Image forming apparatus, control method for image forming apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can appropriately grasp a burden on the image forming apparatus caused by execution of high saturation printing.SOLUTION: An SFP 100 includes a normal mode and a high saturation mode as a printing operation mode. The high saturation mode supplies a larger amount of toner from a developing roller 3 to a photoconductor drum 1 than that in the normal mode to improve color saturation. The SFP 100 does not count the number of sheets of image formation in the normal mode and counts the number of sheets of image formation in the high saturation mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method for an image forming apparatus, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive drum, toner is applied to the photosensitive drum using a developing unit to develop the electrostatic latent image, and the toner is transferred from the photosensitive drum to recording paper to record the image. For this type of image forming apparatus, a method has been proposed in which the ratio of the peripheral speed of the developing roller to the photosensitive drum is variable, the amount of toner supplied to the photosensitive drum is increased, and color conversion coefficients are switched to perform appropriate color adjustment, thereby increasing the density of the output image and improving its saturation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Printing using this method of improving image saturation is called high-saturation printing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-054862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While high-saturation printing can improve the saturation of images, it also places a greater burden on each component of an image forming device than standard printing. Examples of such burdens include increased likelihood of paper wrapping around the fuser, increased susceptibility of the transfer unit to soiling due to toner scattering, a shorter lifespan of the toner cartridge, and a shorter lifespan of the developer and photosensitive drum. Because these burdens affect the timing of component replacement, an image forming device that can properly grasp the burden placed on the image forming device when high-saturation printing is performed is desirable.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting a plurality of toner In the second mode, which uses tonerPrintable image drum cartridge The number of prints for toner Printable image Settlement Counting the number of printed sheets for a unit under different conditions This makes it possible to properly grasp the load on the image forming apparatus caused by performing the second mode in which a toner image is printed on a sheet using more toner than in the first mode. The purpose is to provide a mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises: A drum cartridge containing a photosensitive drum on which a toner image is developed. and Fixing the toner image on the sheet by conveying the sheet with a heating rotary member Using the unit on the seat The toner a printing means for printing an image on a sheet; The toner A first mode of printing an image or more than said first mode toner on the sheet using The toner setting means for setting a second mode for printing an image; The toner Printable image said drum cartridge a first counting means for counting the number of printed sheets for the second mode; The toner Printable image Fixation and a second counting means for counting the number of printed sheets for the unit, and the second mode is set by the setting means, and the number of printed sheets is counted for one sheet. The toner When an image is printed and a first condition is satisfied, the first counting means does not count the number of prints in the first mode but counts the number of prints in the second mode. drum cartridge The number of prints for one sheet is counted, and the second mode is set by the setting means. The toner When an image is printed and a second condition different from the first condition is satisfied, the second counting means does not count the number of prints in the first mode, and counts the number of prints in the second mode. Settlement It is characterized by counting the number of printed sheets for the unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, more than the first mode toner In the second mode, which uses toner Printable image drum cartridge The number of prints for toner Printable image Settlement Counting the number of printed sheets for a unit under different conditions By doing so, it is possible to properly grasp the load on the image forming apparatus caused by performing the second mode in which a toner image is printed on a sheet using more toner than in the first mode. It is possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of an SFP according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the SFP of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the SFP in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation mode selection screen displayed on the display unit of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation mode settings stored in a nonvolatile memory. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information transmitted to the management server as information related to a service error. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a cartridge log. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a counter table managed by a counter management unit. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a print control process executed by the SFP of FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the count-up process in step S906 in FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a result of counting up by the counting up process of FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is a diagram showing an example of an attention-calling screen displayed on the display unit of FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0010] The present invention can be applied to electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, whether monochrome or multicolor, such as copiers, multifunction machines, laser printers (Single Function Peripherals) (hereinafter referred to as "SFPs"), facsimile machines, etc. In the following, a case where the present invention is applied to an SFP specialized for print functions will be described as an example of an image forming apparatus.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of an SFP100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that FIG. 1 shows the internal configuration transparently for ease of understanding. The SFP100 is a laser printer that uses an electrophotographic image forming process and forms a multicolor image on a recording material using developers (toners) of multiple colors (four colors: C, M, Y, and K). The SFP100 includes process stations (process cartridges) 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K that are detachably attached to the SFP100. The four process stations 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K have the same structure but differ in that they form images using toners (developers) of different colors, namely, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Note that, except when describing a specific process station, the YMCK symbols will be omitted in the following description. Each process station 5 includes a toner container 23, a photosensitive drum 1 (image-carrying rotating body) which is a photosensitive body, a charging roller 2, a developing roller 3 (developer-carrying rotating body), a cleaning blade 4, and a recovered toner container 24. An exposure device 7 is disposed below each process station 5. The exposure device 7 exposes the photosensitive drum 1 based on an image signal.

[0012] As the photosensitive drum 1 rotates, it is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by the charging roller 2. The photosensitive drum 1 is then exposed to light by the exposure device 7, forming electrostatic latent images corresponding to the first to fourth color component images (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black component images) of the desired color image. The charging roller 2 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1. The exposure device 7 used in this embodiment is a polygon scanner using a laser diode. It focuses a laser beam modulated according to image information on the photosensitive drum 1 to form an electrostatic latent image. The laser exposure starts for each scan line in the main scanning direction (the direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction) with a predetermined delay from the position signal (BD signal) in the polygon scanner. Furthermore, when forming an image on the sheet, writing is performed at predetermined intervals between process stations in the sub-scanning direction (the sheet transport direction). This allows exposure to the same position on the photosensitive drum 1 at the first to fourth process stations Y, M, C, and K, thereby reducing color misregistration. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed by the developing rollers 3 of the first to fourth process stations Y, M, C, and K. The developing rollers 3 deposit toner of the respective colors onto the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1, developing it into a toner image. The toner in each developing unit is a negatively charged non-magnetic single-component toner, and the electrostatic latent image is developed using a non-magnetic single-component contact development method. A developing bias is applied to the developing roller 3 by a developing bias power supply (not shown), thereby performing development. The developing roller 3 is controlled by a development control unit 305 (described later in FIG. 3) so that the direction of movement of the circumferential surface of the developing roller 3 is the same as that of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The development control unit 305 (described later in FIG. 3) also controls the peripheral speed ratio of the developing roller 3 to the photosensitive drum 1. For example, in high-saturation printing, increasing the peripheral speed ratio between the developing roller 3 and the photosensitive drum 1 (increasing the difference in rotational speed) can increase the amount of toner supplied per unit area to the photosensitive drum 1. In addition, in high saturation printing, the amount of toner applied can be increased by increasing the developing bias and charging bias.

[0013] The intermediate belt unit is composed of an intermediate transfer belt 8 (transfer body), a drive roller 9, and a secondary transfer opposing roller 10. Furthermore, primary transfer rollers 6 are disposed inside the intermediate transfer belt 8, facing each photosensitive drum 1. When the drive roller 9 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the intermediate transfer belt 8 rotates, and the secondary transfer opposing roller 10 is also rotated accordingly. Each photosensitive drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the intermediate transfer belt 8 rotates in the direction of arrow A, and a positive primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 6. As a result, the toner images on the photosensitive drums 1Y are sequentially transferred (primary transfer) onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 (belt). The four-color toner images are then transported to the secondary transfer roller 11 in a superimposed state. A density sensor 62 detects the toner density of the four-color toner images (primary transfer) transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8.

[0014] The cleaning blade 4 of the photosensitive drum 1 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 1 to remove residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8, as well as other residues on the photosensitive drum 1. A portion of the visible image remains on the intermediate transfer belt 8 without being transferred to the sheet P at the position of the secondary transfer roller 11. Since this visible image remaining on the belt is unnecessary, it is removed by a cleaning operation. In the cleaning operation, the unnecessary visible image is transported by the intermediate transfer belt 8 to the cleaning blade 21, where it is scraped off by the cleaning blade 21 and collected in a collected toner container 22, thereby removing the visible image.

[0015] Sheets P are stored in sheet feed cassettes 13A, 13B, and 13C of sheet feed units 60A, 60B, and 60C, respectively. For example, sheets P stored in sheet feed cassette 13A are conveyed to secondary transfer roller 11 by pickup roller 14A, sheet feed conveying roller pair 15A, pull-out roller pair 12A, and registration roller pair 16. For example, sheet feed unit 60A is a standard feeder integrated with SFP 100, and sheet feed units 60B and 60C are optional feeders that can be attached or detached as needed.

[0016] When a positive bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 11, the four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred onto the sheet P conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 11 (hereinafter referred to as "secondary transfer").

[0017] The paper type discrimination sensor 54 is installed downstream of the pair of registration rollers 16, which is the junction of the transport paths from the paper feed units 60A, 60B, and 60C. When the type of sheet P is discriminated by the paper type discrimination sensor 54, the paper feed motor (not shown) is stopped from the timing when the leading edge of the sheet P is detected by the registration sensor 16S until the leading edge of the sheet P has reliably reached the position of the paper type discrimination sensor 54. After the paper feed motor is stopped, the type of sheet P is discriminated by the paper type discrimination sensor 54.

[0018] After the toner image is transferred, the sheet P is transported to a fuser 17 (a heating rotor). The fuser 17 is a film heating type fuser. The fuser 17 includes a fuser roller 18 incorporating a fuser heater 30 and a fuser thermistor 31 that measures the temperature of the fuser heater 30, and a pressure roller 19 that presses against the fuser roller 18. The fuser 17 heats and presses the transported sheet P, thereby fixing the toner image to the sheet P. The sheet P with the fixed toner image is transported by a curl correction roller pair 25 of a curl correction mechanism 29, and is discharged outside the SFP 100 as an image-formed product (printed paper, etc.).

[0019] When printing on the second side of the sheet P, the sheet P carried and conveyed by the fuser 17 is not discharged out of the SFP 100, but conveyed to a reversing point 91. The duplex flapper 55 switches the sheet conveyance direction between the discharge direction and the reversing unit direction. When performing duplex printing, the duplex flapper 55 switches to the reversing unit direction before the leading edge of the sheet P, on which an image has been formed on the first side, reaches the duplex flapper 55. After passing the reversing point 91, the sheet P is conveyed in the discharge direction out of the SFP 100 by the reversing roller pair 50. After the trailing edge of the sheet P passes the reversing point 91 and the sheet is present at the position of the reversing roller pair 50, the reversing roller pair 50 is temporarily stopped. The reversing roller pair 50 is then rotated in the opposite direction to before, conveying the sheet P toward the duplex conveying path. Within the duplex conveying path, the sheet P is conveyed by the duplex conveying first roller pair 51, the duplex conveying second roller pair 52, and the duplex conveying third roller pair 53. The double-sided conveying path merges with the conveying path between the pair of paper feed conveying rollers 15A and the pair of registration rollers 16 at a junction point 90. The sheet P, which has been turned over, is conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 11 by the pair of registration rollers 16. Then, the four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred to the second surface of the sheet P. The fixing device 17 fixes the toner image transferred to the second surface. The sheet P with images formed on both surfaces is discharged out of the SFP100 by switching the double-sided flapper 55 in the direction of discharge out of the SFP100.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of the SFP100 of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the SFP100 includes a controller 200. The controller 200 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a non-volatile memory 204, a display unit 205, an operation unit 206, an engine I / F 207, and a network I / F 208. The devices of the controller 200 are connected to each other via a system bus 210. The printer engine 111 is connected to the system bus 210 via the engine I / F 207.

[0021] The CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the SFP 100. The CPU 201 executes various processes, which will be described later, by loading programs stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing them. The ROM 202 is a read-only memory that stores a system startup program, a program for controlling the printer engine, character data, character code information, and the like. The RAM 203 is a volatile random access memory that is used as a work area for the CPU 201 and a temporary storage area for various data. For example, the RAM 203 is used as a storage area for storing font data that has been additionally registered by downloading, image files received from an external device, and the like. The non-volatile memory 204 is a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk or flash memory. Various data is spooled in the non-volatile memory 204, and also stores a cartridge log shown in FIG. 7 and a counter table 800 shown in FIG. 8, which will be described later.

[0022] The display unit 205 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as LCD), and displays the setting status of the SFP100, the status of processing currently being performed, error status, etc. The operation unit 206 includes input devices such as hard keys and a touch panel provided on the display unit 205, and accepts instructions input by the user. The operation unit 206 is used to change the settings of the SFP100, reset the settings, etc., and is also used to set the operating mode of the SFP100 when performing image formation (printing).

[0023] The engine I / F 207 functions as an interface for controlling the printer engine 111 in accordance with instructions received from the CPU 201 when printing is performed. Engine control commands and the like are transmitted and received between the CPU 201 and the printer engine 111 via the engine I / F 207. The CPU 201 can also access information stored in a memory (not shown) of the process station 5 via the engine I / F 207 and the printer engine 111. The information stored in the memory (not shown) of the process station 5 includes, for example, page count information for pages printed using the process station 5 and information required for calculating the remaining amount of toner. The network I / F 208 functions as an interface for connecting the SFP 100 to a network 209. The network 209 may be, for example, a local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). A PC (not shown) or the like is connected to the network 209. For example, the PC transmits image data to the SFP 100, and the SFP 100 prints the image data. Here, the destination of the network 209 is assumed to be a PC, but it is not limited to a PC and may be an information processing terminal such as a server or a tablet. Also, a management server (not shown) may be connected to the network 209, and when a specific event such as a failure in the SFP 100 or replacement of the process station 5 occurs, the information may be notified to the management server.

[0024] Printer engine 111 forms (prints) an image on a recording material such as paper based on image data received from system bus 210 under the control of CPU 201. Printer engine 111 includes a fuser 17 that heat-fixes a toner image transferred onto the recording material. Fixer 17 includes a fuser heater 30 for heating the recording material, and the temperature (fixing temperature) of fuser heater 30 when fixing an image onto the recording material is controlled by CPU 201.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the SFP100 in Fig. 1. The SFP100 includes, as components for realizing the printing function, an image input unit 301, an operation mode control unit 302, an image processing unit 303, an image output unit 304, a development control unit 305, a device status management unit 306, a cartridge status management unit 307, and a counter management unit 308. Processing by these components is realized by the CPU 201 reading a program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0026] When the image input unit 301 acquires image data to be printed, it stores the image data in the RAM 203 or the non-volatile memory 204. The operation mode control unit 302 determines the operation mode based on the settings input by the user to the operation unit 206. Specifically, the operation mode control unit 302 sets either the normal mode or the high saturation mode as the print operation mode. The high saturation mode is an operation mode that improves the saturation of the image, and forms the image with a larger amount of toner than in the normal mode.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation mode selection screen 401 displayed on the display unit 205 of FIG. 2. The operation mode selection screen 401 includes an OFF button 402, an ON button 403, a set button 404, and a back button 405. FIG. 4 shows, as an example, a state in which the user has selected the OFF button 402. When the user selects either the OFF button 402 or the ON button 403 on the operation mode selection screen 401 and then presses the set button 404, the print operation mode corresponding to the selected button is notified to the operation mode control unit 302. Specifically, when the selected button is the OFF button 402, the normal mode is notified to the operation mode control unit 302 as the print operation mode. On the other hand, when the selected button is the ON button 403, the high saturation mode is notified to the operation mode control unit 302 as the print operation mode. The operation mode control unit 302 stores the notified print operation mode in the non-volatile memory 204. In this manner, the print operation mode is set in this embodiment. When the user presses the back button 405 on the operation mode selection screen 401, the print operation mode is not set and the display screen of the display unit 205 returns from the operation mode selection screen 401 to the menu screen (not shown).

[0028] Furthermore, when the print operation mode is changed, the operation mode control unit 302 acquires operation mode settings corresponding to the changed print operation mode from the non-volatile memory 204. FIG. 5 shows an example of operation mode settings stored in the non-volatile memory 204. The operation mode settings include a print speed, a total toner amount limit threshold, and a drum rotation speed reduction control. The non-volatile memory 204 stores multiple operation mode settings corresponding to each print operation mode. For example, if the print operation mode is changed to a high saturation mode, the operation mode control unit 302 acquires operation mode settings corresponding to the high saturation mode from the non-volatile memory 204. The operation mode control unit 302 stores the acquired operation mode settings, including the print speed "15," the total toner amount limit threshold "200," and the drum rotation speed reduction control "ON," in the RAM 203. A specific method for using the operation mode settings will be described later. Hereinafter, printing in the normal print operation mode will be referred to as "normal printing," and printing in the high saturation mode will be referred to as "high saturation printing."

[0029] Returning to FIG. 3 , the image processing unit 303 includes a color conversion processing unit 310 that performs color conversion processing, a gradation correction unit 311 that performs gradation correction processing, and a halftone processing unit 312 that performs halftone processing. The image processing unit 303 performs image processing such as color conversion processing, gradation correction processing, and halftone processing on input image data. As a result, the image data input to the image processing unit 303 is converted into print data that can be output (printed on a recording material) by the image output unit 304. That is, the image processing unit 303 generates print data from the input image data. At this time, if the input image data is high density and the total amount of applied toner is equal to or greater than the total amount limit threshold stored in RAM 203, the total amount of applied toner is adjusted to the total amount limit threshold. This is because there is an upper limit to the total amount of applied toner that the printer engine 111 can use to properly print and fix at normal speed. In this embodiment, the total amount limit threshold when the print operation mode is "normal mode" is, for example, "150," as shown in FIG. 5 . On the other hand, in high saturation printing, the printing speed is slowed down so that printing and fixing can be performed correctly even if the total amount of applied toner is greater than in normal printing. For this reason, in this embodiment, the total amount limit threshold when the print operation mode is "high saturation mode" is set to, for example, "200," as shown in Fig. 5. Here, the applied toner amount information resulting from the adjustment is held in RAM 203 as part of the print data until printing is completed.

[0030] The image output unit 304 acquires print data from the image processing unit 303 and transmits the print data as a video signal to the printer engine 111 via the engine I / F 207. The CPU 201 then controls the printer engine 111 to form an image on a recording material based on the print data generated by the image processing unit 303. The printer engine 111 prints the image on the recording material by executing the processes of exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. The image output unit 304 also notifies the printer engine 111 via the engine I / F 207 of the print speed included in the operation mode settings stored in the RAM 203. This enables the printer engine 111 to operate so as to print at a print speed corresponding to the print operation mode specified by the user. While the present embodiment has described a configuration in which the printer engine 111 is notified of the print speed, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the image output unit 304 may notify the printer engine 111 of the print operation mode specified by the user, rather than the print speed, and the printer engine 111 may identify the print speed corresponding to the print operation mode specified by the user from the print speed information stored in advance.

[0031] The development control unit 305 determines the rotation speeds of the developing roller 3 and the photosensitive drum 1 based on the drum rotation speed reduction control value included in the operation mode setting stored in RAM 203. The development control unit 305 also adjusts the laser beam output based on the set print operation mode. By doing so, for example, in high-saturation printing, it is possible to improve saturation by supplying a larger amount of toner from the developing roller 3 to the photosensitive drum 1 than in normal printing. In high-saturation printing, for example, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is slower than the rotation speed during normal printing without changing the rotation speed of the developing roller 3. Specifically, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is set to one-third the rotation speed during normal printing. This is because the speed at which paper passes through the fuser 17, which heats and pressurizes the toner to fix it to the paper, is determined by the speed at which the toner can be reliably fixed to the paper, and the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is determined in accordance with this fixing speed. As described above, by increasing the peripheral speed ratio between the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 3, more toner is transferred to the photosensitive drum 1 than normal. However, in general, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 and the rotation speed of the developing roller 3 are set to their maximum values ​​so that the printing speed is maximized. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the drum rotation speed reduction control is "ON," the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is slowed down while the rotation speed of the developing roller 3 remains the same, thereby adjusting the peripheral speed ratio.

[0032] Here, in this embodiment, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is controlled based on the drum rotation speed reduction control, but the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 may also be controlled based on a print operation mode designated by the user. However, whether or not the peripheral speed ratio between the developing roller 3 and the photosensitive drum 1 can be changed depends on the mechanical configuration, and therefore there are printer engines in which the peripheral speed ratio between the developing roller 3 and the photosensitive drum 1 cannot be changed. In other words, there may be printer engines in which the print operation mode designated by the user is the "high saturation mode," but the drum rotation speed reduction control is "OFF." For this reason, it is preferable to configure the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 to be controlled based on information corresponding to the print operation mode but different from the print operation mode, as in the drum rotation speed reduction control of this embodiment.

[0033] The device status management unit 306 receives notification of information regarding the status of the SFP100 from the printer engine 111 via the engine I / F 207 and manages the device status. For example, when the SFP100 is continuously printing multiple pages, the device status management unit 306 manages the progress of the printing, such as which pages have been printed. The device status management unit 306 then notifies the counter management unit 308 that paper feeding has started or paper ejection has been completed at a predetermined timing, such as when paper feeding of recording material starts or when paper ejection is completed. Furthermore, when the printer engine 111 notifies the occurrence of an error that requires user operation to resolve, such as when paper runs out during printing, the device status management unit 306 sets the device status to "out of paper" or the like. The CPU 201 detects this change in the device status and controls the display unit 205 to display an "error message urging you to replenish paper because paper is out" message. Furthermore, when the device status management unit 306 is notified by the printer engine 111 that a fatal error has occurred during printing, such as a malfunction of the fuser 17, the device status management unit 306 sets the device status to a "service error" state and sets an error code corresponding to the malfunctioning part. The error code may be in any format, but it is preferable that the format uniquely identifies the malfunctioning part. The CPU 201 detects this change in the device status and controls the display unit 205 to display "a service error" and the "error code." Furthermore, when a service error occurs, the device status management unit 306 transmits information about the service error to a management server (not shown) via the network I / F 208.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted to the management server as information related to a service error. The device status management unit 306 transmits the following information to the management server: the date and time the service error occurred, an error code indicating the service error, and a print counter. The print counter is the total number of pages printed by the SFP 100, and is a counter managed by the counter management unit 308 and having a counter ID 802 of "7001" in FIG. 8 (described later). For example, in the case of a service error related to the fuser 17 or the transfer unit, particularly the secondary transfer roller 11, the device status management unit 306 transmits the above information along with a high saturation print counter for the fuser / transfer unit to the management server. The high saturation print counter for the fuser / transfer unit is a counter managed by the counter management unit 308 and having a counter ID 802 of "7002" (described later).

[0035] For example, "100-0000" is an error code indicating a malfunction of the fuser unit 17, and "200-0000" is an error code indicating a malfunction of the transfer unit. When these errors occur, the device status management unit 306 transmits to the management server the date and time the service error occurred, the error code indicating the service error, the print counter, and the high saturation print counter for the fuser / transfer unit. On the other hand, "300-0000" is an error code indicating a malfunction of the paper feed roller. When this error occurs, the device status management unit 306 transmits to the management server the date and time the service error occurred, the error code indicating the service error, and the print counter. By transmitting information about the service error to the management server in this way, the management server can be notified of the extent to which high saturation printing was performed when the malfunction occurred, allowing service personnel, developers, etc. to analyze whether the malfunction is related to high saturation printing.

[0036] The cartridge status management unit 307 receives notification of information related to the status of the process station 5 from the printer engine 111 via the engine I / F 207 and manages the cartridge status. For example, the cartridge status management unit 307 receives and manages information such as a page counter indicating the number of pages printed in the process station 5 and cartridge remaining amount information from the printer engine 111. Here, the remaining amount detection in the process station 5 can detect toner remaining amounts of W%, X%, Y%, and Z% (0%) using a toner remaining amount sensor (not shown). The remaining toner amount in the process station 5 is calculated based on the remaining amount detection information from the toner remaining amount sensor (not shown) and video count information, which the printer engine 111 adds to output data for each print. Specifically, the remaining amount detection sensor detects the W%, X%, Y%, and Z% states, and the progress of the remaining toner amount is determined by supplementing the video count during that time.

[0037] Furthermore, when the printer engine 111 notifies the user of a state that should be notified, such as the remaining toner in the process station 5 reaching 0%, the cartridge status management unit 307 sets the cartridge status indicating the state of the process station 5 to "cartridge life" or the like. The CPU 201 detects this change in cartridge status and controls the display unit 205 to display an error message stating "The cartridge has reached the end of its life, urging replacement."

[0038] The cartridge status management unit 307 also stores historical information about the installed process station 5 in the non-volatile memory 204, along with information indicating the usage status of the process station 5. Hereinafter, the historical information about the process station 5 will be referred to as a cartridge log. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a cartridge log. The non-volatile memory 204 stores multiple cartridge logs corresponding to each process station 5. The cartridge log includes a serial number 701, cartridge remaining amount at time of installation 702, cartridge remaining amount at time of last use 703, a print counter 704, a high saturation print counter for developer 705, and a high saturation print counter for toner 706. In addition to this information, the cartridge log may also include information such as the installation date and time.

[0039] The serial number 701 is a unique ID assigned to each process station 5. The cartridge remaining amount at installation 702 is the remaining amount in the cartridge when the process station 5 is first installed. In this embodiment, the process station 5 is described as a cartridge having a configuration in which the toner / developer and the photosensitive drum 1 are separate. The remaining amount in the cartridge is calculated taking into account both the remaining amount of toner and the degree of wear of the developer. Note that, for example, if the process station 5 is configured to also include the photosensitive drum 1, the remaining amount in the cartridge of this process station 5 is calculated taking into account the degree of wear of the photosensitive drum 1.

[0040] The cartridge remaining amount at last use 703 is the cartridge remaining amount updated when the process station 5 was last used. The print counter 704 is the number of pages printed using the process station 5, and is counted up for both normal printing and high saturation printing. The count-up process for the print counter 704 is performed by the counter management unit 308. The counter management unit 308 notifies the cartridge status management unit 307 of the counted value, and the cartridge status management unit 307 updates the print counter 704. The high saturation print counter 705 for the developer is counted up by the counter management unit 308 when an operation that affects the life of the developing roller 3 is performed. Details will be described later. The high saturation print counter 706 for the toner is counted up by the counter management unit 308 when an operation that affects the life of the toner is performed. Details will be described later. Based on such cartridge logs, an analysis is made of the relationship between the life of the process station 5 and high saturation printing. For example, it can be seen that a cartridge with serial number 701 of "2345678901" (hereafter referred to as cartridge A) printed 2,000 pages before its remaining capacity dropped from 100% to 0%. On the other hand, a cartridge with serial number 701 of "5678901234" (hereafter referred to as cartridge B) printed only 1,500 pages before its remaining capacity dropped from 100% to 0%. This information alone cannot determine why cartridge B's lifespan is shorter than cartridge A's. Here, by referencing the high-saturation print counter 705 for the developer and the high-saturation print counter 706 for the toner, it can be seen that cartridge B performed more high-saturation printing than cartridge A. As a result, it can be determined that the developer wear and toner usage were higher than normal, resulting in a shorter lifespan. In this way, by providing a counter indicating the amount of high-saturation printing performed for each cartridge, the cause of the shortened lifespan of process station 5 can be analyzed. This cartridge log can also be printed as a report by the user or a service technician. Further, the photosensitive drum 1 may also be recorded as a drum cartridge in the cartridge log.In this case, the drum cartridge log does not need the developer high saturation print counter 705 and the toner high saturation print counter 706. Instead, a counter equivalent to the drum high saturation counter in the counter table 800 in Fig. 8 (described later) is included. Another difference is that the cartridge remaining amount is the remaining amount of the photosensitive drum 1 alone.

[0041] In addition, the cartridge status management unit 307 transmits alarm information to the management server via the network I / F 208 when a specific event related to the process station 5 occurs. Examples of specific events include when the cartridge remaining amount drops to a threshold set via the operation unit 206, when the cartridge remaining amount reaches 0%, or when the process station 5 is replaced. The alarm information includes, for example, the date and time of occurrence, an alarm code, and a cartridge log. The alarm code may be in any format, but it is preferable that the alarm code be able to uniquely identify the event that occurred. In this embodiment, the high saturation print counter 705 for the developer and the high saturation print counter 706 for the toner are transmitted together as alarm information. This allows the management server to be notified of the extent to which high saturation printing has been performed, particularly when an event indicating the end of the process station 5's life occurs. As a result, even someone not near the SFP 100, such as a service technician or developer, can analyze whether the cartridge life is related to high saturation printing. When a cartridge log for the photosensitive drum 1 is to be recorded, it is preferable to define an alarm code so that an alarm for the toner / developer cartridge and an alarm for the photosensitive drum 1 can be distinguished.

[0042] The counter management unit 308 manages various counters when the SFP 100 performs printing. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a counter table 800 managed by the counter management unit 308. Note that the counter table 800 is just an example, and the counter table 800 may include information other than that shown in Fig. 8.

[0043] The counter table 800 includes a counter name 801, a counter ID 802, a counter attribute 803, and a count-up condition 804. The counter name 801 is the name of the counter. The counter ID 802 is an ID assigned to each counter. The counter attribute 803 indicates the attribute of the counter and indicates which unit the counter relates to. For example, the total counter, whose counter attribute 803 is "main body," is a counter related to the entire SFP100. Therefore, the total counter is set to 0 when the SFP100 begins to be used and continues to count up with each printing operation until the SFP100 is used up. Basically, the total counter is a counter that is never cleared or reset. A counter whose counter attribute 803 is "drum cartridge" is a counter related to the drum cartridge including the photosensitive drum 1. These counters are set to 0 when a new drum cartridge is installed. For example, in the case of a drum cartridge print counter, the counter continues to count up with each printing operation until the drum cartridge is used up. Counters with the counter attribute 803 set to "drum cartridge" are characterized by being attached to individual drum cartridges. Counters with the counter attribute 803 set to "toner cartridge" are counters related to toner cartridges in the process station 5, etc., and are characterized by being attached to individual toner cartridges. The count-up condition 804 is the timing or event for counting up, and differs depending on the counter.

[0044] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the print control process executed by the SFP 100 of Fig. 1. The process of Fig. 9 is realized by the CPU 201 reading a program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0045] 9, CPU 201 waits until image input unit 301 accepts input of image data. Here, the input image data is, for example, a bitmap image. When image input unit 301 accepts input of image data (YES in step S901), CPU 201 stores the image data in RAM 203 or non-volatile memory 204. Next, CPU 201 determines the print operation mode using operation mode control unit 302 (step S902). Specifically, CPU 201 determines whether the print operation mode is normal mode or high saturation mode. In step S902, for example, CPU 201 determines whether the print operation mode is normal mode or high saturation mode based on the setting on operation mode selection screen 401. Note that in step S902, it may also be determined whether the print operation mode is normal mode or high saturation mode based on a setting other than the setting on operation mode selection screen 401, for example, a print setting included in image data stored in RAM 203 or non-volatile memory 204.

[0046] Next, the CPU 201 performs image processing such as color conversion, gradation correction, and halftoning on the stored image data using the image processing unit 303 (step S903). This generates print data. Next, the CPU 201 performs print processing based on the print data (step S904). Specifically, the CPU 201 transmits the print data as a video signal to the printer engine 111 using the image output unit 304. The printer engine 111 prints an image on a recording material by executing the processes of exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. When transmitting the print data, the CPU 201 also transmits operation mode information from the image output unit 304 to the development control unit 305. Having received the operation mode information, the development control unit 305 performs development processing according to the print operation mode. Specifically, in high-saturation printing, the development control unit 305 increases the output of the laser beam, and controls the rotation speed of the developing roller 3 to be the same as during normal printing, while slowing the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 to be slower than during normal printing. Next, the CPU 201 determines whether the device state management unit 306 has received a notification from the printer engine 111 that paper feed for one page has started or that paper ejection for one page has been completed (step S905).

[0047] If the result of the determination in step S905 is that neither a notification of the start of paper feed for one page nor a notification of the completion of paper ejection for one page has been received, the print control process proceeds to step S907. If the result of the determination in step S905 is that a notification of the start of paper feed for one page or a notification of the completion of paper ejection for one page has been received, the CPU 201 notifies the counter management unit 308 of the occurrence of an event corresponding to the received notification, specifically, that paper feed has started or paper ejection has been completed. Next, the CPU 201 causes the counter management unit 308 to execute a count-up process shown in FIG. 10, which will be described later (step S906). Next, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an error notification has been received from the printer engine 111, indicating the occurrence of an error that will prevent the continuation of printing, such as the SFP 100 running out of paper, a component failure, or the toner reaching its end of life (step S907).

[0048] If the determination in step S907 indicates that no error notification has been received, the print control process proceeds to step S909. If the determination in step S907 indicates that an error notification has been received, the CPU 201 transmits information about the received error notification to the management server (step S908). For example, if the CPU 201 receives an error notification indicating the occurrence of a serious error, such as a component failure, in step S907, the CPU 201 transmits information about the error to the management server via the network I / F 208. At this time, counter information related to the error is also transmitted to the management server. Furthermore, if the CPU 201 receives an error notification indicating that the remaining toner is low and the next cartridge needs to be delivered, or an error notification indicating that the toner is out, the CPU 201 transmits alarm information related to the toner to the management server via the network I / F 208. At this time, counter information related to the alarm information related to the toner is also transmitted to the management server. This allows for timely notification of component abnormalities, which can be utilized for the delivery of replacement parts, etc. Next, the CPU 201 determines whether all printing is complete (step S909). In step S909, CPU 201 determines whether all printing has been completed based on whether a print completion notification indicating that all printing based on the print data has been completed has been received from printer engine 111 via engine I / F 207.

[0049] If it is determined in step S909 that any printing based on the print data has not been completed, the print control process returns to step S905. If it is determined in step S909 that all printing based on the print data has been completed, the print control process ends.

[0050] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the count-up process in step S906 in Fig. 9. The count-up process in Fig. 10 is executed when printing one page.

[0051] 10, the CPU 201 determines whether the counter table 800 has been acquired from the non-volatile memory 204 (step S1001). If the result of the determination in step S1001 is that the counter table 800 has been acquired, the count-up process proceeds to step S1003. If the result of the determination in step S1001 is that the counter table 800 has not been acquired, the CPU 201 causes the counter management unit 308 to acquire the counter table 800 from the non-volatile memory 204 (step S1002). Note that in this embodiment, the counter table 800 is acquired when printing starts, but the counter table 800 may also be acquired when the SFP 100 is powered on, for example.

[0052] Next, the CPU 201 waits until the device status management unit 306 detects the start of paper feeding. When the device status management unit 306 detects the start of paper feeding (YES in step S1003), the CPU 201 notifies the counter management unit 308 of the start of paper feeding. Here, in the present embodiment, an example is described in which the count-up process is performed when paper feeding starts, but the count-up process may also be performed when printing is completed or at other times. Furthermore, the timing of the count-up process may be switched to when paper feeding starts, when printing is completed, or the like, in accordance with the operation timing of the target component. In this embodiment, once paper feeding starts, even if operation stops midway due to a paper jam or the like, each component may still be worn out, so the count-up process is performed when paper feeding starts.

[0053] Next, the CPU 201 causes the counter management unit 308 to increment the counters with counter IDs 802 of "7001," "7101," and "7201" (step S1004). The counters with counter IDs 802 of "7001," "7101," and "7201" are counters that meet the count-up condition of "when normal printing paper feed starts or when high saturation printing paper feed starts." For example, when the counter with counter ID 802 of "7001" is incremented, the counter management unit 308 notifies the cartridge status management unit 307 of the counter value of "7001" after the increment. The cartridge status management unit 307 updates the print counter 704 based on the notified counter value.

[0054] Next, CPU 201 determines whether the printing being performed is high saturation printing (step S1005). If the result of the determination in step S1005 is that the printing being performed is not high saturation printing, that is, if the printing being performed is normal printing, there are no other counters that need to be counted up, and so the count-up process ends.

[0055] If the result of the determination in step S1005 is that the printing being performed is high saturation printing, CPU 201 acquires the operation mode setting corresponding to the set print operation mode (step S1006). Next, CPU 201 determines whether the value of the drum rotation speed reduction control included in the acquired operation mode setting is "ON" or "OFF" (step S1007).

[0056] If the determination in step S1007 indicates that the drum rotation speed reduction control value included in the acquired operation mode setting is "OFF," the count-up process proceeds to step S1009. If the determination in step S1007 indicates that the drum rotation speed reduction control value included in the acquired operation mode setting is "ON," the CPU 201 causes the counter management unit 308 to increment the counters with counter IDs 802 of "7102" and "7202" (step S1008). The counters with counter IDs 802 of "7102" and "7202" satisfy the count-up condition of "when high saturation printing paper feed starts and drum rotation speed reduction control is performed." For example, if the counter with counter ID 802 of "7202" is incremented, the counter management unit 308 notifies the cartridge status management unit 307 of the counted-up counter value of "7202." The cartridge status management unit 307 updates the developer high saturation printing counter 705 based on the notified counter value.

[0057] Next, the CPU 201 acquires application amount information included in the print data using the counter management unit 308 (step S1009). This application amount information is the application amount 1103 after application amount limiting, which will be described later. When the value of the drum rotation speed reduction control is "ON," the actual application amount on the photosensitive drum 1 (corresponding to the final application amount 1104, which will be described later) increases by slowing down the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1. In this embodiment, when the drum rotation speed reduction control is performed, the application amount is calculated assuming that the amount of toner applied is twice the application amount 1103 after application amount limiting. Next, the CPU 201 determines using the counter management unit 308 whether the final application amount exceeds the total application amount limit threshold for normal printing (step S1010).

[0058] If the determination in step S1010 indicates that the final applied toner amount does not exceed the total applied toner amount limit threshold for normal printing, the count-up process ends. If the determination in step S1010 indicates that the final applied toner amount exceeds the total applied toner amount limit threshold for normal printing, the CPU 201, via the counter management unit 308, increments the counters with counter IDs 802 "7002" and "7203." The counters with counter IDs 802 "7002" and "7203" satisfy the count-up condition "when high saturation printing paper feed starts and the total applied toner amount exceeds 150%." The reason for comparing the total applied toner amount with the total applied toner amount limit threshold for normal printing is to control the counters to increment when high saturation printing results in an amount of applied toner that would not be applied during normal printing. Since the greater the applied toner amount, the greater the risk of paper wrapping around the fixing unit and contamination due to toner scattering in the transfer unit. In this embodiment, the counter "7002" increments when the applied toner amount is large. Furthermore, since the greater the amount of toner loaded, the shorter the life of the toner cartridge, in this embodiment, when the amount of loaded toner is large, the counter "7203" is counted up. After that, the count-up process ends.

[0059] According to the embodiment described above, the number of images formed in the normal mode is not counted, but the number of images formed in the high saturation mode is counted, which makes it possible to properly grasp the load on the SFP100 caused by performing high saturation printing.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the process station 5 that stores a predetermined amount of toner used in image formation is detachable. This allows the load on the image forming apparatus caused by performing high saturation printing to be properly understood in the SFP100 to which the process station 5 is detachable.

[0061] In addition, the number of images formed in both normal mode and high saturation mode is counted, allowing the load on the SFP100 due to printing operations, including normal printing as well as high saturation printing, to be properly understood.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the result of counting up by the count-up process of FIG. 10. In FIG. 11, print data 1101 is an example of print data. Operation mode 1102 is the set print operation mode. Post-application amount limit 1103 is the total amount of toner applied after filtering using the total application amount limit threshold. If the amount exceeds 150% in normal mode or 200% in high saturation mode, it is limited to a value below that. For example, in the case of an image with 50% YMCK, the total amount of toner applied is 200%, but as a result of filtering using the total application amount limit threshold, it is limited to 37% per color in normal mode (decimals are rounded down).

[0063] The final toner amount 1104 is the sum of the amounts of applied toner for all colors during printing. In the high saturation mode, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is reduced, resulting in a toner amount twice the amount applied after the toner amount limit 1103. As a result, the count-up results 1105 of the counters “7002” and “7203” and the count-up results 1106 of the counters “7102” and “7202” are as shown in FIG. 11 . The counters “7002” and “7203” always count up during high saturation printing, and the total amount of applied toner is included in the count-up conditions. On the other hand, the counters “7102” and “7202” do not count up for print data with a low amount of applied toner, such as 5% YMCK. This allows for accurate analysis of the degree of deterioration of each component due to high saturation printing.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described using the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the user may be notified of the risks involved in performing high saturation printing. Specifically, when the user changes the setting from "OFF" to "ON" on the operation mode selection screen 401 in FIG. 4, a warning screen 1201 in FIG. 12 is displayed on the display unit 205.

[0065] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a warning screen 1201 displayed on the display unit 205 of FIG. 2. The warning screen 1201 includes a message display area 1202, a “Yes” button 1203, and a “No” button 1204. The message display area 1202 displays a warning message regarding the use of the high saturation mode. In this embodiment, the message does not mention components that users typically do not pay much attention to, such as the fuser 17 or the transfer unit, but only mentions the toner CRG, a component familiar to users as a consumable item. However, a message that mentions all components that affect the lifespan may also be displayed in the message display area 1202. When the “Yes” button 1203 is selected, the operation mode control unit 302 is notified that the high saturation mode has been selected, and the operation mode control unit 302 stores the “high saturation mode” as the print operation mode in the nonvolatile memory 204. When the “No” button 1204 is selected, the display screen of the display unit 205 returns from the warning screen 1201 to the operation mode selection screen 401.

[0066] By displaying this kind of warning screen 1201 on the display unit 205, it is possible to notify a user who is about to use high saturation printing of the risks involved in performing high saturation printing.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the high saturation printing counter of each part may be utilized to predict the timing for automatic delivery of consumables and the timing for notifying the end of the part's life. As described above, during high saturation printing, the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 1 is reduced, so that the amount of toner applied becomes twice the applied amount 1103 after the applied amount limit. Taking this into consideration, the timing for automatic delivery of toner CRG is predicted assuming that high saturation printing consumes twice as much toner as normal printing. The prediction process is performed by the cartridge status management unit 307.

[0068] For example, suppose a toner CRG capable of printing up to approximately 1,000 sheets during normal printing is set to automatically deliver toner when its remaining amount reaches 20%. However, if it is determined that a certain user tends to frequently use high-saturation printing, the SFP100 controls the management server to send an alarm to trigger automatic delivery when the remaining toner amount reaches 40%, which is twice 20%. Here, the determination of whether high-saturation printing is frequently used is made based on, for example, the print counter 704 and the toner high-saturation print counter 706. In the example of FIG. 7, if the value of the toner high-saturation print counter 706 is equal to or greater than half the value of the print counter 704, the SFP100 determines that high-saturation printing is frequently used. Alternatively, if the value of the toner high-saturation print counter 706 exceeds 200 (corresponding to 20% of the toner CRG capable of printing up to 1,000 sheets during normal printing), the SFP100 determines that high-saturation printing is frequently used.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, step S1011 may also record the cumulative value of the toner amount information acquired in step S1009. This allows for an analysis of how much more toner was actually used compared to normal printing, and the analysis results can be used to predict the appropriate timing for automatic delivery. For example, if the drum rotation speed reduction control is set to "ON," a value twice the value of the toner amount information acquired in step S1009 (corresponding to the final toner amount 1104) is recorded as the cumulative value. For example, if the cumulative value is 50,000 (%) and the value of the high saturation toner printing counter 706 is 250, it can be seen that high saturation printing was performed with an average of 200% toner amount. When normal printing is performed, the maximum toner amount is 150%, which means that approximately 1.3 times as much toner is consumed as normal printing. Therefore, since 250 high-saturation prints can be converted into 325 normal prints, automatic delivery is accelerated by 75 pages (equivalent to 7.5% of the toner CRG that can print up to 1,000 pages at normal printing). In other words, an alarm is sent to initiate automatic delivery when it reaches 27.5%. The cumulative toner amount information should be recorded as part of the cartridge log and notified to the management server when an alarm is issued. This can be used to notify of component abnormalities and deliver components at the appropriate time.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, the process station is configured so that the toner / developer and the photosensitive drum are separated, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the process station may be configured so that the toner, developer, and photosensitive drum are integrated.

[0071] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K photosensitive drum 3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K developing roller 5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K Process Station 8 Intermediate transfer belt 100 SFP 201 CPU 704 Print Counter 705 High chroma print counter for developer 706 High chroma printing counter for toner

Claims

1. A printing means for printing the toner image on a sheet using a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum on which a toner image is developed and a fixing unit for carrying and transporting the sheet on which the toner image is formed using a heating rotor; a setting means for setting a first mode in which the toner image is printed on a sheet, or a second mode in which the toner image is printed on a sheet using more toner than in the first mode; a first counting means for counting the number of prints for the drum cartridge for printing the toner image in the second mode; a second counting means for counting the number of prints for the fixing unit for printing the toner image in the second mode, an image forming apparatus, characterized in that the second mode is set by the setting means, the toner image is printed on one sheet, and when a first condition is satisfied, the first counting means counts the number of prints for the drum cartridge in the second mode without counting the number of prints in the first mode; and the second mode is set by the setting means, the toner image is printed on one sheet, and when a second condition different from the first condition is satisfied, the second counting means counts the number of prints for the fixing unit in the second mode without counting the number of prints in the first mode.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first condition is that the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum is controlled to be slower than that in the first mode.

3. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second condition is that the amount of toner used in printing one sheet exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third counting means for counting the number of prints for said drum cartridge in said first mode.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a fourth counting means for counting the number of prints for said fixing unit in said first mode.

6. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus having a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum on which a toner image is developed and a fixing unit that carries and conveys a sheet on which the toner image is formed using a heated rotating body, comprising: a printing step of printing the toner image on a sheet using the drum cartridge and the fixing unit; a setting step of setting a first mode in which the toner image is printed on a sheet, or a second mode in which the toner image is printed on a sheet using more toner than in the first mode; a first counting step of counting the number of prints for the drum cartridge for printing the toner image in the second mode; a second counting step of counting the number of prints for the fixing unit for printing the toner image in the second mode, a control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized in that the second mode is set in the setting step, the toner image is printed on one sheet, and the number of prints for the drum cartridge in the second mode is counted in the first counting step based on the first condition being satisfied, without counting the number of prints in the first mode; the second mode is set in the setting step, the toner image is printed on one sheet, and the number of prints for the fixing unit in the second mode is counted in the second counting step based on the second condition being satisfied, without counting the number of prints in the first mode.

7. 6. A program for causing a computer to execute each unit of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

Images