| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems that an expensive and special mechanism such as an ID reader is necessary before, when carrying out management of consumable or it is impossible to carry out a suitable management of consumables when exchanging or replenishing the consumables because the remaining amount of the consumables is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: A monitoring apparatus 1101 retains a consumables status, acquires consumption ratio of the consumables in an image forming apparatus, and then judges the consumables status in the image forming apparatus from the retained consumables status and the acquired consumption ratio. Three statuses for the consumables exist in which a second status with the remaining amount of the consumables less than in a first status and a third status with the remaining amount of the consumables less than in the second status. When the retained consumables status is the third status, the next consumables status is not judged as the second status and when the acquired consumption ratio is a first threshold value or more, the next consumables status is judged as the first status. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT |
