Patent ID: 8144367

Claim:
An image forming apparatus configured to selectively execute a plurality of functions, including a scanner function, involving image data processing, comprising: an image scanning portion configured to scan an image and thereby create image data, an image forming portion configured to form an image on a recording medium based on image data; a storage device having a shared area to be used by said plurality of functions for storing information including image data; a function control device configured to control selective execution of said plurality of functions by selecting one of said plurality of functions in response to an execution command, wherein said selected function executes using said shared area; a selection request output device configured to display at least one option, if free space on said shared area is insufficient for execution of said selected function, said selection request output device requesting an option chosen from said at least one option, wherein said at least one option comprises a data reduction option to reduce scanning resolution if the scanner function is selected as said selected function; a selection information input device configured to receive an input indicating said chosen option from said at least one option in response to the request from said selection request output device; a memory control device configured to control utilization of said shared area according to said chosen option; and a determination portion configured to determine whether a size of image data that is generated by the image scanning portion at a specific scanning resolution is greater than a size of the free space of the shared area, wherein: if the determination portion determines that the size of the image data is greater than the size of the free space, the selection request output device displays a data reduction option for making the image scanning portion execute scanning at a scanning resolution lower than the specific scanning resolution, and if the data reduction option is selected, the function control device controls the image scanning portion to execute scanning at the scanning resolution lower than the specific scanning resolution and generate image data, and the memory control device stores the image data that is generated at the low scanning resolution in the free space of the shared area.