METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING AMOUNT OF PRODUCT, ELECTRIC SIGNAL-PROCESSING APPARATUS, TANK, CARTRIDGE INCLUDING THE TANK, IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, PRINTER, FACSIMILE APPARATUS, AND MICRO-COMPUTER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for correctly determining the amount of a product in a tank, particularly, a predetermined amount of the product in the tank. SOLUTION: The apparatus relates to an ink tank 112 of an image-forming apparatus such as a printer 10 or the like. The apparatus has means 120, 113, 123 for connecting a product to a predetermined voltage, means 121, 122 for generating an electric field through the product in the tank, means 122, 115, 100 for measuring the electric field passing the product and generating an electric signal representing the electric field, and means 115, 100 for processing the electric signal thereby generating a signal indicating the amount of the product in the tank and, detecting a connection disturbance of the product to the predetermined voltage. The connection disturbance corresponds to the product of a predetermined amount in the tank 112.