Patent ID: 8137015
Filing Date: 2012-03-20
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method of forming an image on a transfer sheet based on electronic data using an image forming device and an ink ribbon cartridge, an ink ribbon of the ink ribbon cartridge having a plurality of ink films formed thereon with boundary lines being provided between the ink films, the method comprising: turning on power to the image forming device; installing the ink ribbon cartridge in the image forming device; a user inputting an image forming instruction; initially conveying the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon cartridge with the image forming device while determining with a boundary line detecting unit of the image forming device whether at least one of the boundary lines formed on the ink ribbon has reached a predetermined position in the image forming device, the initially conveying of the ink ribbon and the determining being commenced in response to power to the image forming device being turned on or in response to the ink ribbon cartridge being installed in the image forming device, and the initially conveying of the ink ribbon and the determining being commenced and completed before the user inputs the image forming instruction for a first time after the power to the image forming device has been turned on or the ink ribbon cartridge has been installed in the image forming device, the initially conveying of the ink ribbon being completed upon the boundary line detecting unit of the image forming device determining that the at least one of the boundary lines has reached the predetermined position in the image forming device such that the image forming device enters a print instruction waiting mode; subsequently conveying the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon cartridge with the image forming device in response to receiving the image forming instruction while the image forming device is in the print instruction waiting mode; calculating a conveyed length of the ink ribbon during the subsequently conveying of the ink ribbon upon the boundary line detecting unit of the image forming device determining that the at least one of the boundary lines has reached the predetermined position; forming the image on the transfer sheet in response to the conveyed length of the ink ribbon being determined to be less than a prescribed threshold value that is less than a length of each of the ink films; and determining that the ink ribbon has been expended to its terminal end when the boundary line detecting unit of the image forming device determines that no boundary line has reached the predetermined position while the ink ribbon is conveyed by a prescribed distance that is equal to or greater than the length of each of the ink films.