Patent ID: 7751071

Claim:
An image reproduction apparatus including an image copying function for reproducing input image data including image data obtained by reading a document, and for outputting the reproduced image data, the image reproduction apparatus comprising: extension control means to which a controller board is connectable to add a plurality of optional units to realize plurality of extension functions, the extension control means allowing operation control in the plurality of extension functions to be performed in a same manner as in the image copying function, and allowing image data to be input/output in the extension functions in a same format as in the image copying function, the controller board including a system controller and an arbiter that arbitrates use of resources shared by the plurality of extension functions; image quality retaining means for retaining a quality of an image reproduced via the extension control means at a level similar to that of an image produced by the image copying function; operation control means for controlling operation of the image reproduction apparatus in a similar manner, regardless of whether the operation is associated with the image copying function or the plurality of extension functions provided by the extension control means; resource sharing means for allowing a resource used in the image copying function to also be used by the extension control means in inputting and/or outputting image data; image input means for reading an image of the document and outputting image data of the document image; and image input/output control means for controlling inputting/outputting of image data depending on an output characteristic of image data output from the image input means such that the image input means inputs/outputs image data in the same form.