Patent ID: 7573484

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for managing a memory device having a plurality of storage areas, the image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit adapted to input job information; a processing unit adapted to process the job information input by said input unit; a memory control unit adapted to manage the memory device by classifying the memory device into a plurality of storage areas including (i) a storage area for storing the job information input by the input unit, (ii) a storage area which stores out-of-use information, and (iii) a free storage area; and a physical-erasure unit adapted to make a storage area be in a state of being physically erased by overwriting predetermined information in the storage area which stores the out-of-use information, wherein the memory control unit manages the memory device so that a storage area, which is included in the storage area for storing the job information input by the input unit and stores job information processed by the processing unit, is updated as the storage area which stores out-of-use information, and the memory control unit manages the memory device so that a storage area, which is included in the storage area which stores the out-of-use information and is physically erased by the physical-erasure unit, is updated as the free storage area, and when the input unit receives the job information, (i) in a case where the storage area which stores the out-of-use information exists, the memory control unit controls the memory device so that the job information is stored in the storage area which stores the out-of-use information in priority to the free storage area, and (ii) in a case where the storage area which stores the out-of-use information does not exist, the memory control unit controls the memory device so that the job information is stored in the free storage area.