Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus to which a cartridge provided with a device including a memory is detachably mountable and in which an image is formed by using the cartridge mounted acquires first condition information which is image forming condition information and stores second condition information which is image forming condition information including a corresponding operation setting. A controller executes at least part of image formation control, using the first condition information or the second condition information selected on the basis of a verification result, in parallel to authentication processing, wherein execution of at least part of the image formation control is started after the first condition information is acquired and verified and before completion of the authentication processing, such that at least a part of a period of the image formation control overlaps with at least a part of a period of the authentication processing.
1 . An image forming apparatus to which a cartridge provided with a device including a memory is detachably mountable and in which an image is formed by using the cartridge mounted, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to execute image formation control for putting the image forming apparatus in a state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of forming the image based on image information;
an acquiring portion configured to acquire first condition information which is image forming condition information including an operation setting of at least one of a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit from the memory in communication with the device;
a verifying portion configured to verify the first condition information acquired from the memory;
a second condition information storing portion in which second condition information which is image forming condition information including a corresponding operation setting is stored; and
an authenticating portion configured to execute authentication processing for authenticating the cartridge in communication with the device,
wherein the controller executes at least a part of the image formation control, using the first condition information or the second condition information selected on the basis of a verification result by the verifying portion, in parallel to the authentication processing by the authenticating portion, wherein execution of at least part of the image formation control is started after the first condition information is acquired and verified and before completion of the authentication processing such that at least a part of a period of the image formation control overlaps with at least a part of a period of the authentication processing.
2 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes the image formation control by using the first condition information in a case where the first condition information is discriminated as being usable by the verifying portion, and executes the image formation control by using the second condition information in a case where the first condition information is discriminated as being unusable by the verifying portion.
3 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a model information storing portion in which model information is stored,
wherein the verifying portion discriminates that the first condition information is usable in a case where model information acquired from the memory and the model information stored in the model information storing portion coincide with each other, and discriminates that the first condition information is unusable in a case where the model information acquired from the model information stored in the model information storing portion do not coincide with each other.
4 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an exchange discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether or not the cartridge is exchanged,
wherein in a case where the first condition information is acquired before present discrimination by the exchange discriminating portion and the cartridge is discriminated as being not exchanged by the present discrimination by the exchange discriminating portion, at least a part of the image formation control by the controller in which the first condition information acquired from the memory before the present discrimination by the exchange discriminating portion and at least a part of the authentication processing by the authenticating portion are executed in parallel to each other.
5 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a discrimination information storing portion configured to store cartridge discrimination information, for discriminating the cartridge, acquired from the memory,
wherein the exchange discriminating portion discriminates that the cartridge is not exchanged in a case where the cartridge discrimination information acquired from the memory of the cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus and the cartridge discrimination information stored in the discrimination information storing portion coincide with each other, and discriminates that the cartridge is exchanged in a case where the cartridge discrimination information acquired from the memory and the cartridge discrimination information stored in the discrimination information storing portion are different from each other.
6 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an apparatus discrimination information storing portion in which apparatus discrimination information for discriminating the image forming apparatus is stored; and
a writing portion configured to cause the memory, of the cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus, to store the apparatus discrimination information,
wherein the exchange discriminating portion discriminates that the cartridge is not exchanged in a case where the apparatus discrimination information acquired from the memory of the cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus and the apparatus discrimination information stored in the apparatus discrimination information storing portion coincide with each other, and discriminates that the cartridge is exchanged in a case where the apparatus discrimination information acquired from the memory and the apparatus discrimination information stored in the apparatus discrimination information storing portion are different from each other.
7 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a discrimination information storing portion configured to store cartridge discrimination information, for discriminating the cartridge, acquired from the memory;
an apparatus discrimination information storing portion in which apparatus discrimination information for discriminating the image forming apparatus is stored; and
a writing portion configured to cause the memory, of the cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus, to store the apparatus discrimination information,
wherein the exchange discriminating portion discriminates
that the cartridge is not exchanged in a case where the cartridge discrimination information acquired from the memory of the cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus and the cartridge discrimination information stored in the discrimination information storing portion coincide with each other, or in a case where the apparatus discrimination information acquired from the memory of the cartridge and the apparatus discrimination information stored in the apparatus discrimination information storing portion coincide with each other, and
that the cartridge is exchanged in a case where the cartridge discrimination information acquired from the memory of the cartridge and the cartridge discrimination information stored in the discrimination information storing portion are different from each other, or in a case where the apparatus discrimination information acquired from the memory and the apparatus discrimination information stored in the apparatus discrimination information storing portion are different from each other.
8 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image formation control is control for putting the image forming apparatus in a state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of forming the image on the basis of image information.