Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-22
2003-01-28
Tran, Hoan (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512894
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method for the image forming apparatus and an administrating method for the image forming apparatus that are used for copying machines and printers.
In recent years, consumables of electrophotographic or inkjet printers are made so that they are replaced or replenished as a single body type cartridge (or a unified cartridge, a process cartridge) in which photosensitive materials and developers etc. are incorporated.
These process cartridges are devised so that they can be collected after use, remanufactured by replenishing or replacing consumables, and provided for reuse.
Further, in recent years, since a plurality of manufacturers has come to provide the process cartridges of the same configurations, distribution channels of the cartridge collection and remanufacturing have become rather complex.
In these circumstances, there has been generated a problem that which manufacturer is charged to collect the costs of collecting and remanufacturing the process cartridges.
For example, in cases where Company B remanufactures the process cartridge manufactured by Company A, Company B should primarily collect the costs of collecting and remanufacturing the process cartridge. In many cases in the present distribution system, the costs are added onto the sales price of the process cartridge, or remanufacturing cost are collected from users at the time of collecting the cartridge.
In the above circumstances, each cartridge manufacturer is not assured to collect the appropriate costs for manufacturing and collecting the cartridge.
Meanwhile, in many cases, various exclusive rights such as patent rights and trademark rights etc. exist for the process cartridges. In order to manufacture, remanufacture and sell the process cartridges, it is necessary to obtain licenses for the above rights.
Heretofore, to obtain the licenses for the above-mentioned rights, manufacturers and sellers of the process cartridge generally pay the license fees to the licensors.
Conventionally, transfer of the license fees concerning exclusive rights have been executed among manufacturers, sellers and licensors, but administration of the license fees according to the sales volume is usually done on a yearly or monthly basis etc., therefore, there have been problems that the load for the administration is heavy and the time lag before payment is long.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, a control method for the image forming apparatus and an administrating method for the image forming apparatus that minimize the above mentioned problems, and particularly to provide an image forming apparatus, a control method for the image forming apparatus and an administrating method for the image forming apparatus that enable effective collection of remanufacturing and collecting costs etc. for the process cartridge, and further to clarify the allocation of the accompanying costs to the remanufacturers, and collecting companies.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, a control method for the image forming apparatus and an administrating method for the image forming apparatus, wherein the load of administering the usage fee payment is decreased, and users can choose a more reasonable way to meet the usage fee payment, by conducting a charge collection and a license fee settlement for the exclusive rights of patents, trademarks etc. accompanying the process cartridge, at the time of use of the process cartridge.
The inventors of the present invention found that the objects of the present invention can be attained by any one of the following structures.
(1-1) An image forming apparatus, comprises:
an image forming section having a detachable process cartridge provided with identification information;
an identification information reading section to read the identification information of the process cartridge; and
a control section to control the image forming apparatus on a basis of a comparison result between the identification information and license presence/absence judgment information used for judging whether the process cartridge is licensed or not.
(1-2) In the image forming apparatus of (1-1), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a network connecting section to connect with a network;
an identification information transmitting section to transmit the identification information to a server having the license presence/absence judgment information through the network connecting section; and
a license information obtaining section to obtain license information generated in the server on a basis of the comparison result between the identification information and the license presence/absence judgment information through the network connecting section;
wherein the control section controls the image forming section on a basis of the license information obtained by the license information obtaining section.
(1-3) In the image forming apparatus of (1-2), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an electronic information storing section to store electronic information corresponding to the license information; and
a comparing section to compare the license information obtained by the license obtaining section with the electronic information stored in the electronic information storing section;
wherein the control section controls the image forming section on a basis of a comparison result between the license information and the electronic information by the comparing section.
(1-4) In the image forming apparatus of (1-2), the license information is encrypted and the image forming apparatus further comprises a decrypting section to decrypt the encrypted license information.
(1-5) In the image forming apparatus of (1-2), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an electronic settlement server connecting section to connect through the network connecting section with an electronic settlement server to electronically settle a payment on a basis of the license information.
(1-6) In the image forming apparatus of (1-5), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an electronic settlement proceeding section to conduct settling a use fee on a basis of the license information.
(1-7) In the image forming apparatus of (1-2), the process cartridge comprises a toner accommodating section to accommodate toner and a residual toner amount detecting section to detect an amount of residual toner remaining in the toner accommodating section.
(1-8) In the image forming apparatus of (1-7), in a case that the license information obtained by the license information obtaining section has information indicating “no license”, the control section restricts or stops a function of the image forming section when the residual toner amount detecting section detects a predetermined amount of residual toner.
(1-9) In the image forming apparatus of (1-1), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a network connecting section to connect with a network;
a license presence/absence judgment information obtaining section to obtain the license presence/absence judgment information from a server of the network through the network connecting section; and
a comparing section to compare the license presence/absence judgment information with the identification information;
wherein the control section controls the image forming section on a basis of a comparison result by the comparing section.
(1-10) In the image forming apparatus of (1-9), the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an electronic information storing section to store electronic information corresponding to the license presence/absence judgment information;
wherein the comparing section compares the license presence/absence judgment information obtained by the license presence/absence judgment information obtaining section with the electronic information stored in the electronic information storing section and the control section controls the image forming section on a basis of
Kobayashi Ryuichiro
Takemoto Kazuhiro
Cantor & Colburn LLP
Konica Corporation
Tran Hoan
LandOfFree
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