Patent ID: 8066344

Claim:
An apparatus capable of mounting an expendable cartridge thereon, comprising: a consumption amount counting unit that counts up the consumption amount of ink in expendable cartridges in the apparatus when a change is detected for the first time during the continuous operation of the apparatus, the change being a residual expendable amount of the expendable cartridge decreasing from a value higher than a predetermined low residual level to a value lower than or equal to the low residual level, wherein: the consumption amount of ink in the expendable cartridges is counted up, and with respect to the respective expendable cartridges mounted on the apparatus, (a1) it is detected whether or not the residual expendable amount is lower than or equal to the low residual level immediately after the apparatus is powered on; (a2) the count-up is not performed with respect to an expendable cartridge of which the residual expendable amount is lower than or equal to the low residual level immediately after the power-on; (b1) when any expendable cartridge is replaced, it is detected whether or not the residual expendable amount is lower than or equal to the low residual level immediately after the replacement; and (b2) when any expendable cartridge is replaced and the residual expendable amount immediately after the replacement is lower than or equal to the low residual level, the count-up is not performed with respect to the replaced expendable cartridge.