Image processing apparatus resolving memory shortage

An image processing apparatus having a plurality of image processing functions and executing processing based on an OS as an operation system,

• the image processing apparatus comprising:
• an OS memory used by the OS;
• and
• a control device including a processor and, as a result of executing a control program by the processor, functioning as:
• an allocating device allocating, on the OS memory, image processing memories used for image processing, for the image processing functions, respectively;
• a determination device determining, 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;
• and
• a release device, upon occurring memory shortage in the OS memory, releasing the regions, of the regions of the image processing memories determined by the determination device to resolve the memory shortage,
• wherein, based on respective past usage frequencies and usage amounts of the image processing memories as the usage statuses, the determination device determines, from unlikeliness of usage and small usage amounts in the past, the regions unlikely to be used, of the image processing memories, and also sets priorities for releasing the regions, and
• the release device releases the regions in descending order of the priorities,
• (i) when, among each of the image processing memories, there is at least one memory that has never been used up to its maximum capacity in past, the determination device determines, as the at least one region to be released, a region never been used even once in the past, the region being within the at least one memory, and
• (ii) when all of the image processing memories have been used up to respective maximum capacities in the past, the determination device determines, as the regions to be released, a region, among each of the image processing memories, whose usage frequency is equal to or less than a predefined ratio.