Patent ID: 8743392

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of input filter sections implemented by circuitry configured to control different types of input-processing performed by corresponding input devices to produce respective input image data sets each having a different input format; a plurality of output filter sections implemented by the circuitry configured to control different types of output-processing performed by corresponding output devices that receive respective output image data sets each having a different output format; an image processing sections implemented by the circuitry configured to be sharable by one of the input filter sections and one of the output filter sections, and to convert an image data set from an input format of the one of the input filter sections to an output format of the one of the output filter sections; and a control section implemented by circuitry configured to simultaneously set an input control request, an image processing request, and an output control request, wherein each of the control requests include an associated image ID identifying a type of the image data set.