Image forming apparatus, consumable memory, and recycling method

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that, when a consumable item is refilled with a printing material while a consumable item memory is not replaced, can prevent the number of times of rewriting in the consumable item memory from reaching an upper limit.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus (1) comprises: a main body housing (10); a developing cartridge (4) that can be mounted in the main body housing (10); and a controller (61). The developing cartridge (4) includes a consumable item memory that is a toner memory (42) having a first storage area in which the usage of the developing cartridge (4) can be written and a second storage area in which the usage of a consumable item can be written, and stores recycle history information indicating the history of recycling of the developing cartridge (4). The controller (61) executes determination processing of determining either one of the first storage area or the second storage area as a storage area for writing the usage according to the recycling history information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus, a consumable memory, and a recycling method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an upper limit to the number of times that the control unit can write information to the nonvolatile memory. Writing to the nonvolatile memory deteriorates the nonvolatile memory, and if the number of write operations exceeds the upper limit, it may become impossible to write information or the quality of the written information may no longer be guaranteed. In other words, the upper limit to the number of write operations is the maximum number of write operations that can be performed while the quality of the information stored in the nonvolatile memory is guaranteed. Such nonvolatile memory with an upper limit to the number of write operations is used as a consumable memory for managing the lifespan of consumables, etc.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus having a detachable consumable part with a memory unit that stores information, a counting unit, a measuring unit, and a control unit. The counting unit counts the number of accesses to the memory unit. The measuring unit measures the amount of use of the consumable part. The control unit controls the frequency of access to the memory unit according to the number of accesses and the amount of use of the consumable part.

[0004] For example, it is desirable that consumables such as toner cartridges installed in printers be recyclable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-53681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the printing material is refilled into the consumables, if the number of times the information stored in the consumables memory is rewritten reaches an upper limit, there is a problem in that it becomes impossible to write information about the consumables.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an image forming device that can prevent the number of times a consumable memory is rewritten from reaching an upper limit when printing material is refilled into a consumable without the consumable memory being replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the image forming apparatus of the present disclosure comprises an apparatus main body, a consumable that can be attached to the apparatus main body, the consumable memory having a first memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written and a second memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written, the consumable memory storing recycling history information indicating the recycling history of the consumable, and a controller, wherein the controller executes a determination process to determine either the first memory area or the second memory area as the memory area into which the usage amount is written according to the recycling history information.

[0009] A second aspect is an image forming apparatus of the first aspect, wherein, in the determination process, the controller determines the first memory area as the memory area to write the usage amount in accordance with the recycling history information when the consumable item is not recycled, and determines the second memory area when the consumable item is recycled.

[0010] A third aspect is an image forming apparatus of the first or second aspect, wherein the controller further executes a write process to write the usage amount to the first memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has not been recycled.

[0011] A fourth aspect is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the controller further executes a write process to write the usage amount to the second memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable has been recycled.

[0012] A fifth aspect is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable has been recycled, and the determination process is a process of determining either the first memory area or the second memory area as the memory area corresponding to the number of times the recycling history information indicates.

[0013] A sixth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the controller further executes a reception process for receiving an instruction to recycle the consumables, and an update process for updating the recycling history information in accordance with the received instruction.

[0014] A seventh aspect is an image forming device of the sixth aspect, wherein the controller, in the determination process, determines a memory area to write the usage amount in accordance with the recycling history information updated by the update process, and stores identification information that identifies the consumable in a memory area between the first memory area and the second memory area that is different from the memory area determined by the determination process.

[0015] An eighth aspect is an image forming apparatus of the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the controller, in the determination process, determines a memory area to write the usage amount in accordance with the recycling history information updated by the update process, and initializes the memory area determined as the memory area to write the usage amount.

[0016] A ninth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the usage amount includes at least one of print count information indicating the cumulative number of prints printed by the image forming device using the consumable, and dot count information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots when printed by the image forming device using the consumable.

[0017] A tenth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the consumable is a cartridge that contains printing material, and the usage amount is the usage amount of the printing material.

[0018] An eleventh aspect is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the recycling history information indicates the number of times the consumable has been recycled, and the controller further executes an output process to output non-recycling information indicating that the consumable cannot be recycled when the number of times the recycling history information indicates has reached a predetermined upper limit.

[0019] A twelfth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the controller further executes a determination process to determine the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the consumable based on the difference between at least one of the number of writes to the first memory area and the number of writes to the second memory area and the upper limit value of the number of writes to the consumable memory.

[0020] A thirteenth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, wherein the image forming device is provided with an operation unit, and the controller, in the reception process, receives the instruction to recycle the consumables via the operation unit.

[0021] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the consumable memory of a 14th aspect of the present disclosure is a consumable memory for use with consumables, having a first memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written and a second memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written, and is characterized in that in the consumable memory that stores recycling history information indicating the recycling history of the consumable, either the first memory area or the second memory area can be determined as the memory area into which the usage amount is written according to the recycling history information.

[0022] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a recycling method of a 15th aspect of the present disclosure is a recycling method for recycling consumables, which is characterized in that for a consumable memory having a first memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written and a second memory area into which the usage amount of the consumable can be written, and which stores recycling history information indicating the recycling history of the consumable, the recycling method includes a step of determining either the first memory area or the second memory area as the memory area into which the usage amount is written in accordance with the recycling history information.

[0023] A 16th aspect is a recycling method of the 15th aspect, in which, in the step of determining the memory area to which the usage amount is written, the first memory area is determined as the memory area to which the usage amount is written in accordance with the recycling history information if the consumable item has not been recycled, and the second memory area is determined as the memory area to which the usage amount is written in accordance with the recycling history information if the consumable item has been recycled.

[0024] A seventeenth aspect is a recycling method according to the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect, characterized in that it further includes a step of writing the usage amount to the first memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has not been recycled.

[0025] An 18th aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 15th to 17th aspects, characterized in that it further includes a step of writing the usage amount to the second memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has been recycled.

[0026] A 19th aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 15th to 18th aspects, wherein the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable has been recycled, and in the step of determining a memory area into which the usage amount is written, either the first memory area or the second memory area is determined as the memory area corresponding to the number of times the recycling history information indicates.

[0027] A twentieth aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the fifteenth to nineteenth aspects, characterized in that it further includes a step of receiving an instruction to recycle the consumable item, and a step of updating the recycling history information in accordance with the received instruction.

[0028] A 21st aspect is a recycling method of the 20th aspect, in which, in the step of determining a memory area to write the usage amount, the memory area to write the usage amount is determined according to the recycling history information updated in the step of updating the recycling history information, and identification information that identifies the consumable is stored in a memory area between the first memory area and the second memory area that is different from the memory area determined as the memory area to write the usage amount.

[0029] A 22nd aspect is a recycling method of the 20th or 21st aspect, in which in the step of determining a memory area to write the usage amount, the memory area to write the usage amount is determined in accordance with the recycling history information updated in the step of updating the recycling history information, and the memory area determined as the memory area to write the usage amount is initialized.

[0030] A 23rd aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 15th to 22nd aspects, wherein the usage amount includes at least one of print count information indicating the cumulative number of prints printed by an image forming device using the consumable, and dot count information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots when printed by the image forming device using the consumable.

[0031] A twenty-fourth aspect is the recycling method according to any one of the fifteenth to twenty-third aspects, wherein the consumable is a cartridge that contains a printing material, and the usage amount is the usage amount of the printing material.

[0032] A 25th aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 15th to 24th aspects, characterized in that the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable has been recycled, and further includes a step of outputting non-recycling information indicating that the consumable cannot be recycled when the number of times the recycling history information indicates has reached a predetermined upper limit.

[0033] A 26th aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 15th to 25th aspects, characterized in that it further includes a step of determining, based on the difference between at least one of the number of writes to the first memory area and the number of writes to the second memory area and the upper limit value of the number of writes to the consumable memory, an amount of printing material that can be refilled into the consumable, corresponding to the difference.

[0034] A 27th aspect is a recycling method according to any one of the 20th to 22nd aspects, in which, in the step of receiving the instruction, the instruction to recycle the consumable is received via an operation unit provided in the image forming device.

[0035] The image forming apparatus according to each aspect of the present disclosure may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the image forming apparatus that causes the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the image forming apparatus to realize the image forming apparatus, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] According to the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, when the consumables are refilled with printing material without replacing the consumables memory, it is possible to prevent the number of times the consumables memory is rewritten from reaching the upper limit.

[0037] According to the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, the number of times each storage area is rewritten can be reduced compared to when the storage area to which the usage amount is written is not changed depending on whether the toner is recycled or not.

[0038] According to the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, the number of times each storage area is rewritten can be reduced compared to when the write area is not changed according to the recycling history information.

[0039] According to the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect, the number of times each storage area is rewritten can be reduced compared to when the storage area for writing the usage amount is not changed according to the recycling history information.

[0040] According to the fifth aspect of the image forming apparatus, even if consumables are recycled multiple times, the number of times each memory area is rewritten can be reduced compared to when the memory area in which the usage amount is written is not changed according to the number of times the consumables are recycled.

[0041] According to the image forming apparatus of the sixth aspect, the image forming apparatus determines the storage area to which the usage amount is written based on the recycling history information, so that the number of rewrites can be distributed among a plurality of storage areas.

[0042] According to the image forming apparatus of the seventh aspect, it is possible to reduce the number of times each storage area is rewritten, and to effectively utilize storage areas other than the storage area into which the usage amount is written.

[0043] According to the image forming apparatus of the eighth aspect, it is possible to prevent the amount of use of consumables stored in the consumables memory from becoming inconsistent with the actual value due to recycling.

[0044] According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth aspect, it is possible to prevent the number of times the consumable memory for print number information or dot count information is rewritten from reaching its upper limit.

[0045] According to the image forming apparatus of the tenth aspect, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that allows recycling without the number of times the amount of printing material used in the recycled cartridge is written to the consumables memory reaching the upper limit.

[0046] According to the image forming apparatus of the eleventh aspect, when recycling is not possible, the user can know this.

[0047] According to the image forming apparatus of the twelfth aspect, the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the consumables is determined according to the number of times the consumables memory is written, so that the consumables memory can continue to be used until the number of times the consumables memory is rewritten reaches the upper limit.

[0048] According to the image forming apparatus of the thirteenth aspect, the user can input a recycling instruction via an operation unit (for example, a touch panel) provided in the image forming apparatus.

[0049] According to the consumable memory of the fourteenth aspect, when the consumable is refilled with printing material without replacing the consumable memory, it is possible to prevent the number of times the consumable memory is rewritten from reaching the upper limit.

[0050] Each of the recycling methods of the fifteenth to twenty-seventh aspects has the same effect as that of the image forming apparatus of any of the first to thirteenth aspects corresponding to the recycling method of these aspects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an image forming apparatus including a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of toner cartridge information stored in a toner memory. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of drum cartridge information stored in a drum memory. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a memory map of a toner memory. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a recycling preparation process executed by the image forming apparatus 1. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a recycling process executed by the image forming apparatus 1. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a toner memory update process executed by the image forming apparatus 1. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process for specifying the amount of printing material executed by the image forming apparatus 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a memory map of a toner memory. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process executed by a controller during printing. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process executed by the controller when measuring an environmental temperature. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process executed by the controller to determine whether or not recycling is possible. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of another process for determining whether or not recycling is possible, which is executed by the controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as an example, the image forming apparatus is a laser printer, and image formation is printing. However, the image forming apparatus may be a printer other than a laser printer. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may be an inkjet printer.

[0053] <Structural Overview of Image Forming Apparatus 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1 including a drum cartridge 20 and a developing cartridge 4.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is composed of a main body housing 10 and a cover 11.

[0055] The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor 66. The temperature and humidity sensor 66 is an example of a sensor according to the present disclosure. The temperature and humidity sensor 66 is a sensor that measures at least one of the temperature and humidity inside the main body housing 10. The temperature and humidity sensor 66 is electrically connected to the controller 61. The temperature and humidity sensor 66 outputs the measurement results to the controller 61. Note that the type of the temperature and humidity sensor 66 and the output format of the measurement results are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 measures both the temperature and humidity and outputs the results to the controller 61. However, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 may be configured to measure only either the temperature or the humidity and output the results to the controller 61.

[0056] In this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 of the image forming apparatus 1 may periodically measure the temperature and humidity and output the measurement results to the controller 61. In this case, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 may measure the temperature and / or humidity autonomously using a real-time clock of the image forming apparatus 1 or the like, without being triggered by an instruction from the controller 61.

[0057] The image forming apparatus 1 may be equipped with a density sensor. The density sensor is an example of a sensor equipped in the image forming apparatus 1. The density sensor is a sensor that measures print density. The density sensor is electrically connected to the controller 61. The density sensor outputs the measurement result to the controller 61. In this embodiment, the density sensor of the image forming apparatus 1 may measure the density periodically, for example, once a day, and output the measurement result to the controller 61.

[0058] (Main body housing 10) The main body housing 10 is an example of an apparatus main body according to the present disclosure. A developing cartridge 4 is attached to the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. As will be described in detail later, the developing cartridge 4 is attached to the drum cartridge 20, thereby becoming one with the drum cartridge 20. In other words, the developing cartridge 4 is attached to the drum cartridge 20 and then attached to the main body housing 10 together with the drum cartridge 20.

[0059] Note that four developer cartridges 4 are attached to the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. That is, four drum cartridges 20 and four developer cartridges 4 can be attached to the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. However, the number of drum cartridges 20 and developer cartridges 4 attached to the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the example in FIG. 1. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may be a monochrome printer that can attach one drum cartridge 20 and one developer cartridge 4.

[0060] The developer cartridge 4 contains toner. The image forming apparatus 1 consumes the toner contained in the developer cartridge 4 to perform printing. In other words, the developer cartridge 4 is a consumable item used in the image forming apparatus 1. The drum cartridge 20 also has a photosensitive drum 21. When the image forming apparatus 1 performs printing, the image forming apparatus 1 uses the photosensitive drum 21. The drum cartridge 20 is also an example of a consumable item used in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0061] The main body housing 10 is, for example, a rectangular box. The image forming apparatus 1 includes four drum cartridges 20, four developer cartridges 4, a transfer belt 70, a controller 61, a main body memory 62, a communication unit 63, an operation unit 64, and a display 65. The four drum cartridges 20, four developer cartridges 4, the transfer belt 70, the controller 61, the main body memory 62, the communication unit 63, the operation unit 64, and the display 65 are housed in the main body housing 10. If the operation unit 64 is a hardware button, the depression surface of the operation unit 64 may be provided on the outer surface of the main body housing 10 so that the user can operate it. Furthermore, the display surface of the display 65 may be provided on the outer surface of the main body housing 10 so that the user can visually recognize the displayed information. The display 65 may be configured to function as an operation unit by being integrated with a touch panel. In other words, the display 65 is an example of an operation unit according to the present disclosure.

[0062] The main body housing 10 has four cartridge holding sections 13. Each cartridge holding section 13 is formed in a concave shape and has an opening. The drum cartridge 20 and the developing cartridge 4 are attached to the main body housing 10 by being held in each cartridge holding section 13.

[0063] (Cover 11) The cover 11 of the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a light source unit 50 corresponding to each drum cartridge 20. In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with four light source units 50. The cover 11 is rotatable (movable) about a rotation shaft 11A extending in a first direction between an open position where the opening 10A is opened, shown by a solid line in Fig. 1, and a closed position where the opening 10A is closed, shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 1. The rotation of the cover 11 opens and closes the opening 10A provided at the top end of the main body housing 10.

[0064] When the cover 11 is placed in the open position, the openings of the cartridge holding portions 13 are open. When the cover 11 is placed in the closed position, the openings of the cartridge holding portions 13 are covered by the cover 11.

[0065] The main body housing 10 may be provided with a closing sensor (not shown) at the opening 10A. The closing sensor is a sensor that detects whether the cover 11 is in the closed position. The closing sensor may be, for example, a contact type sensor or an optical type sensor.

[0066] (developing cartridge 4) The developing cartridge 4 has a cartridge housing capable of accommodating a developing roller 41 and a developer (e.g., toner) as an example of printing material. The cartridge housing is mountable to the main body housing 10. The four developing cartridges 4 accommodate developers of different colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) as materials used for forming images. The developer is a material that is consumed with use. When the developing cartridge 4 is mounted in the drum cartridge 20, the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 41.

[0067] 2, the developer cartridge 4 also has a toner memory 42 (consumable memory). The toner memory 42 is disposed on one outer surface of the developer cartridge 4 in the first direction. The toner memory 42 is a memory from which information can be read and written, such as a flash ROM (Read Only Memory) or an EEPROM (Registered Trademark, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0068] The toner memory 42 stores toner cartridge information 420, which is information relating to the developing cartridge 4. The data structure of the toner cartridge information 420 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0069] (Drum cartridge 20) The drum cartridge 20 has a cartridge housing. The drum cartridge 20 includes a photosensitive drum 21 as a component used for image formation. The photosensitive drum 21 is a replaceable part that requires replacement due to deterioration such as surface wear that occurs with use. The outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is covered with a photosensitive material.

[0070] The drum cartridge 20 may also have a drum memory 22 (consumable memory). The drum memory 22 is a memory from which information can be read and written. The drum memory 22 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM (registered trademark).

[0071] 2, the drum memory 22 stores drum cartridge information 220, which is information relating to the drum cartridge 20. The data structure of the drum cartridge information 220 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0072] <Cartridge installation and printing mechanism> 1, the drum cartridge 20 and the developer cartridge 4 are attached to the main body casing 10 with the cover 11 in the open position. In this state, the drum cartridge 20 and the developer cartridge 4 are inserted into the cartridge holding portion 13 through the opening 10A.

[0073] The four light source units 50 are attached to the inner surface of the cover 11. When the drum cartridge 20 is attached to the main body housing 10 and the cover 11 is in the closed position, the light source units 50 are arranged to face the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. The light source units 50 also have a plurality of light sources arranged in a first direction. The light sources are capable of irradiating light onto the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21. The light sources are, for example, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).

[0074] The light source unit 50 is electrically connected to a controller 61. The controller 61 causes the multiple light sources of the light source unit 50 to emit light in accordance with input image data. The light sources irradiate the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 with light. As a result, the photosensitive material on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is exposed in accordance with the image data.

[0075] The transfer belt 70 is a component that transfers the developer (e.g., toner) on the surface of the photosensitive drum to printing paper. The transfer belt 70 is a replaceable component that must be replaced due to deterioration such as surface wear that occurs with use. The transfer belt 70 is a belt that can come into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 and is annular (endless belt). The outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 can come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the transfer belt 70. During printing, printing paper is transported between the transfer belt 70 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0076] The transfer belt 70 is stretched between a drive roller 71 and a driven roller 72. The drive roller 71 drives the transfer belt 70. The controller 61 rotates the drive roller 71. The driven roller 72 rotates in accordance with the movement of the transfer belt 70 caused by the drive of the drive roller 71.

[0077] <Internal structure of the main body> The controller 61 has, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The controller 61 is electrically connected to a main body memory 62 and a communication unit 63 provided in the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an operation unit 64 and a display 65 are also electrically connected to the controller 61. The controller 61 executes various operations to cause the image forming apparatus 1 to perform various processes related to printing.

[0078] The controller 61 may include a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In this case, a control program for realizing a control method for the image forming apparatus may be stored in the main body memory 62, and the controller 61 may cause the image forming apparatus 1 to perform various processes by the processor operating in accordance with the control program.

[0079] The controller 61 may also include a computer-readable recording medium, such as a main memory 62, that stores a control program. The recording medium may be a "non-transitory tangible medium," such as a ROM, tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, or programmable logic circuit. A random access memory (RAM) for expanding the control program may also be used. The control program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) capable of transmitting the control program. Note that one aspect of the present disclosure may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the control program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0080] 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has a connector 101 and a connector 102. When the drum cartridge 20 is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 13 shown in FIG. 1, the connector 101 is electrically connected to the drum memory 22, thereby enabling the controller 61 to communicate with the drum memory 22 of the drum cartridge 20. In other words, the controller 61 can read information from the drum memory 22 and write information to the drum memory 22 (including rewriting).

[0081] Furthermore, when the developing cartridge 4 is attached to the main body housing 10, the connector 102 is electrically connected to the toner memory 42, thereby enabling the controller 61 to communicate with the toner memory 42 of the developing cartridge 4. In other words, the controller 61 can read information from the toner memory 42 and write information to the toner memory 42 (including rewriting).

[0082] The main memory 62 is a memory from which information can be read and written. The main memory 62 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM (registered trademark). The main memory 62 has one or more storage areas, and each area stores, for example, the following types of information:

[0083] The cartridge information 621 is information relating to the cartridges attached to the image forming apparatus 1. Specifically, the cartridge information 621 includes toner cartridge information 420 read from the toner memory 42 of the developer cartridge 4 of each color so that each developer cartridge 4 can be identified. The cartridge information 621 also includes drum cartridge information 220 read from the drum memory 22 of the drum cartridge 20 so that each drum cartridge 20 can be identified. The toner cartridge information 420 includes, for example, usage amount information indicating the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4. The drum cartridge information 220 includes, for example, usage amount information indicating the usage amount of the drum cartridge 20. Details of the data structures of the toner cartridge information 420 and drum cartridge information 220 stored as the cartridge information 621 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0084] Hereinafter, "recycling cartridges" refers to restoring a cartridge to a state suitable for printing use by replacing or refilling only the components of the cartridge that need replacement. In other words, cartridge recycling includes not only refilling consumed materials but also replacing deteriorated replacement parts with new ones. Hereinafter, cartridges (consumables) recycled by refilling materials or replacing parts will be referred to as recycled cartridges (recycled products).

[0085] The usage history information 624 is information that indicates the history of use of recycled cartridges in the image forming apparatus 1. As one example, the usage history information 624 may be information that indicates the number of recycled cartridges that have been installed in the image forming apparatus 1. In another example, the usage history information 624 may be a table that holds a combination of the cartridge ID of the recycled cartridge and the number of times it has been recycled. In yet another example, the usage history information 624 may be a flag that indicates whether the recycled cartridge has been installed at least once or has never been installed.

[0086] The specification information 628 is information indicating the specifications of the image forming apparatus 1. In this embodiment, as an example, the image forming apparatus 1 and consumables are manufactured to specifications that suit the circumstances of the country in which they are used. For example, there are three specifications for the image forming apparatus 1 and consumables: for the EU (Europe), for the US (United States), and for JP (Japan). The specification information 628 indicates any of the above specifications.

[0087] In addition to the information described above, the main memory 62 may also have, for example, an area for storing the cumulative number of printed sheets in the image forming device 1, an area for storing error conditions occurring in the image forming device 1, etc.

[0088] <Cartridge information data structure> (Toner cartridge information) 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of toner cartridge information 420 stored in toner memory 42. The toner cartridge information 420 includes, for example, a toner ID 421, capacity information 422, color information 423, genuineness information 424, upper limit information 425, set period information 431, printable number information 432, environmental information 433, number of writes 434, usage amount information, and initialization information.

[0089] Usage information is information that indicates the amount of a consumable used. Usage information is an example of usage information related to the present disclosure. For example, usage information includes at least one of consumption information for determining the extent to which the consumable has been used and remaining amount information for determining the amount of material remaining in the consumable. Examples of consumption information include, but are not limited to, the number of prints, dot count, amount of printing material used, number of development roller rotations, and number of drum rotations. Examples of remaining amount information include, but are not limited to, the amount of printing material remaining, such as the amount of toner remaining and the amount of ink remaining.

[0090] The toner cartridge information 420 of the developer cartridge 4 includes, as examples of usage information, the number of printed pages 426, the number of rotations of the developer roller 427, the remaining toner amount 428 (remaining amount of printing material), and the dot count 429. The initialization information is information indicating whether at least a portion of the information stored in the consumables memory has been initialized in accordance with a user instruction, and an example of this information is the number of recycling times 430. The number of recycling times 430 indicates the number of times the toner memory 42 has been initialized for recycling.

[0091] The various pieces of information listed above are merely examples of the toner cartridge information 420. Other information may be added, or some of the above-mentioned various pieces of information may be omitted as appropriate.

[0092] The toner ID 421 is identification information for uniquely identifying the developing cartridge 4. As an example, the toner ID 421 is a serial number specific to the developing cartridge 4.

[0093] The capacity information 422 is information indicating the capacity of printing material that can be refilled into the developer cartridge 4. In this embodiment, as an example, when the developer cartridge 4 is recycled, the capacity of the developer cartridge 4 can be selected from three levels of capacity. More specifically, the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled as a cartridge having any of three levels of capacity selected from "small capacity," "standard capacity," and "large capacity," in order from smallest to largest. That is, the capacity information 422 includes capacity information for small capacity, capacity information for standard capacity, and capacity information for large capacity. In other words, the capacity information 422 includes first capacity information and second capacity information indicating a capacity smaller than the first capacity information.

[0094] The color information 423 is information indicating the color of the printing material contained in the developer cartridge 4. In this embodiment, as an example, the developer cartridge 4 has four colors: "C (cyan)," "M (magenta)," "Y (yellow)," and "BK (black)." The color information 423 indicates one of the above colors.

[0095] The genuineness information 424 is information indicating whether the developing cartridge 4 is genuine or non-genuine. As an example, the developing cartridge 4 is classified as "genuine" or "non-genuine." The genuineness information 424 indicates either of the above classifications.

[0096] The upper limit information 425 is information that indicates the upper limit of the number of times that information can be written to the toner memory 42. More specifically, the upper limit of the number of times that information can be written to the toner memory 42 is the maximum number of times that information stored in the toner memory 42 can be written to, with the quality of the information being guaranteed.

[0097] The number of printed sheets 426 is information indicating the cumulative number of printed sheets printed by the image forming apparatus 1 using the developing cartridge 4. The number of printed sheets 426 is an example of the number of printed sheets information according to the present disclosure. In other words, it is information indicating the number of sheets of paper printed by the image forming apparatus 1 after the developing cartridge 4 is installed in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0098] The number of rotations of the developing roller 427 is information indicating the number of rotations of the developing roller 41 in the developing cartridge 4 that has occurred in association with the execution of printing since the developing cartridge 4 was attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0099] The remaining toner amount 428 is information indicating the remaining amount of toner in the developing cartridge 4. As an example, the remaining toner amount 428 may be configured with values ​​corresponding to a plurality of stages from full to empty. For example, the remaining toner amount 428 may be a character string such as "FULL" to "EMPTY", a numerical value such as "100%" to "0%, or information that combines a character string and a numerical value.

[0100] The initial value of the remaining toner amount 428 corresponds to the full amount of the capacity corresponding to the capacity information 422. As an example, when toner is consumed with use, a sensor (not shown) may optically measure the developer cartridge 4. The controller 61 may write the remaining toner amount obtained by the above measurement into the toner memory 42 as the remaining toner amount 428.

[0101] In another example, the controller 61 may monitor the amount of toner consumed by discharging from the developer cartridge 4, and calculate the remaining amount of toner based on the monitored amount of toner consumption and the capacity information 422 stored in the toner memory 42. The controller 61 may write the calculated remaining amount of toner in the toner memory 42 as the remaining toner amount 428.

[0102] The dot count 429 is information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots printed by the image forming apparatus 1 using the developing cartridge 4. The dot count 429 is an example of dot count information according to the present disclosure. In other words, it is information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots printed by the image forming apparatus 1 since the developing cartridge 4 was installed in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0103] The recycling count 430 is information indicating the number of times (initialization count) that at least a part of the information stored in the toner memory 42 of the developing cartridge 4 has been initialized in accordance with an instruction from the user.

[0104] The set period information 431 is information indicating a set period to be set for the developer cartridge 4. More specifically, it is information indicating, in years, a period to be set as a time threshold for the recycled developer cartridge 4. The set period can be set arbitrarily, such as 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years. In other words, the set period information 431 is information indicating a value such as 2, 3, 5, or 10.

[0105] Printable sheet count information 432 is information indicating the number of sheets that can be printed by the image forming device using printing material of the capacity indicated by the capacity information. Printable sheet count information 432 is stored in association with capacity information 422. Printable sheet count information 432 includes, as a first printable sheet count, information indicating the printable sheet count corresponding to large-capacity capacity information. It also includes, as a second printable sheet count, information indicating the printable sheet count corresponding to standard-capacity capacity information. It also includes, as a third printable sheet count, information indicating the printable sheet count corresponding to small-capacity capacity information.

[0106] The environmental information 433 is information that is periodically acquired by a sensor provided in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0107] The number of writes 434 is information indicating the cumulative number of writes to a predetermined area in the toner memory 42.

[0108] (Drum cartridge information) 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of drum cartridge information 220 stored in drum memory 22. For example, drum cartridge information 220 includes drum ID 221, genuine product information 222, usage information, and initialization information. Drum cartridge information 220 may also include capacity information 422, set period information 431, printable page count information 432, environmental information 433, and write count 434, which were described in the section on toner cartridge information.

[0109] The drum cartridge information 220 of the drum cartridge 20 includes, as examples of usage information, the number of prints 224, the number of drum rotations 225, and the dot count 226. As with the developing cartridge 4, the initialization information includes, as an example, the number of recycles 227.

[0110] The various pieces of information listed above are merely examples of the drum cartridge information 220. Other information may be added, or some of the above-mentioned various pieces of information may be omitted as appropriate.

[0111] The drum ID 221 is identification information for uniquely identifying the drum cartridge 20. For example, the drum ID 221 is a serial number unique to the drum cartridge 20.

[0112] The genuineness information 222 is information indicating whether the drum cartridge 20 is genuine or non-genuine. As an example, the drum cartridge 20 is classified as "genuine" or "non-genuine." The genuineness information 222 indicates either of the above classifications.

[0113] The number of printed sheets 224 is information indicating the cumulative number of printed sheets printed by the image forming apparatus 1 using the drum cartridge 20. In other words, it is information indicating the number of sheets of paper printed by the image forming apparatus 1 since the drum cartridge 20 was installed in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0114] The drum rotation count 225 is information indicating the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 21 in the drum cartridge 20 that has occurred in association with the execution of printing since the drum cartridge 20 was attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0115] The dot count 226 is information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots printed by the image forming apparatus 1 using the drum cartridge 20. In other words, it is information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots printed by the image forming apparatus 1 since the drum cartridge 20 was installed in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0116] The recycle count 227 is information indicating the number of times that at least a part of the information stored in the drum memory 22 of the drum cartridge 20 has been initialized in accordance with a user instruction.

[0117] Below, we will describe an exemplary configuration that can prevent the number of times the consumable memory is rewritten from reaching its upper limit when the consumable is refilled with printing material without the consumable memory being replaced.

[0118] (An example of a memory map of the toner memory 42) 5 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map of the toner memory 42. The toner memory 42 is a consumables memory used for the developing cartridge 4 (consumables). In the example of FIG. 5, maps M1 to M4 are shown as the memory map of the toner memory 42. However, the memory map of the toner memory 42 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5.

[0119] 5, the toner memory 42 includes five storage areas, storage areas 42A to 42E. Storage area 42A is a 16-byte storage area having addresses from 0x0000 to 0x000F, and is a management information area in which management information is stored in maps M1 to M4. The management information is information for managing the toner memory 42, and includes recycling history information that indicates the recycling history of the toner memory 42. One example of the recycling history information is the recycling count 430 of the toner memory 42. In other words, the toner memory 42 stores recycling history information that indicates the recycling history of the developer cartridge 4.

[0120] Further, the management information includes, for example, at least one of capacity information 422, color information 423, genuineness information 424, recycling count 430, and recycling progress flag. The genuineness information 424 is information indicating whether the developer cartridge 4 is a genuine product or not. For example, the genuineness information 424 being "1" indicates that the developer cartridge 4 is a genuine product, and the genuineness information 424 being "0" indicates that the developer cartridge 4 is not a genuine product. The recycling progress flag is a flag indicating whether recycling processing of the developer cartridge 4 is in progress. The recycling processing includes various processes such as initialization processing for recycling the developer cartridge 4. Specific examples of the contents of the recycling processing will be described later. The recycling progress flag being "1" indicates that recycling processing of the developer cartridge 4 is in progress. The recycling progress flag being "0" indicates that recycling processing of the developer cartridge 4 is not in progress.

[0121] In maps M1 to M4, in storage area 42A, for example, one byte of capacity information 422 is stored in the area at address 0x0000, one byte of color information 423 is stored in the area at address 0x0001, and one byte of purity information 424 is stored in the area at address 0x0002. Also, one byte of recycle count 430 is stored in the area at address 0x0003, and one byte of recycle progress flag is stored in the area at address 0x0004. In this case, the areas at addresses 0x0005 to 0x000F are unused areas.

[0122] In maps M1 to M4, memory areas 42B to 42E are examples of a first memory area and a second memory area, respectively, in which the usage amount of the consumable according to the present disclosure can be written. In other words, the toner memory 42 has a first memory area in which the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4 can be written, and a second memory area in which the usage amount of the consumable can be written. In the toner memory 42, either the first memory area or the second memory area can be determined as the memory area in which the usage amount is written, according to the recycling history information (recycling count 430).

[0123] If the developer cartridge 4 has not been recycled, the memory map of the toner memory 42 is map M1. In map M1, of memory areas 42B to 42E, memory area 42B is a memory area where the usage amount is written, and the other memory areas 42C to 42E store information other than the usage amount. In the following explanation, for convenience of explanation, the memory areas of memory areas 42B to 42E where the usage amount is written will be referred to as "Read / Write areas," and the memory areas where the usage amount is not written will be referred to as "ReadOnly areas." In map M1, memory area 42B is a Read / Write area, and the three memory areas 42C to 42E are ReadOnly areas.

[0124] The amount of consumables used written to the read / write area includes, for example, at least one of the number of printed pages 426, the number of rotations of the developing roller 427, the amount of remaining toner 428, the dot count 429, and the number of memory writes. The number of memory writes is the number of times data has been written to the read / write area.

[0125] In the read / write area, for example, four counters, a first counter, a second counter, and a fourth counter, are written as usage amounts. More specifically, in the memory area 42B of the map M1, the area 0x0010 to 0x0013 is used as an area for storing a 32-bit first counter, the area 0x0014 to 0x0017 is used as an area for storing a 32-bit second counter, the area 0x0018 to 0x001B is used as an area for storing a 32-bit third counter, and the area 0x001C to 0x001F is used as an area for storing a 32-bit fourth counter. Each of the first to fourth counters is, for example, one of the number of printed sheets 426, the number of development roller rotations 427, the remaining toner amount 428, and the dot count 429. Note that the first to fourth counters are not limited to these, and may be other information representing the usage amount of the development cartridge 4.

[0126] The ReadOnly area stores information about the developer cartridge 4 other than the usage amount. The information other than the usage amount includes, for example, at least one of a toner ID 421 that identifies the developer cartridge 4 and vendor information. The vendor information is information about the manufacturer of the toner cartridge, and for example, includes information indicating the manufacturer's name. In map M1, memory areas 42C to 42E are ReadOnly areas, and, for example, the toner ID 421 is stored in memory area 42C at addresses 0x0020 to 0x002F, and vendor information about the developer cartridge 4 is stored in memory areas 42D and 42E at addresses 0x0030 to 0x004F. In this example, the vendor information includes first vendor information stored in memory area 42D and second vendor information stored in memory area 42E.

[0127] The controller 61 determines the memory map of the toner memory 42 to be one of the maps M1 to M4 in accordance with the number of recycles 430. The memory map determination process will be described later.

[0128] Next, the flow of processing executed by the controller 61 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart. The following describes the recycling preparation processing, recycling processing, toner memory update processing, and printing material amount specification processing executed by the image forming apparatus 1. The cycle preparation processing, recycling processing, toner memory update processing, and printing material amount specification processing are examples of a recycling method for recycling consumables according to the present disclosure.

[0129] <Recycling preparation processing> Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of recycling preparation processing executed by the image forming apparatus 1. The series of processing shown in Fig. 6 is executed by the controller 61. The following describes an example in which a developer cartridge 4 having the memory map shown in Fig. 5 is recycled. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is executed, for example, when triggered by opening or closing the cover 11 or when the image forming apparatus 1 is powered on.

[0130] In step S701, the controller 61 reads management information from the management information area of ​​the toner memory 42. In step S702, the controller 61 references the recycling progress flag included in the management information and determines whether recycling processing of the developer cartridge 4 is in progress. If the recycling progress flag is "1", the controller 61 determines that recycling processing is in progress. On the other hand, if the recycling progress flag is "0", the controller 61 determines that recycling processing is not in progress. If it is determined that recycling processing is in progress, the controller 61 proceeds to processing of step S712. On the other hand, if it is determined that recycling processing is not in progress, the controller 61 proceeds to processing of step S702.

[0131] In step S703, the controller 61 refers to the recycle count 430 and determines whether the recycle count has exceeded a predetermined upper limit. If the recycle count has exceeded the upper limit, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S713. On the other hand, if the recycle count 430 has not exceeded the upper limit, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S704.

[0132] In steps S704 to S708, the controller 61 executes a determination process (determining step) to determine which of the storage areas 42B to 42E is the Read / Write area, according to the recycle count 430 (recycle history information) updated by the recycle process described below. In this embodiment, the controller 61 determines the storage area 42B as the Read / Write area when the developer cartridge 4 has not been recycled, and determines which of the storage areas 42B to 42E is the Read / Write area when the developer cartridge 4 has been recycled, according to the recycle count 430.

[0133] In this embodiment, in particular, the controller 61 determines one of the storage areas 42B to 42E as the storage area corresponding to the recycle count 430.

[0134] First, in step S704, the controller 61 determines whether the recycle number 430 is 4N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 0), 4N+1, 4N+2, or 4N+3. If the recycle number 430 is 4N, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S705. If the recycle number 430 is (4N+1), the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S706. If the recycle number 430 is (4N+2), the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S707. If the recycle number 430 is (4N+3), the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S708.

[0135] In this operation example, when the number of recycles 430 is (4N) times, the memory map of the toner memory 42 is map M1, and when the number of recycles 430 is (4N+1), (4N+2), or (4N+3), the memory maps of the toner memory 42 are maps M2, M3, and M4, respectively.

[0136] If the recycling count 430 is (4N), in step S705, the controller 61 sets addresses corresponding to the map M1 as read addresses for the first to fourth counters, the toner ID 421, and the vendor information. Specifically, the controller 61 assigns address 0x0010 to the pointer variable of the first counter as the read address for the first counter. The controller 61 also assigns address 0x0014 to the pointer variable of the second counter, assigns address 0x0018 to the pointer variable of the third counter, and assigns address 0x001C to the pointer variable of the fourth counter. The controller 61 also assigns address 0x0020 to the pointer variable of the toner ID 421, and assigns addresses 0x0030 and 0x0040 to the pointer variables for the first vendor information and the second vendor information, respectively. After completing the process of step S705, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S709.

[0137] If the recycling count 430 is (4N+1), in step S706, the controller 61 sets addresses corresponding to the map M2 as addresses for reading the first to fourth counters, the toner ID 421, and the vendor information. Specifically, the controller 61 assigns address 0x0020 to the pointer variable of the first counter, assigns address 0x0024 to the pointer variable of the second counter, assigns address 0x0028 to the pointer variable of the third counter, and assigns address 0x002C to the pointer variable of the fourth counter. The controller 61 also assigns address 0x0010 to the pointer variable of the toner ID 421, and assigns addresses 0x0030 and 0x0040 to the pointer variables of the first vendor information and the second vendor information, respectively. After completing the process of step S706, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S709.

[0138] If the recycling count 430 is (4N+2), in step S707, the controller 61 sets addresses corresponding to the map M3 as addresses for reading the first to fourth counters, the toner ID 421, and the vendor information. Specifically, the controller 61 assigns address 0x0030 to the pointer variable of the first counter, assigns address 0x0034 to the pointer variable of the second counter, assigns address 0x0038 to the pointer variable of the third counter, and assigns address 0x003C to the pointer variable of the fourth counter. The controller 61 also assigns address 0x0010 to the pointer variable of the toner ID 421, and assigns addresses 0x0020 and 0x0040 to the pointer variables of the first vendor information and the second vendor information, respectively. After completing the process of step S707, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S709.

[0139] If the recycling count 430 is (4N+3), in step S708, the controller 61 sets addresses corresponding to the map M4 as addresses for reading the first to fourth counters, the toner ID 421, and the vendor information. Specifically, the controller 61 assigns address 0x0040 to the pointer variable of the first counter, assigns address 0x0044 to the pointer variable of the second counter, assigns address 0x0048 to the pointer variable of the third counter, and assigns address 0x004C to the pointer variable of the fourth counter. The controller 61 also assigns address 0x0010 to the pointer variable of the toner ID 421, and assigns addresses 0x0020 and 0x0030 to the pointer variables of the first vendor information and the second vendor information, respectively. After completing the process of step S708, the controller 61 proceeds to the process of step S709.

[0140] In step S709, the controller 61 reads the toner ID 421 from the ReadOnly area using the pointer variable of the toner ID 421 set in any one of steps S705 to S708.

[0141] In step S710, the controller 61 reads the vendor information from the ReadOnly area using the pointer variable for the first vendor information and the pointer variable for the second vendor information set in any of steps S705 to S708. As an example, the controller 61 reads 16 bytes of vendor information from the storage areas of the first address, first address+1, first address+2, and first address+3 stored in the pointer variable for the first vendor information, and the second address, second address+2, and second address+3 stored in the pointer variable for the second vendor information.

[0142] In step S711, the controller 61 reads the first to fourth counters from the read / write area using the pointer variables of the first to fourth counters. By the processing of steps S709 to S711, information such as the amount of use of the developing cartridge 4 is read.

[0143] In step S712, the controller 61 notifies the user of an error. If the recycling preparation process for the developer cartridge 4 is started even though the recycling progress flag is "1," it is assumed that the recycling process has not been completed normally. In such a case, the controller 61 notifies the user of an error in step S712, allowing the user to understand that an abnormality has occurred.

[0144] In step S713, controller 61 outputs non-recycling information indicating that the consumable item cannot be recycled. That is, when the recycling count 430 reaches a predetermined upper limit (YES in step S703), controller 61 executes an output process to output non-recycling information.

[0145] <Recycling process> Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a recycling process for recycling a developer cartridge 4 (consumable) executed by the image forming apparatus 1. A series of processes shown in Fig. 7 is executed by the controller 61. The recycling process will be described below using an example in which the developer cartridge 4 is recycled.

[0146] In step S801, the controller 61 determines whether an instruction to recycle the developing cartridge 4 has been received. The recycling instruction is, for example, input to the image forming apparatus 1 by the user operating the operation unit 64 in accordance with a screen displayed on the display 65. If the instruction has been received, the controller 61 proceeds to processing in step S802. On the other hand, if the instruction has not been received, the controller 61 waits until an instruction is received. Step S801 is an example of the reception processing according to the present disclosure.

[0147] In step S802, the controller 61 executes the recycle preparation process (steps S701 to S711) shown in Fig. 6. In addition, in step S803, the controller 61 writes "1" to the recycle progress flag.

[0148] In step S804, in accordance with the received instruction, the controller 61 updates the recycle history information by writing a value obtained by adding 1 to the recycle count 430. In other words, in step S804, the controller 61 stores in the toner memory 42 the recycle count 430 used to determine which of the storage areas 42B to 42E is the read / write area to write the usage amount to.

[0149] As the recycle count 430 is updated, the memory map of the toner memory 42 switches from map M1 to map M2 to map M3 to map M4 in that order, and the Read / Write area and the ReadOnly area are rotated in the memory areas 42B to 42E each time the recycle count 430 is updated. For example, if the memory map before the update is map M1, the memory map after the update becomes map M2. In this case, the ReadOnly area switches from memory areas 42C, 42D, and 42E to memory areas 42B, 42D, and 42E.

[0150] In step S805, the controller 61 writes the toner ID 421 and the vendor information to a new Read Only area corresponding to the recycle count 430 updated in step S804. In other words, the controller 61 stores the toner ID and the vendor information in a storage area (Read Only area) of the storage areas 42B to 42E that is different from the storage area determined as the Read / Write area.

[0151] In step S806, the controller 61 initializes the first to fourth counters. That is, the controller determines a read / write area to which the usage amount is written according to the recycle count 430 (recycle history information) updated in step S804, and initializes the determined read / write area.

[0152] In step S807, the controller 61 writes "0" to the recycle progress flag. After completing the processing of step S807, the controller 61 ends the recycle processing. Note that if the recycle processing does not end normally and the controller 61 does not execute step S807, the recycle progress flag remains "1."

[0153] 7, the image forming apparatus 1 performs recycling operations such as refilling printing materials or replacing parts on the developing cartridge 4. Once the recycling operations such as refilling printing materials or replacing parts and the recycling operation by the image forming apparatus 1 are completed, the developing cartridge 4 becomes usable as a recycled product.

[0154] <Toner memory update process> Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process of updating the toner memory 42 executed by the image forming apparatus 1. The series of processes shown in Fig. 8 is executed by the controller 61. In the example of Fig. 8, the image forming apparatus 1 executes an image formation process and updates the usage amount stored in the toner memory 42 in accordance with the executed image formation process. In the example of Fig. 8, the usage amount stored in the toner memory 42 is the number of printed sheets 224, the dot count 429, and the number of writes.

[0155] In step S901, the controller 61 prints one page. In step S902, the controller 61 increments the number of printed pages 224 stored in the read / write area of ​​the toner memory 42 by one, and stores the incremented number of printed pages 224 in the read / write area.

[0156] In step S903, the controller 61 increments the dot count 429 stored in the Read / Write area of ​​the toner memory 42 by the amount of printing, and stores the incremented dot count 429 in the Read / Write area. In step S904, the controller 61 increments the number of writes stored in the Read / Write area of ​​the toner memory 42 by 1, and stores the incremented number of writes in the Read / Write area.

[0157] As described above, in steps S902 to S904, the controller 61 writes the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4 to the Read / Write area. The address used for writing is the address set according to the recycle count 430 in steps S705 to S708 of FIG. 6 described above. Specifically, when the recycle count 430 is 4N, the Read / Write area is memory area 42B as shown in map M1. When the recycle count 430 is (4N+1), the Read / Write area is memory area 42C as shown in map M2. When the recycle count 430 is (4N+2), the Read / Write area is memory area 42D as shown in map M3. When the recycle count 430 is (4N+3), the Read / Write area is memory area 42E as shown in map M4.

[0158] In other words, in steps S902 to S904, if the developing cartridge 4 indicates that it has not been recycled, the controller 61 executes a write process to write the usage amount of the developing cartridge 4 to the first storage area. Also, if the recycling count 430 (recycling history information) indicates that the consumable has been recycled, the controller 61 executes a write process to write the usage amount to the second storage area.

[0159] 5, each time the recycling count 430 is updated, the read / write area is switched in the order of memory areas 42B, 42C, 42D, and 42E. For example, if the developer cartridge 4 is recycled four times, the read / write area in the toner memory 42 is switched in the order of memory areas 42B, 42C, 42D, and 42E each time the developer cartridge 4 is recycled. Therefore, the number of times the usage amount is rewritten in each of memory areas 42B to 42E is one-fourth of that in a case where the read / write area is not switched. As described above, according to this embodiment, when the developer cartridge 4 is refilled with printing material without replacing the toner memory 42, it is easy to prevent the number of times the toner memory 42 is rewritten from reaching its upper limit.

[0160] <Specifying the amount of printing material> Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for specifying the amount of printing material executed in image formation performed by the image forming apparatus 1. The series of processing shown in Fig. 9 is executed by the controller 61. As an example, the series of processing shown in Fig. 9 is executed before a recycling operation is performed in which the developer cartridge 4 is refilled with printing material.

[0161] In step S1101, the controller 61 calculates the difference between the number of writes stored in the Read / Write area and a predetermined upper limit. In step S1102, the controller 61 determines the amount of printing material that can be refilled. In this embodiment, the controller 61 determines the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the developer cartridge 4 based on the difference between the number of writes to the Read / Write area (at least one of the number of writes to the first storage area and the number of writes to the second storage area) and the upper limit of the number of writes to the toner memory 42. As an example, the controller 61 may determine the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the developer cartridge 4 by referring to a table that associates the type of capacity of printing material that the developer cartridge 4 can accommodate (such as "small capacity," "standard capacity," or "large capacity") with the range of the difference between the number of writes and the upper limit. As another example, the controller 61 may determine the amount of printing material that can be refilled by executing the processes of steps S304 to S309 in FIG. 13 of a second embodiment, which will be described later.

[0162] In step S1103, the controller 61 outputs information representing the amount identified in step S1102. For example, the controller 61 outputs the information representing the amount identified by displaying it on the display 65.

[0163] <Effects of this embodiment> As described above, according to this embodiment, the toner memory 42, which is a consumables memory, includes a first storage area and a second storage area into which the usage amount can be written. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 determines the storage area into which the usage amount is written according to the recycling count 430 (recycling history information). Because the storage area into which the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4 is written changes according to the recycling count 430, the number of times each storage area is written is reduced compared to when the storage area into which the usage amount is written is not changed. This makes it possible to provide an image forming apparatus 1 that can prevent the number of times the toner memory 42 is rewritten from reaching its upper limit when the developer cartridge 4 is refilled with printing material without replacing the toner memory 42.

[0164] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a different storage area is determined as the storage area into which the usage amount is written depending on whether the developer cartridge 4 is recycled or not. This reduces the number of times that each storage area is written, compared to when the storage area into which the usage amount is written is not changed depending on whether the developer cartridge 4 is recycled or not.

[0165] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the developer cartridge 4 has not been recycled, the usage amount is written to the first storage area. This reduces the number of times each storage area needs to be written to compared to when the storage area is not changed according to the recycling count 430.

[0166] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the developer cartridge 4 is recycled, the usage amount is written to the second storage area. This reduces the number of times data is written to each storage area compared to when the storage area is not changed according to the recycling history information.

[0167] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the developer cartridge 4 is recycled multiple times, the number of times the usage amount is written is distributed among multiple storage areas by changing the storage area to which the usage amount is written depending on the number of times it is recycled. This makes it possible to reduce the number of times the usage amount is written to each storage area, even when the developer cartridge 4 is recycled multiple times, compared to when the storage area to which the usage amount is written is not changed depending on the number of times it is recycled.

[0168] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the recycling history information is updated when recycling the developing cartridge 4. The image forming apparatus 1 determines the storage area to write the usage amount to based on the recycling history information, so that the number of times writing can be distributed to multiple storage areas.

[0169] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the toner ID and vendor information for identifying the developer cartridge 4 are stored in a ReadOnly area, which is different from the Read / Write area. The toner ID and vendor information are not updated as the image formation process is performed. Therefore, the number of times the toner ID and vendor information are written to the ReadOnly area in which the toner ID and vendor information are stored does not increase as the image formation process is performed. This reduces the number of times each storage area is written, and enables the ReadOnly area other than the Read / Write area to be used effectively.

[0170] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the storage area in which the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4 is written is initialized when the developer cartridge 4 is recycled. This prevents the usage amount of the developer cartridge 4 stored in the toner memory 42 from becoming inconsistent with the actual value due to recycling.

[0171] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus 1 that allows recycling without the number of times the toner memory 42 is rewritten for print count information or dot count information reaching an upper limit.

[0172] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that allows recycling such that the number of times the amount of printing material used in the recycled developer cartridge 4 is rewritten into the toner memory 42 does not reach the upper limit.

[0173] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the controller 61 outputs information indicating that recycling is not possible when the number of recycling times exceeds the upper limit, thereby enabling the user to know that recycling is not possible.

[0174] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the developer cartridge 4 is determined according to the number of times that the toner memory 42 is written. This allows the toner memory 42 to continue to be used until the number of times that the toner memory 42 is written reaches its upper limit.

[0175] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the user can input a recycling instruction via the operation unit 64 provided in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0176] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the toner memory 42 includes a first storage area and a second storage area in which the amount of usage can be written. Because the storage area in which the amount of usage of the consumable is written changes according to the recycling history information, the number of times each storage area is written is reduced compared to when the writing area does not change. This prevents the number of times the toner memory 42 is rewritten from reaching its upper limit when the developer cartridge 4 is refilled with printing material without the toner memory 42 being replaced.

[0177] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the toner memory 42 includes a first storage area and a second storage area in which the amount of usage can be written. In addition, in the recycling method, recycling history information used to determine whether the first storage area or the second storage area is to be used to write the amount of usage is stored in the consumables memory. Because the storage area in which the amount of usage of the developer cartridge 4 is written changes according to the recycling count 430, the number of times each storage area is written is reduced compared to when the storage area in which the amount of usage is written is not changed. This prevents the number of times the toner memory 42 is rewritten from reaching its upper limit when the consumables are refilled with printing material without the toner memory 42 being replaced.

[0178] (Variation 1) In the above-described first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1, into which the consumables (developing cartridge 4) are attached, executes the recycling process (recycling method) shown in FIG. 7. The consumables recycling method according to the present disclosure may be executed by the image forming apparatus 1, or may be executed by an apparatus other than the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the recycling method according to the present disclosure may be executed by an apparatus dedicated to recycling consumables. As an example, the dedicated apparatus may be a tool used when recycling consumables such as toner cartridges. Furthermore, when an apparatus other than the image forming apparatus 1 executes the recycling method according to the present disclosure, the recycling instruction acceptance process shown in step S801 of FIG. 7 does not need to be executed.

[0179] (Variation 2) In the above-described first embodiment, the recycling count 430 is used as the recycling history information indicating the recycling history of the consumable item, but the recycling history information is not limited to the recycling count 430 and may be other information. As an example, the recycling history information may be a flag indicating whether the consumable item has been recycled.

[0180] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment 1, the toner memory 42 is exemplified as having four storage areas 42B to 42E as storage areas into which usage amounts can be written, but the number of storage areas into which usage amounts can be written that the toner memory 42 has is not limited to four and may be more or less than this.

[0181] (Variation 4) The image forming apparatus 1 may be an inkjet printer. When the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer, ink cartridges are attached to the cartridge holding unit 13 of the image forming apparatus 1, instead of the drum cartridge 20 and developer cartridge 4 described in the first embodiment. The number of ink cartridges attached to the image forming apparatus 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may be attached with a total of four ink cartridges, one for each of the four colors, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, or may be attached with only one ink cartridge, one for the color black.

[0182] An ink cartridge includes a cartridge housing filled with ink, which is a printing material, and an ink memory that stores ink cartridge information, such as an ink ID, capacity information, color information, genuineness information, upper limit information, number of prints, remaining ink amount, number of recycles, set period information, number of printable pages information, environmental information, and number of writes.

[0183] The ink ID is identification information for the ink cartridge, and is information included in the ink cartridge information in place of the toner ID 421 in embodiment 1. The remaining ink amount is information indicating the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge, and is information included in the ink cartridge information in place of the remaining toner amount 428 in embodiment 1. The capacity information, color information, genuineness information, upper limit information, number of prints, number of recycles, set period information, number of printable pages information, environmental information, and number of writes are each information equivalent to the information of the same name in the toner cartridge information 420 in embodiment 1, with "toner" in toner cartridge information 420 replaced with "ink" and "toner cartridge" with "ink cartridge."

[0184] Even when the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer, the flow of each process shown in each flowchart described in the first embodiment is the same. Specifically, when the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer, the "developing cartridge 4," "toner memory 42," and "toner cartridge information 420" in the first embodiment can be read as ink cartridge, ink memory, and ink cartridge information, respectively. Furthermore, each of the various pieces of information included in the toner cartridge information 420 in the first embodiment can be read as the corresponding information in the ink cartridge information. Note that, because the developing roller rotation count 427 is not included in the ink cartridge information, in the case of this modification, the image forming apparatus 1 may omit various processes related to the developing roller rotation count 427. The image forming apparatus 1 of this modification achieves the same effects as the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

[0185] (Variation 5) Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be an MFP (Multi Function Printer) that also has other functions such as a scanner or a facsimile. Even when the image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP, the image forming apparatus 1 may execute the various processes described in the first embodiment in the same manner as the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 of this modification achieves the same effects as the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

[0186] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0187] Below, we will describe an exemplary configuration that allows the consumable memory to continue to be used until the number of writes to the consumable memory reaches an upper limit when the consumable memory is filled with printing material such as toner without being replaced.

[0188] (An example of a memory map of the toner memory 42) 10 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map of the toner memory 42. The toner memory 42 has a management information area 42F, a first area 42G, a second area 42I, a third area 42H, and a fourth area 42J.

[0189] The management information area 42F is an area capable of storing information related to the toner cartridge. As an example, in this embodiment, address 0x00000 of the management information area 42F stores capacity information 422 indicating "low capacity," "standard capacity," or "high capacity." Address 0x00001 stores color information 423 indicating "C (cyan)," "M (magenta)," "Y (yellow)," or "BK (black)." Address 0x00002 stores genuineness information 424 indicating genuine or non-genuine. Address 0x00003 stores the recycling count 430. Addresses 0x00004-0x0000F may be unused areas or may store other information.

[0190] The first area 42G is an area capable of storing information related to the toner cartridge. As an example, in this embodiment, addresses 0x00100-0x00103 of the first area 42G are a page count area, which stores the number of printed sheets 426. Addresses 0x00104-0x00107 are a dot count area, which stores the dot count 429. Addresses 0x00108-0x0010B are a developing roller count area, which stores the number of developing roller rotations 427. Addresses 0x0010C-0x0010F may be unused areas.

[0191] The second area 42I is an area that stores the number of times data has been written to the first area 42G.

[0192] The third area 42H is an area capable of storing various types of information related to the image forming apparatus 1. As an example, in this embodiment, addresses 0x00200-0x00201 of the third area 42H store the measurement results of the density sensor. Addresses 0x00202-0x00203 store the development bias applied to the development roller during the most recent printing. Address 0x00204 stores the environmental temperature. Address 0x00205 stores the environmental humidity. The environmental temperature and environmental humidity are examples of environmental information 433 according to the present disclosure.

[0193] The fourth area 42J is an area for storing the number of times data is written to the third area 42H.

[0194] Next, the flow of processing executed by the controller 61 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart.

[0195] <Processing at the time of printing> Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of printing processing executed by the controller 61. The processing shown in Fig. 11 will be explained using an example of processing executed by the controller 61 on the toner memory 42. However, the controller 61 can also execute the processing shown in Fig. 11 on the drum memory 22.

[0196] The controller 61 starts printing when it receives a print instruction via the display 65. After the controller 61 prints one page in step S101, the controller 61 adds one to the value of the number of printed sheets 426 stored in the page count area of ​​the toner memory 42 in step S102. Furthermore, in step S103, the controller 61 adds the number of dots used in printing one page to the value of the dot count 429 stored in the dot count area of ​​the toner memory 42. The controller 61 may execute the processes of steps S102 and S103 in parallel, or may execute the process of step S102 after the process of step S103.

[0197] That is, the controller 61 stores the number of printed sheets 426 and the dot count 429 in the first area 42G every time the image forming apparatus 1 prints one page.

[0198] In step S104, the controller 61 increments the value of the number of writes stored in the second area 42I of the toner memory 42. That is, in this embodiment, the controller 61 increments the value of the number of writes stored in the second area 42I by one when it updates the values ​​of the number of prints 426 and the dot count 429 in the toner memory 42. Furthermore, every time printing of one page is executed, the controller 61 updates the values ​​of the number of prints 426 and the dot count 429 and increments the value of the number of writes stored in the second area 42I by one.

[0199] <Processing when measuring environmental temperature> Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by controller 61 when measuring environmental temperature. Fig. 12 will explain, taking as an example the processing executed when controller 61 acquires environmental temperature from temperature and humidity sensor 66. However, controller 61 can also execute the processing shown in Fig. 12 when acquiring environmental humidity from temperature and humidity sensor 66. In addition, in the processing of Fig. 12, the consumable memory referenced by controller 61 will be explained as toner memory 42. However, the consumable memory referenced by controller 61 may also be drum memory 22.

[0200] The temperature and humidity sensor 66 periodically measures the environmental temperature. The environmental temperature is an example of the environmental information 433. In this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 measures the environmental temperature once every 30 minutes. Therefore, the controller 61 acquires the environmental temperature from the temperature and humidity sensor 66 once every 30 minutes. In step S201, the controller 61 determines whether 30 minutes have passed since the temperature and humidity sensor 66 last measured the environmental temperature, for example, by starting clocking from the time the environmental temperature is acquired.

[0201] If the controller 61 determines that 30 minutes have not passed since the previous measurement of the environmental temperature, the controller 61 proceeds to NO in step S201 and continues the processing of step S201. On the other hand, if the controller 61 determines that 30 minutes have passed since the previous measurement of the environmental temperature, the controller 61 proceeds from YES in step S201 to step S202.

[0202] In step S202, the controller 61 causes the temperature and humidity sensor 66 to measure the environmental temperature. The temperature and humidity sensor 66 transmits the measured environmental temperature to the controller 61. The controller 61 stores the environmental temperature acquired from the temperature and humidity sensor 66 in the main body memory 62.

[0203] In step S203, the controller 61 determines whether the environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62 in step S202 matches the comparative environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62. The comparative environmental temperature may be the environmental temperature previously measured by the temperature and humidity sensor 66. The currently acquired environmental temperature by the controller 61 and the comparative environmental temperature may be stored in different areas within the main body memory 62. If the controller 61 determines that the environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62 matches the comparative environmental temperature, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in step S203 to step S204.

[0204] In step S204, the controller 61 stores the environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62 as an environmental temperature for comparison in the main body memory 62. That is, the controller 61 rewrites the environmental temperature for comparison stored in the main body memory 62 with the currently acquired environmental temperature.

[0205] Furthermore, if the controller 61 determines in step S203 that the environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62 does not match the comparison environmental temperature, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in step S203 to step S205. In step S205, the controller 61 writes the environmental temperature stored in the main body memory 62 in step S202 to the third area 42H of the toner memory 42. That is, if the environmental temperature newly acquired by the temperature and humidity sensor 66 is different from the environmental temperature previously acquired by the temperature and humidity sensor 66, the controller 61 writes the newly acquired environmental temperature to the third area 42H. This configuration can reduce the number of times data is written to the third area 42H.

[0206] In step S206, the controller 61 adds 1 to the value of the number of writes stored in the fourth area 42J of the toner memory 42. That is, in this embodiment, when the environmental temperature stored in the third area 42H of the toner memory 42 is updated, the controller 61 adds 1 to the value of the number of writes stored in the fourth area 42J.

[0207] <Determining whether or not a product can be recycled> FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process executed by the controller 61 to determine whether or not recycling is possible.

[0208] In step S301, the controller 61 displays a recycle selection screen on the display 65. The recycle selection screen includes, for example, a user interface component (hereinafter referred to as a UI component) that allows the user to select whether or not to recycle the cartridge. As an example, the UI component is configured with a button corresponding to "Recycle," which means that the user wishes to recycle the cartridge, and a button corresponding to "Do not recycle," which means that the user does not wish to recycle the cartridge.

[0209] In step S302, the controller 61 determines which button of the UI widgets has been selected on the recycle selection screen. If the controller 61 determines that the "Recycle" button has been selected, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in step S302 to step S303. If the controller 61 determines that the "Do not recycle" button has been selected, the controller 61 advances to NO in step S302, ending the series of processes. The controller 61 may return from NO in step S302 to step S301, and cause the recycle selection screen to be displayed on the display 65.

[0210] In step S303, the controller 61 reads the upper limit information 425 from the toner memory 42. The controller 61 also reads the number of writes to the first area 42G of the toner memory 42 from the second area 42I of the toner memory 42. The number of writes to the first area 42G is an example of the number of writes 434 according to the present disclosure. The controller 61 then executes a calculation process to calculate the remaining number of writes to the first area 42G based on the upper limit information 425 and the number of writes to the first area 42G read from the toner memory 42. In this embodiment, the controller 61 calculates the remaining number of writes to the first area 42G by subtracting the number of writes to the first area 42G from the upper limit information 425.

[0211] After processing step S303, the controller 61 reads out printable page count information 432 associated with the capacity information 422 from the toner memory 42. Then, the controller 61 determines whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the remaining number of writes calculated in step S303 and the read printable page count information 432. With the above-described configuration, it is possible to determine whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the remaining number of writes up to the upper limit value and the printable page count based on the capacity of the refillable printing material.

[0212] In this embodiment, the controller 61 determines whether the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the printable number of pages associated with each of the capacity information 422 indicating a large capacity, the capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity, and the capacity information 422 indicating a small capacity. Hereinafter, the printable number of pages associated with the capacity information 422 indicating a large capacity will be referred to as the first printable number. The printable number of pages associated with the capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity will be referred to as the second printable number. The printable number of pages associated with each of the capacity information 422 indicating a small capacity will be referred to as the third printable number.

[0213] Specifically, in step S304, the controller 61 determines whether the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the first number of printable sheets. The process of step S304 is an example of a first determination process for determining whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled.

[0214] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the first number of printable sheets, the controller 61 determines that the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled, and proceeds from YES in step S304 to step S305. In step S305, the controller 61 stores in the main body memory 62 information indicating large capacity, medium capacity, and small capacity as selectable capacities that indicate capacity information 422 that the user can select as capacity information 422 of the developer cartridge 4 to be recycled.

[0215] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is less than twice the first number of printable sheets, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in step S304 to step S306. In step S306, the controller 61 determines whether the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the second number of printable sheets. The process of step S306 is an example of a first determination process for determining whether the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled. That is, in step S306, if the controller 61 determines that the developer cartridge 4 cannot be recycled when performing the first determination process using capacity information 422 indicating a large capacity, the controller 61 performs the first determination process again using capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity.

[0216] If it is determined that recycling at a large capacity is not possible, it is possible to determine whether recycling at a smaller capacity is possible. As a result, a capacity corresponding to the remaining number of writes in the consumable memory can be selected as the capacity of the recycled cartridge. This allows recycling of consumables while effectively utilizing the life of the consumable memory. Note that capacity information 422 indicating a large capacity is an example of first capacity information, and capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity is an example of second capacity information.

[0217] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the second number of printable sheets, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in step S306 to step S307. In step S307, the controller 61 stores information indicating a medium capacity and a small capacity in the main body memory 62 as selectable capacities that indicate the capacity information 422 that the user can select as the capacity information 422 of the developer cartridge 4 to be recycled.

[0218] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is less than twice the second number of printable sheets, the controller 61 advances the process from NO in step S306 to step S308. In step S308, the controller 61 determines whether the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the third number of printable sheets. The process in step S308 is an example of a first determination process for determining whether the developer cartridge 4 is recyclable. That is, in step S308, if the controller 61 determines that the developer cartridge 4 is not recyclable when performing the first determination process using capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity, the controller 61 performs the first determination process again using capacity information 422 indicating a small capacity. Note that the capacity information 422 indicating a medium capacity is an example of first capacity information, and the capacity information 422 indicating a small capacity is an example of second capacity information.

[0219] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is equal to or greater than twice the third number of printable sheets, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in step S308 to step S309. In step S309, the controller 61 stores information indicating a small capacity in the main body memory 62 as a selectable capacity that indicates the capacity information 422 that the user can select as the capacity information 422 of the developer cartridge 4 to be recycled.

[0220] If the controller 61 determines that the remaining number of writes is less than twice the third number of printable sheets, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in step S308 to step S310. In step S310, the controller 61 displays an image indicating that the developing cartridge 4 cannot be recycled on the display 65. Then, the controller 61 ends the process of determining whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled.

[0221] In this way, in steps S304, S306 and S308, the controller 61 executes a first determination process to determine whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the upper limit of the number of writes, the number of writes to the first area 42G, and the capacity information 422.

[0222] The image forming apparatus 1 has a second area 42I that stores the number of times that data has been written to the first area 42G. Therefore, when recycling a developer cartridge 4, it is possible to determine whether the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the upper limit information 425, the number of times data has been written to the first area 42G, and the capacity information 422. As a result, when the developer cartridge 4 is filled with toner without the toner memory 42 being replaced, the consumables memory can continue to be used until the number of times data has been written to the toner memory 42 reaches the upper limit.

[0223] The controller 61 goes through step S305, step S307, or step S309 and ends the first determination process.

[0224] The processes of steps S301 and S302 are an example of a reception process according to the present disclosure for receiving an instruction to recycle the developer cartridge 4. The controller 61 executes the first determination process in accordance with the received instruction. In this case, the controller 61 receives the instruction to recycle the developer cartridge 4 via the display 65 in the reception process.

[0225] Furthermore, in steps S304, S306, and S308, the threshold value against which the remaining number of writes is compared is set to a value twice the number of printable sheets, but the threshold value against which the remaining number of writes is compared may be set to any value greater than or equal to the number of printable sheets.

[0226] <Another process for determining whether or not something can be recycled> 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of another process for determining whether or not recycling is possible, which is executed by the controller 61. In this embodiment, the controller 61 executes the process of FIG. 13 after the process of FIG.

[0227] In step S401, the controller 61 reads the upper limit information 425 from the toner memory 42. The controller 61 also reads the number of writes to the third area 42H of the toner memory 42 from the fourth area 42J of the toner memory 42. The number of writes to the third area 42H is an example of the number of writes 434 according to the present disclosure. The controller 61 then calculates the remaining number of writes to the third area 42H based on the upper limit information 425 and the number of writes to the third area 42H read from the toner memory 42. In this embodiment, the controller 61 calculates the remaining number of writes to the third area 42H by subtracting the number of writes to the third area 42H from the upper limit of the number of writes.

[0228] In step S402, the controller 61 reads the set period information 431 from the toner memory 42. Then, the controller 61 determines a specific value by dividing the remaining number of writes calculated in step S401 by the maximum number of writes to the third area in one year, and determines whether the specific value is equal to or greater than the value indicated by the set period information 431. That is, the controller 61 executes a second determination process to determine whether the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled based on the upper limit of the number of writes, the number of writes to the third area 42H, and the set period information 431 of the developer cartridge 4.

[0229] The image forming apparatus 1 has a fourth area 42J. Therefore, it is possible to count the number of times data is written to the third area 42H, which stores periodically acquired information. This makes it possible to count the number of times data is written over time. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether a developer cartridge 4 can be recycled by taking into account the period of time that must be secured when recycling the developer cartridge 4.

[0230] In this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 measures the environmental temperature every 30 minutes. Therefore, the temperature and humidity sensor 66 measures the environmental temperature 48 times a day. Therefore, the controller 61 may write the environmental temperature to the third area 42H a maximum of 48 times a day. In other words, the controller 61 may write the environmental temperature to the third area 42H a maximum of 48 × 365 times a year. In addition, in this embodiment, the set period for the developing cartridge 4 is set to two years, and the value indicated by the set period information 431 is 2. In step S402 of this embodiment, the controller 61 determines whether it is possible to write the environmental temperature to the third area 42H for a set period of two years or more, even if the controller 61 has written the environmental temperature the maximum number of times a year. The threshold value of two years is merely an example, and may be set taking into consideration the usage status of the developing cartridge 4, etc.

[0231] If the controller 61 determines that the specific value is equal to or greater than 2, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in step S402 to step S403. In step S403, the controller 61 causes the display 65 to display a capacity selection screen.

[0232] The capacity selection screen is a screen including UI components that allow the user to select the capacity of the recycled developer cartridge 4. The capacity selection screen displays the selectable capacities that the controller 61 stored in the main body memory 62 in step S305, step S307, or step S309 shown in FIG. 13. For example, if the selectable capacities are stored in step S305, the capacity selection screen displays large, medium, and small capacities as selectable capacities of the recycled developer cartridge 4. If the selectable capacities are stored in step S307, the capacity selection screen displays medium and small capacities as selectable capacities of the recycled developer cartridge 4. If the selectable capacities are stored in step S309, the capacity selection screen displays small capacity as selectable capacity of the recycled developer cartridge 4. This allows the user to select the capacity of the recycled developer cartridge 4 via the capacity selection screen.

[0233] In step S404, the controller 61 determines whether a capacity has been selected by the user via the capacity selection screen. If the controller 61 determines that a capacity has not been selected by the user, the controller 61 proceeds to NO in step S404 and continues the processing of step S404. On the other hand, if the controller 61 determines that a capacity has been selected by the user, the controller 61 proceeds from YES in step S404 to step S405.

[0234] In step S405, the controller 61 writes the capacity selected by the user into the toner memory 42 as capacity information 422. As a result, the capacity information 422 of the recycled developer cartridge 4 is set to the capacity selected by the user. After writing of the capacity information 422 is completed, in step S406, the controller 61 initializes the information stored in the first area 42G. For example, the controller 61 initializes the number of printed sheets 426, the number of development roller rotations 427, and the dot count 429. Then, the controller 61 ends the process of determining whether the developer cartridge 4 can be recycled.

[0235] Furthermore, if the controller 61 determines in step S402 that the specific value is less than 2, the process proceeds from NO in step S402 to step S407. In step S407, the controller 61 causes the display 65 to display an image indicating that the developing cartridge 4 cannot be recycled. Then, the controller 61 ends the process of determining whether the developing cartridge 4 can be recycled.

[0236] (Variation 6) In the second embodiment, the control by the controller 61 provided in the image forming apparatus has been described. However, the control by the controller 61 may be realized by an IC chip provided in the developing cartridge 4. The IC chip is an example of a controller according to the present disclosure.

[0237] In this case, the address of the first area is set as a specific area at the time of shipping from the factory. When a write command is issued to the toner memory 42, the IC chip determines whether the area to be written by the write command is within the specific area. If the area to be written by the write command is within the specific area, the IC chip adds 1 to the value of the number of writes stored in the second area 42I.

[0238] [Software implementation example] The functions of the image forming apparatus 1 can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the image forming apparatus 1, that is, a program for causing a computer to function as the controller 61 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0239] In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the above-mentioned program. The above-mentioned control device and storage device execute the above-mentioned program, thereby realizing each function described in each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0240] The program may be stored non-transitoryly in one or more computer-readable storage media. The image forming apparatus 1 may or may not include the storage media. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the image forming apparatus 1 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0241] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the controller 61 can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as the controller 61 is formed is also included in the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the controller 61 can be realized by a microprocessor built into an IC chip.

[0242] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0243] 1 Image forming device, 4 Developer cartridge (consumable), 10 Main body housing (device body), 20 Drum cartridge, 22 Drum memory (consumable memory), 42 Toner memory (consumable memory), 42G First area, 42I Second area, 42H Third area, 42J Fourth area, 61 Controller, 62 Main body memory, 65 Display (operation unit), 66 Temperature and humidity sensor (sensor), 220 Drum cartridge information, 222-424 Genuine information, 223-425 Upper limit information, 224-426 Number of prints (print number information), 225 Drum rotation speed, 226-429 Dot count (dot count information), 227-430 Number of recycling times, 420 Toner cartridge information, 422 Capacity information, 423 Color information, 424 Number of printable pages, 427 Developer roller rotation speed, 428 Toner remaining amount, 431 Setting period information, 432 printable page count information, 433 environmental information, 434 number of writes

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, A device body, A consumable item that can be attached to the device main body, a consumable product including a consumable product memory having a first storage area in which the amount of use of the consumable product can be written and a second storage area in which the amount of use of the consumable product can be written, the consumable product memory storing recycling history information indicating a recycling history of the consumable product; a controller; the first storage area and the second storage area are further capable of storing information that is not updated with the execution of image forming processing, The controller a receiving process for receiving an instruction to recycle the consumables; an update process for updating the recycling history information in accordance with the received instruction; executes a determination process to determine whether the first storage area or the second storage area is to be used as a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written, in accordance with the recycle history information updated by the update process; An image forming device that stores information that is not updated as the image forming process is executed in an area of ​​the first storage area or the second storage area that has not been determined as the storage area to which the usage amount is written by the determination process.

2. The controller In the determination process, the first storage area is determined as a storage area to which the usage amount is written according to the recycling history information when the consumable item is not recycled, and the second storage area is determined when the consumable item is recycled. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The controller 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a write process for writing the usage amount to the first storage area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has not been recycled.

4. The controller 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a writing process for writing the usage amount to the second memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable has been recycled.

5. the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable item has been recycled; 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination process determines either the first storage area or the second storage area as the storage area corresponding to the number of recycling times indicated by the recycling history information.

6. The controller The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information for identifying the consumable is stored in a storage area of ​​the first storage area and the second storage area that is different from the storage area determined by the determination process.

7. The controller In the determination process, determining a storage area to write the usage amount in accordance with the recycle history information updated by the update process; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage area determined as the storage area into which the usage amount is to be written is initialized.

8. An image forming device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the usage amount includes at least one of print count information indicating the cumulative number of prints printed by the image forming device using the consumable, and dot count information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots when printed by the image forming device using the consumable.

9. the consumable item is a cartridge containing a printing material; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the usage amount is the usage amount of the printing material.

10. the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable item has been recycled; The controller 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an output process for outputting non-recycling information indicating that the consumable cannot be recycled when the number of recycling times indicated by the recycling history information reaches a predetermined upper limit.

11. The controller An image forming apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, further performing a determination process to determine the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the consumable based on the difference between at least one of the number of writes to the first memory area and the number of writes to the second memory area and the upper limit value of the number of writes to the consumable memory.

12. the image forming apparatus includes an operation unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller receives the instruction to recycle the consumables via the operation unit in the reception process.

13. A recycling method for recycling consumables, comprising: A consumable memory having a first storage area in which the amount of use of the consumable can be written and a second storage area in which the amount of use of the consumable can be written, the consumable memory storing recycling history information indicating a recycling history of the consumable, the first storage area and the second storage area are further capable of storing information that is not updated with the execution of image forming processing, receiving an instruction to recycle the consumable; updating the recycling history information in accordance with the received instruction; determining, in accordance with the recycle history information updated in the recycle history information updating step, whether the first storage area or the second storage area is to be used as a storage area for writing the usage amount; A recycling method characterized by storing information that is not updated as the image formation process is executed in an area of ​​the first memory area or the second memory area that has not been determined as the memory area to which the usage amount is written in the step of determining either the first memory area or the second memory area.

14. In the step of determining a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written, determining the first storage area as a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written when the consumable item is not recycled, and determining the second storage area as a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written, according to the recycling history information, when the consumable item is recycled; The recycling method according to claim 13.

15. 15. The recycling method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of writing the usage amount to the first memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has not been recycled.

16. 16. The recycling method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of writing the usage amount to the second memory area when the recycling history information indicates that the consumable item has been recycled.

17. the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable item has been recycled; In the step of determining a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written, 17. The recycling method according to claim 13, wherein either the first storage area or the second storage area is determined as the storage area corresponding to the number of recycling times indicated by the recycling history information.

18. The recycling method according to claim 13, wherein identification information for identifying the consumable is stored in a memory area of ​​the first memory area and the second memory area that is different from the memory area determined as the memory area into which the usage amount is written.

19. In the step of determining a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written, determining a storage area to write the usage amount in accordance with the recycle history information updated in the step of updating the recycle history information; The recycling method according to claim 13, further comprising initializing the storage area determined as the storage area into which the usage amount is to be written.

20. A recycling method described in any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the usage amount includes at least one of print count information indicating the cumulative number of prints printed by the image forming device using the consumable, and dot count information indicating the cumulative value of the number of dots when printed by the image forming device using the consumable.

21. the consumable item is a cartridge containing a printing material; The recycling method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the usage amount is the usage amount of the printing material.

22. the recycling history information is information indicating the number of times the consumable item has been recycled; 22. The recycling method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of outputting non-recycling information indicating that the consumable item cannot be recycled when the number of recycling times indicated by the recycling history information reaches a predetermined upper limit.

23. A recycling method described in any one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that it further includes a step of determining the amount of printing material that can be refilled into the consumable based on the difference between at least one of the number of writes to the first memory area and the number of writes to the second memory area and the upper limit value of the number of writes to the consumable memory.

24. In the step of receiving the instruction, The recycling method according to claim 13 , wherein the instruction to recycle the consumables is received via an operation unit provided in the image forming apparatus.

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