Patent ID: 7433065

Claim:
An image forming device consumable monitoring method comprising: storing information regarding a plurality of consumables usable to form hard images, wherein the stored information for an individual one of the consumables includes a stored consumable identifier which identifies the respective consumable and a stored party identifier utilized to identify a proper party of the respective consumable; receiving information regarding a consumable to be verified including a received consumable identifier which identifies the consumable to be verified and a received party identifier utilized to identify the proper party associated with the consumable to be verified; comparing the received consumable identifier with at least one of the stored consumable identifiers; comparing the received party identifier with at least one of the stored party identifiers; outputting a message responsive to the comparings to indicate use of the consumable to be verified by an unauthorized party who is not authorized to use the consumable; and wherein the comparing the received consumable identifier comprises comparing the received consumable identifier with at least one of the stored consumable identifiers, further comprising matching the received consumable identifier with one of the stored consumable identifiers, and wherein the comparing the received party identifier comprises comparing after the matching.