US Patent 7242495 Image forming apparatus

In an image processing apparatus, such as a digital color/monochromatic copying machine, for reading a color image or a monochromatic image and producing a copy image thereof, an image process section is composed of an arithmetic section which is programmed and operated by software, or image process programs. The image process programs are input from outside via an external interface and loaded in an external RAM. On the basis of input information from an operation panel, an optimal image process program is read out of the external RAM and loaded in an instruction RAM. The arithmetic section executes the image process program in the instruction RAM.