An image processing apparatus includes a processor configured to process an image; a reading direct memory access controller (DMAC) configured to read data from the memory; a writing DMAC configured to write data to the memory, each DMAC configured to control direct memory access to a memory; an upper first-in first-out (FIFO) unit connected to the reading and writing DMACs and includes FIFOs of the number equal to the number of channels of each of the reading and writing DMACs and a lower FIFO unit connected between the upper FIFO unit and the processor and includes FIFOs that correspond to the FIFOs of the upper FIFO unit at a ratio of 1 upper FIFO unit to F lower FIFO units (F being an integer equal to 2 or larger).

The present invention is directed to to an image forming apparatus including a system control module that controls the image forming apparatus; a first memory device used by the system control module; an image processing module that processes image data to be inputted to the image forming apparatus; a second memory device in which image data processed by the image processing module is stored via an image memory bus; and a memory controller that transfers and writes the image data processed by the image processing module into the first memory device without going through the image memory bus, and issues an end interrupt to the system control module each time image data of a predetermined size has been written.

Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of executing a copy job without causing a memory shortage by dividing and sequentially executing the copy job process. The image forming apparatus includes a free area determining unit and a division process executing unit. The free area determining unit compares capacities of work areas necessary for executing a scanning job and a printing job with free area in memory (RAM), respectively. The division process executing unit, in a case where the free area determining unit determines that the free area in memory is equal to or greater than the capacity of the work area necessary for executing the scanning job, but is less than the capacity of the work area necessary for executing the printing job, cancels parallel processing, and after executing the scanning process, saves in a non-volatile memory, and then after restarting, executes the printing process.

An image processing apparatus includes a processor configured to process an image; a reading direct memory access controller (DMAC) configured to read data from the memory; a writing DMAC configured to write data to the memory, each DMAC configured to control direct memory access to a memory; an upper first-in first-out (FIFO) unit connected to the reading and writing DMACs and includes FIFOs of the number equal to the number of channels of each of the reading and writing DMACs and a lower FIFO unit connected between the upper FIFO unit and the processor and includes FIFOs that correspond to the FIFOs of the upper FIFO unit at a ratio of 1 upper FIFO unit to F lower FIFO units (F being an integer equal to 2 or larger).

An image processing apparatus has a plurality of image processing functions, executes processing based on an OS as an operation system, and includes an OS memory and a control device. The control device functions as an allocating device, a determination device, and a release device. The allocating device allocates, on the OS memory, image processing memories used for image processing, for the image processing functions, respectively. The determination device determines, based on respective past usage statuses of the image processing memories allocated for each of the image processing functions, regions unlikely to be used, of the image processing memories. The release device, upon occurring memory shortage in the OS memory, releases the regions of the image processing memories determined by the determination device to resolve the memory shortage.

An image forming apparatus comprises a non-volatile memory storing start-up firmware a volatile memory having a memory space commonly available for the start-up firmware and an operating system of the image forming apparatus; and a control unit configured to copy, to the memory space, a setting value of a setting item for write-protecting the non-volatile memory, among setting items included in the start-up firmware, wherein the operating system acquires and checks the setting value copied to the memory space.

The present invention directs to an image forming apparatus comprising: a system control module that controls the image forming apparatus; a first memory device used by the system control module; an image processing module that processes image data to be inputted to the image forming apparatus; a second memory device in which image data processed by the image processing module is stored via an image memory bus; and a memory controller that transfers and writes the image data processed by the image processing module into the first memory device without going through the image memory bus, and issues an end interrupt to the system control module each time image data of a predetermined size has been written.

An image processing apparatus has a plurality of image processing functions, executes processing based on an OS as an operation system, and includes an OS memory and a control device. The control device functions as an allocating device, a determination device, and a release device. The allocating device allocates, on the OS memory, image processing memories used for image processing, for the image processing functions, respectively. The determination device determines, based on respective past usage statuses of the image processing memories allocated for each of the image processing functions, regions unlikely to be used, of the image processing memories. The release device, upon occurring memory shortage in the OS memory, releases the regions of the image processing memories determined by the determination device to resolve the memory shortage.

Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of executing a copy job without causing a memory shortage by dividing and sequentially executing the copy job process. The image forming apparatus includes a free area determining unit and a division process executing unit. The free area determining unit compares capacities of work areas necessary for executing a scanning job and a printing job with free area in memory (RAM), respectively. The division process executing unit, in a case where the free area determining unit determines that the free area in memory is equal to or greater than the capacity of the work area necessary for executing the scanning job, but is less than the capacity of the work area necessary for executing the printing job, cancels parallel processing, and after executing the scanning process, saves in a non-volatile memory, and then after restarting, executes the printing process.

An information processing apparatus includes an optional device, a main body processing portion, a first buffer, and a second buffer. When brought into a state where control data cannot be retained in an optional memory, the optional device transmits a saving request to the main body processing portion, and when brought into a state where the control data can be retained, the optional device transmits a saving cancel request to the main body processing portion. In a time period from the time of receipt of the saving request to the time of receipt of the saving cancel request, the main body processing portion saves specific control data to the second buffer, and after receipt of the saving cancel request, transmits the specific control data to the optional device.