Detecting developer consumption in an image forming apparatus

Abstract

The density of an image read by a scanner unit 1 is recognized. A consumption of tonor required for development in each of development units 69 y , 69 m , 69 c and 69 k is detected according to the results of the recognition. The detected consumption is displayed on a liquid crystal display unit 44.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 an image bearing body;    a scanning unit for optically scanning across the surface of the image bearing body to form a latent image on the surface of the image bearing body;    a developing unit for supplying developing powder to the image bearing body to develop the latent image on the surface of the image bearing body;    a transfer unit for transferring the image on the surface of the image bearing body developed by the developing unit onto an image forming medium;    a detecting unit for detecting a consumption of the developing power required for development by the developing unit; and    a display unit for displaying the consumption detected by the detecting unit.    
     
     
         2 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 an image bearing body;    a scanning unit for optically scanning across the surface of the image bearing body to form a latent image on the surface of the image bearing body;    a developing unit for supplying developing powder to the image bearing body to develop the latent image on the surface of the image bearing body;    a transfer unit for transferring the image on the surface of the image bearing body developed by the developing unit onto an image forming medium;    a recognition unit for recognizing the density of the image read by the reading unit;    a first operating unit, operated by a user, for designating the density of the image to be transferred onto the image forming medium;    a detecting unit for detecting a consumption of the developing powder required for development by the developing unit according to the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit;    a display unit; and    a control unit for allowing the consumption detected by the detecting unit to be displayed on the display unit.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of claime  2 , further comprising: 
 a second operating unit, operated by the user, for designating satisfaction with the displayed contents on the display unit; and    a control unit for, when satisfaction is designated with the second operating unit, for causing the image bearing body, the scanning unit, the developing unit, and the transfer unit to start an operation of image formation.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of claime  2 , further comprising 
 a control unit for allowing an image which is the subject of image formation to be displayed on the display unit and changing the density of the displayed image according to an operation of the first operating unit.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of claime  2 , further comprising: 
 a control unit for allowing the image read by the reading unit to be displayed on the display unit and changing the density of the displayed image according to an operation of the first operating unit;    a second operating unit, operated by the user, for designating satisfaction with the displayed contents on the display unit; and    a control unit for, when satisfaction is designated with the second operating unit, causing the image bearing body, the scanning unit, the developing unit, and the transfer unit to start an operation of image formation.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of claime  2 , wherein the detecting unit detects the consumption of and a charge for the developing powder required for development by the developing unit according to the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit, and the control unit displays the consumption and the charge detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of claime  2 , wherein the detecting unit detects the consumption of and a charge for the developing powder required for development by the developing unit according to the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit, and the control unit displays at least one of the consumption and the charge detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of claime  2 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays the consumption by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of claime  2 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of and a charge for developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays the consumption and the charge by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of claime  2 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of and a charge for developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays at least one of the consumption and the charge by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         11 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a document mount;    a document read window;    a document feed unit for feeding an original document to the document read window;    an exposure unit provided so that it can reciprocate along the document window and can move to the position opposite the document read window;    a first reading unit for, when an original document is set on the document mount, reciprocating the exposure unit along the document mount and optically reading the image of the document on the document mount while the exposure unit is moving forwards;    a second reading unit for, when an original document is set on the document feed unit, stopping the exposure unit at the position opposite the document read window and reading the image of the original document fed to the document read window through the document read window while operating the document feed unit;    an image bearing body;    a scanning unit for optically scanning the surface of the image bearing body to form a latent image corresponding to the image read through the document read window on the surface of the image bearing body;    a development unit for developing the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing body by supplying developing powder to the image bearing body;    a transfer unit for transferring the image on the image bearing body developed by the development unit onto an image forming medium;    a recognition unit for recognizing the density of the image read by either the first reading unit or the second reading unit;    a first operating unit operated by a user for designating the density of the image to be transferred onto the image forming medium;    a detection unit for detecting a consumption of the developing powder required for development by the development unit according the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit;    a display unit;    a control unit for displaying the consumption detected by the detection unit on the display unit.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of claime  11 , further comprising a second operating unit operated by the user for designating satisfaction with the displayed contents on the display unit, and a control unit for, when the satisfaction is designated with the second operating unit, causing the image bearing body, the scanning unit, the development unit, and the transfer unit to start the operation of image formation.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of claime  11 , further comprising a control unit for allowing an image which is the subject of image formation to be displayed on the display unit and changing the density of the displayed image according to an operation of the first operating unit.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of claime  11 , further comprising: 
 a control unit for allowing the image read by each of the reading units to be displayed on the display unit and changing the density of the displayed image according to an operation of the first operating unit;    a second operating unit, operated by the user, for designating satisfaction with the displayed contents on the display unit; and    a control unit for, when satisfaction is designated with the second operating unit, causing the image bearing body, the scanning unit, the developing unit, and the transfer unit to start an operation of image formation.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of claime  11 , wherein the detecting unit detects the consumption of and a charge for the developing powder required for development by the developing unit according to the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit, and the control unit displays the consumption and the charge detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of claime  11 , wherein the detecting unit detects the consumption of and a charge for the developing powder required for development by the developing unit according to the results of recognition by the recognition unit and the density designated with the first operating unit, and the control unit displays at least one of the consumption and the charge detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of claime  11 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays the consumption by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of claime  11 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of and a charge for developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays the consumption and the charge by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of claime  11 , wherein the developing unit has different colors of developing powder for color printing, the detecting unit detects a consumption of and a charge for developing powder required for development by the developing unit for each color, and the control unit displays at least one of the consumption and the charge by color detected by the detecting unit on the display unit.  
     
     
         20 . In an image forming apparatus having an image bearing body, a scanning unit for optically scanning across the surface of the image bearing body to form a latent image on the surface of the image bearing body, a development unit for developing the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing body by supplying developing powder to the image bearing body, and a transfer unit for transferring the image on the surface of the image bearing body developed by the development unit onto an image forming medium, a method of controlling the apparatus comprising: a step of detecting a consumption of the developing powder required for development by the development unit; and a step of displaying the consumption detected by the detection unit.