Image forming device, image forming method, and program product
AssigneeKonica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
InventorTomoaki Shimada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
If a printing instruction is received when a toner cartridge that needs to be replaced has been moved to the replacement position and is ready for replacement, the control unit of a printer controls each toner cartridge to move to a location where printing is possible and controls the toner cartridge that needs to be replaced to move back to the replacement position after the specified printing is completed.
Claims25
An image forming device capable of replacing any of a plurality of cartridges comprising:
- a driving unit for moving the position of the toner cartridge;
- a detecting unit for detecting necessity of replacing a toner cartridge;
- a control unit for controlling said driving unit in order to move a toner cartridge that needs to be replaced to a specified replacement position preset for toner cartridge replacement, when the necessity of replacing a toner cartridge is detected by said detecting unit;
- and
- a receiving unit for receiving a printing instruction, wherein
- said control unit further controls said driving unit in order to move each toner cartridge to a printable position, and to move the toner cartridge that needs to be replaced back to said replacement position after a specified printing is completed, when a printing instruction is received by said receiving unit while the toner cartridge that needs to be replaced has been moved to said replacement position and is ready to be replaced.
An image forming method for forming image using a plurality of replaceable toner cartridges comprising the steps of:
- 1) detecting necessity of replacing a toner cartridges;
- and
- 2) controlling a driving unit for moving the position of the toner cartridge in order to move a toner cartridge that needs to be replaced to a specified replacement position preset for toner cartridge replacement, when the necessity of replacing a toner cartridge is detected in step 1), wherein
- step 2) includes a step of controlling said driving unit in order to move each toner cartridge to a printable position, and to move the toner cartridge that needs to be replaced back to said replacement position after a specified printing is completed, when a printing instruction is received while the toner cartridge to be replaced has been moved to said replacement position and is ready to be replaced.
A program product for controlling an image forming device capable of replacing any of a plurality of cartridges, said program product causing the image forming device to execute a process comprising the steps of:
- 1) detecting necessity of replacing toner cartridges;
- and
- 2) controlling a driving unit for moving the position of the toner cartridge in order to move a toner cartridge that needs to be replaced to a specified replacement position preset for toner cartridge replacement, when the necessity of replacing a toner cartridge is detected in step 1), wherein
- step 2) includes a step of controlling said driving unit in order to move each toner cartridge to a printable position, and to move the toner cartridge that needs to be replaced back to said replacement position after a specified printing is completed, when a printing instruction is received while the toner cartridge to be replaced has been moved to said replacement position and is ready to be replaced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.