Patent ID: 7001006
Filing Date: 2006-02-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus for performing printing by discharging ink supplied from a replaceable ink tank by a printhead on a printing medium, based on-print data received from a host, comprising: scanning means for scanning a carriage to which said ink tank and said printhead are mounted; storage means for storing ink-consumption amount information; count means for counting a value representing a consumption amount of said ink; update means for updating the ink-consumption amount information stored in said storage means based on the value counted by said count means; carriage position discrimination means for discriminating whether or not said carriage stops moving at a predetermined position of a scanning oath and more than a predetermined period of time elapses at the predetermined position; determination means for determining a possibility of replacement of said ink tank, based on a result of discrimination by said carriage position discrimination means; storage control means for controlling storage of first consumption-amount information into said storage means upon determination by said determination means of the possibility of replacement of said ink tank; notification means for notifying said host of a result of determination by said determination means of the possibility of replacement of said ink tank; reception means for receiving from said host a user's confirmation as to whether or not said ink tank has been surely replaced, and for receiving from said host ink amount information on ink contained in an ink tank newly set by the replacement of said ink tank, as the result of notification by said notification means; and change means for changing the ink-consumption amount information obtained by said update means, based on the ink-consumption amount information updated by said update means upon reception by said reception means, on the first consumption-amount information stored in said storage means, and on the ink amount information received by said reception means.