Image forming system that donates a benefit to the user by using the cartridge

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user with more benefits and convenience by employing a recording medium provided in an exchangeable cartridge.;SOLUTION: Lottery determination data necessary for carrying out lottery determination, and prize data necessary for awarding a prize to a user when something has been won as a result of the lottery determination are contained in an EEPROM 21 of an ink cartridge 19. A printing processing circuit 15 of an ink jet printer 5 reads the lottery determination data from the EEPROM 21 of the ink cartridge 19, and uses that data to carry out lottery determination. If the results of that determination indicate that "something has been won", the printing processing circuit 15 reads the prize data from the EEPROM 21 of the ink cartridge 19, and communicates that data to a printer driver 7. The printer driver 7 uses the prize data to perform processing for awarding a prize (e.g., access to a special URL) to a user. In addition, when the user makes a used cartridge available for recovery by a manufacturer, valuable points are awarded to the user, based on data recorded in the EEPROM 21 of the ink cartridge 19.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT