JP7782129B2 - Image forming apparatus and initialization method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and an initialization method.

Image forming devices are equipped with consumables such as toner cartridges, drum cartridges, and ink cartridges. The consumables have a consumable memory. The consumable memory stores information about the lifespan of the consumables.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink cartridge equipped with a reset button for resetting the contents of the memory installed in the ink cartridge. The user manually activates the reset button to reset the contents of the memory.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-202900

To promote the recycling of consumables, it is necessary for users to be able to easily initialize consumable memory without going through complicated procedures.

The present disclosure aims to provide an image forming device that can easily initialize consumable memory.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a main body housing in which a consumable is installed, a controller, and a main body memory. The consumable memory included in the consumable stores lifespan information relating to the lifespan of the consumable. The controller executes a reception process for receiving an instruction to initialize the lifespan information, an initialization process for initializing the lifespan information stored in the consumable memory in accordance with the received instruction, and a write process for writing initialization information indicating that the lifespan information has been initialized into the consumable memory.

A second aspect is the image forming device of the first aspect, wherein the image forming device is equipped with a display, and the controller, in accordance with the instruction, executes a first display process that causes the display to display a first warning indicating that print quality will not be guaranteed if the lifespan information is initialized, and a first selection screen that allows the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information, and executes the initialization process when initialization is selected via the first selection screen.

A third aspect is an image forming device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the image forming device includes an operation unit, and the controller, in the reception process, receives the instruction to initialize the lifespan information via the operation unit.

A fourth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the initialization information is a count of initializations indicating the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized, and the controller further executes a determination process to determine whether the count of initializations of the lifespan information indicated by the initialization information has reached a predetermined upper limit, and if it is determined in the determination process that the count of initializations has reached the upper limit, the controller does not execute the initialization process.

A fifth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the consumable memory stores, as the lifespan information, 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.

A sixth aspect is the image forming device of the fifth aspect, in which the consumable is a toner cartridge, the consumable memory stores at least one of the number of prints, the number of rotations of the developing roller, and the amount of toner consumed as the consumption information, and the controller resets the value of the life information to zero during the initialization process.

A seventh aspect is an image forming device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, in which the consumable is a drum cartridge, the consumable memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets and the number of drum rotations as the consumption information, and the controller sets the value of the life information to zero during the initialization process.

An eighth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein the consumable is a cartridge containing printing material, the main memory or the consumable memory stores a value indicating the capacity of the cartridge, the consumable memory stores the remaining amount of printing material as the remaining amount information, and the controller rewrites the value of the remaining amount of printing material to the value indicating the capacity stored in the main memory or the consumable memory during the initialization process.

A ninth aspect is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the image forming apparatus is equipped with a display, the initialization information is a count of initializations indicating the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized, and the controller further executes a read process that reads the count of initializations from a consumable memory of a consumable attached to the main body housing, a detection process that detects that the attached consumable is a recycled product based on the read count of initializations being one or more, and a second display process that, in response to the detection of the recycled product, displays on the display a second warning that print quality cannot be guaranteed if the recycled product is used and a second selection screen that allows the user to select whether or not to use the recycled product.

A tenth aspect is the image forming device of the ninth aspect, wherein the controller further executes a permission process to permit printing using the recycled product when use is selected via the second selection screen.

An eleventh aspect is the image forming device of the ninth or tenth aspect, in which the controller further performs a storage process to store usage history information indicating that the recycled product has been used in the main body memory when use is selected via the second selection screen.

A twelfth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the main body memory stores mode information indicating whether the image forming device is in a contract mode, which means that a contract has been concluded with the image forming device, and the controller does not execute the reception process when the mode information indicates the contract mode.

A thirteenth aspect is an image forming device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the consumable memory stores type information indicating whether the consumable is a contracted consumable that can be used in a contracted image forming device, or a regular consumable that can be used in both a contracted image forming device and an uncontracted image forming device, and the controller, when the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable, further executes a change process to change the type information to the regular consumable in accordance with the instruction.

A fourteenth aspect is the image forming device of the thirteenth aspect, wherein the image forming device is equipped with a display, and the controller, when the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable, executes a third display process in accordance with the instruction to cause the display to display a third warning indicating that the contracted consumable will be recognized as a normal consumable when the lifespan information is initialized, and a third selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information, and executes the initialization process when initialization is selected via the third selection screen.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the initialization method of a fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure is an initialization method for initializing a consumable memory of a consumable, and includes: a receiving step in which the image forming device receives an instruction to initialize lifespan information related to the lifespan of the consumable stored in the consumable memory of the consumable attached to the main body housing of the image forming device; an initialization step in which the image forming device initializes the lifespan information stored in the consumable memory in accordance with the received instruction; and a writing step in which the image forming device writes initialization information indicating that the lifespan information has been initialized into the consumable memory.

A sixteenth aspect is the initialization method of the fifteenth aspect, and includes a first display step in which the image forming device displays, on a display of the image forming device, a first warning indicating that print quality will not be guaranteed if the lifespan information is initialized in accordance with the instruction, and a first selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information; and when initialization is selected via the first selection screen, the image forming device executes the initialization step.

A seventeenth aspect is the initialization method of the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect, wherein in the receiving step, the image forming device receives the instruction to initialize the lifespan information via an operation unit of the image forming device.

Aspect 18 is an initialization method according to any one of aspects 15 to 17, wherein the initialization information is an initialization count indicating the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized, and includes a determination step in which the image forming device determines whether the number of initializations of the lifespan information indicated by the initialization information has reached a predetermined upper limit, and if it is determined in the determination step that the number of initializations has reached the upper limit, the image forming device does not execute the initialization step.

A 19th aspect is an initialization method according to any one of the 15th to 18th aspects, wherein the consumable memory stores, as the lifespan information, 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.

A 20th aspect is the initialization method of the 19th aspect, in which the consumable is a toner cartridge, the consumable memory stores at least one of the number of prints, the number of rotations of the developing roller, and the amount of toner consumed as the consumption information, and in the initialization step, the image forming device sets the value of the consumption information to zero.

A 21st aspect is an initialization method according to the 19th or 20th aspect, in which the consumable is a drum cartridge, the consumable memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets and the number of drum rotations as the consumption information, and in the initialization step, the image forming device sets the value of the consumption information to zero.

A 22nd aspect is an initialization method according to any one of the 19th to 21st aspects, wherein the consumable is a cartridge containing printing material, a value indicating the capacity of the cartridge is stored in the main memory or the consumable memory of the image forming device, and the remaining amount of printing material is stored in the consumable memory as the remaining amount information, and in the initialization step, the image forming device rewrites the value of the remaining amount of printing material to the value indicating the capacity stored in the main memory or the consumable memory.

A 23rd aspect is an initialization method according to any one of aspects 15 to 22, wherein the initialization information is an initialization count indicating the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized, and includes a read step in which the image forming device reads the initialization count from the consumable memory of the consumable attached to the main body housing; a detection step in which the image forming device detects that the attached consumable is a recycled product based on the read initialization count being one or more; and a second display step in which the image forming device, in response to the detection of the recycled product, displays on the display of the image forming device a second warning indicating that print quality cannot be guaranteed if the recycled product is used and a second selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to use the recycled product.

A 24th aspect is the initialization method of the 23rd aspect, and includes an authorization step in which the image forming device authorizes printing using the recycled product when use is selected via the second selection screen.

A 25th aspect is an initialization method according to the 23rd or 24th aspect, and includes a storage step in which, when use is selected via the second selection screen, the image forming device stores usage history information indicating that the recycled product has been used in the main memory of the image forming device.

A 26th aspect is an initialization method according to any one of aspects 15 to 25, wherein mode information indicating whether the image forming device is in a contract mode, which means that a contract has been concluded with the image forming device, is stored in the main memory of the image forming device, and when the mode information indicates the contract mode, the image forming device does not execute the acceptance step.

A 27th aspect is an initialization method according to any one of the 15th to 26th aspects, wherein the consumable memory stores type information indicating whether the consumable is a contracted consumable that can be used in a contracted image forming device, or a normal consumable that can be used in a contracted image forming device and an uncontracted image forming device, and further includes a change step in which, if the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable, the image forming device changes the type information to the normal consumable in accordance with the instruction.

A 28th aspect is the initialization method of the 27th aspect, and includes a third display step in which, when the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable, the image forming device displays, on the display of the image forming device, a third warning indicating that the contracted consumable will be recognized as a normal consumable if the lifespan information is initialized in accordance with the instruction, and a third selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information; and when initialization is selected via the third selection screen, the image forming device executes the initialization step.

The image forming device according to each aspect of the present disclosure may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program for the image forming device, which causes the computer to operate as each unit (software element) of the image forming device, thereby realizing the image forming device on the computer, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

With the image forming device of the first aspect, a user can easily initialize the consumable memory using the image forming device.

With the image forming device of the second aspect, users can use the image forming device to initialize the consumables memory, knowing that print quality cannot be guaranteed for recycled products.

With the image forming device of the third aspect, the user can easily instruct the image forming device to initialize the consumable memory via the operation unit.

The image forming device of the fourth aspect prohibits the consumable memory from being initialized more than the permitted number of times, thereby preventing consumables from being recycled more than the permitted number of times.

The fifth aspect of the image forming device makes it possible to easily initialize at least one of the consumption information and remaining amount information stored in the consumables memory.

In the image forming device of the sixth aspect, consumption information for determining the cartridge's lifespan, such as the number of pages printed, the number of rotations of the developing roller, and the amount of toner consumed, is properly initialized for recycled toner cartridges. This avoids the inconvenience of being unable to properly determine the cartridge's lifespan after recycling because consumption information from before recycling remains.

In the seventh aspect of the image forming device, consumption information for determining the cartridge's lifespan, such as the number of printed pages and the number of drum rotations, is properly initialized for recycled drum cartridges. This avoids the inconvenience of being unable to properly determine the cartridge's lifespan after recycling because consumption information from before recycling remains.

In the image forming device of the eighth aspect, the remaining amount information of the recycled toner cartridge or ink cartridge, specifically the remaining amount of printing material consumed each time printing, is properly initialized. This avoids the inconvenience of not being able to properly determine the lifespan of the recycled cartridge because the remaining amount information (remaining amount of printing material) from before recycling remains.

With the image forming device of the ninth aspect, when using an image forming device equipped with a recycled product, the user can understand that recycled products are not covered by the warranty.

With the image forming device of the tenth aspect, the user can perform printing using recycled products only after understanding that recycled products are not covered by the warranty.

In the image forming device of the eleventh aspect, when a malfunction occurs in the image forming device, the controller can determine whether the malfunction is covered by the warranty based on whether a recycled product was used.

The image forming device of the twelfth aspect can prevent the lifespan information from being initialized on image forming devices for which a contract has been concluded.

The image forming device of the thirteenth aspect can prevent contract consumables from being recycled as contract consumables while promoting their recycling as normal consumables.

With the image forming device of the fourteenth aspect, the user can use the image forming device to initialize the consumables memory, understanding that when contracted consumables are initialized, they will be treated as normal consumables after being recycled.

Note that the initialization methods of the 15th to 28th aspects each achieve the same effects as the image forming device of any of the 1st to 14th aspects that corresponds to the initialization method of these aspects.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 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. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of usage history information stored in a main body memory. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of toner cartridge information stored in a toner memory. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of drum cartridge information stored in a drum memory. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the image forming apparatus in a recycling preparation phase. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow for displaying a standby screen. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for checking whether initialization is possible. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an initialization process. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the image forming apparatus in the recycled product use phase. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for reading cartridge information.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, an 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.

<Image Forming System Overview>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an image forming system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the image forming system 100, a printing service is provided from a business to a user's image forming device 1 based on a contract concluded between the business and the user. Hereinafter, a fixed-price printing service provided based on the contract will be referred to as a contract service. Printing performed by the image forming device 1 using the provided contract service will be referred to as contract printing to distinguish it from regular printing performed regardless of the contract. Regular printing performed regardless of the contract will be referred to as regular printing below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 100 includes multiple image forming devices 1, a server 8, and a user terminal 9. The image forming devices 1 used by users function as devices that perform normal printing, but as described below, when permission to use a contract service is granted, the image forming devices 1 can also function as devices that perform contract printing. The server 8 used by the business is a device for managing image forming devices 1 with which a contract has been concluded and permission to use the contract service has been granted. Hereinafter, an image forming device 1 with which a contract has been concluded and permission to use the contract service will be referred to as a contract machine. The user terminal 9 used by the user is a device that communicates with the server 8 to conclude and terminate a contract and perform other procedures. The user terminal 9 may be, for example, an information processing terminal with standard communication capabilities, such as a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone. The devices that make up the image forming system 100 can communicate with each other via a communication network such as the Internet.

The multiple image forming devices 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be image forming devices purchased by the same user, or may be image forming devices purchased by different users.

Each of the multiple image forming devices 1 is an image forming device that allows a user to enter into a contract with a business and use contract-specific consumables or replacement parts. For example, a contract is a mutual agreement between a business providing a contracted service and a user, where the contracted service's usage period, usage fee, maximum number of pages, etc. are agreed upon, and the business provides the contracted service to the user. In other words, the image forming device 1 of this embodiment is an image forming device that, after a contract for a contracted service has been concluded, is capable of performing contract printing, which is printing based on the contents of the concluded contract.

In the image forming system 100, the timing of (1) and (2) below may differ in the contracted services provided by the business to the user.

(1) The timing when the server 8 recognizes the image forming device 1 as a contract machine for which a contract has been concluded. (2) The timing when the server 8 considers that the use of the contract service has begun on the image forming device 1. In other words, in the case of a contract service, the server 8 may recognize the image forming device 1 as "a contract machine, but the use of the contract service has not yet begun."

Note that (1) "the server 8 recognizes the image forming device 1 as a contract machine" may be triggered by the image forming device 1 transitioning from a non-contract mode, which means that a contract has not been concluded, to a contract mode, which means that a contract has been concluded.

Furthermore, in (2), "considering that use of the contracted service has begun" simply means that the server 8 has recognized that "use of the contracted service began on a certain date and time." Therefore, the timing at which the server 8 considers use of the contracted service to have begun does not have to coincide with the timing at which the image forming device 1 actually performs contract printing.

In the following, unless otherwise specified, contracted services are assumed to be paid services. Furthermore, timing (1) is the timing when the server 8 recognizes the image forming device 1 as a contracted device, and does not trigger the start of billing, while timing (2) is the timing when billing begins.

In another example, the timing of (1) and (2) above may occur almost simultaneously. As one example, the installation of a cartridge (consumable) dedicated to the contract service and used for contract printing may trigger the occurrence of the above-mentioned (1) and (2). Hereinafter, a cartridge dedicated to the contract service and used for contract printing will be referred to as a contract cartridge. For example, the image forming device 1 reads specified information from the cartridge memory of the installed contract cartridge and transmits the specified information to the server 8. The server 8, having received the specified information from the image forming device 1, recognizes the image forming device 1 as a contract machine and considers that use of the contract service has begun on the image forming device 1.

The image forming device 1 is equipped with a display unit such as an LCD display or lamp, and an operation unit such as buttons. The LCD display may also be configured to function as an operation unit by being integrated with a touch panel.

<Structural Overview of Image Forming Apparatus 1>
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1 including the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 4, and the server 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming device 1 is composed of a main body housing 10 and a cover 11. Although not shown, the image forming device 1 may also be provided with a display unit such as an LCD display or lamp, and an input unit such as buttons. The LCD display may also be configured to function as an input unit by being integrated with a touch panel.

(Main body housing 10)
A toner cartridge 4 is attached to the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. As will be described in detail later, the toner cartridge 4 is attached to the drum cartridge 20, thereby becoming one with the drum cartridge 20. In other words, the toner cartridge 4 is attached to the drum cartridge 20, and then attached to the main body housing 10 together with the drum cartridge 20. This results in the image forming apparatus 1 including the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 4.

Note that the image forming device 1 of this embodiment requires the installation of four toner cartridges 4 in order to perform printing. That is, the image forming device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to install four drum cartridges 20 and four toner cartridges 4. However, the number of drum cartridges 20 and toner cartridges 4 installed in the image forming device 1 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2. For example, the image forming device 1 may be a monochrome printer that is able to install one drum cartridge 20 and one toner cartridge 4.

The toner cartridge 4 contains toner that is consumed by the image forming device 1 when printing. In other words, the toner cartridge 4 is a consumable item for the image forming device 1. The drum cartridge 20 also contains a photosensitive drum 21 that is used when the image forming device 1 prints. The drum cartridge 20 is also an example of a consumable item for the image forming device 1.

The main body housing 10 is, for example, in the shape of a rectangular box. The four drum cartridges 20, four toner cartridges 4, transfer belt 70, controller 61, main body memory 62, communication unit 63, operation unit 64, and 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. The display surface of the display 65 may also be provided on the outer surface of the main body housing 10 so that the user can visually recognize the displayed information.

The main body housing 10 has four cartridge holding sections 13. Each cartridge holding section 13 is recessed and has an opening. The drum cartridge 20 and toner cartridge 4 are attached to the main body housing 10 by being held in each cartridge holding section 13.

(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 shown by a solid line in Fig. 2 in which the opening 10A is opened, and a closed position shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 2 in which the opening 10A is closed. The rotation of the cover 11 opens and closes the opening 10A provided at the top end of the main body housing 10.

Note that the "first direction" refers to the direction in which the central axis of rotation (development axis) of the developing roller in the toner cartridge extends. When the cover 11 is positioned in the open position, each opening in the cartridge holding section 13 is open. When the cover 11 is positioned in the closed position, each opening in the cartridge holding section 13 is covered by the cover 11.

The main body housing 10 may be provided with a closing sensor (not shown) at the opening 10A. The closing sensor 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.

(Toner cartridge 4)
The toner cartridge 4 has a cartridge housing capable of containing a developing roller 41 and a developer (e.g., toner) as an example of printing material. The cartridge housing is attachable to the main body housing 10. The four toner cartridges 4 contain developers of different colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) as materials used to form images. The developer is a material that is consumed with use. The developing roller 41 is a cylindrical member extending in a first direction and is rotatable around a development axis extending in the first direction. When the toner cartridge 4 is attached to the drum cartridge 20, the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 41.

As shown in FIG. 3, the toner cartridge 4 also has a toner memory 42 (consumable memory). The toner memory 42 is located on one outer surface of the toner 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).

The toner memory 42 stores toner cartridge information 420, which is information related to the toner cartridge 4. The data structure of the toner cartridge information 420 will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

(Drum cartridge 20)
The drum cartridge 20 has a cartridge housing that can be attached to the main body housing 10. The cartridge housing 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 photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrical photosensitive element that extends in a first direction. The photosensitive drum 21 is rotatable around a drum axis that extends in the first direction. The outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is covered with a photosensitive material.

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

As shown in Figure 3, the drum memory 22 stores drum cartridge information 220, which is information related to the drum cartridge 20. The data structure of the drum cartridge information 220 will be described later with reference to Figure 6.

<Cartridge installation and printing mechanism>
2, the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 4 are attached to the main body 10 with the cover 11 in the open position. In this state, the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 4 are inserted into the cartridge holder 13 through the opening 10A.

The four light source units 50 are attached to the inner surface of the cover 11. When the drum cartridge 20 is installed in the main body housing 10 and the cover 11 is in the closed position, the light source units 50 are positioned facing the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. Each light source unit 50 also has multiple 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).

The light source unit 50 is electrically connected to the controller 61. The controller 61 causes the multiple light sources of the light source unit 50 to emit light in accordance with the 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.

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 requires replacement due to deterioration such as surface wear that occurs with use. The transfer belt 70 is a ring-shaped (endless belt) belt that can come into contact with the photosensitive drum 21. The outer surface of the photosensitive drum 21 can come into contact with the outer surface of the transfer belt 70. During printing, printing paper is transported between the transfer belt 70 and the photosensitive drum 21.

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.

<Internal structure of the main body>
The controller 61 includes, 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. 3, 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.

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

The controller 61 may also include a computer-readable recording medium, such as the main memory 62, that stores the 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 RAM (Random Access Memory) may also be used to expand the control program. The control program may also be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the control program (such as a communications network or broadcast waves). 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.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 has connectors 101 and 102. When the drum cartridge 20 is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 13 shown in FIG. 2, the connector 101 is electrically connected to the drum memory 22, allowing 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).

Furthermore, when the toner cartridge 4 is attached to the main body housing 10, the connector 102 is electrically connected to the toner memory 42, allowing the controller 61 to communicate with the toner memory 42 of the toner 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).

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:

Cartridge information 621 is information related to the cartridges installed in the image forming apparatus 1. Specifically, cartridge information 621 includes toner cartridge information 420 read from the toner memory 42 of the toner cartridge 4 of each color so that each toner cartridge 4 can be identified. 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. Toner cartridge information 420 includes, for example, lifespan information related to the lifespan of the toner cartridge 4. Drum cartridge information 220 includes, for example, lifespan information related to the lifespan of the drum cartridge 20. Details of the data structure of toner cartridge information 420 and drum cartridge information 220 stored as cartridge information 621 will be described later with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

In this embodiment, the cartridge information (drum cartridge information 220 and toner cartridge information 420) read from the memory of each cartridge is referenced by the controller 61 to accurately determine the cartridge status. By accurately understanding the cartridge status, the controller 61 can properly initialize the cartridge information so that the cartridge can be recycled appropriately.

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

Device ID 622 is identification information for identifying image forming device 1. Device ID 622 is, for example, the serial number of the image forming device.

Mode information 623 is information that indicates the operating mode of image forming device 1. In this embodiment, as an example, two types of modes are defined: "contract mode" and "non-contract mode." "Contract mode" means that image forming device 1 operates as a contract machine with a concluded contract on image forming system 100. "Non-contract mode" means that image forming device 1 does not operate as a contract machine, but as a normal image forming device with no concluded contract.

When the image forming device 1 is shipped, mode information 623 indicating a value corresponding to non-contract mode by default is stored in the main memory 62. The server 8 transmits a request including a contract transition instruction to the image forming device 1 of a contracted user, instructing the image forming device 1 to transition to contract mode. In accordance with the request from the server 8, the controller 61 changes the mode information 623 from non-contract mode to contract mode. In this embodiment, as an example, this change of the value of the mode information 623 by the controller 61 from non-contract mode to contract mode is referred to as a "transition to contract mode."

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

Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of the usage history information 624 stored in the main body memory 62 as a table. The cartridge ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the recycled cartridge installed in the image forming device 1. The recycled count is information that indicates the number of times the installed recycled cartridge has been recycled at the time the recycled cartridge was installed.

By referencing the usage history information 624 shown in Figure 4, the controller 61 can count not only the cartridge ID but also the number of times recycled when counting the number of recycled cartridges installed in the image forming device 1. In other words, for a single cartridge with the same cartridge ID, the controller 61 can count the number of times recycled separately, distinguishing between installation when the cartridge is installed the first time recycled and installation when the cartridge is installed the second time recycled.

The upper limit information 625 indicates the upper limit of the number of times a cartridge is allowed to be recycled. In this embodiment, a cartridge is prohibited from being recycled beyond the upper limit indicated in the upper limit information 625. For example, the controller 61 can compare the number of times a cartridge is recycled with the upper limit information 625, and control the initialization of cartridge information for recycling for cartridges that have reached the maximum number of times they can be recycled.

The first sheet counter 626 is the cumulative total number of sheets printed on the image forming device 1. The second sheet counter 627 indicates the number of printed sheets printed on the image forming device 1 using the contracted service. The second sheet counter 627 may be reset to 0 each time the image forming device 1 transitions from non-contracted mode to contracted mode, or it may be the cumulative total number of printed sheets printed on the image forming device 1 using the contracted service to date. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the value of the second sheet counter 627 will be taken to be the cumulative total number of sheets printed as contracted printing to date.

Specification information 628 is information indicating the specifications of the image forming device 1. In this embodiment, as an example, the image forming device 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 device 1 and consumables: for "EU (Europe)," "US (United States)," and "JP (Japan)." Specification information 628 indicates one of the above specifications.

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

The communication unit 63 communicates between the image forming device 1 and the server 8 via a communication network such as the Internet. The communication unit 63 outputs requests received from the server 8 to the controller 61. As an example, a "request" refers to various requests, instructions, inquiries, etc. sent from the server 8 in processing carried out in connection with a contract. The communication unit 63 returns the results of calculations and outputs by the controller 61 in response to the above-mentioned request to the server 8 as a "response." In this embodiment, the response sent by the communication unit 63 may be omitted. For example, if the request is an instruction to change various settings within the image forming device 1, the controller 61 changes the various settings within the image forming device 1 in accordance with the instruction. However, returning a notification that the settings have been changed to the server 8 via the communication unit 63 may be omitted.

<Server configuration>
The server 8 includes a server communication unit 83, a server memory 82, and a server control unit 81 (control unit). The server communication unit 83 is a communication interface that communicates between the server 8 and the image forming apparatus 1. The server communication unit 83 transmits a request input from the server control unit 81 to the image forming apparatus 1. The server communication unit 83 receives a response sent from the image forming apparatus 1 in response to the transmitted request, and outputs the response to the server control unit 81.

The server communication unit 83 also communicates with a user terminal 9 operated by a user of the image forming device 1 via a communication network, sending and receiving information to and from the user terminal 9. In this embodiment, the server communication unit 83 sends and receives various information necessary for concluding a contract to and from the user terminal.

The server memory 82 is a storage device that stores data necessary for the operation of the server 8. The server memory 82 stores device information 821 for each image forming device 1 that subscribes to the contracted service provided by the image forming system 100. The device information may include, for example, the device ID, contract flag, contracted maximum number of pages, model number of the image forming device 1, date of manufacture, etc.

The device ID 622 is identification information that allows the server 8 to uniquely identify the image forming device 1. The contract flag is information that indicates whether the image forming device 1 has transitioned to contract mode, i.e., whether it has been recognized as a contract machine. The contract maximum number of pages indicates the maximum number of pages that the image forming device 1 can print under the contract within a specified period of time as stipulated in the contract.

The server control unit 81 is a CPU that controls the server 8 overall. The server control unit 81 creates a request to the image forming device 1 at a predetermined timing and outputs the created request to the server communication unit 83.

In addition, the server control unit 81 stores new device information in the server memory 82 or updates already stored device information based on the response received from the image forming device 1 via the server communication unit 83.

<Data structure of cartridge information>
(Toner cartridge information)
5 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, specification information 424, type information 425, life information, and initialization information.

Lifespan information is information related to the lifespan of a consumable. For example, lifespan information includes at least one of consumption information, which specifies the extent to which the consumable has been used, and remaining amount information, which specifies 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 consumed, 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.

The toner cartridge information 420 for the toner cartridge 4 includes, as examples of lifespan information, the number of pages printed 426, the number of rotations of the developing roller 427, and the remaining toner amount 428 (amount of printing material remaining). In another example, the lifespan information may include a dot count. The initialization information indicates 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 recycles 429. The number of recycles 429 indicates the number of times the toner memory 42 has been initialized for recycling.

The various pieces of information listed above are merely examples of toner cartridge information 420. Other information may be added, or some of the above-mentioned information may be omitted as appropriate, depending on the environment or circumstances in which the image forming system 100 is configured.

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

Capacity information 422 is information indicating the volume of printing material that can be accommodated in toner cartridge 4. In this embodiment, as an example, four levels of capacity can be set for toner cartridge 4. More specifically, the capacities that can be set for toner cartridge 4 are "low capacity," "standard capacity," "high capacity," and "extra high capacity," in order from smallest to largest, and capacity information 422 indicates one of the above capacities.

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

Specification information 424 is information indicating the specifications of the toner cartridge 4. Like the main body of the image forming device 1, there are three specifications for the toner cartridge 4: for EU (Europe), US (United States), and JP (Japan). Specification information 424 indicates one of the above specifications.

Type information 425 is information indicating the type of toner cartridge 4. In this embodiment, at least two types of toner cartridge 4 can be set: "contract" and "commercial." Type information 425 indicates one of the above types.

The toner memory 42 of the contract cartridge stores type information 425 indicating the type "contract." The image forming device 1 can perform contract printing while the contract cartridge is installed. For example, contract cartridges are supplied by a business to users who have signed a contract for the image forming device 1.

The toner memory 42 of a commercially available toner cartridge 4 that can be purchased from a home appliance retailer or online shopping site stores stores type information 425 indicating the type "commercially available." Hereinafter, this type of toner cartridge will be referred to as a commercially available cartridge (normal consumables) to distinguish it from a contract cartridge (contract consumables). A commercially available cartridge may be a so-called genuine product manufactured by the manufacturer of the image forming device 1, or a so-called third-party product manufactured by a third party other than the manufacturer.

Number of printed sheets 426 (lifespan information, consumption information) is information indicating the number of sheets of paper printed by the image forming device 1 since the toner cartridge 4 was installed in the image forming device 1.

The developing roller rotation count 427 (lifespan information, consumption information) is information indicating the number of rotations of the developing roller 41 in the toner cartridge 4 that have occurred as printing has been performed since the toner cartridge 4 was installed in the image forming device 1.

Toner remaining amount 428 (lifespan information, remaining amount information) is information indicating the amount of toner remaining in toner cartridge 4. As an example, toner remaining amount 428 may be composed of values corresponding to multiple stages from full to empty. For example, toner remaining amount 428 may be a string such as "FULL" to "EMPTY," a numerical value such as "100%" to "0%," or a combination of a string and a numerical value.

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, as toner is consumed during use, a sensor (not shown) may optically measure the toner 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.

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

The recycling count 429 (initialization information) indicates the number of times (initialization count) that at least a portion of the information stored in the toner memory 42 of the toner cartridge 4 has been initialized in accordance with a user instruction. In this embodiment, initialization of the information in the toner memory 42 based on a user instruction is performed once for each recycling. Therefore, the "initialization count" in the toner memory 42 described above refers to the number of times the toner cartridge 4 has been recycled. If the recycling count 429 indicates a value less than 1, this means that the toner cartridge 4 has never been recycled. If the recycling count 429 indicates a value greater than or equal to 1, this means that the toner cartridge 4 is a recycled cartridge.

(Drum cartridge information)
6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of drum cartridge information 220 stored in the drum memory 22. The drum cartridge information 220 includes, for example, a drum ID 221, specification information 222, type information 223, lifespan information, and initialization information.

The drum cartridge information 220 for the drum cartridge 20 includes, as examples of lifespan information, the number of pages printed 224 and the number of drum rotations 225. As with the toner cartridge 4, the initialization information includes, as an example, the number of times recycled 226.

The various pieces of information listed above are merely examples of drum cartridge information 220. Other information may be added, or some of the above-mentioned information may be omitted as appropriate, depending on the environment or circumstances in which the image forming system 100 is configured.

The drum ID 221 is identification information for uniquely identifying the drum cartridge 20. As an example, the drum ID 221 is a serial number specific to the drum cartridge 20.

Specification information 222 is information indicating the specifications of the drum cartridge 20. Like the image forming device 1 and toner cartridge 4, the drum cartridge 20 also has three specifications: for EU (Europe), US (United States), and JP (Japan). Specification information 222 indicates one of the above specifications.

Type information 223 indicates the type of drum cartridge 20. As with toner cartridges 4, at least two types can be set for drum cartridges 20: "contract" and "commercial." Type information 223 indicates one of the above types.

Number of printed sheets 224 (lifespan information, consumption information) is information indicating the number of sheets of paper printed by the image forming device 1 since the drum cartridge 20 was installed in the image forming device 1.

The drum rotation count 225 (lifespan information, consumption information) is information indicating the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 21 in the drum cartridge 20 that have occurred as printing has been performed since the drum cartridge 20 was installed in the image forming device 1.

The recycling count 226 (initialization information) indicates the number of times (initialization count) that at least a portion of the information stored in the drum memory 22 of the drum cartridge 20 has been initialized in accordance with a user instruction. Initialization of the information in the drum memory 22 based on a user instruction is performed once for each recycling. Therefore, the above-mentioned "number of initializations" in the drum memory 22 directly indicates the number of times the drum cartridge 20 has been recycled. If the recycling count 226 indicates a value less than 1, this means that the drum cartridge 20 has never been recycled. If the recycling count 226 indicates a value greater than or equal to 1, this means that the drum cartridge 20 is a recycled cartridge.

Next, the flow of processing executed by the controller 61 of the image forming device 1 will be explained with reference to a flowchart. The processing executed by the controller 61 can be broadly divided into a recycle preparation phase and a recycle use phase. In the recycle preparation phase, the controller 61 executes various processes necessary to initialize the cartridge information stored in the consumables memory. In the recycle use phase, the controller 61 executes various processes necessary to use a recycle cartridge when it is installed in the image forming device 1.

<Processing flow of the recycling preparation phase>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the image forming apparatus 1 in the recycle preparation phase. The recycle preparation phase includes processing for initializing cartridge information stored in the consumables memory in accordance with a user instruction. The series of processing steps shown in FIG. 7 are executed by the controller 61. The recycle preparation phase will be described below using an example in which a toner cartridge 4 is recycled. Therefore, in the initialization processing, initializing the toner memory 42 is merely an example. The controller 61 can also execute processing for initializing the drum memory 22 in accordance with a user instruction.

In step S101, the controller 61 displays a standby screen on the display 65. The standby screen is, for example, a screen that is displayed while the image forming apparatus 1 is waiting to print. The standby screen may be displayed, for example, when the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on or when it returns from a sleep state. The standby screen includes user interface components (hereinafter referred to as UI components) that cause the image forming apparatus 1 to execute various operations. The UI components may be configured, for example, as software buttons that the user can select by operating the operation unit 64. In this embodiment, as an example, the standby screen includes a first UI component that instructs the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 stored in the toner memory 42. The detailed processing flow of step S101 will be described later with reference to a separate diagram.

In step S102 (reception process, reception step), the controller 61 detects that the user has instructed initialization of the toner cartridge information 420. For example, the controller 61 may detect that the operation unit 64, which is a hardware button meaning "OK," has been pressed while the first UI component on the standby screen is selected. Alternatively, the controller 61 may detect that the first UI component has been touched via the operation unit 64, which is configured as a touch panel integrated with the display 65. When the controller 61 detects that the user has instructed initialization as described above, it advances the process from YES in S102 to S103.

Although not shown in the figure, if another UI component instructing another operation is selected on the standby screen, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in S102 to a step in which the operation in accordance with the instruction is executed.

In step S103 (first display process, first display step), the controller 61 displays an initialization selection screen (first selection screen) on the display 65. The initialization selection screen includes a first warning to inform the user that print quality cannot be guaranteed if the toner cartridge information 420, particularly the lifespan information, is initialized. Furthermore, the initialization selection screen includes a second UI component that allows the user to select whether or not to initialize the toner cartridge information 420, including the lifespan information. As an example, the second UI component is configured with a button corresponding to "Initialize," which indicates that the user wishes to initialize the lifespan information, and a button corresponding to "Do not initialize," which indicates that the user does not wish to initialize the lifespan information. The second UI component is configured to allow the user to select either of the above buttons. The user's selection operation may be performed via either a hardware button or a software button.

In step S104, the controller 61 determines which button of the second UI component has been selected. If the controller 61 determines that the "Initialize" button has been selected, the process proceeds from YES in S104 to S105. If the controller 61 determines that the "Do not initialize" button has been selected, the process proceeds to NO in S104, ending the series of processes. The controller 61 may return from NO in S104 to S101 and display a standby screen on the display 65.

When the user selects the "Initialize" button, it means that the user agrees to the contents of the first warning and wishes to initialize the toner cartridge information 420 for recycling. In this embodiment, the user's agreement to the contents of the first warning allows the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420.

In step S105, the controller 61 displays a capacity selection screen on the display 65. The capacity selection screen is a screen that includes UI components that allow the user to select the capacity of the recycled toner cartridge 4. As an example, via the capacity selection screen, the user can select the capacity of the recycled toner cartridge 4 from the four levels described above.

In step S106, the controller 61 waits for the user to select a capacity via the capacity selection screen.

In step S107, the controller 61 may accept an instruction to cancel the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 while waiting for the capacity to be selected. If the controller 61 accepts the above-mentioned instruction to cancel without the capacity being selected, the process proceeds from NO in S106 to YES in S107, ending the series of processes.

When the controller 61 receives the capacity selection, it temporarily stores the selected capacity in the main memory 62 and proceeds from YES in S106 to S108.

Note that steps S105 to S107 are omitted for toner cartridges 4 whose capacity is fixed and whose capacity cannot be changed each time they are recycled.

In step S108, the controller 61 displays a color selection screen on the display 65. The color selection screen is a screen that includes UI components that allow the user to select the color of toner to be filled into the recycled toner cartridge 4. As an example, the user can select the color of the recycled toner cartridge 4 from the four colors described above via the color selection screen.

In step S109, the controller 61 waits for the user to select a color via the color selection screen.

In step S110, the controller 61 may accept an instruction to cancel the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 while waiting for a color to be selected. If the controller 61 accepts the above-mentioned instruction to cancel without a color being selected, the process proceeds from NO in S109 to YES in S110, ending the series of processes.

When the controller 61 accepts a color selection, it temporarily stores the selected color in the main body memory 62 and proceeds from YES in S109 to S111.

Note that steps S108 to S110 are omitted for toner cartridges 4 that have a fixed color and cannot have the color of toner refilled each time they are recycled.

Furthermore, the controller 61 may execute steps S105 to S107 after executing steps S108 to S110.

In step S111, the controller 61 checks whether the toner cartridge information 420 can be initialized. Specifically, the controller 61 communicates with the toner cartridge 4 to read the latest toner cartridge information 420 and checks whether the toner cartridge 4 meets the recycling requirements. If the toner cartridge 4 meets the recycling requirements, initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 is permitted. The detailed processing flow of step S111 will be described in detail later with reference to a separate diagram.

In step S112, the controller 61 determines whether or not an error was detected during the check process in step S111 described above. If no error is detected, the controller 61 determines that the toner cartridge information 420 can be initialized, and proceeds from NO in S112 to S113. On the other hand, if an error is detected, the controller 61 determines that the toner cartridge information 420 cannot be initialized, and proceeds from YES in S112 to S115.

In step S113 (initialization process, initialization step), the controller 61 initializes the toner cartridge information 420 stored in the toner memory 42. The initialization process for initializing the toner cartridge information 420 may include, for example, resetting lifespan information (e.g., number of printed pages 426 and number of development roller rotations 427) to zero. Furthermore, the initialization process may include rewriting lifespan information (e.g., remaining toner amount 428) to an initial value (specifically, the FULL value for the selected capacity).

In addition to the initialization process described above, in S113, the controller 61 may also execute a process of changing the capacity information 422 and color information 423 to the capacity and color selected by the user. The controller 61 may also execute a process of incrementing the recycle count 429 by one (write process, write step). The detailed process flow of step S113 will be described in detail later with reference to a separate diagram.

In step S114, the controller 61 determines whether or not an error was detected during the initialization process in step S113 described above. If no error is detected, the controller 61 determines that the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 was successful, proceeds to NO in S114, and ends the series of processes. After the initialization is successful, the controller 61 may display an initialization success screen on the display 65 to notify the user that the initialization was successful. On the other hand, if an error is detected, the controller 61 determines that the initialization of the toner cartridge information 420 failed, and proceeds from YES in S114 to S115.

In step S115, the controller 61 causes the display 65 to display an error screen to notify the user that the toner cartridge information 420 has not been initialized. The controller 61 may display different content for the first error screen, which is triggered by a YES result in S112, and the second error screen, which is triggered by a YES result in S114. For example, the first error screen may include a message indicating that initialization is not possible because the toner cartridge 4 does not meet the recycling requirements. Furthermore, for example, the second error screen may include a message notifying the user that the writing operation to the toner memory 42 did not end normally, and a message urging the user to check the installation status of the toner cartridge 4.

(Processing to display the standby screen)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for displaying the standby screen, which corresponds to step S101 shown in FIG.

In step S201, the controller 61 detects an event that triggers the process of displaying the standby screen, such as when the power is turned on. When the controller 61 detects the trigger, it advances the process from YES in S201 to S202.

In step S202, the controller 61 reads the mode information 623 stored in the main body memory 62. The mode information 623 indicates whether the image forming device 1 is in contract mode or non-contract mode, and the mode information 623 determines whether the image forming device 1 is a contract machine.

In step S203, the controller 61 determines whether the mode information 623 indicates contract mode or non-contract mode. If the mode information 623 indicates non-contract mode, i.e., if the image forming device 1 is not a contract machine, the controller 61 proceeds from YES in S203 to S204. If the mode information 623 indicates contract mode, i.e., if the image forming device 1 is a contract machine, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in S203 to S205.

In step S204, the controller 61 causes the display 65 to display a standby screen so that cartridge information can be initialized using a non-contract image forming device 1. Specifically, the controller 61 causes the display 65 to display a standby screen that displays a menu button that instructs the user to initialize cartridge information, for example, a first UI component that instructs the user to initialize toner cartridge information 420, so that the user can select it.

In step S205, the controller 61 uses the contract image forming device 1 to display a standby screen on the display 65 so that the cartridge information cannot be initialized. Specifically, the controller 61 displays a standby screen on the display 65 in which the menu button for instructing the initialization of the cartridge information is not displayed, or is displayed in a manner that makes it unselectable. In other words, in a contract image forming device, the controller 61 is configured not to accept initialization instructions.

The above method makes it possible to easily initialize the consumable memory on non-contracted image forming devices 1, contributing to the promotion of recycling. Meanwhile, contracted devices are prevented from using recycled cartridges as contracted cartridges. This prevents situations in which print quality cannot be guaranteed on contracted image forming devices 1. In other words, the added value of the subscription service, namely guaranteed print quality, is not lost.

(Process to check whether initialization is possible)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process for checking whether initialization is possible, which corresponds to step S111 shown in FIG.

In step S301, the controller 61 attempts to communicate with a consumable memory, for example, the toner memory 42. If the controller 61 determines that it cannot communicate with the toner memory 42, for example, that it cannot read information from the toner memory 42, it advances processing from NO in S301 to S302. If the controller 61 determines that it can communicate with the toner memory 42, it advances processing from YES in S301 to S303.

In step S302, the controller 61 outputs an error and does not allow initialization.

In step S303, the controller 61 authenticates the toner cartridge 4. The method for authenticating the toner cartridge 4 is not particularly limited. For example, if the model number of the toner cartridge 4 corresponds to the model number of the image forming device 1, the controller 61 may determine that authentication of the toner cartridge 4 was successful. On the other hand, if the model number of the toner cartridge 4 does not correspond to the model number of the image forming device 1, the controller 61 may determine that authentication of the toner cartridge 4 failed.

If the controller 61 is able to authenticate the toner cartridge 4, it proceeds from YES in S303 to S304. On the other hand, if the controller 61 is unable to authenticate the toner cartridge 4, it proceeds from NO in S303 to S302. In another example, the controller 61 may omit the processing of S303.

In step S304, the controller 61 reads the specification information 424 from the toner memory 42.

In step S305, the controller 61 determines whether the read specification information 424 matches the specification information 628 of the image forming device 1 stored in the main body memory 62. If the two pieces of specification information match, the controller 61 proceeds from YES in S305 to S306. On the other hand, if the two pieces of specification information do not match, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in S305 to S302. In another example, the controller 61 may omit the processes of S304 and S305.

In step S306, the controller 61 reads the type information 425 from the toner memory 42.

In step S307, the controller 61 determines whether the read type information 425 indicates the type "contract" or the type "commercial." If the type information 425 indicates the type "contract," the controller 61 advances the process from YES in S307 to S308. If the type information 425 indicates "commercial," the controller 61 advances the process from NO in S307 to S309.

In step S308 (third display process, third display step), the controller 61 determines whether the user has agreed to the toner cartridge 4, which is a contract cartridge, being recycled as a commercially available cartridge.

As an example, the controller 61 displays an initialization selection screen (third selection screen) for the contract cartridge on the display 65. The initialization selection screen includes a third warning to inform the user that once the toner cartridge information 420 of the contract cartridge, particularly the lifespan information, has been initialized, the contract cartridge will thereafter be recognized as a commercially available cartridge. Furthermore, the initialization selection screen includes a second UI component that allows the user to select whether or not to initialize the toner cartridge information 420, including the lifespan information. As described above, the second UI component is composed of a button corresponding to "Initialize," which means that the user wishes to initialize the lifespan information, and a button corresponding to "Do not initialize," which means that the user does not wish to initialize the lifespan information. The second UI component is configured to allow the user to select either of the above buttons. The user's selection operation may be performed via either a hardware button or a software button.

In the above example, if the button corresponding to "Initialize" is selected, the controller 61 determines that the user has agreed to the contract cartridge being recycled as a commercially available cartridge. In this case, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in S308 to S309.

On the other hand, if the button corresponding to "Do not initialize" is selected, the controller 61 determines that the user does not agree. In this case, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in S308 to S302.

In step S309, the controller 61 reads the recycling count 429 from the toner memory 42.

In step S310 (determination process, determination step), the controller 61 compares the read recycling count 429 (number of initializations) with the upper limit information 625 (maximum number of times) stored in the main body memory 62. That is, the controller 61 checks whether the recycling count 429 has reached the upper limit indicated by the upper limit information 625. If the recycling count 429 is equal to or greater than the upper limit, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in S310 to S302. In other words, exceeding the upper limit number of recyclings and initializing the toner cartridge information 420 is prohibited. On the other hand, if the recycling count 429 is less than the upper limit, the controller 61 advances the process from NO in S310 to S311.

In step S311, the controller 61 determines that the toner cartridge 4 meets the recycling requirements and allows the toner cartridge information 420 to be initialized.

(Process to initialize cartridge information)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the initialization process corresponding to step S113 shown in FIG.

In step S401 (initialization process, initialization step), the controller 61 initializes the number of printed sheets 426 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 resets the number of printed sheets 426, which has been counted up to a predetermined number, to zero. If the target of initialization is the drum memory 22, the controller 61 resets the number of printed sheets 224 stored in the drum memory 22 to zero.

In step S402 (initialization process, initialization step), the controller 61 initializes the developing roller rotation count 427 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 resets the developing roller rotation count 427, which has been counted up to a predetermined number of rotations, to zero. If the target of initialization is the drum memory 22, the controller 61 resets the drum rotation count 225 stored in the drum memory 22 to zero.

In step S403 (initialization process, initialization step), the controller 61 initializes the remaining toner amount 428 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 returns the remaining toner amount 428, which has been reduced as toner is consumed, to its initial value. In other words, the controller 61 returns the remaining toner amount 428 to the FULL value (value indicating the cartridge capacity) of the capacity selected in step S106 of FIG. 7. The FULL value corresponding to each capacity may be pre-stored in the main memory 62 or in the toner memory 42.

In step S404, the controller 61 changes the capacity information 422 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 rewrites the capacity information 422 to indicate the capacity selected in step S106 of FIG. 7.

In step S405, the controller 61 changes the color information 423 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 rewrites the color information 423 to indicate the color selected in step S109 of FIG. 7.

Note that if the initialization target is drum memory 22, steps S403 to S405 are omitted.

In step S406 (change processing, change step), the controller 61 changes the type information 425 stored in the toner memory 42. Specifically, the controller 61 changes the type information 425 from "contract" to "commercial" so that the toner cartridge 4 will be recognized as a commercially available cartridge rather than a contract cartridge after recycling. If the drum memory 22 is to be initialized, the controller 61 changes the type information 223 stored in the drum memory 22.

Note that in the checking process shown in FIG. 9, if the result of step S308 is YES, the controller 61 executes the process of step S406 described above. If the result of step S308 is not YES, step S406 is omitted.

In step S407 (writing process, writing step), the controller 61 increments the recycle count 429 stored in the toner memory 42 by one. If the target of initialization is the drum memory 22, the controller 61 increments the recycle count 226 stored in the drum memory 22 by one.

In step S408, the controller 61 determines whether the read operation from the toner memory 42 and the write operation to the toner memory 42 were successful. If all read and write operations were successful, the controller 61 proceeds to YES in S408 and ends the series of initialization processes. On the other hand, if the read or write operation failed in any of the above steps, the controller 61 proceeds from NO in S408 to S409.

In step S409, the controller 61 outputs an error because it was unable to initialize the toner cartridge information 420.

<Processing flow of the recycled product use phase>
11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the image forming apparatus 1 in the recycled product use phase. The series of processing shown in FIG. 11 is executed by the controller 61. The following describes, as an example, the case where a recycled toner cartridge 4 is used.

In step S501, the controller 61 detects that the power has been turned on. When the power has been turned on, the controller 61 advances the process from YES in S501 to S503.

In step S502, the controller 61 detects whether the cover 11 is open or closed. If the controller 61 detects whether the cover 11 is open or closed, the process advances from YES in S502 to S503.

In step S503 (reading process, reading step), the controller 61 reads the toner cartridge information 420 from the toner memory 42 of the toner cartridge 4 electrically connected via the connector 102. The detailed processing flow of step S503 will be described in detail later with reference to a separate diagram.

In step S504 (detection process, detection step), the controller 61 determines whether the recycle count 429 read in S503 is greater than zero. If the recycle count 429 is greater than zero, for example, if it is one or more times, the controller 61 detects that the toner cartridge 4 installed in the image forming device 1 is a recycled cartridge. The controller 61 then advances processing from YES in S504 to S505. If the recycle count 429 is less than one time, for example, if it is zero or less, the controller 61 determines that the toner cartridge 4 installed in the image forming device 1 is not a recycled cartridge, and advances processing from NO in S504 to S508.

In step S505 (second display process, second display step), the controller 61 displays a usage selection screen (second selection screen) on the display 65. The usage selection screen includes a second warning to inform the user that print quality cannot be guaranteed if a recycled cartridge is used as a consumable. Furthermore, the usage selection screen includes a third UI component that allows the user to select whether or not to use a recycled cartridge for printing. As an example, the third UI component is configured with a button corresponding to "Use," which means that the user wishes to use a recycled cartridge, and a button corresponding to "Do not use," which means that the user does not wish to use a recycled cartridge. The third UI component is configured to allow the user to select either of the above buttons. The user's selection operation may be performed via either a hardware button or a software button.

In step S506, the controller 61 determines which button of the third UI component has been selected. If the controller 61 determines that the "Use" button has been selected, the process proceeds from YES in S506 to S507. If the controller 61 determines that the "Do not use" button has been selected, the process proceeds from NO in S506 to S509.

When the user selects the "Use" button, it means that the user agrees to the contents of the second warning and wishes to print using a recycled cartridge. In this embodiment, because the user agrees to the contents of the second warning, the controller 61 permits printing using toner cartridge 4 in step S506 (permission processing, permission step).

In step S507 (storage process, storage step), the controller 61 stores in the main body memory 62 usage history information 624 indicating that the recycled toner cartridge 4 has been used in the image forming device 1. If the usage history information 624 has already been stored in the main body memory 62, the controller 61 may update the usage history information 624.

In step S508, the controller 61 activates each part of the printing mechanism of the image forming device 1, transitioning the image forming device 1 to a state where printing can be performed immediately at any time.

In step S509, the controller 61 displays an error screen on the display 65. The error screen displayed in S509 may indicate the reason for the error and how to resolve the error. For example, the error screen may include a message indicating that a recycled cartridge that the user has not agreed to use has been installed as the reason for the error. As an example, the above error can be resolved by turning the power off and on again, or by opening and closing the cover 11 again. The error screen may include a message explaining how to resolve the above error.

As shown, the processes in steps S504 to S507 and S509 may be executed each time the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on or each time the opening or closing of the cover 11 is detected.

In another example, steps S504 to S507 and S509 may be performed only once when the recycled cartridge is first installed. Thereafter, steps S504 to S507 and S509 may be omitted as appropriate as long as the recycled cartridge remains installed without being removed. For example, the controller 61 can determine whether the installed recycled cartridge has already been approved by the user by referencing the usage history information 624 stored in the main body memory 62. If the toner ID of the installed recycled cartridge is included in the usage history information 624, the controller 61 can determine that the user has already approved the recycled cartridge. The controller 61 can then omit steps S504 to S507 and S509 for the recycled cartridge.

(Processing to read cartridge information)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process of reading cartridge information, which corresponds to S503 shown in FIG.

In step S601 (reading process, reading step), the controller 61 reads the recycling count 429 from the toner memory 42. If the recycled cartridge is a drum cartridge 20, the controller 61 reads the recycling count 226 from the drum memory 22.

In step S602, the controller 61 reads the number of printed pages 426 from the toner memory 42. If the recycled cartridge is a drum cartridge 20, the controller 61 reads the number of printed pages 224 from the drum memory 22.

In step S603, the controller 61 reads the developing roller rotation count 427 from the toner memory 42. If the recycled cartridge is a drum cartridge 20, the controller 61 reads the drum rotation count 225 from the drum memory 22.

In step S604, the controller 61 reads the remaining toner amount 428 from the toner memory 42. If the recycled cartridge is a drum cartridge 20, S604 is skipped.

The controller 61 can execute the above steps S601 to S604 in any order. The controller 61 may also execute a step of reading the toner ID 421 as necessary.

(Variation 1)
The developing roller 41 of the first embodiment may be provided in the toner cartridge 4 or in the drum cartridge 20, as long as the function described in the first embodiment can be realized. In addition, in the first embodiment, the toner cartridge 4 is inserted into the opening of the cartridge holding portion 13 together with the drum cartridge 20 while attached to the drum cartridge 20. That is, in the first embodiment, the toner cartridge 4 and the drum cartridge 20 are separate cartridges. However, the toner cartridge 4 and the drum cartridge 20 may be integrated into a single cartridge.

(Variation 2)
The image forming apparatus 1 may be an inkjet printer. When the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer, ink cartridges are installed in the cartridge holding unit 13 of the image forming apparatus 1, instead of the drum cartridge 20 and toner cartridge 4 described in the first embodiment. The number of ink cartridges installed in the image forming apparatus 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may be installed with a total of four ink cartridges, one for each of the four colors, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, or may be installed with only one ink cartridge, one for the color black.

An ink cartridge includes a cartridge housing filled with ink, which is the printing material, and an ink memory that stores ink cartridge information. The ink cartridge information includes, for example, the ink ID, capacity information, color information, specification information, type information, number of prints (lifespan information), remaining ink amount (lifespan information), and the number of times the cartridge can be recycled.

The ink ID is identification information for the ink cartridge and is included in the ink cartridge information in place of the toner ID 421 in embodiment 1. The remaining ink amount is information indicating the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge and is included in the ink cartridge information in place of the remaining toner amount 425 in embodiment 1. The capacity information, color information, specification information, type information, number of prints, and number of recycling cycles are each information equivalent to the information of the same name in the toner cartridge information 420 in embodiment 1, with "toner" replaced with "ink" and "toner cartridge" replaced with "ink cartridge" in the toner cartridge information 420.

The ink cartridge housing may be equipped with an agitator for stirring the ink. The agitator operates in response to instructions from the controller 61 when the ink cartridge is installed in the image forming device 1.

Even if the image forming device 1 is an inkjet printer, the process flow shown in each flowchart described in embodiment 1 is the same. Specifically, if the image forming device 1 is an inkjet printer, the "toner cartridge 4," "toner memory 42," and "toner cartridge information 420" in embodiment 1 can be replaced with "ink cartridge," "ink memory," and "ink cartridge information," respectively. Furthermore, the various pieces of information included in the toner cartridge information 420 in embodiment 1 can be replaced with 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 this modified example, the image forming device 1 may omit the various processes related to the developing roller rotation count 427. The image forming device 1 of this modified example achieves the same effects as the image forming device 1 of embodiment 1.

(Variation 3)
The printing material of the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to paper. For example, the printing substrate may be tape. When the printing substrate is tape, a tape cassette that supplies tape is installed in the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 prints on the tape fed from the tape cassette. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 may be a laser printer or an inkjet printer.

(Variation 4)
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.

[Software implementation example]
The functions of the image forming apparatus 1 can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the image forming apparatus 1, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block (particularly the controller 61) of the image forming apparatus 1.

In this case, the image forming device 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 of the functions described in each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

The program may be stored non-temporarily on one or more computer-readable storage media. The image forming device 1 may or may not have the storage media. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the image forming device 1 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the above-mentioned control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, integrated circuits incorporating logic circuits that function as the above-mentioned control blocks are also included in the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the functions of the above-mentioned control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

Furthermore, each process described in the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI may run on the above-mentioned control device, or on another device (such as an edge computer or cloud server).

This 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 this disclosure.

1 Image forming device, 4 Toner cartridge (consumable), 10 Main body housing, 11 Cover, 20 Drum cartridge (consumable), 22 Drum memory (consumable memory), 42 Toner memory (consumable memory), 61 Controller, 62 Main body memory, 64 Operation unit, 65 Display unit, 100 Image forming system, 220 Drum cartridge information (cartridge information), 223 Type information, 224 Number of prints (lifespan information, consumption information), 225 Drum rotation count (lifespan information, consumption information), 226 Number of recycling attempts (initialization information), 420 Toner cartridge information (cartridge information), 425 Type information, 426 Number of prints (lifespan information, consumption information), 427 Development roller rotation count (lifespan information, consumption information), 428 Remaining toner amount (lifespan information, remaining amount information), 429 Number of recycling attempts (initialization information), 623 Mode information, 624 Usage history information, 625 Upper limit information (upper limit number)

Claims (28)

An image forming apparatus,
The device comprises a main body housing in which consumables are mounted, a controller, and a main body memory;
a consumable memory provided in the consumable stores life information relating to the life of the consumable;
The controller
a receiving process for receiving an instruction to initialize the lifespan information;
an initialization process for initializing the lifespan information stored in the consumables memory in accordance with the received instruction;
and a write process for writing initialization information indicating that the life information has been initialized into the consumable memory. the image forming device includes a display;
The controller
executes a first display process in accordance with the instruction to display on the display a first warning that print quality will not be guaranteed if the lifespan information is initialized, and a first selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initialization process is executed when initialization is selected via the first selection screen. the image forming apparatus includes an operation unit,
The controller
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instruction to initialize the life information is received via the operation unit in the reception process. the initialization information is an initialization count representing the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized,
The controller further comprises:
executes a determination process to determine whether the number of initializations of the lifespan information indicated by the initialization information has reached a predetermined upper limit number of times;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initialization process is not executed when it is determined in the determination process that the number of initializations has reached the upper limit number. An image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the consumable memory stores, as the lifespan information, 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. the consumable product is a toner cartridge,
The consumables memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets, the number of rotations of the developing roller, and the amount of toner consumed as the consumption information,
The controller
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the value of the consumption information is set to zero in the initialization process. the consumable item is a drum cartridge,
The consumables memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets and the number of drum rotations as the consumption information,
The controller
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the value of the consumption information is set to zero in the initialization process. the consumable item is a cartridge containing a printing material;
a value indicating the capacity of the cartridge is stored in the main body memory or the consumables memory;
The consumables memory stores the remaining amount of printing material as the remaining amount information,
The controller
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the initialization process, the value of the remaining amount of printing material is rewritten to a value indicating the capacity stored in the main memory or the consumables memory. the image forming device includes a display;
the initialization information is an initialization count representing the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized,
The controller further comprises:
a read process for reading the number of initializations from a consumable memory of the consumable attached to the main body housing;
a detection process for detecting that the attached consumable item is a recycled item based on the read-out number of initialization times being one or more;
a second display process for displaying, in response to the detection of the recycled product, a second warning to the effect that print quality cannot be guaranteed if the recycled product is used, and a second selection screen for allowing the user to select whether or not to use the recycled product, on the display;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus executes the above-mentioned steps. The controller further comprises:
a permission process for permitting printing using the recycled product when the use of the recycled product is selected via the second selection screen;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the image forming apparatus executes the above. The controller further comprises:
a storage process for storing, in the main body memory, usage history information indicating that the recycled product has been used, when use is selected via the second selection screen;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the image forming apparatus executes the above. The main body memory stores mode information indicating whether the image forming apparatus is in a contract mode, which means that a contract has been concluded for the image forming apparatus,
The controller
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reception process is not executed when the mode information indicates the contract mode. An image forming apparatus,
The device comprises a main body housing in which consumables are mounted, a controller, and a main body memory;
The consumable memory of the consumable includes:
Lifespan information regarding the lifespan of the consumables;
type information indicating whether the consumable is a contracted consumable that can be used in a contracted image forming device or a normal consumable that can be used in a contracted image forming device and an uncontracted image forming device is stored;
The controller
a receiving process for receiving an instruction to initialize the lifespan information;
an initialization process for initializing the lifespan information stored in the consumables memory in accordance with the received instruction;
a write process for writing initialization information indicating that the life information has been initialized into the consumable memory;
and if the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable, executes a change process to change the type information to the normal consumable in accordance with the instruction. the image forming device includes a display;
When the type information indicates that the consumable is a contracted consumable,
executes a third display process in which, in accordance with the instruction, a third warning is displayed on the display, indicating that the contracted consumable will be recognized as the normal consumable when the lifespan information is initialized, and a third selection screen is displayed to allow the user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the initialization process is executed when initialization is selected via the third selection screen. 1. An initialization method for initializing a consumable memory included in a consumable, comprising:
a receiving step of receiving, by the image forming apparatus, an instruction to initialize life information relating to a life of the consumable item stored in the consumable item memory, in the consumable item attached to the main body housing of the image forming apparatus;
an initialization step in which the image forming apparatus initializes life information stored in the consumables memory in accordance with the received instruction;
a writing step in which the image forming apparatus writes initialization information indicating that the life information has been initialized into the consumables memory. a first display step of displaying, on a display of the image forming device, a first warning that print quality will not be guaranteed if the lifespan information is initialized in accordance with the instruction, and a first selection screen for allowing a user to select whether or not to initialize the lifespan information;
The initialization method according to claim 15 , wherein the image forming apparatus executes the initialization step when initialization is selected via the first selection screen. The initialization method described in claim 15 or 16, wherein in the receiving step, the image forming device receives the instruction to initialize the lifespan information via an operation unit of the image forming device. the initialization information is an initialization count representing the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized,
a determining step in which the image forming apparatus determines whether the number of initializations of the life information indicated by the initialization information has reached a predetermined upper limit number of times;
18. The initialization method according to claim 15, wherein if it is determined in the determining step that the number of initializations has reached the upper limit number, the image forming apparatus does not execute the initialization step. An initialization method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the consumable memory stores, as the lifespan information, 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. the consumable product is a toner cartridge,
The consumables memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets, the number of rotations of the developing roller, and the amount of toner consumed as the consumption information,
The initialization method according to claim 19 , wherein in the initialization step, the image forming apparatus sets a value of the consumption information to zero. the consumable item is a drum cartridge,
The consumables memory stores at least one of the number of printed sheets and the number of drum rotations as the consumption information,
21. The initialization method according to claim 19, wherein in the initialization step, the image forming apparatus sets a value of the consumption information to zero. the consumable item is a cartridge containing a printing material;
a value indicating the capacity of the cartridge is stored in the main body memory or the consumables memory of the image forming apparatus;
The consumables memory stores the remaining amount of printing material as the remaining amount information,
22. The initialization method according to claim 19, wherein in the initialization step, the image forming device rewrites the value of the remaining amount of printing material to a value indicating the capacity stored in the main memory or the consumable memory. the initialization information is an initialization count representing the number of times the lifespan information has been initialized,
a reading step in which the image forming apparatus reads the number of initializations from a consumable memory of the consumable attached to the main body housing;
a detecting step in which the image forming apparatus detects that the installed consumable is a recycled product based on the read-out number of initialization times being one or more;
a second display step in which, in response to the detection of the recycled product, the image forming device displays, on a display of the image forming device, a second warning that print quality cannot be guaranteed if the recycled product is used, and a second selection screen for allowing a user to select whether or not to use the recycled product;
23. The initialization method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, comprising: a permission step of allowing the image forming apparatus to permit printing using the recycled product when use is selected via the second selection screen;
24. The initialization method of claim 23, comprising: a storage step in which, when use is selected via the second selection screen, the image forming apparatus stores usage history information indicating that the recycled product has been used in a main body memory of the image forming apparatus;
25. The initialization method according to claim 23 or 24, comprising: a main body memory of the image forming apparatus stores mode information indicating whether the image forming apparatus is in a contract mode, which means that a contract has been concluded with the image forming apparatus;
26. The initialization method according to claim 15, wherein when the mode information indicates the contract mode, the image forming apparatus does not execute the accepting step. 1. An initialization method for initializing a consumable memory included in a consumable, comprising:
The consumables memory stores type information indicating whether the consumables are contracted consumables that can be used in a contracted image forming apparatus or ordinary consumables that can be used in both a contracted image forming apparatus and an uncontracted image forming apparatus;
a receiving step of receiving, by the image forming apparatus, an instruction to initialize life information relating to a life of the consumable item stored in the consumable item memory, in the consumable item attached to the main body housing of the image forming apparatus;
an initialization step in which the image forming apparatus initializes life information stored in the consumables memory in accordance with the received instruction;
a writing step in which the image forming apparatus writes initialization information indicating that the life information has been initialized into the consumables memory;
a changing step of the image forming apparatus changing the type information to the normal consumables in accordance with the instruction when the type information indicates that the consumables are contracted consumables.
a third display step of causing the image forming device to display, on a display of the image forming device, a third warning indicating that the contracted consumable will be recognized as the normal consumable if the life information is initialized in accordance with the instruction, and a third selection screen for allowing a user to select whether or not to initialize the life information, when the type information indicates that the contracted consumable is a contracted consumable;
28. The initialization method according to claim 27, wherein the image forming apparatus executes the initialization step when initialization is selected via the third selection screen.