Bar code reading method, bar code reading apparatus, and program thereof

A bar code reading apparatus, comprising:

• main portion analyzer for analyzing a main portion of a bar code;
• presence/absence determiner for determining whether or not the bar code contains a supplemental portion depending on whether or not an analyzed result of a predetermined number of digits starting from a predetermined digit position in the main portion of the bar code matches a predetermined code;
• supplemental portion analyzer for performing an analyzing process for the supplemental portion if the determined result of the presence/absence determiner represents that the bar code contains the supplemental portion, until the analyzed result of the supplemental portion is obtained or until a predetermined time period elapses;
• and
• combiner for outputting the analyzed result of only the main portion if the determined result of the presence/absence determiner represents that the bar code does not contain a supplemental portion or if the analyzed result of the supplemental portion has not been not obtained by the supplemental portion analyzer when the predetermined time period elapses, and for outputting the analyzed result of the main portion and the analyzed result of the supplemental portion if the analyzed result of the supplemental portion has been obtained by the supplemental portion analyzer before the predetermined time period elapses.

A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising codes that, when executed, cause a computer to perform a bar code reading method comprising the steps of:

• performing a supplemental portion presence/absence determining process for determining whether or not a bar code contains a supplemental portion depending on whether or not an analyzed result of a predetermined number of digits starting from a predetermined digit position in a main portion of the bar code matches a predetermined code;
• if the determined result of the supplemental portion presence/absence determining process represents that the bar code does not contain the supplemental portion, outputting the analyzed result of the main portion;
• if the determined result of the supplemental portion presence/absence determining process represents that the bar code contains the supplemental portion, performing an analyzing process for the supplemental portion until the analyzed result of the supplemental portion is obtained or until a predetermined time period elapses;
• if the analyzed result has not been obtained when the predetermined time period elapses, outputting the analyzed result of only the main portion;
• and
• if the analyzed result of the supplemental portion has been obtained before the predetermined time period elapses, combining the analyzed result of the main portion and the analyzed result of the supplemental portion and outputting the combined result.