Patent Description:
Hereinafter, various examples will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings below. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same function will be assigned the same reference numeral and will not be redundantly described herein.

<CIT> relates to a method in which bidirectional communication is carried out between an image forming device and a toner bottle. <CIT> relates to a device for refilling toner from outside of a developing device. <CIT> relates to a system for enabling a user to replace toner in a printing device. <CIT> relates to an image forming apparatus comprising a replenishing device for replenishing toner.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a toner refill unit <NUM> of an image forming apparatus <NUM><NUM> and refill toner supplies <NUM> according to an example.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may perform an image forming job such as printing, scanning, or faxing. The image forming apparatus <NUM> may perform the image forming job according to a user input received via a user interface device. The image forming apparatus <NUM> may use toner to perform a print job. A toner cartridge may store toner to be used for the image forming job. The toner cartridge may be mounted in the image forming apparatus <NUM>, and form a visual toner image on a photosensitive medium by supplying the toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium. When the toner of the toner cartridge is exhausted, the toner cartridge needs to be replaced with a new cartridge by a user. General users who are not accustomed to the structure or operation of the mage forming apparatus <NUM> may have difficulties separating and removing the toner cartridge from the image forming apparatus <NUM> and mounting a new toner cartridge in the image forming apparatus <NUM>. A method of refilling toner in the toner cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus <NUM> by using the refill toner supplies <NUM> without separating the toner cartridge from the image forming apparatus <NUM> will be described below.

<FIG> illustrates that the image forming apparatus <NUM> is connectable to the refill toner supplies <NUM>. The refill toner supplies <NUM> may be consumables to be used to fill a toner cartridge with toner. The refill toner supplies <NUM> are to store toner therein. A structure of the refill toner supplies <NUM> may correspond to that of a connection part of a toner refill unit <NUM> included in the image forming apparatus <NUM> so that the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be coupled and connected to the image forming apparatus <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the connection part of the toner refill unit <NUM> connected to the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus <NUM>. The toner refill unit <NUM> may be provided in the image forming apparatus <NUM> such that the connection part thereof to be connected to the refill toner supplies <NUM> is accessible outside the image forming apparatus <NUM>. The connection part of the toner refill unit <NUM> to which the refill toner supplies <NUM> is physically connected may be provided on a side surface of the exterior of the image forming apparatus <NUM> such that the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be directly coupled and connected to the image forming apparatus <NUM>. The toner refill unit <NUM> may be connected to the refill toner supplies <NUM>, and supply refill toner from the refill toner supplies <NUM> connected thereto to a toner cartridge mounted in an image forming job unit of the image forming apparatus <NUM>. The toner refill unit <NUM> may supply the refill toner to the toner cartridge mounted in the image forming job unit.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus <NUM> according to an example.

Referring to <FIG>, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may include a toner refill unit <NUM>, a controller <NUM>, a communication interface device <NUM>, a user interface device <NUM>, and an image forming job unit <NUM>. However, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art related to the current example that the image forming apparatus <NUM> may further include other general components, as well as the components illustrated in <FIG>.

When the refill toner supplies <NUM> of <FIG> is connected to the toner refill unit <NUM>, the toner refill unit <NUM> may be supplied with refill toner from the refill toner supplies <NUM> and may transfer the refill toner to a toner cartridge mounted in the image forming job unit <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may control overall operations of the image forming apparatus <NUM>, and include at least one processor corresponding to each of the operations. Although not shown, the controller <NUM> may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphical processing unit (GPU), etc. The RAM, the ROM, the CPU, the GPU, etc. may be connected to one another via a data bus. The CPU may perform booting using an operating system (O/S) stored in a storage unit (not shown) by accessing the storage unit. Furthermore, the CPU may perform various operations using various programs, data, etc. stored in the storage unit. A set of instructions for booting the system, etc. may be stored in the ROM. For example, when a turn-on command is input to power on the image forming apparatus <NUM>, the CPU may boot the system by copying the O/S stored in the storage unit to the RAM and executing the O/S according to the instructions stored in the ROM. After the booting of the system is completed, the CPU may perform various operations by coping the various programs stored in the storage unit to the RAM and executing the copied programs. After the booting of the image forming apparatus <NUM> is completed, the GPU may display a user interface screen on a region of the user interface device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may perform an operation corresponding to a user's manipulation input to the user interface device <NUM>, according to the user's manipulation.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may be connected to an external device via the communication interface device <NUM>. The communication interface device <NUM> may include a module supporting at least one among various wired/wireless communication methods to connect to or communicate with an external device. The wireless communication may include, for example, at least one among Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) and Near-Field Communication (NFC). The wired communication may include, for example, at least one of Universal Serial Bus (USB) or High-Definition MultimediaInterface (HDMI).

The user interface device <NUM> may receive an input from a user and display information to the user. The user interface device <NUM> may include an input unit to receive an input for an image forming job or the like from the user. The user interface device <NUM> may further include an output unit to display information regarding the image forming job or a state of the image forming apparatus <NUM>. For example, the user interface device <NUM> may be in the form of a touch screen including an operation panel to receive user input and a display panel to display an image.

Although the image forming job unit <NUM> is illustrated as including a printer <NUM>, a scanner <NUM> and a facsimile <NUM>, the image forming job unit <NUM> may include some of these components or may further include other components to perform a different image forming job, if necessary. The image forming job unit <NUM> may include hardware components to perform the image forming job, and include dedicated machine readable instructions to perform the image forming job. The printer <NUM> may form an image on a recording medium according to various printing methods such as an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, a thermal transfer method, a thermosensitive method, etc. The scanner <NUM> may read an image recorded on a document by emitting light to the document and receiving light reflected from the document. The facsimile <NUM> may share components for scanning an image with the scanner <NUM>, share components for printing a received file with the printer <NUM>, and transmit a scanned file to a destination or receive a file from the outside.

<FIG> is a detailed block diagram of a toner refill unit <NUM> of an image forming apparatus <NUM> according to an example.

Referring to <FIG>, the toner refill unit <NUM> may include a sensor <NUM>, an authentication device <NUM>, a refill toner supply motor <NUM>, and a refill toner transfer channel <NUM>. However, some of these components may be omitted or replaced with other components.

The sensor <NUM> may sense physical connection of the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the toner refill unit <NUM>.

The authentication device <NUM> may receive information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> by communicating with the refill toner supplies <NUM> of which the physical connection to the toner refill unit <NUM> is sensed, and authenticate whether the refill toner supplies <NUM> are genuine products, based on the received information.

Refill toner may be discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> by using the refill toner supply motor <NUM>. For example, the refill toner may be discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> by applying pressure to the refill toner supplies <NUM> by driving the refill toner supply motor <NUM>. When the refill toner supply motor <NUM> is used in the toner refill unit <NUM>, the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be manufactured to be connectable with the refill toner supply motor <NUM>.

If the refill toner supplies <NUM> is manufactured to shrink when external pressure is applied thereto, the refill toner may be discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> when the refill toner supplies <NUM> is pressurized by a user. When the refill toner supplies <NUM> includes a motor to discharge the refill toner and a switch to operate the motor, the refill toner may be discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> by pressing the switch of the refill toner supplies <NUM>. In these cases, the refill toner supply motor <NUM> of the toner refill unit <NUM> of <FIG> may be omitted.

The refill toner discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be transferred to a toner inlet at a side surface of a toner cartridge via the refill toner transfer channel <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a process of refilling toner by connecting the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the image forming apparatus <NUM>, according to an example.

A user may connect the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the image forming apparatus <NUM> (operation S400).

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may perform a toner refill mode (operation S405). When the refill toner supplies <NUM> is connected to the toner refill unit <NUM>, the user interface device <NUM> may display a toner refill progress. When the refill toner supplies <NUM> is connected to the toner refill unit <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may receive approval for refilling toner from the user via the user interface device <NUM>, and control the image forming apparatus <NUM> to operate according to the toner refill mode. In the toner refill mode, the controller <NUM> may deactivate a function to be provided to the user to prevent the image forming job unit <NUM> from being operated via a user's manipulation of the user interface device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may stop an operation of the image forming job unit <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may prevent entry of the toner refill unit <NUM> into a power save mode, and control refill toner to be supplied.

After the refilling of the toner is completed, the user may remove the refill toner supplies <NUM> from the image forming apparatus <NUM> (operation S410). When the refill toner supplies <NUM> is removed from the toner refill unit <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may set the toner refill unit <NUM> to a stopped state. The controller <NUM> may cancel the deactivation of the function to be provided to the user.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may restart the image forming job unit <NUM> (operation S415). The controller <NUM> may control the image forming apparatus <NUM> to operate in a normal mode by restarting the image forming job unit <NUM> stopped due to the toner refill mode. In this case, the image forming job unit <NUM> may perform initialization.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may output a report regarding the refilling of the toner (operation S420). The controller <NUM> may generate the report regarding the refilling of the toner, based on at least one among toner refill mode start information, toner refill progress status information, and toner refill mode end information stored in the image forming apparatus <NUM>, and output the report via the user interface device <NUM>. The toner refill mode will be described in detail with reference to <FIG> below.

<FIG> is a diagram for explaining a toner refill mode according to an example.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may authenticate the refill toner supplies <NUM> when the refill toner supplies <NUM> are connected thereto to determine whether the authentication of the refill toner supplies <NUM> succeeds so as to determine whether the refill toner supplies <NUM> are genuine products (operation S500).

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may determine whether toner is to be refilled by checking whether refill toner may be supplied from the refill toner supplies <NUM> connected thereto (operation S505). For example, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may determine that toner cannot be refilled when the refill toner does not remain in or cannot be discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM>.

When the authentication of the refill toner supplies <NUM> cannot be performed or fails or when toner cannot be refilled, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may output via the user interface device <NUM> a message indicating a refill tonner authentication error or indicating that toner cannot be refilled (operation S510).

When it is determined that the authentication of the refill toner supplies <NUM> succeeds and toner may be refilled, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may request a user to approve the refilling of the toner and receive an instruction to start the refilling of the toner from the user via the user interface device <NUM> (operation S515).

In order to prosecute the refilling of the toner, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may deactivate a function to be provided to the user to prevent the image forming job unit <NUM> from being operated via the user's manipulation of the user interface device <NUM>, and prevent the entry of the toner refill unit <NUM> into the power save mode (operation S520). The image forming apparatus <NUM> may stop an operation of the image forming job unit <NUM> while the refilling of the toner is performed. The image forming apparatus <NUM> may be maintained in a state as if it enters the power save mode by stopping operations of a fuser, a laser scanning unit (LSU), a paper feed unit, etc..

As the refilling of the toner starts, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may store toner refill mode start information (operation S525). The toner refill mode start information may include an identification (ID) number, model name, and capacity of the refill toner supplies <NUM>, and a date and time when the refilling of the toner is started.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may drive the refill toner supply motor <NUM> to discharge the refill toner from the refill toner supplies <NUM> (operation S530). However, a user may pressurize or operate the refill toner supplies <NUM> to discharge the refill toner from the refill toner supplies <NUM> when the refill toner supply motor <NUM> is not included in the toner refill unit <NUM>, when the refill toner supplies <NUM> is to shrink when external pressure is applied thereto, or when the refill toner supplies <NUM> has a component to discharge the refill toner.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may supply the refill toner from the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the toner cartridge mounted in the image forming job unit <NUM> (operation S535). The image forming apparatus <NUM> may store toner refill progress status information while the refilling of the toner is conducted. When the image forming apparatus <NUM> is powered off during the refiling of the toner or when a situation preventing the prosecution of the refilling of the toner occurs, toner refill progress status information may be stored in the image forming apparatus <NUM> so that the refilling of the toner may be continued at a later time.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may complete the refilling of the toner when the refill toner is not discharged from the refill toner supplies <NUM> any longer or when the amount of toner filled in the toner cartridge reaches a certain level or more (operation S540).

When the refilling of the toner is completed, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may store toner refill mode end information (operation S545). The toner refill mode end information may include the ID number, model name, and capacity of the refill toner supplies <NUM>, and a date and time when the refilling of the toner is completed.

If the refill toner supplies <NUM> is connected to the toner refill unit <NUM> during performing of an image forming job by the image forming apparatus <NUM>, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may perform the toner refill mode according to a user's selection to cancel, temporary stop, or complete the image forming job, which is currently being performed, via the user interface device <NUM> or may cancel the refilling of the toner.

If the refill toner supplies <NUM> is connected to the toner refill unit <NUM> when the image forming apparatus <NUM> is in the power save mode, the controller <NUM> may receive information indicating the connection of the refill toner supplies <NUM> from the sensor <NUM> capable of sensing the physical connection of the refill toner supplies <NUM> even in the power save mode, and may switch the power save mode to the toner refill mode.

<FIG> is a diagram for explaining the toner refill mode when the image forming apparatus <NUM> is powered on while the refill toner supplies <NUM> are connected to the toner refill unit <NUM>, according to an example.

Operations S600 to S615 and S635 to S660 of <FIG> are substantially the same as operations S500 to S545 described above with reference to <FIG> and thus are not redundantly described here. Operations S620, S625, and S630 performed before refilling of toner is started according to a user's approval for the refilling of the toner will be described with reference to <FIG> below.

In order to power on the image forming apparatus <NUM> to boot or reboot the image forming apparatus <NUM> while the refill toner supplies <NUM> is connected to the image forming apparatus <NUM>, whether the toner refill mode is in progress needs to be checked before the image forming apparatus <NUM> is powered on. The refilling of the toner may be performed according to the toner refill mode described above with reference to <FIG> when the toner refill mode is not in progress, but the image forming apparatus <NUM> may be controlled to proceed with an operation subsequent to the toner refill mode when the toner refill mode is in progress.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may determine whether the toner refill mode is in progress, based on information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> received from the toner refill unit <NUM> and toner refill mode records and information stored in the memory (operation S620).

When rebooting occurs during the toner refill mode, the image forming apparatus <NUM> may restore information regarding a progress status of the toner refill mode (operation S625).

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may set a toner refill restart point (operation S630).

<FIG> is a flowchart of a process of authenticating the refill toner supplies <NUM>, according to an example.

The process of authenticating the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be performed in operation S500 of <FIG> and operation S600 of <FIG> described above.

Referring to <FIG>, a user may connect the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the image forming apparatus <NUM> (operation S700).

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may sense the refill toner supplies <NUM> physically connected to the image forming apparatus <NUM> through the sensor <NUM> (operation S705).

Communication may be established between the authentication device <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM> and the refill toner supplies <NUM> (operation S710). In this case, secure communication may be established between the authentication device <NUM> and the refill toner supplies <NUM>.

The authentication device <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM> may request the refill toner supplies <NUM> to provide information thereof (operation S715). The information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> may include the ID number, e.g., a serial number, model name, capacity, etc. of the refill toner supplies <NUM>.

The refill toner supplies <NUM> may transmit the information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> to the authentication device <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM>, in response to the request to provide the information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> from the authentication device <NUM> (operation S720).

The authentication device <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM> may perform the process of authenticating the refill toner supplies <NUM>, based on the received information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM> (operation S725).

When the process of authenticating the refill toner supplies <NUM> is completed, the communication between the authentication device <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM> and the refill toner supplies <NUM> may be canceled (operation S730).

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example in which a toner refill progress status is displayed, according to an example.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may display a progress rate indicating the toner refill progress status via the user interface device <NUM>. The toner refill progress status may be periodically recorded and displayed at predetermined time intervals until the refilling of the toner is completed, and may be displayed via the user interface device <NUM> even when rebooting occurs during the toner refill mode.

The controller <NUM> of the image forming apparatus <NUM> may calculate the progress rate of the toner refill mode, based on at least one among information regarding the amount of injected toner measured by the refill toner supplies <NUM>, an actuation time of the refill toner supply motor <NUM> of the toner refill supplies <NUM>, and an increase in the amount of injected toner measured by a residual quantity sensor of a toner cartridge, the information being obtained by the authentication device <NUM> of the toner refill unit <NUM>. For example, when the amount of injected toner may be measured by the refill toner supplies <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may receive the information regarding the measured amount of injected toner by using the authentication device <NUM> connected to the refill toner supplies <NUM>, and calculate the progress rate by dividing the amount of injected toner by the capacity of the refill toner supplies <NUM>. As another example, when refill toner is supplied using the refill toner supply motor <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may calculate the progress rate by dividing the actuation time of the refill toner supply motor <NUM> by an estimated total actuation time. As another example, the controller <NUM> may calculate the progress rate from the increase in the amount of injected toner starting from a toner refill start point by using the residual quantity sensor of the toner cartridge.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may output the toner refill progress status as illustrated in <FIG> via the user interface device <NUM>. Start time when the refilling of the toner is started, the model name, capacity, and serial number of the refill toner supplies <NUM>, and the progress rate may be output via the user interface device <NUM>, and end time may be further output when the refilling of the toner is completed, when the refilling of the toner is completed.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example in which a toner refill report is output, according to an example.

The image forming apparatus <NUM> may generate a toner refill report, based on at least one among toner refill mode start information, toner refill progress status information, and toner refill mode end information stored in the toner refill mode, and output the toner refill report via the user interface device <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the toner refill report including information regarding the refill toner supplies <NUM>, information regarding a toner cartridge, and data generated as the toner refill mode is prosecuted, and a toner refill history report including details of all statuses of toner refilling performed by the image forming apparatus <NUM> may be output via the user interface device <NUM>.

A method of controlling an image forming apparatus as described above may be embodied in the form of a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions or data executable by a computer or a processor. In an example, the method may be embodied as a program which can be executed in a computer, and executed by a general-purpose digital computer capable of executing the program by using a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium may include ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD+Rs, CD-RWs, CD+RWs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, DVD-RAMs, BD-ROMs, BD-Rs, BD-R LTHs, BD-REs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, magneto-optical data storage devices, optical data storage devices, hard discs, solid-state discs (SSDs), and any other devices capable of storing instructions, software, machine readable instructions, related data, data files, and data structures and providing the instructions, the software, the machine readable instructions, the related data, the data files, and the data structures to processors or computers so that the instructions may be executed by the processors or the computers.

Claim 1:
An image forming apparatus (<NUM>) comprising:
an image forming job unit (<NUM>) having a toner cartridge mounted in the image forming job unit;
a toner refill unit (<NUM>) connectable to refill toner supplies (<NUM>), to supply refill toner to the mounted toner cartridge from the refill toner supplies (<NUM>);
a user interface (<NUM>) device to display a toner refill progress status when the refill toner supplies are connected to the toner refill unit, and
a controller (<NUM>) configured to control the image forming apparatus (<NUM>), based on an operation of the toner refill unit,
wherein, when the refill toner supplies are connected to the toner refill unit (<NUM>), the controller receives approval to refill toner from a user via the user interface device (<NUM>) and control the image forming apparatus (<NUM>) to operate according to a toner refill mode, in which the controller is configured to:
deactivate a function to be provided to a user to prevent the image forming job unit (<NUM>) from being operated via the user's manipulation of the user interface device,
stop an operation of the image forming job unit (<NUM>),
prevent entry of the toner refill unit (<NUM>) into a power save mode, and
control the refill toner to be supplied.