Patent ID: 8446611

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of data analyzing units configured to respectively interpret image data in accordance with different corresponding data formats; a drawing processing unit configured to execute a drawing process on the basis of a result of an interpretation executed using the plurality of data analyzing units; a data format determining unit configured to (i) determine an initial estimated data format of input image data, (ii) cause a particular data analyzing unit of the plurality of data analyzing units corresponding to the initial estimated data format to interpret the input image data, and (iii) cause another data analyzing unit of the plurality of data analyzing units to interpret the input image data responsive to a format error being generated while the input image data is being processed using the particular data analyzing unit or the drawing processing unit; a communication device configured to receive the input image data and to temporarily store the received input image data into a communication buffer; and a storage device configured to store the input image data; wherein: the particular data analyzing unit is configured to read the input image data from the communication buffer, and then to store the input image data into the storage device; others of the plurality of data analyzing units that interpret the input image data in second or succeeding turns are configured to read the input image data from the storage device; and when a format error has been generated while the particular data analyzing unit is firstly interpreting the input image data, the particular data analyzing unit (i) stops interpreting the input image data, (ii) reads a remaining part of the input image data stored in the communication buffer, and (iii) stores the read remaining part of the input image data into the storage device.