Image forming apparatus, toner counter and method of calculating toner consumption amount

A toner counter which is used in an image forming apparatus which visualizes an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a latent image carrier with toner and forms a toner image, the toner counter comprising:

• a determining section which determines a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of printing dots formed on the latent image carrier;
• and
• a calculating section which calculates a toner consumption amount based on the determination result by the determining section.

A toner counter which is used in an image forming apparatus which visualizes an electrostatic latent image with toner and forms a toner image and which calculates a toner consumption amount consumed in forming the toner image, the toner counter comprising:

• a setting section which sets a mode of calculating the toner consumption amount depending upon a distribution state of printing dots to which toner should adhere in the toner image;
• and
• a calculating section which calculates the toner consumption amount in the mode set by the setting section.

A toner counter which calculates a toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which executes a predetermined signal processing to an image signal to generate a printing-dot data regarding an arrangement of printing dots, forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier corresponding to the printing dots and visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image which corresponds to the image signal, the toner counter comprising:

• a determining section which determines a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of the printing dots in the electrostatic latent image and sets a mode of calculating the toner consumption amount based on the determination result;
• and
• a calculating section which calculates the toner consumption amount in the mode set by the setting section.

A toner counter which calculates a toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which executes a predetermined signal processing to an image signal to generate a printing-dot data regarding an arrangement of printing dots, forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier corresponding to the printing dots and visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image which corresponds to the image signal, the toner counter comprising:

• a calculating section which divides the toner image into a plurality of unit segments having a predetermined size, calculates a toner consumption amount of each of the plurality of unit segments based on the printing-dot data, and accumulates the toner consumption amount of each of the plurality of unit segments, thereby calculating a toner consumption amount of the entire toner image;
• and
• a setting section which varies the settings of the size of the unit segment depending upon a content of the printing-dot data.

A toner counter which calculates a toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which executes a predetermined signal processing to an image signal to generate a printing-dot data regarding an arrangement of printing dots, forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier corresponding to the printing dots and visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image which corresponds to the image signal, the toner counter comprising:

• a counting section which is able to execute a simple count mode and a two-dimensional count mode, the simple count mode calculating the toner consumption amount of each of the printing dots based on the printing-dot data corresponding to the printing dot subject to calculation, the two-dimensional count mode calculating the toner consumption amount of each of the printing dots based on a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of the printing dots on the latent image carrier;
• and
• a selecting section which selects either one of the modes depending upon a content of the printing-dot data and make the counting section execute the selected mode.

A method of calculating toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which visualizes an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a latent image carrier with toner and forms a toner image, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of printing dots formed on the latent image carrier;
• and
• calculating a toner consumption amount based on the determination result.

A method of calculating toner consumption amount, in an image forming apparatus which visualizes an electrostatic latent image with toner and forms a toner image, which calculates a toner consumption amount consumed in forming the toner image, the method comprising the steps of:

• setting a mode of calculating the toner consumption amount depending upon a distribution state of printing dots to which toner should adhere in the toner image;
• and
• calculating the toner consumption amount in the set mode.

A method of calculating toner consumption amount which calculates a toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which executes a predetermined signal processing to an image signal to generate a printing-dot data regarding an arrangement of printing dots, forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier corresponding to the printing dots and visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image which corresponds to the image signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• setting a mode of calculating the toner consumption amount based on the printing-dot data and a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of the printing dots in the electrostatic latent image;
• and
• calculating the toner consumption amount in the set mode.

A method of calculating toner consumption amount which calculates a toner consumption amount in an image forming apparatus which executes a predetermined signal processing to an image signal to generate a printing-dot data regarding an arrangement of printing dots, forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier corresponding to the printing dots and visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image which corresponds to the image signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• selecting either one of a simple count mode and a two-dimensional count mode depending upon a content of the printing-dot data, the simple count mode calculating the toner consumption amount of each of the printing dots based on the printing-dot data corresponding to the printing dot subject to calculation, the two-dimensional count mode calculating the toner consumption amount of each of the printing dots based on a state of a two-dimensional arrangement of the printing dots on the latent image carrier;
• and
• calculating the toner consumption amount consumed in forming the toner image in the selected mode.