Genuine security article distinguishing system for an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising,

• a consumable component part that can be set in and removed from said apparatus;
• first memory means incorporated in said comsumable component part, for storing a first identifying information specifying said consumable component part;
• read-out means for reading out said first identifying information from said first memory means;
• information processing means for processing said first identifying information in a predetermined method;
• collating means for collating the processing result by said information processing means with a predetermined second identifying information;
• life judging means for making judgement of the life of said consumable component part by measuring the used quantity since the start of use of said consumable component part;
• and
• control means for controlling a image forming operation in accordance with the collating result made by said collating means and the judging result by said life judgment means.

A genuine article distinguishing apparatus for recognizing a replaceable article installed at a predetermined position and distinguishing whether said article is genuine or not, comprising,

• memory means, installed in said article, for storing data of a first identifying information specifying said article;
• information recognizing means for recognizing said first identifying information stored in said memory means;
• and
• collating means for processing said first identifying information recognized in said information recognizing means in a predetermined method and for collating the processed result with data of a predetermined second identifying information showing that said article is genuine.

In an image forming apparatus for providing images on paper by creating images on a photosensitive member, developing the images and transferring the developed images to paper, the improvement comprising:

• a consumable component part that is replaceable during the expected life of the image forming apparatus, including a predetermined set of data characteristic of the component part;
• means for determining the predetermined set of data from the component part;
• means for verifying that the predetermined set of data is valid, including processing the data to determine a specific confidential value and verifying the processed data result;
• means for providing an indication of a total life cycle value of the component part;
• means for continually providing an actual usage of the component part life cycle as a result of use of the image forming apparatus;
• means for storing the actual usage of the component part life cycle means for comparing the total life cycle value with the actual usage of the component part life cycle, and
• means for preventing the image forming apparatus to operate when one of an invalid data is determined by the verifying means and the actual usage of the component part life cycle matches the total life cycle value.