Patent ID: 7743162

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an application executing a process related to image formation; a plurality of communication protocol daemons transmitting and receiving data in accordance with respective different communication protocols; and connection request mediation means for, in response to a connection notice from each of the communication protocol daemons, mediating connection instead of the communication protocol daemon by informing the application that a connection request is provided to the communication protocol daemon, wherein the connection request mediation means includes registration means for, in response to a registration request from the application, registering a communication protocol for the application; the communication protocol daemons include reporting means for, in response to receipt of a connection notice, reporting the connection notice to the connection request mediation means; the connection request mediation means includes protocol reporting means for, in response to receipt of the connection notice from the communication protocol daemon, reporting the communication protocol registered by the registration means to the application; the application includes connection permission reporting means for, in response to receipt of the registered communication protocol, reporting a connection permission and connection reporting means for reporting a connection notice to the communication protocol daemon after reporting the connection permission; the communication protocol daemon, in response to receipt of the connection notice from the application, initiates transmission to a connection destination; and a shared memory being shared by the application and the communication protocol daemons, said shared memory storing received data and transmitted data, and being used for delivery of the received data and the transmitted data between the application and the plurality of communication protocol daemons.