A method for controlling light emission of an ink cartridge, wherein an ink cartridge control unit is provided on an ink cartridge removably mountable to an imaging device main body of an imaging device, and the imaging device main body is provided with a light receiver, the ink cartridge further comprises an interface unit for receiving a signal transmitted by the imaging device main body and a storage unit for storing ink cartridge identification information, the ink cartridge control unit is connected to a light emitting unit emitting light towards the light receiver and is configured to control the light emitting unit to emit or not emit light, and the imaging device main body is provided with at least two ink cartridges; wherein the method comprises: receiving, by the ink cartridge control unit, a light emitting control instruction from the imaging device main body and identifying the instruction; and controlling, by the ink cartridge control unit, light emission of the light emitting unit of the ink cartridge according to the identified light emitting control instruction and preset control information corresponding to the light emitting control instruction, so as to control a light emitting unit of a to-be-detected ink cartridge not to emit light at an adjacent position light detection stage of the to-be-detected ink cartridge but to emit light at a facing position light detection stage of the to-be-detected ink cartridge, the method being characterised by further comprising carrying out the facing position light detection stage and the adjacent position light detection stage, wherein the facing position light detection stage refers to a process where the imaging device drives the light emitting unit of the to-be-detected ink cartridge facing to the light receiver to emit light, and detects whether the amount of light received by the light receiver is greater than a preset value, and the adjacent position light detection stage refers to a process where the to-be-detected ink cartridge is maintained at a position facing to the light receiver, the imaging device drives the light emitting unit of any ink cartridge adjacent to the to-be-detected ink cartridge to emit light, and detects whether the amount of light received by the light receiver is less than the amount of light received during the facing position light detection. receiving, by the ink cartridge control unit, a light emitting control instruction from the imaging device main body and identifying the instruction; and controlling, by the ink cartridge control unit, light emission of the light emitting unit of the ink cartridge according to the identified light emitting control instruction and preset control information corresponding to the light emitting control instruction, so as to control a light emitting unit of a to-be-detected ink cartridge not to emit light at an adjacent position light detection stage of the to-be-detected ink cartridge but to emit light at a facing position light detection stage of the to-be-detected ink cartridge, the method being characterised by further comprising carrying out the facing position light detection stage and the adjacent position light detection stage, wherein the facing position light detection stage refers to a process where the imaging device drives the light emitting unit of the to-be-detected ink cartridge facing to the light receiver to emit light, and detects whether the amount of light received by the light receiver is greater than a preset value, and the adjacent position light detection stage refers to a process where the to-be-detected ink cartridge is maintained at a position facing to the light receiver, the imaging device drives the light emitting unit of any ink cartridge adjacent to the to-be-detected ink cartridge to emit light, and detects whether the amount of light received by the light receiver is less than the amount of light received during the facing position light detection.