Patent ID: 8289549

Claim:
A controller unit that controls an image processing apparatus that includes a scanner unit that reads an image of an original and outputs image data, the controller unit comprising: a scanner image-processing unit including a scanner-property adjusting unit that converts the image data from the scanner unit into normalized image data, and a first image processing unit that performs a first image processing on the normalized image data to generate first output image data; and a configuration control unit that, if a controller image-processing unit that performs a second image processing on the image data from the scanner unit is connected, disables an operation of the first image processing unit and controls the controller image-processing unit to perform the second image processing on the normalized image data to generate second output image data, wherein if the controller image-processing unit is not connected, the configuration control unit directly communicates with the scanner image-processing unit, if the controller image-processing unit is connected, the configuration control unit directly communicates with the controller image-processing unit, and the scanner image-processing unit directly communicates with the controller image-processing unit, the scanner image-processing unit further includes a first image output unit that outputs the first output image data, the controller image-processing unit includes a second image output unit that outputs the second output image data, and if the controller image-processing unit is not connected, the configuration control unit specifies a setting in the first image output unit such that the first image output unit outputs the first output image data, and if the controller image-processing unit is connected, the configuration control unit specifies a setting in the second image output unit such that the second image output unit outputs the second output image data, and the controller unit further includes an engine control unit that, if the controller image-processing unit is connected, specifies a setting in the first image output unit such that the first image output unit outputs the first output image data to the controller image-processing unit.