1460722601-6a7b46b6-37a4-4876-89a8-f3e0431b0bd1

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a process cartridge detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image,
a developing device, comprising a developer carrying member for forming the developer image on the image bearing member, and
a memory medium configured to store an operational history value corresponding to an operation amount of the developing device from an initial operation;

a fixing device configured to fix the developer image on a sheet material, on which the developer image has been transferred, by heating the sheet material; and
a controller for controlling a temperature of the fixing device,
wherein the controller controls, when the operational history value stored in the memory medium reaches a preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device so as to be lower than before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold.
2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operational history value is one of: a number of rotations of the developer carrying member, a number of rotations of the image bearing member, or a remaining developer amount of the developing device.
3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an environment detecting unit configured to detect at least one of a temperature and a humidity in an environment in which the developing device is operated, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is higher than a preset reference value, adjust the operational history value to be larger than that when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is lower than the preset reference value.
4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:
a transfer member for transferring the developer image from the image bearing member onto an image receiving member, and
wherein the environment detecting unit is configured to detect at least one of the temperature and the humidity in the environment in which the developing device is operated, on the basis of a resistance value obtained by passing a current through the transfer member.
5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) set, before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device before image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation, and
(ii) set, once the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device before the image formation.
6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to set: (i) a pre-image formation target temperature for prior to image formation, and (ii) an image formation target temperature for during image formation,
wherein when the operational history value stored in the memory medium reaches the preset threshold, the controller is further configured to set the pre-image formation target temperature and the image formation target temperature to be lower than before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold.
7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a process cartridge detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image,
a developing device, comprising a developer carrying member for forming the developer image on the image bearing member, and
a memory medium configured to store a number of rotations of the developing carrying member from the beginning of an operation of the developing device;

a fixing device configured to fix the developer image on a sheet material, on which the developer image has been transferred, by heating the sheet material; and
a controller configured to control a temperature of the fixing device,
wherein the controller controls, when the operational history value stored in the memory medium reaches a preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device so as to be lower than that before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, and
wherein the controller controls the temperature of the fixing device so that a region in which a developer is present before fixing but is to be not present after fixing is prevented from being newly formed on the sheet material.
9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operational history value is one of: a number of rotations of the developer carrying member, a number of rotations of the image bearing member, or a remaining developer amount of the developing device.
10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:
an environment detecting unit configured to detect at least one of a temperature and a humidity in an environment in which the developing device is operated, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is higher than a preset reference value, adjust the operational history value to be larger than that when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is lower than the preset reference value.
11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
a transfer member for transferring the developer image from the image bearing member onto an image receiving member, and
wherein the environment detecting unit is configured to detect at least one of the temperature and the humidity in the environment in which the developing device is operated, on the basis of a resistance value obtained by passing a current through the transfer member.
12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) set, before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device before image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation, and
(ii) set, once the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device before the image formation.
13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image;
a developing device, comprising a developer carrying member for forming the developer image on the image bearing member;
a fixing device configured to fix the developer image on a sheet material, on which the developer image has been transferred, by heating the sheet material;
a memory medium for storing an operational history value, of the developing device, which varies depending on a state of an operation of the developing device from start of the operation;
an environment detecting unit configured to detect at least one of a temperature and a humidity in an environment in which the developing device is operated; and
a controller for controlling a temperature of the fixing device,
wherein the controller controls, when the operational history value stored in the memory medium reaches a preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device so as to be lower than before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is higher than a preset reference value, adjust the operational history value to be larger than that when the temperature or the humidity detected by the environment detecting unit is lower than the preset reference value.
14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the operational history value is one of: a number of rotations of the developer carrying member, a number of rotations of the image bearing member, or a remaining developer amount of the developing device.
15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:
a transfer member for transferring the developer image from the image bearing member onto an image receiving member, and
wherein the environment detecting unit is configured to detect at least one of the temperature and the humidity in the environment in which the developing device is operated, on the basis of a resistance value obtained by passing a current through the transfer member.
16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) set, before the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device before image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation, and
(ii) set, once the operational history value reaches the preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device during the image formation so as to be higher than the temperature of the fixing device before the image formation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-38. (canceled)
39. A method of locating a cellular terminal comprising the steps of: detecting a handover event of the cellular terminal from a first network signal transmission region to a second network signal transmission region; and extracting from a database a location of the handover event, wherein the cellular terminal is operable to detect the handover event and transmit at least one network signal transmission region identifier to the database, so as to allow for the identification of the first and second network signal transmission regions.
40. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 comprising recording a time at which the handover event occurs.
41. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 comprising recording a time at which the handover event occurs, wherein the time at which the handover event occurs is forwarded by the cellular terminal to the database.
42. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 comprising recording the time of at least two handover events of the cellular terminal, so as to produce a time series of location data for the at least two handover events.
43. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 wherein extracting information relating to at least one of the location and geometry of the first and second identified regions comprises the transmitting a request from the database to a network provider for information corresponding to at least one of the identified regions.
44. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 43 wherein the information relating to the location and geometry of the first and second identified regions is employed to calculate a handover region between the first and second identified regions and the centre of the handover region so as to provide an estimate of the location of the handover event, wherein the handover region is translated relative to at least one of the area of overlap and the distance between the first and second identified regions by an amount dependent at least one of a power of the transmitted signals within the first and second identified regions, a time of flight of the transmitted signals within the first and second identified regions and timing synchronisation of the transmitted signals within the first and second identified regions.
45. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 44 wherein an area of the handover region is expanded so as to compensate for the effects of shadowing within at least one of the first and second identified regions.
46. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 45 wherein the amount by which the area of the handover region is expanded is calculated by comparing a signal power before and after the handover event with those obtained in connection with earlier handover events recorded on the database between the first and second identified regions.
47. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 comprising monitoring at least one of: a power of the transmitted signals within the first and second identified regions; a time of flight of the transmitted signals within the first and second identified region and timing synchronisation calculations of the transmitted signals within the first and second network signal transmission regions so as to ascertain any direction of movement associated with the cellular terminal.
48. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 comprising recording the location of handover events to allow the database to calculate higher order handover events.
49. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 wherein the accuracy of the estimate of the location of the cellular terminal is increased by employing knowledge of at least one handover event stored within the database between at least one of the first and second identified regions and a third identified region.
50. A method of locating a cellular terminal as claimed in claim 39 wherein the accuracy of the estimate of the location of the cellular terminal is increased by employing knowledge of local geography stored within the database.
51. A method of locating a cellular terminal comprising the steps of: detecting a handover event of the cellular terminal from a first network signal transmission region to a second network signal transmission region; and extracting from a database a location of the handover event, wherein the cellular terminal periodically transmits network signal transmission region identifier information to the database so as to identify the first and second network signal transmission regions so allowing the database to determine when the handover event occurs.
52. A method of collating data of network signal transmission regions of at least one cellular communications network, the method comprising providing a cellular terminal; requesting from a location service provider, cellular terminal location information corresponding to the terminal; having the cellular terminal location information sent to a server; sending to a server the network signal transmission region identifier for the region within which the cellular terminal is located; computing a location of the identified network signal transmission region from the cellular terminal location information; and storing, in a database maintained by said server, the computed location of the identified network signal transmission region.
53. A method of collating data as claimed in claim 52 wherein the request for cellular terminal location information is made to a Global Positioning Satellite terminal.
54. A method of collating data as claimed in claim 52 wherein the step of forwarding to a server comprises forwarding the information to a server located within the cellular terminal.
55. A method of providing a cellular terminal user with location-related information comprising locating a cellular terminal in accordance with the method of claim 39; and transmitting to the terminal user specific information relating to its location.
56. A method as claimed in claim 55 wherein the user specific information is determined by a provider of the database in relation to topics pre-supplied to the provider by the user of the cellular terminal.
57. A method as claimed in claim 55 wherein the user specific information transmitted is determined in response to specific requests made by the user of the cellular terminal to the provider of the data base.
58. A cellular terminal that is operable to detect a handover event and transmit a signal indicative of that event to a remote server.