The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 11, 2014
Filed:
Oct. 12, 2011
Shinji Mitsui, Kanagawa, JP;
Shinji Mitsui, Kanagawa, JP;
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, a container mounting portion demountably mounted with a toner container, a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the developing device from the toner container, a first estimation unit estimating an amount of toner used on the basis of the image data, a second estimation unit estimating the amount of toner used on the basis of a toner supplying operation of the toner supply unit, and an emptiness determining unit determining emptiness of the toner container on the basis of only the amount of toner used estimated by the first estimation unit in a first state and both the amounts of toner used estimated by the first and second estimation units in a second state.