JP4697076B2 - Image forming apparatus and replacement parts thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a replacement part that is detachably mounted, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that performs image formation control in accordance with the mounted replacement part.

  Image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers are configured to supply consumables such as recording agents such as toner and ink by exchanging replacement parts that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. In addition, a part having a shorter life than the other part of the main body, for example, a developing drum in an electrophotographic apparatus, is designed on the assumption that it is replaced. These replacement parts are sometimes called cartridges.

  If the improvement of the cartridge, for example, the improvement of the recording material, the improvement of the developing drum, etc. proceeds, the improved characteristics may not always be exhibited even if the cartridge is mounted on a conventional image forming apparatus main body. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a technique in which a replacement device is provided with a storage device that stores information regarding the characteristics of the replacement component, and the image forming apparatus main body performs image formation using the information regarding the characteristics. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a technique in which a toner cartridge is provided with a storage device that stores control software for image formation corresponding to the toner cartridge. If the version of the control software on the image forming apparatus main body side is lower than that stored in the mounted toner cartridge, the control software on the main body side is updated to the version of the toner cartridge.

JP 2005-338560 A JP-A-11-78171

  In the technique of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the control software on the image forming apparatus main body side is not basically changed, but the parameters used in this software are changed to those adapted to the replacement part. Therefore, it is only possible to change parameters that are assumed to be changed in advance, and the software itself cannot be changed. That is, a fundamental logic change in the image forming process cannot be performed.

  In Patent Document 2, the control software can be updated. However, during the update, the image forming operation cannot be performed and the user is kept waiting. Further, when returning the replacement part to the original version again, the replacement part must be updated again, and the image forming operation cannot be performed during software rewriting even during the re-updating.

  It is an object of the present invention to easily use control software corresponding to a replacement part.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention relates to a replacement part, a storage unit that stores control software for image formation corresponding to the replacement part, and information related to the replacement part, and an image formation acquired from the main body of the image forming apparatus. A calculation unit is provided that calculates image formation setting information by the control software based on the information and information on the replacement part. On the image forming apparatus main body side, image forming control is performed based on the image forming setting information calculated by the calculating part of the replacement part.

  Uses the control software and information stored in the replacement part, and the image forming setting information is calculated by the calculation unit provided in the replacement part. Therefore, it is suitable for the mounted replacement part without updating the control software on the device side. Can be controlled.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile. The image forming apparatus 10 is an apparatus that forms data obtained by reading a document or an image based on the acquired data using a recording agent such as toner on a recording medium such as paper. Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method will be described.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body) 12 and a replacement part 14 that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 12. The replacement part 14 is a cartridge for supplying consumables such as a recording agent to the apparatus main body, a part having a shorter lifetime than the apparatus main body such as a developing drum, and the like. Depending on the type of image forming apparatus, a cartridge in which a consumable cartridge or a developing drum is integrated may be used. Hereinafter, as the replacement part 14, a toner cartridge 16 for replenishing toner as a recording agent in the electrophotographic system will be described as an example. The toner cartridge 16 is filled with toner in a container having a predetermined shape. When the toner cartridge 16 is attached to the apparatus main body 12, the toner is sequentially supplied from the inside of the container to the apparatus main body 12 and used in image formation. In the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a single toner cartridge 16 is shown. However, for example, a plurality of toner cartridges 16 provided for each color may be separately replaceable.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the image forming apparatus 10. The apparatus main body 12 includes a print engine unit 18 that forms an image on a recording medium according to electrophotographic processing based on the acquired data. The print engine unit 18 includes a charging unit that uniformly charges the photosensitive member on the developing drum, a latent image forming unit that scans the photosensitive member with a laser to form an image (latent image) by electric charge, and the latent image as a toner. A developing unit that forms a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium, and a fixing unit that fixes the transferred toner image onto a sheet. The print engine unit 18 is subjected to predetermined control by the control unit 20 and executes the series of image forming processes described above. The control unit 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 20 a and performs calculations according to control software stored in the main body storage unit 22 to control the print engine unit 18. In this control, setting information (parameters) related to the image forming process is changed based on the characteristics of the recording medium used, the operating environment such as temperature and humidity, and the like, and appropriate control is performed under those conditions. Further, the apparatus main body 12 is provided with a user interface (UI) unit 24 that receives an operator's request and provides information to the operator.

  As described above, the toner cartridge 16 that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 12 includes a storage unit that stores information about the cartridge, control software for image formation used when the cartridge is used, and the control. An arithmetic / storage device 26 including an arithmetic unit that performs arithmetic operations according to software is provided. Information is exchanged between the arithmetic / storage device 26 and the apparatus main body 12 wirelessly. For this purpose, the arithmetic / storage device 26 includes a device called a non-contact IC tag or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). The apparatus main body 12 includes a reader / writer 28 including an antenna and a communication control circuit.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the calculation / storage device 26 of the toner cartridge 16. The calculation / storage device 26 includes a calculation unit 30 having a central processing unit (CPU), and a cartridge storage unit 32 for storing software and data related to the toner cartridge. The cartridge storage unit 32 includes a program area 34 for storing control software for image forming processing and update software for updating control software on the main body side. The updated software includes information on the model of the image forming apparatus targeted by the software and information on the version of the software. Further, the cartridge storage unit 32 includes a data area 36 for storing setting information (hereinafter referred to as a parameter) used at the time of image formation, and information on the use history of the cartridge transmitted from the main body. These control software and parameters are suitable for the characteristics of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 16.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart relating to an image forming operation, particularly control when a new version of the toner cartridge 16 is mounted. First, when a new toner cartridge 16 is mounted or the main body is turned on with the apparatus main body turned on (S100), the arithmetic / storage device 26 provided in the toner cartridge is turned on. Then, the calculation unit 30 activates the control software stored in the program area 34 (S102). The arithmetic unit 30 operates according to the control software, compares the version information and target model information of the toner cartridge 16 with the current control software version information and model information of the apparatus main body 12, and determines whether the mounted toner cartridge 16 It is determined whether the version is different (S104). If it is the same as the control software on the apparatus main body 12 side, a normal image forming operation is executed (S114).

  If it is a different version, upgrade or execute an inquiry to the apparatus main body 12, and in response to this, the apparatus main body 12 uses the display, voice, etc. of the UI unit 24 to upgrade the operator. (S106). The apparatus main body 12 receives the operation of the operator and transmits the result to the arithmetic / storage device 26 (S106). When execution of version upgrade is selected, the arithmetic unit 30 activates update software (S108), and updates the control software of the apparatus main body 12 to new control software stored in the cartridge storage unit 32 (S110). ). After completion of the update, the apparatus main body 12 activates the updated control software (S112), and executes an image forming operation according to the software (S114). When the image forming operation is completed, information related to the current image forming operation such as a usage history is transmitted from the apparatus main body 12 to the calculation / storage device 26 of the toner cartridge 16, and the calculation / storage device 26 stores the information in the data area. 36 (S116).

  If it is determined in step S106 that the version is not upgraded, in the calculation / storage device 26 of the toner cartridge 16, the calculation unit 30 calculates image formation setting information suitable for the toner cartridge according to the control software. First, the calculation unit 30 acquires the usage history information of the data area 36 and the conditions (such as the temperature in the apparatus) on the apparatus main body 12 side (S118). Based on the acquired information, parameters are calculated by the control software, and the calculated parameters are written in the data area 36 (S120). Then, the apparatus main body 12 is notified that parameter writing has been completed (S122). Upon receiving this notification, the apparatus main body 12 reads parameters from the data area 36 of the toner cartridge 16 (S124), sets each part of the print engine unit 18 based on these parameters, and executes an image forming operation (S126). . After the image formation is completed, the process proceeds to step S116, and the usage history and the like are stored.

  The parameters used in the print engine unit 18 include, for example, the bias application voltage and current in the development unit and the transfer unit, the frequency and duty ratio of the AC component of the application voltage, the intensity of the laser beam when forming the latent image, and the like. . The calculation unit 30 uses the stored conditions of the apparatus main body in order to calculate these parameters. The conditions of the apparatus main body include the temperature, humidity, processing speed, etc. in the apparatus main body, and the usage history of the toner cartridge 16, the number of images formed, the pixel count indicating the number of pixels printed, and the like.

  In this embodiment, by storing the update software in the toner cartridge, the control software of the apparatus main body can be updated without a maintenance person visiting. Further, since the calculation unit is provided on the toner cartridge side, the update operation can be performed on the cartridge side, and further, it is not necessary to provide a storage area for the update software on the apparatus main body side. In addition, since the CPU of the control unit on the apparatus main body side is not used during the update work, the time during which the apparatus cannot be used due to the update work can be shortened.

  In this embodiment, it is necessary to update the control software by providing a calculation unit in the toner cartridge and performing part of the control relating to image formation, in particular, calculation of image formation setting information (parameter) on the cartridge side. There is no time to use the machine for this. That is, image formation can be executed immediately after a new toner cartridge is installed.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an arithmetic / storage device provided in a toner cartridge. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement and control of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus, 12 Apparatus main body, 14 Replacement part, 16 Toner cartridge, 18 Print engine part, 20 Control part, 26 Arithmetic / storage device, 30 arithmetic part, 32 Cartridge storage part

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit, a main body including a control unit that controls the image forming unit, and a replacement part that is detachably attached to the main body,
Replacement parts are
A storage unit that stores control software for image formation corresponding to the replacement part, and information on the replacement part;
A calculation unit that calculates image formation setting information by the control software based on information on image formation acquired from the main body and information on the replacement part;
Have
The control unit of the main body controls the image forming unit based on the image formation setting information.
Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information is transmitted and received between the main body and the replacement part wirelessly. A replacement part that is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus,
A storage unit that stores control software for image formation corresponding to the replacement part, and information on the replacement part;
An arithmetic unit that calculates setting information used for controlling image formation in the main body by the control software based on information on image formation acquired from the main body and information on the replacement part;
A replacement part for an image forming apparatus.

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