Cartridge with multiple containers for an image recording apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a print engine and a cartridge including a first container to supply printing material to the print engine, a second container to supply printing material to the first container, a sensor to detect an amount of printing material in the first container, and a gate to move between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the gate is to prevent the printing material in the second container from moving into the first container. In the open position, the gate allows a portion of the printing material in the second container to move into the first container. The image forming apparatus includes a memory to store data and a processor to receive information about the amount of printing material in the first container from the sensor, authenticate the cartridge based on the data, and control the gate based on the authentication.

Description

CARTRIDGE WITH MULTIPLE CONTAINERS FOR AN IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUSBACKGROUND

[0001] An image forming apparatus includes a print engine to form a printing image on a printing medium and a cartridge including a container for containing printing material.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example system for operating a cartridge.

[0003] FIG. 2 depicts a side view of a portion of an example cartridge.

[0004] FIG. 3 A depicts a perspective view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in a closed position.

[0005] FIG. 3B depicts a perspective view of showing operation of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in an open position.

[0006] FIG. 4A depicts a side view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in the closed position.

[0007] FIG. 4B depicts a top view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in the closed position.

[0008] FIG. 5 A depicts a side view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in the open position.

[0009] FIG. 5B depicts a top view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2, with the gate in the open position.

[0010] FIG. 6A depicts a flow chart of an example process for operating the cartridge shown in FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 6B depicts a flow chart of an example process for operating the cartridge shown in FIG. 2.

[0012] FIG. 7 depicts a flow chart of an example process for operating the cartridge shown in FIG. 2.

[0013] FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram of a system for executing example computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating the cartridge shown in FIG. 2.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] An image forming apparatus can be used to form a printing image on a printing medium (e.g., paper). The image forming apparatus may include a print engine to form a printing image on the printing medium, a cartridge to include printing material, and a controller (or a processor) operatively connected to the cartridge and the print engine to perform image forming jobs. The cartridge can be a replaceable component that supplies printing material (e.g., toner, ink, etc.) to the print engine. The image forming apparatus may include multiple printing material cartridges. For example, a color image forming apparatus may include a cartridge for each color printing material. The cartridge may include a housing insertable into an image forming apparatus. The housing includes a container or reservoir for containing printing material. For example, the container can contain such printing material as toner, ink, etc. The housing may include various cartridge components. For example, the container may include an agitator (e.g., an auger, a blade, etc.) to stir and mix printing material within the container. For example, the housing may include a developing roller, a photoconductor, a memory, a sensor, etc.

[0015] During an image forming job, a portion of the printing material in a container of the cartridge moves to an electrostatic latent image formed on a peripheral surface of a photoreceptor, while the printing material in the container (including printing material that is not being used for the image forming job) is being stirred by cartridge components (e.g., rollers, agitators, etc.). The stirring process can deteriorate a quality of the printing material, and thus may lead to a low printing quality.

[0016] This disclosure provides cost-effective solutions allowing for consistent high printing quality. The cartridge disclosed herein may include a plurality of containers (e.g., a first container, a second container, etc.) for containing printing material. In some examples, the cartridge may include a container that includes a plurality of sub-containers (e.g., partitioned portions). The cartridge disclosed herein may include a gate disposed between the first container and the second container. The gate can be controlled (e.g., opened, closed) to control movement of the printing material between the first container and the second container. The gate can be opened to move the printing material in the second container to the first container. The gate can be closed to prevent movement of additional printing material. The gate can be controlled based on cartridge data. The cartridge data may include an amount of printing material in the first container, an amount of printing material in the second container, access / authentication information (e.g., if the user has access to the printing material and / or the cartridge), etc. For example, when a sensor of the first container detectsthat printing material is not available in the first container, the gate can be opened to move a predetermined amount of printing material in the second container into the first container, based on the cartridge data. Such cartridge data can be stored in a memory (e.g., as tag data) of the cartridge and / or in a database (e.g., a cloud service).

[0017] Reserving printing material in the second container separately from printing material for image forming jobs (e.g., the printing material in the first container) prevents unnecessary stirring process of the reserved printing material (and thus deterioration) while the reserved printing material in the second container can be provided as needed by controlling the gate. This allows for consistent high printing quality since the reserved printing material can be kept fresh without being stirred.

[0018] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example system 1 for operating a cartridge 130. The system 1 includes the cartridge 130 and an image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a print engine 110, and a processor 160.

[0019] The image forming apparatus 100 may include the print engine 110 to perform image forming jobs (e.g., forming a printing image on a printing medium such as papers) by operatively connecting to the cartridge 130. The print engine 110 can control various components in the cartridge 130. For example, the print engine 110 can control a mechanical component (e.g., a developing roller, a photoconductor, etc.) of the cartridge 130 to perform an image forming job. For example, the print engine 110 can control a cartridge component (e.g., an agitator of the cartridge 130) to stir printing material contained in the cartridge 130 and / or to move printing material contained in the cartridge 130 from a first container to a second container of the cartridge 130. The processor 160 and / or the print engine 110 can control a gate 150 of the cartridge 130 to control such movement of printing material between the first container and the second container of the cartridge 130. In some examples, the image forming apparatus 100 may include a gate mechanism, which can be controlled by the processor 160 to control the gate 150 of the cartridge 130.

[0020] The cartridge 130 can be insertable into the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the cartridge 130 may be a replaceable component to supply printing material (e.g., toner, ink, etc.) to the print engine 110. The cartridge 130 includes a container 135, a memory 140, and a sensor 145, among other components.

[0021] The container 135 can contain printing material (e.g., toner, ink, etc.) and provide the printing material to the print engine 110 to perform image forming jobs. The cartridge 130 may include a plurality of containers 135 that are connected to each other, or the container 135 may include a plurality of sub-containers that are connected to each other. The container135 may include various components that can be controlled by the print engine 110. For example, the container 135 may include a rotating agitator, which the print engine 110 can control to move / stir printing material contained in the container 135. The print engine 110 (and / or the processor 160) can control the gate 150 to control the movement of printing material in the container 135. In some examples, the print engine 110 may include or be connected to a gate mechanism to control the gate 150. In some examples, where the cartridge 130 includes a plurality of containers 135, the print engine 110 (and / or the processor 160) can control the gate 150 to allow printing material in one of the containers 135 to move into the other or to prevent the movement.

[0022] The memory 140 can store data about the cartridge 130 and the image forming apparatus 100. The memory 140 can store data as tag data. Data (e.g., tag data) stored in the memory 140 may include a type, a model, a serial number of the image forming apparatus 100 into which the cartridge 130 is and / or has been installed. Data stored in the memory 140 may include how many image forming apparatuses the cartridge 130 have been installed in. The memory 140 can store cartridge data. The cartridge data may include an amount of printing material in the cartridge 130, an amount of printing material in each container 135 (e.g., when the cartridge 130 includes a plurality of containers 135), a type (e.g., toner, ink, etc.) of printing material contained in the cartridge 130, an amount of printing material that has been used for image forming jobs, the number of printing counts (e.g., the number of pages printed), any information associated with printing material contained in the cartridge 130, any information associated with the cartridge 130, etc. The cartridge data may include how much printing material has been moved from a second container to a first container (e.g., when the cartridge 130 includes a plurality of containers 135).

[0023] The memory 140 can store data associated with access to the cartridge 130 and / or access to printing material in the container 135 of the cartridge 130. The memory 140 can store data that can be used to authenticate a user of the cartridge 130 (e.g., confirm whether the user has access to the cartridge 130 or the printing material therein, etc.), such as user profiles of users allowed to use the cartridge 130, subscription information (e.g., if a user has purchased an amount of printing material, how much printing material or how many page counts a user has purchased and is allowed to use, etc.), and any business rules associated with access to printing material in the container 135.

[0024] The memory 140 can store data associated with the sensor 145. For example, the memory 140 can record a reading of the sensor 145. The sensor 145 can collect information about printing material contained in the cartridge 130. The sensor 145 can detect an amountof printing material in the container 135 of the cartridge 130. The sensor 145 can detect a change in the amount of printing material in the container 135 of the cartridge 130. The sensor 145 may be or include an optical sensor, an electrical sensor, a capacitance sensor, a weight sensor, a flow sensor, a sensor to measure a level of printing material in the container 135, or any other sensor that can determine an amount of printing material in the container 135 of the cartridge 130.

[0025] In some examples, the system 1 may include a server. Such a server may include a database (e.g., a cloud server, a cloud database, a networked database or data storage, etc.) to store data associated with the cartridge 130. The server can store any data stored in the memory 140. The server can communicate data with the image forming apparatus 100 and / or the memory 140 of the cartridge 130 (e.g., via the image forming apparatus 100). For example, data stored in the memory 140 can be sent to the server (e.g., via the image forming apparatus 100, via a computing device connected to the image forming apparatus 100, etc.). In some examples, the cartridge 130 can receive data stored in the server (e.g., via the image forming apparatus 100, etc.) and store the data (e.g., as tag data) in the memory 140. For example, the memory 140 can store data from the server, the data associated with a user of the cartridge 130 and / or access of the user (e.g., authentication data) to use the cartridge 130.

[0026] The server can store an input received from a user, the input including information about business rules associated with use of the cartridge 130. In some examples, the business rules may include access to the cartridge 130, user profiles, authentication data, subscription information, etc. For example, based on data stored in the server (e.g., cloud server), the processor 160 can determine if a user who is trying to use the cartridge 130 (or printing material therein) has access to the cartridge 130 (or printing material therein). For example, based on data (e.g., subscription information such as, whether the user has purchased the cartridge 130 and / or printing material therein) stored in the server, the processor 160 can determine if the user has the access. For example, based on data stored in the server, the processor 160 can determine an amount of printing material that the user can use.

[0027] The server can send data associated with the business rules (e.g., user profiles, authentication data, subscription information, etc.) to the cartridge 130 (e.g., via the image forming apparatus 100, etc.) so as to be stored in the memory 140 of the cartridge 130.

[0028] In some examples, the server may be or include a digital cartridge (e.g., a digital twin) of a physical cartridge, sync data stored in the memory 140 with data stored in the digital cartridge and provide the data to the image forming apparatus 100 such that the processor 160 can operate / control the cartridge 130 based on the data. In some examples, the digitalcartridge of the server can present data or status associated with any elements (e.g., the container 135, a level of printing material in the container 135, the sensor 145, etc.) of the cartridge 130.

[0029] The processor 160 may include a software component (e.g., machine readable instructions) installed therein. The processor 160 can access the data (e.g., tag data) stored in the memory 140 and the data stored in the server. The processor 160 can perform various operations to control the cartridge 130. The processor 160 can control the cartridge 130 (e.g., the container 135, the gate 150, associated parts thereof, etc.) based on the data stored in the server and / or the memory 140. The processor 160 can control the image forming apparatus 100 (e.g., the print engine 110) to perform image forming jobs and to control the cartridge 130. In some examples, the processor 160 may be implemented on a formatter as a chip. For example, the image forming apparatus 100 may include a chip (or integrated circuits) mounted thereon, and the processor 160 can operate on and / or as a formatter.

[0030] The processor 160 can determine whether the container 135 contains printing material, based on the data stored in the memory 140 and / or the data stored in the server. The processor 160 can authenticate the cartridge 130 and determine whether a user of the cartridge 130 has access to printing material contained in the cartridge 130 (or access to the cartridge 130), based on the data stored in the memory 140 and / or the data stored in the server. The processor 160 can determine an amount of printing material to move from a second container to a first container, based on the data stored in the memory 140 and / or the data stored in the server. Based on a determination that the processor 160 has validated the cartridge 130 and determined that a user of the cartridge 130 has access to the printing material contained in the cartridge 130 (and to the access to the cartridge 130), the processor 160 can control the container 135 of the cartridge 130. The processor 160 can open the gate 150 of the cartridge 130 to move a predetermined amount of printing material contained in a second container of the cartridge 130 into a first container of the cartridge 130 such that a user can use the moved printing material for image forming jobs.

[0031] FIG. 2 depicts a side view of a portion of an example cartridge 200 (e.g., the cartridge 130 shown in FIG. 1). The cartridge 200 may be an example of the cartridge 130. The cartridge 200 includes a first container 205, a first agitator 210, a first sensor 215, a memory 250, a developing roller 260, and a photoconductor 270. The cartridge 200 may include a second container 225, a second agitator 230 and a second sensor 235. The cartridge 200 may include a gate 240 to selectively open a passage 245 between the first container 205 and the second container 225.

[0032] The first container 205 can supply printing material to perform image forming jobs. For example, the first container 205 can supply printing material via the developing roller 260 to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 270 to form a visible image on the photoconductor 270. The image can be transferred to a recording medium (e.g., papers) via an intermediate transfer medium or directly to a recording medium, and then be fixed on the recording medium.

[0033] The first container 205 may include the first agitator 210. The first agitator 210 can stir the printing material in the first container 205. In some examples, rotation of the first agitator 210 can help convey the printing material in the first container 205 into the developing roller 260.

[0034] The first container 205 may include the first sensor 215. The first sensor 215 can determine an amount of the printing material in the first container 205 by sensing, detecting, or measuring the printing material in the first container 205 or a property thereof (e.g., weight, optical property, electrical property, etc.). The first sensor 215 can determine a change of the amount of the printing material in the first container 205, or provide information needed to determine such a change. For example, the first sensor 215 can determine a first amount (e.g., an initial amount) of the printing material in the first container 205. When the image forming apparatus performs an image forming job and consumes the printing material in the first container 205, the first sensor 215 can determine a second amount (e.g., an updated total amount) of the printing material in the first container 205, or a change in the amount of the printing material in the first container 205. When the second container 225 provides a portion of the printing material from the second container to the first container 205, the first sensor 215 can determine a third amount (e.g., an updated total amount) of the printing material in the first container 205, or a change in the amount of the printing material in the first container 205. The first sensor 215 can send a sensor reading to the memory 250.

[0035] The second container 225 can supply printing material contained in the second container 225 to the first container 205. Shown in FIG. 2 is a non-limiting example of the second container 225, and none of the dimension, shape, orientation, size, etc. of the second container 225 relative to the first container 205 is limited. For example, the second container 225 is larger in size than the first container 205. For example, the second container 225 is smaller in size than the first container 205. For example, the second container 225 can have a different shape than the first container 205.

[0036] The second container 225 may include the second agitator 230. The second agitator 230 can stir the printing material in the second agitator 230. In some examples, rotation ofthe second agitator 230 help convey the printing material in the second agitator 230 into the first container 205.

[0037] The second container 225 may include the second sensor 235. The second sensor 235 may be substantially similar or identical to the first sensor 215. The second sensor 235 can determine a change of the amount of the printing material in the second container 225, or provide information needed to determine such a change. For example, the second sensor 235 can determine a first amount (e.g., an initial amount) of the printing material in the second container 225. When the second container 225 provides a portion of the printing material in the second container 225 to the first container 205, the second sensor 235 can determine a second amount (e.g., an updated total amount) of the printing material in the second container 225, or a change in the amount of the printing material in the second container 225. The second sensor 235 can send a sensor reading to the memory 250.

[0038] The cartridge 200 may include the gate 240 and the passage 245. Although depicted to be a part of the second container 225 in FIG. 2, the gate 240 and the passage 245 may be disposed or formed in any portion (e.g., as a part of the first container 205) between the first container 205 and the second container 225. While shown in FIG. 2 is a non-limiting example, the shapes and sizes of the passage 245 and the gate 240 may vary from one example to another. The passage 245 allows the printing material to move between the first container 205 and the second container 225. The second container 225 can supply the printing material in the second container 225 to the first container 205 through the passage 245. The gate 240 can move between a first position (e.g., a closed position) and a second position (e.g., an open position). The gate 240 can control supply of the printing material (e.g., movement of the printing material from the second container 225 to the first container 205) as discussed in greater detail below.

[0039] The cartridge 200 may include the memory 250. The memory 250 may be substantially similar to or identical to the memory 140 shown in FIG. 1. The memory 250 can store a reading of the first sensor 215 and update data (e.g., tag data) associated with the first container 205. For example, the memory 250 can update information indicating an amount of printing material in the first container 205 based on a reading of the first sensor 215. The memory 250 can store a reading of the second sensor 235 and store / update data associated with the second container 225. For example, the memory 250 can update information indicating an amount of printing material in the second container 225 based on a reading of the first sensor 215.

[0040] The cartridge 200 can be controlled by a processor (e.g., the processor 160) to move the printing material in the second container 225 to the first container 205 based on data stored in the memory 250 and / or the server. The memory 250 can store data indicating an amount of printing material to move from the second container 225 to the first container 205, and the server stores authentication data that allows for the movement of the printing material. The processor 160 can control the gate 240 to open based on the data stored in the memory 250 and / or the server, and can control the gate 240 to close based on an indication (e.g., a sensor reading) that the amount of printing material allowed to move has been transferred from the second container 225 to the first container 205.

[0041] The memory 250 can store information indicating a predetermined threshold amount of printing material. When the processor 160 receives an indication that the first sensor 215 detects that the amount of printing material in the first container is below the predetermined threshold, the processor 160 can control the gate 240 to open.

[0042] FIG. 3A depicts a perspective view 300A of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in a closed position. FIG. 3B depicts a perspective view 300B of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in an open position. The view 300B shows a passage 245 that forms in response to an opening motion of the gate 240. The passage 245 allows the printing material in the second container 225 to move into the first container 205. The gate 240 and the opening motion 345 can be controlled by the processor 160, as discussed with respect to FIG. 4 A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 5 A, and FIG. 5B.

[0043] FIG. 4A depicts a side view 400A of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in the closed position. FIG. 4B depicts a top view 400B of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in the closed position . The side view 400A and the top view 400B show the cartridge 200 connected to an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100) and / or a print engine (e.g., the print engine 110) thereof.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4 A, the print engine 110 may include a first engine drive 410, a second engine drive 420, and a gate mechani sm 440. The first engine drive 410 and the second engine drive 420 can drive the first agitator 210 and the second agitator 230, respectively. The print engine 110 can operate the first engine drive 410 to drive (e.g., rotate) the first agitator 210 when the gate 240 and the gate mechanism 440 are in the closed position.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, when the gate 240 and the gate mechanism 440 are in the closed position, the gate 240 substantially or completely masks the passage 245 such that the printing material in the second container 225 is prevented from moving into the first container 205. When the gate 240 and the gate mechanism 440 are in the closed position,the print engine 110 can drive the first engine drive 410 to distribute the printing material in the first container 205 for image forming jobs.

[0046] Rotation of the first engine drive 410 and / or the first agitator 210 can be used to track the amount of printing material available in the first container 205. Rotation of the first engine drive 410 and / or the first agitator 210 can be used along with a sensor reading (e.g., of the first sensor 215) to track the amount of printing material available in the first container 205. Rotation of the second engine drive 420 and / or the second agitator 230 can be used to track the amount of printing material available in the second container 225. Rotation of the second engine drive 420 and / or the second agitator 230 can be used along with a sensor reading (e.g., of the second sensor 235) to track the amount of printing material available in the second container 225. In response to a determination that printing material is not available (or below a threshold amount) in the first container 205 or below a threshold level, the gate mechanism 440 can be controlled to open the gate 240, based on the cartridge data (e.g., validation data, authentication data, access information, etc.).

[0047] FIG. 5A depicts a side view 500A of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in the open position. FIG. 5B depicts a top view 500B of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2, with the gate 240 in the open position. The side view 400A and the top view 400B show the cartridge 200 connected to an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100) and / or a print engine (e.g., the print engine 110) thereof.

[0048] The print engine 110 can operate the first engine drive 410 to drive (e.g., rotate) the first agitator 210 and operate the second engine drive 420 to drive (e.g., rotate) the second agitator 230. When the gate 240 is in the open position, the print engine 110 can operate the first engine drive 410 and the second engine drive 420 to rotate the first agitator 210 and the second agitator 230, respectively, to distribute the printing material from the second container 225 to the first container 205. In some examples, the print engine 110 can operate only the second engine drive 420 to drive the second agitator 230 when the gate 240 is in the open position.

[0049] Rotation of the first engine drive 410 and / or the first agitator 210 can be used to track the amount of printing material available in the first container 205. Rotation of the first engine drive 410 and / or the first agitator 210 can be used along with a sensor reading (e.g., of the first sensor 215) to track the amount of printing material available in the first container 205. Rotation of the second engine drive 420 and / or the second agitator 230 can be used to track the amount of printing material available in the second container 225. Rotation of the second engine drive 420 and / or the second agitator 230 can be used along with a sensor reading (e.g.,of the second sensor 235) to track the amount of printing material available in the second container 225. In response to a determination that printing material is not available (or below a threshold amount) in the first container 205 or below a threshold level, the gate mechanism 440 can be controlled to open the gate 240, based on the cartridge data (e.g., validation data, authentication data, access information, etc.).

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5 A, the print engine 110 can control the gate mechanism 440 to generate a gate opening motion 545, thereby opening the gate 240 and allowing for movement 505 of the printing material from the second container 225 to the first container 205 through the passage 245. The gate opening motion 545 may be or include any mechanism that can provide a mechanical force to the gate 240 (e.g., mechanical, electrical; rotation-to-translation, etc.) The print engine 110 can control the gate mechanism 440 to close the gate 240, when for example, a predetermined amount of printing material has been moved from the second container 225 to the first container 205.

[0051] FIG. 6A depicts a flow chart of an example process 600A for operating the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6B depicts a flow chart of an example process 600B for operating the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2. The process 600A and the process 600B can be performed with, by, or using any of the components discussed with respect to FIG. 1 - FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6 A, the process 600 A can be performed with an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100) and a cartridge (e.g., the cartridge 130). In some examples, the process 600A can be performed with an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100), a cartridge (e.g., the cartridge 130), and a server (e.g., a cloud server). The process 600B can be performed with an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100), a cartridge (e.g., the cartridge 130), and a server (e.g., a cloud server). In some examples, the process 600B can be performed without using a server.

[0052] The process 600A starts with operation 605 of detecting, by a processor (e.g., the processor 160) of an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100), installation of a cartridge (e.g., the cartridge 130) into the image forming apparatus. At operation 610, in response to a detection of the installation of the cartridge, the processor can access the memory of the cartridge. The processor can access and read data stored in the memory of the cartridge. In some examples, the processor can access and read data stored in a server (e.g., a cloud server). In some examples, the operation 610 may include identifying the cartridge by reading an identification number / code stored in the memory, and then reading corresponding data in the server (e.g., a cloud database). In reading the memory of the cartridge, the processor can be provided cartridge data 615 (e.g., stored as tag data). Thecartridge data may include an amount of printing material in the cartridge (e.g., in a first container of the cartridge, in a second container of the cartridge, etc.), a history of cartridge usage (e.g., how many times the cartridge have been used, how much of printing material has been moved from a second container to a first container, etc.), etc. The cartridge data may include data associated with access of a user and subscription information (e.g., whether the user has access to the cartridge and / or the printing material in the cartridge, an amount of printing material allowed to use, etc.).

[0053] The process 600A continues to operation 620 of determining, by the processor, whether a user is permitted to use printing material in the cartridge. The operation 620 may include identifying and validating the user based on the cartridge data 615. The operation 620 may include determining an amount of printing material that the user is allowed to use based on the cartridge data. The operation 620 may include identifying and validating the user based on subscription information. For example, the subscription information includes whether the user has purchased an amount of printing material, whether the user has purchased the cartridge, an amount of printing material that the user can use, a number of page counts that the user can use, etc. The subscription information can be used for various operations in the process 600A and the process 600B. Based on the subscription information, the user can be prevented from using the cartridge and / or the printing material therein when the user is not permitted (“No” at the operation 620). Based on the subscription information, a gate of the cartridge can be controlled to move a predetermined amount of printing material in the second container to the first container (e.g., operation 640).

[0054] In response to a determination that the user is not permitted to use the cartridge (“No” at operation 620), the process 600A can continue to operation 620N, and the processor can provide / di splay a message that use of the cartridge (e.g., the first container, the second container) is not permitted.

[0055] In response to a determination that the user is permitted to use the cartridge (“Yes” at operation 620), the process 600A continues to operation 623. The operation 623 may include obtaining information indicating the amount of printing material in the first container. The operation 623 may include reading the cartridge data (e.g., tag data stored in the memory, the collected cartridge data 615, data stored in a cloud server), the cartridge data indicating the amount of printing material in the first container. In some examples, the operation 623 may include receiving a sensor reading from a first sensor in the first container to obtain the amount of printing material in the first container. The operation 623 may include obtaining information indicating the amount of printing material in the second container, and theinformation can be used to validate availability of printing material in the second container at operation 635. In some examples, the operation 623 may include receiving a sensor reading from a second sensor in the second container.

[0056] The process 600 A continues to operation 625. The operation 625 may include confirming that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a threshold amount. In some examples, the operation 625 may include comparing a sensor reading from a first sensor in the first container with a threshold amount (e.g., empty of printing material). In some examples, the operation 625 may include reading the memory to confirm that the amount of printing material in the first container is below a threshold amount or that the first container is empty of printing material.

[0057] In response to a determination that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a threshold amount or otherwise there is need to move printing material from a second container to the first container, the process 600 A continues to operation 635. The operation 635 may include validating availability of printing material in the second container. The operation 635 may include reading the memory to retrieve data associated with the amount of printing material in the second container. Operation 635 may include referring to information indicating the amount of printing material in the second container, the information (e.g., the cartridge data 615) obtained at various stages of the process 600A (e.g., 610, 623).

[0058] Responsive to a determination that printing material is available in the second container and the user is allowed to use the printing material, the process 600A continues to operation 638 of controlling, by the processor of the image forming apparatus, the cartridge to open the gate. In operation 640, the cartridge can be controlled by the processor of the image forming apparatus to open the gate between the first container and the second container of the cartridge to dispense printing material from the second container to the first container. The operation 640 may include dispensing the printing material based on the cartridge data. For example, the operation 640 may include reading the cartridge data to determine an amount of printing material to move from the second container to the first container, and based on the reading, dispensing the printing material. For example, the operation 640 may include opening the gate for a predetermined amount of time. For example, the operation 640 may include opening the gate until the first sensor in the first container or the second sensor in the second container reads a value corresponding to an indication of completion of the printing material transfer. For example, the operation 640 may include closing the gate when the first sensor reads a value indicating that the predetermined amount of printing material has beenmoved from the second container. For example, the operation 640 may include closing the gate when the second sensor reads a value indicating that the predetermined amount of printing material has been moved to the first container. In some examples, an updated amount of printing material can be stored in the memory of the cartridge and / or provided to the image forming apparatus.

[0059] In response to a completion of the printing material transfer, the process 600A continues to operation 645. The operation 645 may include operating image forming jobs (e.g., printing) until the first sensor reads a value indicating that the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold amount. The operation 645 can include receiving container data 648 (e.g., a sensor value) from the cartridge, the container data 648 indicating the amount of printing material in the first container. The operation 645 may include tracking and / or recording the amount of printing material in the first container of the cartridge and generating an alarm in response to a detection (e.g., by the first sensor) that the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold amount. In some examples, the operation 645 may include tracking the number of pages that that have been used for image forming jobs and generating an alarm in response to a detection that the number of pages that have been used is above a predetermined threshold number.

[0060] In response to a determination that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a threshold amount, the process 600A continues to operation 650. The operation 650 may include determining whether printing material is available in the second container. The processor can determine whether printing material is available in the second container based on data that has been provided (e.g., updated amount of printing material). In some examples, the processor can read the memory of the cartridge to access the amount of printing material in the second container of the cartridge, or can read a sensor reading of the second sensor in the second container of the cartridge. When printing material is not available (e.g., below a threshold amount) in the second container, the process 600 A continues to operation 650N (“No” at operation 650) and the processor can provide / di splay a message that printing material is not available in an additional container (e.g., the second container). In some examples, the message may include an instruction to remove the cartridge from the image forming apparatus. The process 600A can end with the operation 650N.

[0061] When printing material is available in the second container (“Yes” at operation 650), the process 600 A continues to operation 655 of determining whether the user has access to additional printing material (e.g., printing material in the second container). When the user has no access to additional printing material, the process 600 A continues to operation 655N(“No” at operation 655) and the processor can provide / display a message that the user does not have access to additional printing material. In some examples, in response to a determination that the user has no access to additional printing material, the operation 655N may include purging the first container, prior to or after removing the cartridge.

[0062] From the operation 655, the process 600A continues to operation 638 in response to a determination that the user has the access to additional printing material (“Yes” at operation 655). In operation 640, as discussed above, the cartridge can be controlled by the processor of the image forming apparatus to open the gate to dispense printing material from the second container to the first container. In some examples, the operation 640 may include dispensing a predetermined amount of printing material, the predetermined amount stored in the cartridge data. For example, the operation 640 may include opening the gate for a predetermined amount of time. In some examples, the operation 640 may include opening the gate until the first sensor in the first container or the second sensor in the second container reads a value corresponding to an indication of completion of the printing material transfer. For example, the operation 640 may include closing the gate when the first sensor reads a value indicating that the predetermined amount of printing material has been moved from the second container. For example, the operation 640 may include closing the gate when the second sensor reads a value indicating that the predetermined amount of printing material has been moved to the first container.

[0063] In response to a completion of the printing material transfer, the process 600A continues to operation 645. As discussed above, the operation 645 may include operating image forming jobs (e.g., printing) until the first sensor reads a value indicating that the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold amount. In some examples, the operation 645 may include tracking and / or recording the amount of printing material in the first container of the cartridge and generating an alarm in response to a detection (e.g., by the first sensor) that the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold amount. In some examples, the operation 645 may include tracking the number of pages that that have been used for image forming jobs and generating an alarm in response to a detection that the number of pages that have been used is above a predetermined threshold number.

[0064] In response to a determination that the amount of printing material in the first container is below the predetermined threshold amount, the process 600A continues to the operation 650 and can repeat the operations (e.g., operations 650-655-638-640-645) until the printingmaterial is not available (or below a threshold) in the second container or the user is not allowed to use additional printing material.

[0065] Referring now to FIG. 6B, the process 600B may be used when operating a server (e.g., a cloud server) to control the cartridge. In response to a detection of the installation of the cartridge (operation 605), in operation 610E, the processor of the image forming apparatus can access a server (e.g., a cloud server). The processor can access and read data (e.g., e-label, e-tag, etc.) stored in the server. In some examples, the operation 610E may include identifying the cartridge when detecting the installation of the cartridge (operation 605) and reading corresponding data in the server (e.g., e-label, e-tag, etc.). In reading the data stored in the server, the processor can be provided cartridge data 615 (e.g., stored as e-label, e-tag, etc.).

[0066] At the operation 620, in response to a determination that the user is permitted to use the cartridge, the process 600B continues to operation 623, followed by operation 630. The operation 630 includes confirming that the first container contains printing material available for image forming jobs (e.g., the first container contains printing material above a threshold). In some examples, the operation 630 may include receiving a sensor reading from the first sensor in the first container, the sensor reading associated with an amount of printing material in the first container. In some examples, the operation 630 may include referring to the cartridge data 615 from the server to confirm that the first container contains printing material and / or the amount of the printing material. In response to a determination that the first container contains printing material available for image forming jobs, the process 600B continues to operation 645.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 6B, the process 600B can include communicating, by the processor of the image forming apparatus, with the server in any operation of the process 600B, thereby transmitting, receiving, updating, any information associated with the image forming apparatus and / or the cartridge. As discussed above, the processor of the image forming apparatus can read data (e.g., e-label) (operation 610E) and receive the cartridge data 615 from the server. In some examples, in operation 623, in response to a determination that the first container contains printing material above a threshold, the processor can send and store data indicating a status (e.g., amount of printing material) of the first container in the server (e.g., stored as e-label, e-tag, etc.). In some examples, in operation 638, in response to controlling the cartridge to open the gate, the processor can send and store data indicating an updated amount of printing material in the first container and / or the second container in the server (e.g., stored as e-label, e-tag, etc.). In some examples, the processor can provide dataassociated with the image forming apparatus and the cartridge to the server, thereby generating a digital twin of the image forming apparatus and the cartridge.

[0068] FIG. 7 depicts a flow chart of an example process 700 for operating the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2. The process 700 can be performed on a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium), having computer-readable instructions stored thereon. The instructions can be executed by a processor associated with an image forming apparatus, and based on the instructions, the processor can perform the process 700. The process 700 can start with operation 710, by receiving information about an amount of printing material in a first container of a cartridge installed within the image forming apparatus. In response to a receipt of the information, the process 700 continues to operation 710 of authenticating the cartridge based on cartridge data associated with the cartridge. The operation 710 may include authenticating the user of the cartridge based on data included in the cartridge data. In response to authenticating the cartridge, the process 700 continues to operation 730 of controlling, based on the amount of the printing material in the first container, a gate of the cartridge to either move at least a portion of the printing material from a second container of the cartridge into the first container or prevent the printing material to move from the second container into the first container.

[0069] FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram of a system 800 for executing example computer- readable instructions 810, 820, 830 stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium 801 for operating the cartridge shown in FIG. 2. The system 800 includes a processor (e.g., the processor 160) and an image forming apparatus (e.g., the image forming apparatus 100) that are connected to execute the computer-readable instructions 810, 820, 830 stored on the non- transitory computer-readable medium 801. The instructions 810, 820, 830 can be executed by the processor (or in combination with a processor and / or a print engine of the image forming apparatus) associated with the image forming apparatus, and based on the instructions 810, 820, 830, the processor can operate the image forming apparatus. The instruction 810 can be executed to receive information about an amount of printing material in a first container of a cartridge installed within the image forming apparatus. In response to a receipt of the information, the instruction 820 can be executed to authenticate the cartridge based on cartridge data associated with the cartridge. In response to authenticating the cartridge, the instruction 830 can be executed to control, based on the amount of the printing material in the first container, a gate of the cartridge to either move at least a portion of the printing material from a second container of the cartridge into the first container or prevent the printing material to move from the second container into the first container.

[0070] One example is related to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine and a cartridge. The cartridge includes a first container to supply printing material to the print engine, a second container to supply printing material to the first container, and a gate to move between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the gate is to prevent the printing material in the second container from moving into the first container. In the open position, the gate is to allow at least a portion of the printing material in the second container to move into the first container. The cartridge includes a first sensor to detect an amount of the printing material in the first container. The image forming apparatus includes a memory to store cartridge data, and a processor to receive information about the amount of the printing material in the first container from the first sensor, authenticate the cartridge based on the cartridge data, and control the gate based on the authentication.

[0071] In some examples, the image forming apparatus includes a gate mechanism to move the gate between the closed position and the open position, the gate mechanism to be controlled by the processor to open and close the gate.

[0072] In some examples, the image forming apparatus includes a second sensor in the second container to detect an amount of the printing material in the second container.

[0073] In some examples, to control the gate, the processor receives an indication from at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor, the indication that a predetermined amount of the printing material has moved from the second container to the first container, wherein the processor closes the gate in response to receiving the indication.

[0074] In some examples, to control the gate, the processor receives an indication from the first sensor, the indication that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the processor opens the gate in response to the indication.

[0075] Another example is related to a cartridge. The cartridge includes a first container to supply printing material to a print engine, a second container to supply printing material to the first container, and a gate to move between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the gate is to prevent the printing material in the second container from moving into the first container. In the open position, the gate is to allow at least a portion of the printing material in the second container to move into the first container. The cartridge includes a first sensor to detect an amount of the printing material in the first container.

[0076] In some examples, the cartridge includes a second sensor in the second container to detect an amount of the printing material in the second container.

[0077] In some examples, the cartridge includes a first agitator in the first container and a second agitator in the second container. The first agitator and the second agitator are to stir the printing material in the first container and the second container, respectively.

[0078] In some examples, the gate is moved to the open position based at least in part on an authentication of the cartridge, the cartridge data, and the amount of the printing material in the first container.

[0079] In some examples, the cartridge data comprises at least one of: an amount of the printing material in the first container, an amount of the printing material in the second container, or an amount of the printing material allowed to move from the second container to the first container.

[0080] In some examples, the second container is larger in size than the first container.

[0081] Another example is related to a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor associated with an image forming apparatus cause the processor to receive information about an amount of printing material in a first container of a cartridge installed within the image forming apparatus, authenticate the cartridge based on cartridge data associated with the cartridge, and in response to authenticating the cartridge, control, based at least in part on the amount of the printing material in the first container, a gate of the cartridge to either move at least a portion of the printing material from a second container of the cartridge into the first container or prevent the printing material from moving from the second container into the first container.

[0082] In some examples, the cartridge data comprises at least one of the amount of printing material in the first container, or the amount of printing material in the second container.

[0083] In some examples, the computer-readable instructions cause the processor to determine that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold, determine that a user of the cartridge has access to additional printing material, in response to determining that the user has access to the additional printing material and authenticating the cartridge, open the gate to move the at least a portion of the printing material from the second container to the first container.

[0084] In some examples, the computer-readable instructions cause the processor to receive an indication from the first sensor that a predetermined amount of the printing material has moved from the second container into the first container in response to opening the gate, and close the gate in response to the indication.

[0085] It should be understood that examples described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each example should be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other examples. While examples have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.

[0086] The disclosure has been described above with reference to the various examples. However, it is to be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0087] The various illustrative logical blocks, circuits, modules, routines, and algorithm steps described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, or combinations of electronic hardware and computer software. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, or as firmware or software that runs on hardware, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionality can be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosure.

[0088] Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor device, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A control processor can synthesize a model for an FPGA. For example, the control processor can synthesize a model for logical programmable gates to implement a tensor array and / or a pixel array. The control channel can synthesize a model to connect the tensor array and / or pixel array on anFPGA, a reconfigurable chip and / or die, and / or the like. A general purpose processor device can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor device can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor device can include electrical circuitry to process computer-executable instructions. In another example, a processor device includes an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. A processor device can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although described herein primarily with respect to digital technology, a processor device may also include primarily analog components. For example, some or all the algorithms described herein may be implemented in analog circuitry or mixed analog and digital circuitry. A computing environment can include any type of computer system, including, but not limited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a device controller, or a computational engine within an appliance, to name a few.

[0089] The elements of a method, process, routine, or algorithm described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor device, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. An example storage medium can be coupled to the processor device such that the processor device can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor device. The processor device and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor device and the storage medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0090] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," "may," “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain examples include, while other examples do not include, certain features, elements and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or steps are in any way required for one or more examples or that one or more examples necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without other input or prompting, whether these features,elements and / or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular example. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

[0091] While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various examples, it can be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As can be recognized, certain examples described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others.

[0092] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being "operably connected," or "operably coupled," to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being "operably couplable," to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0093] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0094] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intendedas "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B." Further, unless otherwise noted, the use of the words “approximate,” “about,” “around,” “substantially,” etc., mean plus or minus ten percent.

[0095] The foregoing description of illustrative examples has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed examples.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a print engine; a cartridge, comprising: a first container to supply printing material to the print engine; a second container to supply printing material to the first container; a gate to move between a closed position and an open position, wherein: in the closed position, the gate is to prevent the printing material in the second container from moving into the first container; and in the open position, the gate is to allow at least a portion of the printing material in the second container to move into the first container; a first sensor to detect an amount of the printing material in the first container; and a memory to store cartridge data; and a processor to: receive information about the amount of the printing material in the first container from the first sensor; authenticate the cartridge based on the cartridge data; and control the gate based on the authentication.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, comprising a gate mechanism to move the gate between the closed position and the open position, the gate mechanism to be controlled by the processor to open and close the gate.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, comprising a second sensor in the second container to detect an amount of the printing material in the second container.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein to control the gate, the processor receives an indication from at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor, the indication indicating that a predetermined amount of the printing material has moved from the second container to the first container, wherein the processor closes the gate in responseto receiving the indication.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein to control the gate, the processor receives an indication from the first sensor, the indication indicating that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the processor opens the gate in response to the indication.

6. A cartridge, comprising: a first container to supply printing material to a print engine; a second container to supply printing material to the first container; a gate to move between a closed position and an open position, wherein: in the closed position, the gate is to prevent the printing material in the second container from moving into the first container; and in the open position, the gate is to allow at least a portion of the printing material in the second container to move into the first container; and a first sensor to detect an amount of the printing material in the first container.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, comprising a second sensor in the second container to detect an amount of the printing material in the second container.

8. The cartridge of claim 6, comprising: a first agitator in the first container; and a second agitator in the second container; wherein the first agitator and the second agitator are to stir the printing material in the first container and the second container, respectively.

9. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein: the gate is moved to the open position based at least in part on an authentication of the cartridge, the cartridge data, and the amount of the printing material in the first container.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the cartridge data comprises at least one of: an amount of the printing material in the first container; an amount of the printing material in the second container; or an amount of the printing material allowed to move from the second container to the first container.

11. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the second container is larger in size than the first container.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor associated with an image forming apparatus cause the processor to: receive information about an amount of printing material in a first container of a cartridge installed within the image forming apparatus; authenticate the cartridge based on cartridge data associated with the cartridge; and in response to authenticating the cartridge, control, based at least in part on the amount of the printing material in the first container, a gate of the cartridge to either move at least a portion of the printing material from a second container of the cartridge into the first container or prevent the printing material from moving from the second container into the first container.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the cartridge data comprises at least one of the amount of printing material in the first container or the amount of printing material in the second container.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer- readable instructions cause the processor to: determine that the amount of the printing material in the first container is below a predetermined threshold; determine that a user of the cartridge has access to additional printing material; and in response to authenticating the cartridge and determining that the user has accessto the additional printing material , open the gate to move the at least a portion of the printing material from the second container to the first container.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer- readable instructions cause the processor to: receive an indication from the first sensor that a predetermined amount of the printing material has moved from the second container into the first container in response to opening the gate; and close the gate in response to the indication.

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