Patent ID: 8270030

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: an optical reading unit configured to move a position of a reading line in a sub-scanning direction of a document to read an image in a main scanning direction of the document and then to output image data on the read reading line; a drive circuit configured to variably control a speed of the optical reading unit moving in the sub-scanning direction of the document so that a resolution of the image data in the sub-scanning direction becomes a specified resolution; a first conversion unit configured to convert characteristics of the image data output from the optical reading unit into data characteristics determined at a time of accumulation of the image data, the data characteristics being variable and based on a device to which the image data is output; a compression processing unit configured to compress the image data converted by the first conversion unit; a storage device configured to accumulate the image data compressed by the compression processing unit; an extension processing unit configured to extend the compressed image data; a second conversion unit configured to convert the characteristics of the image data extended by the extension processing unit into device characteristics of the device to which the image data is output; an external interface control unit configured to output the image data converted by the second conversion unit to the device to which the image data is output; and a control unit configured to perform control so as to, when increasing the speed of reading the image on the document, cause the drive circuit to make the speed of the optical reading unit moving in the sub-scanning direction of the document become faster than a normal speed so as to reduce the resolution of the image data in the sub-scanning direction to the specified resolution by causing the optical reading unit to reduce a number of lines for reading the image data, cause a primary resolution conversion unit to perform conversion so as to make the resolution of the image data in the main scanning direction become equal to the resolution of the image data in the sub-scanning direction, the image data being output from the optical reading unit, and cause a secondary resolution conversion unit not to perform conversion, wherein the first conversion unit is provided with the primary resolution conversion unit configured to convert the resolution of the image data in the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction into the specified resolution, and the second conversion unit is provided with the secondary resolution conversion unit configured to convert the resolution of the image data in the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction into the specified resolution.