# US 10,120,333 B2 · Image forming apparatus having process cartridge, control method therefor, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,333 B2 - Document ID: US10120333B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/430,762 - Filed: 2017-02-13 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-17 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kazutaka Shinagawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120333B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/1889: {for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage} - G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus which is capable of prompting a user to replace a process cartridge. The process cartridge is comprised of a plurality of components. At least CPU executes instructions to obtain life span information indicating life spans of the components of the process cartridge, determine whether or not the process cartridge is a specific process cartridge for which life span information on a part of the components of the process cartridge is obtained whereas life span information on all the components of the cartridge is not obtained, calculate a life span of the process cartridge, and provide notification of the calculated life span of the process cartridge. When the process cartridge is the specific process cartridge, the life span of the process cartridge is calculated based on only the obtained life span information on the components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus having a cartridge comprised of a plurality of components, comprising: a memory device that stores instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: obtain life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a first type cartridge, the first type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable; obtain life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a second type cartridge, the second type cartridge being a different type of cartridge than the first type cartridge, and the second type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on all of the components is obtainable; determine whether a cartridge in the image forming apparatus is the first type cartridge; calculate a life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus; and provide notification of the calculated life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus, wherein, upon a condition that the cartridge in the image forming apparatus is determined to be the first type cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable, the life span of the first type cartridge in the image forming apparatus is calculated based on only the obtained life span information on some of the components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to provide notification that prompts replacement of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus upon the condition that the cartridge in the image forming apparatus is determined to be the first type cartridge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first type cartridge is a process cartridge comprising a photosensitive body, a developing device that develops an image on the photosensitive body, and a toner supply unit that supplies toner to the developing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to display the calculated life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 5 A control method for an image forming apparatus having a cartridge comprised of a plurality of components, comprising: obtaining life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a first type cartridge, the first type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable; obtaining life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a second type cartridge, the second type cartridge being a different type of cartridge than the first type cartridge, and the second type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on all of the components is obtainable; determining whether a cartridge in the image forming apparatus is the first type cartridge; calculating a life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus; and providing notification of the calculated life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus, wherein in the calculating the life span of the cartridge, in response to the cartridge in the image forming apparatus being determined to be the first type cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable, the life span of the first type cartridge is calculated based on only the obtained life span information on some of the components. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an image forming apparatus having a cartridge comprised of a plurality of components, the control method for the image forming apparatus comprising: obtaining life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a first type cartridge, the first type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable; obtaining life span information indicating respective life spans of a plurality of components of a second type cartridge, the second type cartridge being a different type of cartridge than the first type cartridge, and the second type cartridge being a type of cartridge on which life span information on all of the components is obtainable; determining whether a cartridge in the image forming apparatus is the first type cartridge; calculating a life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus; and providing notification of the calculated life span of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus, wherein in the calculating the life span of the cartridge, in response to the cartridge in the image forming apparatus being determined to be the first type cartridge on which life span information on some, but not all, of the components is obtainable, the life span of the first type cartridge is calculated based on only the obtained life span information on some of the components. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein upon a condition that the cartridge in the image forming apparatus is determined to be the second type cartridge on which life span information on all of the components is obtainable, the life span of the second type cartridge in the image forming apparatus is calculated based on the obtained life span information on all of the components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a printer engine and a controller having the at least one processor, and the life span information is obtained from the printer engine.