Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8081887 | Selective print job aggregation A selective job aggregation method includes identifying a predetermined usage match between a first consumable component and a second consumable component of printer device. Print jobs are then selectively aggregated to encourage expiration of a first expected usefu... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8064784 | Image forming apparatus and output setting method of consumed status of consumable items of the image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus in which a first consumable item and a second consumable item are loadable to the image forming apparatus, includes a consumption status detector that detects an end status and a near-end status for each of the first and second consumable ... | 11/22/2011 |
| 7983574 | Abnormal usage detection A method and system compare actual consumable usage (e.g., toner usage) with expected consumable usage in a xerographic machine, such as a printer or copier. Expected toner usage may be predicted from pixel count (area coverage) and actual usage is obtained from mon... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7978986 | Image forming apparatus and method for monitoring the degree of consumption of consumable components Upon generation of an image forming request, a control unit sets a request flag in a nonvolatile rewritable memory. A toner consumption monitoring unit calculates amount of toner consumption during a process of image formation based on the image forming request and ... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7917044 | Consumable component selection based on operational environment or condition A consumable component sorting system which make it possible to prolong the service life of a consumable component and reduce cost burdened on a user. An image forming apparatus collects information on its own operational environment or operational condition. A data... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7890001 | Image forming apparatus and output setting method of consumed status of consumable items of the image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus including a plurality of consumable items. The apparatus includes a consumption status detecting unit that detects a respective consumption status of each of the consumable items; a consumption information output setting unit that sets pre... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7865090 | Maintenance management system and image forming apparatus A disclosed maintenance management system includes an upper-limit information storage unit configured to store an upper limit of usage for each component identifier of a component, which upper limit is expressed by using an accumulated number of revolutions of a pho... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7853160 | Image forming apparatus The goal of the present invention is, while waiting for reserved printing that is to be executed at a future time, even in a case where new printing is executed before then, to compare the remaining amount of consumable material to the amount of consumable material ... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7831156 | Image forming apparatus having enhanced management for consumable-supplies An image forming apparatus includes a sensor, a notification unit, and a controller. The sensor detects a supply-end condition of consumable supplies. The notification unit notifies a message based on the supply-end condition detected by the sensor, and provides an ... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7792439 | Image forming apparatus and associated method of tracking recycling information An image formation unit detached to an image forming apparatus integrally mounts at least one replacement member, and a nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory stores recycle information related to the replacement member to be used when the image formation unit i... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7769307 | Information processing apparatus and information processing method An information processing apparatus configured to monitor a status of consumables of an image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store the status of the consumables of the image forming apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a cons... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7734200 | Lifetime management device and image forming system An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus that includes process units for different colors and a lifetime management device that manages lifetime information on each unit of the image forming apparatus. The lifetime management device counts the num... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7715736 | Image forming apparatus that displays process information requiring execution relating to exchanged components,controlling method of the same An image forming apparatus determines process items needed as exchanged components and an order of executing the process items needed for a plurality of kinds of exchanged components based on priority order information of the process items and causes a display unit ... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7711274 | Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and method of controlling image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of preventing a drop in productivity even if a consumable such as toner is not replenished as expected. The image forming apparatus has a feature of shifting to a mode of saving the consumable if an arrival tim... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7676164 | Lifetime management device and image forming system In an image forming system, a lifetime management device calculates remaining lifetime of process units, a transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a belt cleaning unit and a fixing unit mounted on an image forming apparatus based on an operation amount thereof and... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7672601 | Image forming apparatus and output setting method of consumed status of consumable items of the image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus which uses a consumable item is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a consumed status detecting unit which detects a value of the consumed status of the consumable item, a determining unit which determines whether to output an ... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7660539 | Printer consumable ordering direct from printer A system for enabling ordering of printer supplies directly via a printer. The system provides an option for a user to request value bundled information before placing a printer supply order. By providing the option of requesting value bundled information, a custome... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7620333 | System and method for providing messages on a printing component A consumable printing component for use in a printing device includes an imaging member and a memory storing message data. In response to a trigger event, a message is formed on the imaging member at the end of a print job such that the message remains on the imagin... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7593652 | Image forming apparatus and image forming system that calculate operation amount of components thereof Process units, a transfer unit, a belt cleaning unit, a secondary transfer unit and a fixing unit each include a storage unit that stores therein information on the operation amount thereof measured by a controller as operation record with respect to each unit. The ... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7555229 | Marking device and methods A portion of a replaceable component of an imaging device is selectively deformed or melted. ... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7526215 | Reserve life run-on feature for customer replaceable units A printer includes at least one replaceable module which is removable from the printer. A processor discontinues an operation of the printer when the processor determines that an end of life value for the replaceable module is reached unless an appropriate identifie... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7509062 | Method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively recycling image forming unit An image forming apparatus which allows an independent and easy replacement of replaceable image forming devices including an image forming unit detachably provided in the image forming apparatus. The image forming unit includes a housing, a plurality of replaceable... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7499655 | Image forming method and image forming apparatus including decolorization counter and ordinary counter Image forming histories when decolorization toner is used by a first counter or a second counter and when ordinary toner is used are counted respectively, and image forming histories of a decolorization developing device and an ordinary developing device are counted... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7471905 | Backup of replaceable device information in an image-forming apparatus A backup system, apparatus and method to provide a backup of information associated with replaceable devices in an image forming apparatus, such as a color printer. The information may include information representing use of the replaceable devices. The image formin... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7463836 | System, method and print cartridge for signaling user replacement of fuser wiper A printing device (10) such as a laser printer includes a fuser assembly (200) with a fuser wiper (210) that can be removed and replaced by a user during normal maintenance to extend the useful life of the fuser assembly (200). Indicators... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7444087 | Image forming apparatus and developer cartridge with power supply shielding mechanism A CPU causes a power control unit and a bias application circuit at all times to apply a developing bias to a developing roller thereby to execute a printing operation. When the CPU determines the lapse of lifetime of a developer cartridge on the basis of detection ... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7440808 | Electronic apparatus, replacement unit, and electronic apparatus control method An electronic apparatus holds identification information for identifying the electronic apparatus. A replacement unit is detachably connected to the electronic apparatus. The replacement unit holds an operation program to controls the electronic apparatus and determ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7440704 | Image forming apparatus A cartridge information managing unit reads a kind of toner cartridge which is detachable to an image forming apparatus main body and ID information stored in a toner cartridge identification information storing unit and manages them. A process switching unit of an ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7433607 | System and method for ordering components and services for a machine A machine comprises a processor and at least one other component. The processor determines if the other component needs service, and sends an electronic message addressed to a remote communication device accessible by a user of the machine. The service includes at l... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7430053 | Tracking component usage in a printing device A printing device can receive a replaceable component that includes an integrated memory. The integrated memory can store an indicator for indicating a condition of the component. The printing device can retrieve the indicator from the integrated memory. The printin... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7426048 | Image forming apparatus, controlling method, and control program An image forming apparatus in which programs for controlling processes that are provided by the image forming apparatus are installed. The image forming apparatus includes means for managing the use amount of each program by use of a counter, means for recognizing t... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7426045 | Information processing apparatus for managing print job, and method thereof Disclosed are, as an embodiment, an information processing apparatus connectable to an image processing apparatus, including a first setting unit for setting the first limitation condition for limiting the use of the image processing apparatus, a second setting unit... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7409169 | Image forming apparatus and image forming system An image forming system includes an image producing apparatus that produces image data and an image forming apparatus that prints the image data. The image producing apparatus produces the image data, and detects from the image data usage information indicative of a... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7405841 | Image processing device, image processing method and image processing program MFP 100 obtains document image data by reading an image of an IC-tagged document by means of image scanning unit 150, and writes it into the IC tag of the document as archive information of the document image by means of IC-tagged reading/writing unit ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7389058 | Method of and apparatus for indicating a time to replace consumables in an image forming apparatus A method and an apparatus for indicating the time to replace consumables in an image forming apparatus by receiving the current date and the critical time of the consumables from a host and comparing them. The apparatus and method include receiving information regar... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7382990 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes at least two radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, an interrogator activating the RFID tags and sequentially receives tag information from the RFID tags according to the priority orders of the RFID tags, and a controller con... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7379196 | Printing system, printing apparatus, print data transmitting device, and program In a printing system, before transmitting print data to a printer, a personal computer transmits a virtual printing start command to the printer. When the data received by the printer is a virtual printing start command, the printer performs a virtual printing opera... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7379206 | Methods and systems for determining resource capabilities for a lean production environment A plurality of printing jobs associated with a printing environment can be initially evaluated. Such a printing environment can be implemented as a print shop or another lean document production environment. A set of minimal resource capacities can then be calculate... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7373305 | Accounting apparatus, accounting method, and computer-readable program storage medium for storing program having accounting function A printer performs a printing operation by driving a cartridge to discharge ink. The ink in the printer is billed according to the amount of actual use of ink. In a service center, the head ID is first input. Then, the head ID is verified against the user ID. The am... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369784 | Image forming apparatus and main body of the same The present invention provides an image forming apparatus main body for forming an image on a recording medium using consumable items removably attached thereto by at least two operation modes. The image forming apparatus main body comprises a communicating unit tha... | 05/06/2008 |
