# US 12,001,740 B2 · Printer, computer-readable medium, and method to properly perform user cleaning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,001,740 B2 - Document ID: US12001740B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/678,219 - Filed: 2022-02-23 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-25 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Taisei Okuzono - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001740B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts} - B41J 2/175: Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} - B41J 29/17: Cleaning arrangements - G06F 3/121: {Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted} - G06F 3/1219: {with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper} - G06F 3/1229: {Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels} - G06F 3/1273: {Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking} - G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server} - H04N 1/00909: {Cleaning arrangements or preventing or counter-acting contamination from dust or the like (cleaning in general, prevention of fouling in general B08B)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A printer includes a container configured to store recording agent, a print head configured to eject the recording agent, and a controller configured to permit the printer to perform printing until a print permission amount, different from a remaining amount of the recording agent in the container, reaches a first threshold. The print permission amount is information regarding a quantity, of the recording agent or sheets usable by the printer. The controller is further configured to receive an instruction to perform user cleaning to clean the print head by ejecting the recording agent from the print head, and in response to the receipt of the instruction to perform the user cleaning, cause the printer to perform the user cleaning when the print permission amount has not reached a second threshold, whereas restricting execution of the user cleaning when the print permission amount has reached the second threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printer comprising: a container configured to store recording agent; a print head configured to eject the recording agent; and a processor configured to: permit the printer to perform printing until a permitted sheet quantity reaches a first sheet quantity threshold, where an initial permitted sheet quantity is granted after subscribing to a printing service and where the permitted sheet quantity decreases per sheet printed; receive an instruction to perform user cleaning to clean the print head by ejecting the recording agent from the print head; and in response to the receipt of the instruction to perform the user cleaning, cause the printer to perform the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has not reached a second sheet quantity threshold, whereas restricting execution of the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has reached the second sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: put execution of the user cleaning on hold when the permitted sheet quantity has reached the second sheet quantity threshold; receive an instruction to add an additional quantity of sheets to the permitted sheet quantity; and after the additional quantity of sheets is added to the permitted sheet quantity in response to the receipt of the instruction to add the additional quantity of sheets, cause the printer to perform the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has not reached the second sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The printer according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: perform periodic cleaning to clean the print head by ejecting the recording agent from the print head when a particular time has been reached or when a particular period of time has elapsed; and when the periodic cleaning has been started while the user cleaning is put on hold, cancel execution of the user cleaning on hold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: when the permitted sheet quantity has reached the second sheet quantity threshold, in response to receipt of a print job specifying pages to be printed, determine whether the permitted sheet quantity is a value with which the printer is allowed to complete printing of the specified pages to be printed; perform the user cleaning when determining the permitted sheet quantity is a value with which the printer is allowed to complete printing of the specified pages to be printed; and not perform the user cleaning when determining the permitted sheet quantity is a value with which the printer is unable to complete printing of the specified pages to be printed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store history information, the history information containing a count of pages printed for each single job, wherein the processor is further configured to: calculate an average value of the count of pages printed for each single job based on the history information; and set the calculated average value as the second sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether the print head is in an abnormal state, based on how frequently the user cleaning has been performed; and provide a notification when determining that the print head is in the abnormal state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the second sheet quantity threshold is identical to the first sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the permitted sheet quantity is increasable according to an operation on a user terminal. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that are executable by a processor of a printer comprising a container configured to store recording agent, and a print head configured to eject the recording agent, the computer-readable instructions being configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: permit the printer to perform printing until a permitted sheet quantity reaches a first sheet quantity threshold, where an initial permitted sheet quantity is granted after subscribing to a printing service and where the permitted sheet quantity decreases per sheet printed; receive an instruction to perform user cleaning to clean the print head by ejecting the recording agent from the print head; and in response to the receipt of the instruction to perform the user cleaning, cause the printer to perform the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has not reached a second sheet quantity threshold, whereas restricting execution of the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has reached the second sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the permitted sheet quantity is increasable according to an operation on a user terminal. ### Claim 11 A method implementable on a processor of a printer comprising a container configured to store recording agent, and a print head configured to eject the recording agent, the method comprising: permitting the printer to perform printing until a permitted sheet quantity reaches a first sheet quantity threshold, where an initial permitted sheet quantity is granted after subscribing to a printing service and where the permitted sheet quantity decreases per sheet printed; receiving an instruction to perform user cleaning to clean the print head by ejecting the recording agent from the print head; and in response to the receipt of the instruction to perform the user cleaning, causing the printer to perform the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has not reached a second sheet quantity threshold, whereas restricting execution of the user cleaning when the permitted sheet quantity has reached the second sheet quantity threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the permitted sheet quantity is increasable according to an operation on a user terminal.