DE4302391

The image reproducer has an image scanner (4), an image output device (5) and a storage device (2), all connected to an image data bus (8). A bus arbiter (12) controls the flaw of data along the data bus (8) such that the operation of storing and outputting the image data is performed in parallel by time division control (a, b, c). For the production of n copies of n pages, the first copy is input, output and stored simultaneously, with further copies being read from the storage device (2). The bus arbiter (12) further allows the use of data bus to be prioritised, giving the image scanner (4) and image output device (5) (which operate at a predetermined speed) a higher priority than the compression/expansion device (6) associated with the storage device (2) (which operates at an undefined speed). This reduces the time in which the data bus is vacant and therefore improves its efficiency.