Image processing apparatus having an energization switching unit and control information updating unit

An image processing apparatus having a memory unit that keeps control information used for its control and equipped with a controlling unit that controls a given device on the basis of the control information and a communication unit that communicates with a given external device that keeps the control information to be supplied to the controlling unit comprising:

• a controlling unit energization switching unit that practices the switching over energizing/non-energizing for the controlling unit independently of the energization of the communication unit;
• a version information memory unit that stores version information of control information kept in the controlling unit;
• an updating necessary/unnecessary determining unit that determines whether updating of the control information kept in the controlling unit is necessary or not by referring to the information stored in the version information memory unit and by communicating with the external device via the communication unit when the controlling unit is in a non-energized state;
• a controlling unit automatic starting unit that switches the controlling unit into an energized state by controlling the controlling unit energization switching unit when the updating necessary/unnecessary determining unit determines that updating of the control information is necessary;
• and
• a control information updating unit that obtains new control information from the external device via the communication unit and replaces the control information kept in the controlling unit which has been switched into the energized state by the controlling unit automatic starting unit with the new control information, when the updating necessary/unnecessary determining unit determines that updating of the control information is necessary.