The present disclosure provides a consumable, a consumable chip, and a communication method between the image forming apparatus and the consumable chip. The consumable chip is capable of being installed on a consumable, and the consumable is capable of being detachably installed on an image forming apparatus. The consumable chip includes a storage unit and a chip control unit. The storage unit is configured to store identity authentication information of the consumable. The chip control unit is configured to receive an authentication request sent by the image forming apparatus and obtain second time information, generate a second code by performing a calculation using a preset algorithm according to the obtained second time information and the pre-stored identity authentication information of the consumable, and send the second code to the image forming apparatus. The second code is configured to determine whether the consumable meets expectation.

An image forming apparatus and method for determining whether a toner refill apparatus is available are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine to carry out a print job using a toner from a toner cartridge, a communication apparatus to communicate with a memory chip attached to a toner refill apparatus for refilling a toner in the toner cartridge, and a processor to identify whether the toner refill apparatus is available based on information stored in the memory chip of the toner refill apparatus.

A logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component includes a logic circuit and an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit. The logic circuit is configured to include a plurality of personalities, each personality of the plurality of personalities including an ID and a cryptographic key. The logic circuit is further configured to start a cryptographic session with the print apparatus logic circuit using a selected personality of the plurality of personalities, and transmit a consumable level value to the print apparatus logic circuit in response to a request from the print apparatus logic circuit independent of which personality of the plurality of personalities is the selected personality.

A method for determining authenticity of a security device of a component in an imaging device includes receiving, by the security device, an authentication challenge including one or more commands and executing, by the security device, the one or more commands in response to receiving the authentication challenge. A magnetic field profile is generated based on current drawn by the security device from a power source while the security device is executing the one or more commands, the generated magnetic field profile indicating an authentication response of the security device to the authentication challenge for use in determining authenticity of the security device.

The present disclosure provides a security verification method, a consumable chip, a consumable chipset, a consumable. The method includes obtaining a preset dynamic parameter configured to determine an authentication sequence; determining authentication sequence data corresponding to a plurality of authentication events according to the preset dynamic parameter; and executing at least one of the plurality of authentication events according to the authentication sequence data and feeding back an authentication result of at least one of the plurality of authentication events to the image forming apparatus. The authentication result is configured to determine whether a consumable corresponding to at least one of consumable chips in the consumable chipset satisfies a preset image forming requirement. The present disclosure effectively avoids the problem of damaging the image forming apparatus and affecting printing quality caused by the use of consumables provided by third parties that do not satisfy requirements.

In an image forming apparatus, a controller performs processes in accordance with an operation mode settable to one of a first subscription mode and a second subscription mode. The first subscription mode corresponds to a first subscription in which a specific-color cartridge is a subscription subject and a non-specific-color cartridge is not the subscription subject. The second subscription mode corresponds to a second subscription in which both the specific-color cartridge and the non-specific-color cartridge are the subscription subject. The controller performs restricting usage of the non-specific-color cartridge in a case where the first subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type, compared to a case where the second subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type.

The present disclosure provides a consumable, a consumable chip, and a communication method between the image forming apparatus and the consumable chip. The consumable chip is capable of being installed on a consumable, and the consumable is capable of being detachably installed on an image forming apparatus. The consumable chip includes a storage unit and a chip control unit. The storage unit is configured to store identity authentication information of the consumable. The chip control unit is configured to receive an authentication request sent by the image forming apparatus and obtain second time information, generate a second code by performing a calculation using a preset algorithm according to the obtained second time information and the pre-stored identity authentication information of the consumable, and send the second code to the image forming apparatus. The second code is configured to determine whether the consumable meets expectation.

In an image forming apparatus, a control device functions as a controller and a user presence/absence determiner. When accepting an instruction to execute a print job through a touch panel, the controller controls operations of a sheet feed device, a conveyance device, and an image forming device to allow a document image represented by image data generated by a document reading device to be formed on a sheet to make a printed matter and allow the printed matter to be discharged to a sheet output tray. When the user presence/absence determiner determines that a user is present, the controller controls, before printing for at least a last sheet in the print job, the operations of the sheet feed device and the conveyance device to allow a sheet to be discharged to the sheet output tray without allowing the image forming device to form the document image on the sheet.

An image forming apparatus and method for determining whether a toner refill apparatus is available are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine to carry out a print job using a toner from a toner cartridge, a communication apparatus to communicate with a memory chip attached to a toner refill apparatus for refilling a toner in the toner cartridge, and a processor to identify whether the toner refill apparatus is available based on information stored in the memory chip of the toner refill apparatus.

An image forming apparatus configured to perform image formation using a component unit configured to be attachable to and detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: an access unit configured to access a storage device included in the component unit attached to the main body; and a control unit configured to control the access unit to read and update information stored in the storage device. The storage device includes a first area and a second area configured to store use information indicating a use state of the component unit, and updating of the use information stored in the first area by the control unit is configured such that updating only within a predetermined limit is permitted, and no limit is provided on updating of the use information stored in the second area.