Image forming apparatus mounting exchange unit with memory

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: a power supply for said image forming apparatus; a power supply control circuit for turning on/off said power supply in response to an operation of a power switch; discharge means for discharging a recording sheet on which an image is formed; a sensor for detecting the recording sheet discharged by said discharge means; updating means for, when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet, updating data stored in the memory of the exchange unit; and maintaining means for maintaining a supply state of said power supply to said updating means even when the power switch is turned on/off during the updating processing of said updating means, and stopping the supply of power to said updating means after the updating processing.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said updating means performs the updating processing every time said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said updating means performs the updating processing when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet in units of a predetermined number of image forming operations.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in the exchange unit.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the exchange unit, if the exchanged unit's life is finished.

Claim 7

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: a power supply for said image forming apparatus; updating means for updating data stored in the memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; and maintaining means for postponing the power OFF timing until the updating processing completes and maintaining power supply when a power OFF instruction is issued during the updating processing of said updating means.

Claim 8

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: a power supply for said image forming apparatus; updating means for updating data stored in the memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; and maintaining means for postponing the power OFF timing until the updating processing completes and maintaining power supply when a power OFF instruction is issued during the updating processing of said updating means.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in the exchange unit.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the exchange unit, if the exchange unit's life is finished.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: updating means for updating data stored in the memory in synchronism with feeding of a recording sheet; determination means for determining whether or not image formation onto the recording sheet has been normally completed; and inhibition means for inhibiting updating processing of said updating means in a next image formation when said determination means determines that the image formation has not been normally completed.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: updating means for updating data stored in the memory in synchronism with feeding of a recording sheet; determination means for determining whether or not image formation onto the recording sheet has been normally completed; and inhibition means for inhibiting updating processing of said updating means in a next image formation when said determination means determines that the image formation has not been normally completed.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a non-volatile memory for, when said determination means determines that the image formation has not been normally completed, storing error data indicating that the image formation has not been normally completed, and wherein said inhibition means inhibits the updating processing when said non-volatile memory stores the error data.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: second determination means for determining a life of the exchange unit on the basis of data stored in the memory of the exchange unit.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in the exchange unit.

Claim 16

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: discharge means for discharging a recording sheet on which an image is formed; a sensor for detecting the recording sheet discharged by said discharge means; updating means for, when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet, updating data stored in the memory of the exchange unit; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; a power supply control circuit for turning on/off said power supply in response to an operation of a power switch; and maintaining means for maintaining a supply state of said power supply to said updating means even when the power switch is turned on/off during the updating processing of said updating means, and stopping the supply of power from said power supply to said updating means after the updating processing.

Claim 17

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: discharge means for discharging a recording sheet on which an image is formed; a sensor for detecting the recording sheet discharged by said discharge means; updating means for, when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet, updating data stored in the memory of the exchange unit; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; a power supply control circuit for turning on/off said power supply in response to an operation of a power switch; and maintaining means for maintaining a supply state of said power supply to said updating means even when the power switch is turned on/off during the updating processing of said updating means, and stopping the supply of power from said power supply to said updating means after the updating processing.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in the exchange unit.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the exchange unit, if the exchange unit's life is finished.

Claim 20

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: updating means for updating data stored in the memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; and maintaining means which, in response to an instruction to turn off said power supply during the updating processing of said updating means, postpones a cutting off of power to said updating means until the updating processing has been completed.

Claim 21

An image forming apparatus in which an exchange unit having a memory is mountable, comprising: updating means for updating data stored in the memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; and maintaining means which, in response to an instruction to turn off said power supply during the updating processing of said updating means, postpones a cutting off of power to said updating means until the updating processing has been completed.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in the exchange unit.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the exchange unit, if the exchange unit's life is finished.

Claim 24

An image forming apparatus comprising: discharge means for discharging a recording sheet on which an image if formed; a sensor for detecting the recording sheet discharged by said discharge means; updating means for, when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet, updating data stored in a memory; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; a power supply control circuit for turning on/off said power supply in response to an operation of a power switch; and maintaining means for maintaining a supply state of said power supply to said updating means even when the power switch is turned on/off during the updating processing of said updating means, and stopping the supply of power to said updating means after the updating processing.

Claim 25

An image forming apparatus comprising: discharge means for discharging a recording sheet on which an image if formed; a sensor for detecting the recording sheet discharged by said discharge means; updating means for, when said sensor detects the discharging of the recording sheet, updating data stored in a memory; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; a power supply control circuit for turning on/off said power supply in response to an operation of a power switch; and maintaining means for maintaining a supply state of said power supply to said updating means even when the power switch is turned on/off during the updating processing of said updating means, and stopping the supply of power to said updating means after the updating processing.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in an exchange unit mountable in said image forming apparatus.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the memory, if an exchange unit mountable in said image forming apparatus has reached the end of its life.

Claim 28

An image forming apparatus comprising: updating means for updating data stored in a memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; and maintaining means which, in response to an instruction to turn off said power supply during the updating processing of said updating means, postpones a cutting off of power to said updating means until the updating processing has been completed.

Claim 29

An image forming apparatus comprising: updating means for updating data stored in a memory after a recording sheet on which an image is formed is discharged; a power supply for an image forming unit within said image forming apparatus and for said updating means; and maintaining means which, in response to an instruction to turn off said power supply during the updating processing of said updating means, postpones a cutting off of power to said updating means until the updating processing has been completed.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the memory stores data indicating an accumulated number of image forming operations in an exchange unit mountable in said image forming apparatus.

Claim 31

An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising: checking means for checking, based on the data stored in the memory, if an exchange unit mountable in said image forming apparatus has reached the end of its life.