Patent ID: 8655200
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A system for controlling an image forming device comprising the image forming device and a controlling device that manages a plurality of image forming devices, the image forming device being capable of forming an electrostatic latent image on an image support; being capable of developing the electrostatic latent image with a developing device having a developer therein to form a toner image and being capable of supplying a toner from a replaceably attached toner cartridge to the developing device, and comprising a toner level detecting device for detecting a level of toner in the toner cartridge, the toner level detecting device being capable of detecting a toner near empty state indicating that the toner cartridge will be shortly empty of toner, and having an indicating device which can indicate that the toner cartridge is in the toner near empty state and a communication part for communicating with the controlling device via a communication network, the communication part outputting a toner near empty signal to the controlling device when the toner level detecting device detects the toner near empty state, the indicating device indicating a toner near empty indication when the communication part receives a toner near empty indication instruction signal which instructs that the toner near empty indication should be indicated on the indicating device from the controlling device which has received the toner near empty signal, the indicating device not indicating the toner near empty indication when the communication part does not receive the toner near empty indication instruction signal although the toner near empty signal is output to the controlling device, the controlling device having a controlling condition table recording a controlling condition set for each image forming device to be controlled and a communication part for communicating with the image forming device to be controlled via the communication network, the controlling device referring to the controlling condition for controlling the image forming device recorded in the controlling condition table for the image forming device when the communication part receives the toner near empty signal from the image forming device to be controlled, outputting the toner near empty indication instruction signal for instructing that the toner near empty indication should be indicated on the indicating device to the image forming device when the image forming device is an image forming device which should indicate the toner near empty indication on the indicating device according to the controlling condition, and not outputting the indication instruction signal to the image forming device when the image forming device is an image forming device which should not indicate the toner near empty indication on the indicating device according to the controlling condition.