even when a new consumable is stored in the storage unit.

[0092] [SWAP prohibition cancellation process] Next, the swap prohibition release process (FIG. 6: S39, S45) will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the steps of the swap prohibition release process. The swap prohibition release process is a process that is executed when the cartridge 15 housed in the image forming device 10 is a contract cartridge, and is executed for each contract cartridge 15. As described above, the swap prohibition release process is a process that changes used information in the usage information to new product information when an unrecoverable error occurs in the image forming device 10.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 51 determines whether the cartridge ID of the currently housed contract cartridge 15 is stored in the device memory 55 (S81). This S81 process determines whether the contract cartridge 15 has been used in the image forming device 10. If the cartridge ID is stored in the device memory 55 (S81: Yes), it can be determined that the currently housed contract cartridge 15 has been used in the image forming device 10, and the control unit 51 turns on the new product flag of the housed contract cartridge 15 (S82). In other words, this S82 process turns on the new product flag that was once turned off. Specifically, the S82 process rewrites the usage information in the IC chip 16 from used information to new product information. This allows the contract cartridge 15 once housed in the image forming device 10 to be used in other image forming devices.

[0094] After turning on the new product flag, the control unit 51 stores the device ID in the IC chip 16 (S83) and ends the SWAP prohibition cancellation process. The process of S83 corresponds to an example of an "identifier storage process" that stores the device ID of the consumption device in the consumable memory of the consumable.

[0095] [New product flag off processing] Next, the new product flag off process (FIG. 6: S39, S45; FIG. 8: S67, S75) will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the steps of the new product flag off process, which is executed when the cartridge 15 housed in the image forming apparatus 10 is a contract cartridge. The new product flag off process is executed for each contract cartridge 15. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 51 determines whether the new product flag of the contract cartridge 15 is on (S91). If the new product flag is on (S91: Yes), the control unit 51 determines whether an unrecoverable error has occurred (S92).

[0096] If an irrecoverable error has not occurred (S92: No), the control unit 51 turns off the new product flag (S93), and then turns off the delivered product flag (S94). On the other hand, if an irrecoverable error has occurred (S92: Yes), the control unit 51 does not execute the process of S93, and turns off the delivered product flag (S94). In other words, if an irrecoverable error has occurred, the new product flag remains on.

[0097] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether the cartridge ID of the accommodated contract cartridge 15 is stored in the device memory 55 (S95). If the cartridge ID is not stored in the device memory 55 (S95: No), the control unit 51 executes processing to store the cartridge ID in the device memory 55 (S96) and ends the new product flag off processing. If the cartridge ID is stored in the device memory 55 (S95: Yes), the control unit 51 ends the new product flag off processing. Note that if the new product flag is not on in S91 (S91: No), the process proceeds to S95.

[0098] The process of turning off the new product flag (S93) and the process of storing the cartridge ID in the device memory 55 (S96) are examples of a "usage information storage process" that stores in the memory unit usage information indicating whether a new consumable product has been used in the consumption device when it is stored in the storage unit, as well as usage information indicating that the product has been used.

[0099] In the main processing described above, for example, consider a case where an image forming apparatus (for convenience, referred to as the "first image forming apparatus") that contains a contract cartridge 15 breaks down during use and is sent for repair, and the user uses a replacement image forming apparatus (for convenience, referred to as the "second image forming apparatus"). In this case, the usage information for the contract cartridge 15 that was contained and in use in the first image forming apparatus has been changed to new information by executing the swap prohibition release process, and the contract cartridge 15 can be used in the second image forming apparatus. If the first image forming apparatus is repaired and returned and the user again contains the contract cartridge 15 in the first image forming apparatus, the new product flag of the contract cartridge 15 has been turned off by executing the new product flag off process when the contract cartridge 15 was contained in the second image forming apparatus. However, because the apparatus ID of the first image forming apparatus is stored in the IC chip 16, a "No" determination is made in S73 of the cartridge replacement processing, and the contract cartridge 15 can be used again.

[0100] Furthermore, if a contract cartridge 15 is accommodated while a print-disabled error has occurred (S65: Yes), the new product flag-off process is not executed, and therefore, when the print-disabled error is released (S47: Yes), the new product flag-off process (S48) is executed.

[0101] Incidentally, there is a "printable error" which is an error in a function other than the printing function, but which means that printing can still be performed. In the main processing (Fig. 6) S15, if a printable error has not occurred (S15: No), a printable error may have occurred, but printing itself is still possible, so the printing process continues. Then, after printing is completed, the new product flag is turned off (S23).

[0102] The image forming apparatus 10 of the above embodiment has the above-described configuration and thereby provides the following functions and effects.

[0103] (1) The control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 of the above embodiment executes a usage information storage process (S93, S96), a restriction process (S73, S77), a determination process (S37, S43, S65), and a specification process (S39, S45). The specification process (skipping S39, S45, S67) includes a first process (skipping S67) in which the usage information storage process (S93, S96) is not executed even when a new cartridge 15 is accommodated in the accommodation section, or a second process (S39, S45) in which used information stored as usage information in the usage information storage process (S93, S96) is changed to new information indicating that the cartridge 15 is new.

[0104] As described above, in the specific process, if the image forming device 10 is in an error state, the usage information storage process (S93, S96) is not executed, or the SWAP prohibition release process is executed and the used information is changed to new information, so that the cartridge 15 housed in the image forming device 10 in the error state can be used in another image forming device. In other words, convenience can be improved by making effective use of consumables that have been housed once.

[0105] (2) In the above embodiment, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 executes the second process (S39, S45) in the specific process in response to the image forming apparatus 10 transitioning from a normal state to an error state. This allows the use restrictions on consumables to be flexibly lifted in response to changes in the state of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0106] (3) In the second process (S39, S45), the control unit 51 of the image forming device 10 in the above embodiment executes an identifier storage process (S83 in FIG. 9) to store the device ID in the IC chip 16, and when a used cartridge 15 is housed in the cartridge holding unit 34 and the device ID stored in the IC chip 16 matches the device ID of the image forming device 10 (S73: No in FIG. 8), the control unit 51 permits use of the contract cartridge 15 (S69).

[0107] That is, use of the accommodated cartridge 15 is permitted based on the device ID stored in the IC chip 16. If the device ID does not match, use of the cartridge 15 is prohibited. Therefore, even if the contents of the device memory 55 are reset to resolve an error state, use of the cartridge 15 can be restricted in the same way as under normal circumstances.

[0108] (4) In the judgment process (S37, S43), the control unit 51 of the image forming device 10 in the above embodiment judges whether the error occurring in the image forming device 10 is an unrecoverable error (FIG. 6: S37, S43), and if it is determined to be an unrecoverable error, executes the second process (FIG. 6: S39, S45).

[0109] This prevents the second process from being executed even in the event of an easily recoverable error that can be recovered by user intervention. If the second process is executed in the event of an easily recoverable error, even if the image forming device 10 quickly recovers to normal and the cartridge 15 becomes usable in the image forming device 10, the use of the contract cartridge 15 will be permitted in another image forming device. According to the embodiment, the SWAP prohibition release process is executed only in the event of an unrecoverable error, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned situation.

[0110] (5) When the control unit 51 of the image forming device 10 in the above embodiment determines in the judgment process (FIG. 8: S65) that the image forming device 10 is in an error state when the contract cartridge 15 is accommodated in the cartridge holding unit 34, it executes the first process, and executes the usage information storage process (S93, S96) in response to the image forming device 10 transitioning from the error state to the normal state.

[0111] That is, if the image forming apparatus 10 is in an error state when the contract cartridge 15 is installed (S65: Yes), the new product flag off process is not executed (i.e., the first process is executed), and when the image forming apparatus 10 transitions to a normal state, the new product flag off process is executed (S67). In other words, in response to the transition to a normal state, the usage information storage process (S93, S96) is executed.

[0112] As described above, if the contract cartridge 15 does not return to a normal state, the new product flag is not turned off and the contract cartridge 15 is not considered a used product, allowing it to be used in another image forming device 10. If the new product flag is turned off without determining whether the contract cartridge 15 is in an error state when the contract cartridge 15 is installed, the contract cartridge 15 cannot be used in another image forming device unless the new product flag is turned on again after determining whether the contract cartridge 15 is in an error state. This increases the number of processes. In this regard, according to the above embodiment, if an error state is determined when the contract cartridge 15 is installed, the new product flag turning off process is not executed, and the new product flag turning off process is executed only after the contract cartridge 15 becomes ready for printing (FIG. 6: S47, S48), allowing for efficient processing.

[0113] (6) In the usage information storage process, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 of the above embodiment stores used information in the IC chip 16 (S93 in FIG. 10) and stores the cartridge ID in the device memory 55 (S96 in FIG. 10). Then, in the restriction process, if used information is stored in the IC chip 16 (S63 in FIG. 8: Yes) and the cartridge ID stored in the device memory 55 does not match the cartridge ID of the contract cartridge 15 housed in the housing (S73: Yes), the control unit 51 restricts consumption of the contract cartridge 15 (S77 in FIG. 8). Then, in the second process, the used information stored in the IC chip 16 is changed to new product information (S82 in FIG. 9). In this way, by rewriting the used information in the IC chip 16 with new product information, the contract cartridge 15 can be easily handled as a new product without any restrictions.

[0114] (7) The control unit 51 of the image forming device 10 in the above embodiment executes the usage information storage process (S93, S96) when the image forming device 10 is in a contracted state in which it has concluded a contract for a delivery service of the cartridge 15 and the cartridge 15 is a consumable item exclusive to the contract.

[0115] According to this configuration, the cartridge 15 dedicated to the contract can be effectively utilized by restricting its use in another image forming device, while lifting the usage restriction when the image forming device 10 is in an error state.

[0116] <Other embodiments> In the first embodiment, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 executes the SWAP prohibition release process (second process) when an irrecoverable error occurs. However, the SWAP prohibition release process may also be executed when other errors, including recoverable errors, occur, not just irrecoverable errors. In this configuration, the process can be implemented by omitting the process of determining whether an irrecoverable error has occurred in S37 in FIG. 6, for example.

[0117] In the above embodiment, a state in which a print-disabled error has occurred is referred to as an "error state," and a state in which a print-disabled error has not occurred is referred to as a "normal state." Alternatively, a state in which an error has occurred, regardless of whether printing is possible, may be referred to as an "error state," and a state in which no error has occurred may be referred to as a "normal state."

[0118] In the above embodiment, the control unit 51 of the image forming device 10 stores the usage information in the IC chip 16, but the usage information may be stored in the device memory 55 of the image forming device 10 as a consumption device, or in the memory 85 of the management server 4. In other words, the device memory 55 or the memory 85 may be configured as a "storage unit."

[0119] In the embodiment described above, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 stores the cartridge ID in the apparatus memory 55 in the usage information storage process (S96). However, the apparatus ID may be stored in the IC chip 16 instead.

[0120] Although the image forming device 10 in the above embodiment is in a contracted state where a contract for a delivery service has been concluded, it does not have to be in a contracted state. In this configuration, the cartridge 15 as a consumable item does not have to be a contracted item, and the process of S11 in Figure 6 can be omitted as appropriate and subsequent processes can be executed. Even if the contracted state is not established, by executing the specified process, used products can be efficiently reused.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 executes the first process or the second process as a specific process in the main process. However, the control unit 51 may be configured to include only one of the first process and the second process.

[0122] In the image forming device 10 of the above embodiment, the consumable item is the ink cartridge 15. However, if the image forming device 10 is an electrophotographic printer, the consumable item may be a drum cartridge. In this configuration, usage information indicating whether the drum cartridge is unused may be stored in the toner cartridge or an IC chip provided in the drum cartridge.

[0123] While the image forming apparatus 10 in the above embodiment is an inkjet printer, it may also be an electrophotographic printer. It may also be a multifunction device with a scanner function that reads images from documents, a copier, or a facsimile. Furthermore, the ink, number, type, and number of types of ink cartridges 15 housed in the image forming apparatus 10 may be changed as appropriate.

[0124] In the case of an electrophotographic printer, a toner cartridge that supplies toner may be a consumable item. Also, a tape cassette that supplies tape as a printing medium may be a consumable item. Other consumable items may be replaceable parts in a consuming device, such as the head 22, the waste liquid tank 45, and the various rollers 26-28. In the case of a printer that does not have a cartridge holding unit 34 that houses the cartridge 15, but has an ink tank that stores ink, the consumable item may be "ink" and the holding unit may be an "ink tank." What is delivered is ink in a bottle, and the consumable item is the ink itself.

[0125] This embodiment is not limited to the above and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the form described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0126] This embodiment can be realized in various forms, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a semiconductor memory having recorded thereon a management program 59, a management method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a semiconductor memory having recorded thereon a printing device program 58. The program includes a usage information storage function, a restriction function, a determination function, and specific functions including at least one of the first function and the second function, which are executed by the image forming device 10 as a consumption device, and can be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute these functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1...management system, 2...terminal device, 4...management server, 5...delivery server, 10...image forming device (consumable device), 11...casing, 13...cover, 15...ink cartridge (consumable), 16...IC chip (consumable memory), 34...cartridge holding section (storage section), 51...control section, 55...device memory

Claims

1. A consumption device comprising a storage unit for storing consumables and a control unit, The control unit a usage information storage process for storing, when a new consumable item is stored in the storage unit, used information indicating that the consumable item has been used in the consumption device, in the storage unit, as usage information indicating whether the new consumable item has been used in the consumption device; a limiting process for limiting the use of the consumable product that has been used in another consumption device based on the usage information stored in the usage information storing process; a determination process for determining whether the consumption device is in an error state in which an error has occurred in the consumption device; A specific process that is executed when it is determined in the determination process that the error state exists, a first process in which the usage information storage process is not executed even when a new consumable item is stored in the storage unit; or a second process of changing the used information stored as the usage information in the usage information storage process to new product information indicating that the consumable item is new; A specific process including at least one of the processes A consumer device characterized by performing the following:

2. The control unit The consumer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the consumer device executes the second process in the specific process in response to a transition from a normal state in which the error does not occur in the consumer device to the error state.

3. The control unit In the second process, when the usage information is changed from the used information to the new product information, an identifier storage process is executed to store a device identifier of the consumption device in a consumable product memory of the consumable product; The consumption device of claim 1, characterized in that use of the consumable is permitted when the used consumable is stored in the storage unit and the device identifier stored in the consumable memory matches the device identifier of the consumption device.

4. The control unit In the determination process, it is further determined whether the error occurring in the consumption device is an unrecoverable error that cannot be recovered by user action; The consumer device according to claim 1 , characterized in that, when the judgment process determines that the error occurring in the consumer device is an unrecoverable error, the second process in the specific process is executed.

5. The control unit When the consuming device is determined to be in the error state in the determination process when the consumable item is stored in the storage unit, the first process in the identification process is executed; The consumption device according to claim 1, characterized in that the usage information storage process is executed in response to the consumption device transitioning from the error state to a normal state in which the error does not occur in the consumption device.

6. The control unit In the usage information storage process, storing the used information in a consumable memory included in the consumable, and storing a consumable identifier for identifying the consumable in a device memory included in the consumption device; In the restriction process, limiting consumption of the consumable when the used information is stored in the consumable memory as the usage information and the consumable identifier stored in the device memory does not match the consumable identifier of the consumable stored in the storage unit; The consumption device according to claim 1 , wherein the second process changes the used information stored in the consumable item memory to the new product information.

7. The control unit A consumption device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the usage information storage process is executed when the consumption device is in a contract state in which a contract has been concluded for a delivery service for the consumables and the consumables are exclusive consumables for the contract.

8. A program executed by a control unit of a consumption device including a storage unit that stores consumables and a control unit, a usage information storage function that, when a new consumable is stored in the storage unit, stores in the storage unit usage information indicating that the consumable has been used as usage information indicating whether the new consumable has been used in the consumption device; a limiting function that limits the use of the consumables that have been used in other consumption devices based on the usage information stored in the usage information storage function; a determining function for determining whether the consumption device is in an error state in which an error occurs in the consumption device; A specific function to be executed when the determining function determines that the error state exists, a first function of not executing the usage information storage function even when a new consumable item is stored in the storage unit; or a second function of changing the used information stored as the usage information in the usage information storage function to new product information indicating that the consumable item is new; A specific function including at least one of the functions A program characterized by causing a computer to execute the above.

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