Patent ID: 8867933

Claim:
A method for providing a page countdown for a replaceable toner cartridge of an image forming device on a display screen of at least one of the image forming device and a device in electronic communication with the image forming device, comprising: upon detecting an installation in the image forming device of a toner cartridge that is out of usable toner: determining a number of pages remaining for a page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge; determining whether a toner sump of an imaging unit positioned to receive toner from the toner cartridge contains sufficient toner to print the number of pages remaining for the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge; if the toner sump of the imaging unit contains sufficient toner to print the number of pages remaining for the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge, continuing the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge on the display screen from the number of pages remaining when pages are printed by the image forming device; and if the toner sump of the imaging unit does not contain sufficient toner to print the number of pages remaining for the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge, resetting the number of pages remaining for the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge based on the amount of toner available in the toner sump of the imaging unit and continuing the page countdown associated with the life of the toner cartridge on the display screen from the reset number of pages remaining when pages are printed by the image forming device.