	US 7,362,466 B2
	Image forming apparatus and replaceable part and IC chip for the same
Toshitaka Semma, Kanagawa (Japan); Hiroyuki Nagashima, Kanagawa (Japan); and Takamasa Hayashi, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/997,002.
Claims priority of application No. 2000-364113 (JP), filed on Nov. 30, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2002/0064389 A1, May 30, 2002
Int. Cl. G06F 15/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 358—1.18 [358/1.9; 358/1.16; 399/24; 399/25; 399/59; 399/111]

32 Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

image forming means at least partly implemented by a replaceable part, which is removably mounted to said apparatus body;

counting means for counting prints sequentially output with the replaceable part;

storing means and first writable and readable nonvolatile storing means built in said apparatus body;

second writable and readable nonvolatile storing means built in the replaceable part; and

a controller configured to store a limit number of prints particular to the replaceable part in said first nonvolatile storing means, to store, after an image forming operation, a cumulative number of prints printed by said replaceable part in said first nonvolatile storing means at least until the replaceable part is replaced with a different replaceable part and in said second nonvolatile storing means, and to report a time for replacing said replaceable part when said cumulative number stored in said first nonvolatile storing means exceeds said limit number of prints stored in said first nonvolatile storing means,

wherein the controller is configured to determine an image forming condition setting and to increment a cumulative number stored in memory in the apparatus body by a number other than one for each of the prints sequentially output with the replaceable part while the image forming condition setting is set to a first of at least two available image forming condition settings.