Patent ID: 8407109

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for enabling management of a stock number of a toner cartridge detachably placed in a printing apparatus by referring to a number of print sheets consumed in a printing process of the printing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising: a receiver that receives, via communication from the printing apparatus, a notification of a residual amount of toner in the toner cartridge, wherein the notification is issued by a sensor mounted on the printing apparatus for detecting the residual amount of the toner in the toner cartridge and indicates entering into a low residual amount of toner or exiting out of a low residual amount of toner; a discriminator that discriminates that (i) a current notification of the residual amount of the toner in the toner cartridge received by said receiver is to be used to decrease the stock number of the toner cartridge if a predetermined number of the print sheets have been consumed in a period between a previous notification of the residual amount of the toner in the toner cartridge and the current notification, or (ii) the current notification is not to be used to decrease the stock number of the toner cartridge if the predetermined number of the print sheets have not been consumed in the period, wherein the previous notification is a notification by which it is recognized that the toner cartridge has been exchanged in the printing apparatus; and a controller that controls stock management such that the stock number is decreased based on the current notification if said discriminator discriminates that the current notification is to be used to decrease the stock number, and such that the stock number is not decreased if said discriminator discriminates that the current notification is not to be used to decrease the stock number.