Patent ID: 7447363

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: a single image memory storing image data in a single image; a first image input unit having a first image reader which reads first image data, and writing the first image data into the single image according to a predetermined order, the first image data being an image of one of a front and rear surface of an original document; a second image input unit having a second image reader, which reads second image data in parallel with the first image reader, and is positioned spaced from the first image reader by a predetermined distance in a sub-scanning direction, and writing the second image data into the single image according to the predetermined order, the second image data being an image of the other of the front and rear surface of the original document; an image read unit reading out the image data written into the single image for each block, and regarding the read image data as the first or second image data as a block row, each block having a predetermined size, a block row being made from a predetermined number of blocks arranged according to a main scanning direction; and an image compression unit carrying out compression processing on the first and second image data read out by the image read unit, wherein writing the first and second image data into the single image according to the predetermined order corresponding to the predetermined distance includes writing the first image data read prior to reading the second image data for a number of block rows corresponding to the predetermined distance, by the first image input unit, and then, writing alternately block rows of the first and second image data into the single image, by the first and second image input unit, and then, writing block rows of the second image data, for the number of block rows corresponding to the predetermined distance, into the single image, by the second image input unit, wherein the image read unit reads out the first and second image data written into the single image for each block, and regards the read image data as the first or second image data for each block according to predetermined order corresponding to the predetermined distance, and wherein the image compression unit carries out the compression processing for each block on the first and second image data read out by the image read unit, and then inserts an identifier after the final block of the predetermined number of blocks in a block row.