Patent ID: 8167392

Claim:
A recording apparatus capable of recording an image using a recording agent in a container, the apparatus comprising: an input unit configured to input an instruction from a user; a first issuing unit configured to issue an error signal for notification of a lack of a recording agent in a container, wherein when the error signal is issued by the first issuing unit, subsequent recording using the recording agent in the container is not performed; a canceling unit configured to cancel the error signal to allow for subsequent recording based on the instruction input by the input unit; a checking unit configured to check, in response to subsequent recording being allowed by cancellation of the error signal by the canceling unit, both of (i) whether a first amount of the recording agent in the container is less, by a predetermined amount or greater, than a second amount of the recording agent at a time that the error signal was issued by the first issuing unit; and (ii) whether a predetermined time period has elapsed since subsequent recording was allowed by the cancellation of the error signal by the canceling unit, by causing a timer to count a time period elapsed since the subsequent recording was allowed; a determining unit configured to (i) determine whether the checking unit has found that the first amount is less, by the predetermined amount or greater, than the second amount, and (ii) determine whether the checking unit has found that the timer has counted the predetermined time period elapsed since the subsequent recording was allowed; a second issuing unit configured to issue another error signal for notification of a lack of the recording agent in the container when the determining unit determines either (i) or (ii) has been found; and a reset unit configured to reset the time period having been counted by the timer, when the canceling unit cancels the error signal issued by the second issuing unit, whether the canceled error signal was issued based on (i) or (ii).