Abstract: An information processing apparatus capable of adding or deleting an application without modifying other components is disclosed. A disclosed Multi Function Peripheral includes an application layer having plural applications each executing a process with settings unique to each application, plural jobs each having settings common to the applications and representing a receipt of a request for the application process with respect to the corresponding application, and an application control layer collectively managing the plural jobs and issuing an instruction to execute the application process received by the job to the application capable of executing the application process received by the job based on managing the plural jobs.

Abstract: A disclosed image processing apparatus enables input of various documents, addition of various types of embedded information, and implementation of various behaviors associated with embedded information detection results. Information embedded in input document data is detected, and an image processing associated with a detection result is carried out. The image processing apparatus includes a document input mechanism, an embedded information analysis mechanism, a behavior determination mechanism, a document output mechanism, and an image management mechanism. In one embodiment, an interface via which the document input mechanism and the embedded information analysis mechanism are connected, and another interface via which the document input mechanism and the image management mechanism are connected are fixed, so that the document input mechanism can be replaced with a new document input mechanism that inherits from those fixed interfaces, without affecting the other mechanisms.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is installed with service software for controlling settings of a plurality of devices that performs functions related to image processing. The image processing apparatus is also installed with an application that issues instruction information indicating an instruction related to at least one of the functions. The image processing apparatus includes a specifying unit that specifies service software corresponding to the instruction based on the instruction information and specifies setting information to be set for the service software, and a sending unit that sends the setting information to the service software specified by the specifying unit.

Abstract: A disclosed image processing apparatus executes an application relevant to image processing The image processing apparatus includes a request analyzing layer configured to analyze a user-specified request requesting a service; and a workflow control layer configured to control a workflow corresponding to the service in response to a request requesting execution of the service received from the request analyzing layer, the workflow causing one or more function process units to be combined and to serve as said application.