Patent ID: 8208820
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: G03G,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a scanning unit that reads image data and outputs read image data; a data-processing unit that converts the read image data into print image data; an output unit that forms an image on a recording medium with developer based on the print image data, and outputs the image; a first calculating unit that calculates estimated developer consumption, which is an amount of developer that the output unit requires to complete forming an image corresponding to the read image data; a second calculating unit that calculates developer consumption, which is an amount of developer corresponding to a sum of density values of pixels of the image to be formed by the output unit based on the print image data; an updating unit that subtracts the developer consumption from a remaining developer amount in the output unit to update the remaining developer amount for each job, and retains the remaining developer amount; and an instructing unit that, when the estimated developer consumption exceeds the remaining developer amount previously retained by the updating unit upon forming of the image corresponding to the read image data, issues an instruction to the data-processing unit to reduce developer to be consumed to form the image to the remaining developer amount, wherein the data-processing unit converts the read image data into the print image data in response to the instruction from the instructing unit such that the output unit forms the image with developer in the remaining developer amount, and the first calculating unit calculates, as the estimated developer consumption, a product of (i) a per-page average developer consumption that is based on past developer consumptions and (ii) number of recording media required for outputting the image corresponding to the read image data, and wherein the instructing unit disables, upon forming of the image, an interrupt job for forming another image when the estimated developer consumption exceeds the remaining developer amount.