Reading apparatus and method

A reading method comprising:

• reading, from an imaging apparatus that captures a captured image associated with distance information indicating distances to articles, the captured image associated with the distance information;
• detecting images of articles in a preset predetermined imaging region in the captured image;
• performing, based on the distance information, object recognition processing of an object, the object being an article closest from the imaging apparatus among the articles detected in the predetermined imaging region;
• and
• performing, based on the distance information, if a distance between the object and the imaging apparatus is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance, code reading processing for detecting a code symbol from the preset predetermined imaging region and reading code information from the code symbol.

A POS terminal, comprising:

• a settlement unit;
• a captured-image reader configured to read, from an imaging apparatus that captures a captured image associated with distance information indicating distances to articles, the captured image associated with the distance information;
• an article detecting section configured to detect images of articles in a preset predetermined imaging region in the captured image;
• an object recognizing section configured to perform, based on the distance information, object recognition processing of an object, the object being an article closest from the imaging apparatus among the articles detected in the predetermined region;
• and
• a code reader configured to perform, based on the distance information, if a distance between the object and the imaging apparatus is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance, code reading processing for detecting a code symbol from the predetermined imaging region and reading code information from the code symbol.