Patent ID: 8059285
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image scanning unit configured to generate image data by converting light reflected from an optically scanned printed page into electrical signals; an interface configured to receive image data from an external apparatus; an expansion bus to which the image scanning unit and the interface are connected; a bus control unit configured to control the expansion bus; an image data storage unit configured to store the image data generated by the image scanning unit or the image data received via the interface from the external apparatus; at least one image processing unit connected to the expansion bus and configured to perform an image processing operation on the image data generated by the image scanning unit or the image data received via the interface from the external apparatus; a task management unit configured to send an image processing request for requesting image processing to the at least one image processing unit, to transfer image data from the image data storage unit to the at least one image processing unit at a specific timing based on a processing status in the at least one image processing unit, and to send the image processing request to the least one image processing unit to perform image processing according to a content of the image data and user instructions input from the external apparatus; and an image writing unit connected to the expansion bus and configured to print the image data on which the image processing operation has been performed by the at least one image processing unit, wherein the at least one image processing unit further includes: a resource and service management unit, and such that when a completion of setting operations or a completion of image processing operations for a previous image processing request has not been reported to the resource and service management unit, the resource and service management unit requests the task management unit to wait for a period of time and send the image processing request again; and an information conversion management unit configured to determine an image processing path based on the image processing request which image processing path defines image processing operations to be performed and a sequence of the image processing operations, the image processing path defines the image processing operations via at least one of gradation processing, gamma processing, and filter processing.