Image forming apparatus, consumable item management system and computer-readable medium

1. An image forming apparatus performing image formation processing, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a prediction unit;

an inquiry unit that determines whether or not the prediction unit is configured to predict a remaining usable period of a consumable item used in the image formation processing; and

a request unit that, if the inquiry unit determines that the prediction unit is not configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, transmits use history information of the consumable item over a network to a consumable item management apparatus and requests the consumable item management apparatus to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the inquiry unit determines that the prediction unit is configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, the prediction unit predicts the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information of the consumable item and transmits the remaining usable period predicted by the prediction unit over the network to the consumable item management apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the consumable item is a photosensitive drum.

4. A consumable item management system, comprising:

an image forming apparatus that performs image formation processing using a consumable item; and

a consumable item management apparatus that manages a remaining usable period based on a type of the consumable item,

wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:

a first prediction unit;

an inquiry unit that determines whether or not the first prediction unit is configured to predict a remaining usable period of a consumable item used in the image formation processing; and

a first transmission unit that, if the inquiry unit determines that the first prediction unit is not configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, transmits use history information of the consumable item to the consumable item management apparatus and requests the consumable item management apparatus to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item; and

wherein the consumable item management apparatus comprises:

a reception unit that receives the use history information transmitted by the first transmission unit; and

a second prediction unit that predicts the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information received by the reception unit, and

a second transmission unit that transmits the remaining usable period of the consumable item predicted by the second prediction unit to the image forming apparatus.

5. The consumable item management system of claim 4 , wherein the consumable item is a photosensitive drum.

6. The consumable item management system of claim 4 , wherein if the inquiry unit determines that the first prediction unit is configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information of the consumable item, the first prediction unit predicts the remaining usable period of the consumable item and transmits the remaining usable period calculated by the first prediction unit over the network to the consumable item management apparatus and

the consumable item management apparatus stores in a storage unit the remaining usable period predicted by the first prediction unit and the remaining usable period of the consumable item predicted by the second prediction unit in association with information concerning the consumable item.

7. The consumable item management system of claim 6 , wherein the second prediction unit predicts the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information received by the reception unit and prior prediction results stored in the storage unit.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed causes an image forming apparatus to perform a process for managing a consumable item used in image formation processing, the process comprising:

determining whether or not a prediction unit in the image forming apparatus is configured to predict a remaining usable period of the consumable item;

in response to determining that the prediction unit is not configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, transmitting use history information of the consumable item and a request to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item

over a network to a consumable item management apparatus; and

receiving from the consumable item management apparatus, in response to the request and the use history information, the predicted remaining usable period of the consumable item.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein in response to determining that the prediction unit is configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, causing a prediction unit within the image processing apparatus to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information of the consumable item and transmits the remaining usable period predicted by the prediction unit over the network to the consumable item management apparatus.

10. The consumable item management system of claim 9 , wherein the consumable item is a photosensitive drum.