Code reading apparatus, sales registration processing apparatus, and code reading method

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a code reading apparatus includes: an image capturing unit; a first reading unit detecting one of an image of a code symbol and an image of benefit indication from the image captured by an image capturing unit and reading commodity information corresponding to the code symbol or benefit information corresponding to the benefit indication from the detected image; a second reading unit causing, for a predetermined time after the first reading unit reads the information, until the first reading unit detects the other image not detected yet, the image capturing unit to capture the image and read, if the first reading unit detects the other image, one of the commodity information and the benefit information from the detected other image; and an information output unit outputting the information read by the second reading unit together with the information read by the first reading unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A code reading apparatus comprising:
 an image capturing unit configured to capture an image picked up by an imaging unit;   a first detecting unit configured to detect an image of a code symbol from the image captured by the image capturing unit and read commodity information corresponding to the code symbol from the detected image;   a timer configured to time a predetermined time;   a discriminating unit configured to discriminate whether the code symbol includes benefit target information that indicates that a commodity is a target commodity to which benefit is granted;   a second detecting unit configured, if the discriminating unit discriminates that the code symbol includes the benefit target information, to cause, until the predetermined time is elapsed after the first detecting unit reads the commodity information, until detecting an image of benefit indication, the image capturing unit to capture the image and read, if the second detecting unit detects the image of the benefit indication, benefit information from the detected image of the benefit indication, and to cause, after the first detecting unit reads the commodity information and after the predetermined time is elapsed, the image capturing unit not to capture the image; and   an information output unit configured to output the commodity information read by the first detecting unit and the benefit information read by the second detecting unit.   
     
     
         2 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second detecting unit is configured, if the discriminating unit discriminates that the code symbol does not include the benefit target information, not to detect the image of the benefit indication, and
 the information output unit is configured to output only the commodity information read by the first detecting unit.   
     
     
         3 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a notifying unit configured to notify, if the commodity information is read by the first detecting unit, or if the benefit information is read by the second detecting unit, until the information is output by the information output unit, that the information is read. 
     
     
         4 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the notifying unit is configured to perform the notification by causing a light emitting unit to emit light. 
     
     
         5 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second detecting unit is configured to read the benefit information from character information included in the benefit indication. 
     
     
         6 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the code reading apparatus includes a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit as the imaging unit,   the first detecting unit is configured to detect, from an image picked up by the first imaging unit, the image of the code symbol, and   the second detecting unit is configured to detect, from an image picked up by the second imaging unit, the image of the benefit indication not detected by the first detecting unit.   
     
     
         7 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second detecting unit is configured to detect plural images of the benefit indication and read the benefit information corresponding to the benefit indication from each of the images of the benefit indication, and   the information output unit is configured to output plural kinds of the read benefit information together with the commodity information.   
     
     
         8 . The code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first detecting unit is configured to decode the image of the code symbol and read code data corresponding to the commodity information,   the second detecting unit is configured to generate a benefit code corresponding to the benefit information read from the image of the benefit indication, and   the information output unit is configured to combine the code data and the benefit code to generate a composite code and output the composite code.   
     
     
         9 . A sales registration processing apparatus that performs sales registration for a commodity using the commodity information and the benefit information output by the code reading apparatus according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A code reading method comprising:
 capturing, by an image capturing unit, an image picked up by an imaging unit;   detecting , by a first detecting unit, an image of a code symbol from the image captured by the image capturing unit to read commodity information corresponding to the code symbol from the detected image;   timing, by a timer, a predetermined time;   discriminating whether the code symbol includes benefit target information that indicates that a commodity is a target commodity to which benefit is granted;   causing, by a second detecting unit, if, in the discriminating, it is discriminated that the code symbol includes the benefit target information, until the predetermined time is elapsed after the first detecting unit reads the commodity information, until detecting an image of benefit indication not previously detected by the first detecting unit, the image capturing unit to capture the image, reading, if the image of the benefit indication is detected, the benefit information from the detected image of the benefit indication, and causing, after the first detecting unit reads the commodity information and after the predetermined time is elapsed, the image capturing unit not to capture the image; and   outputting, by an information output unit, the benefit information read by the second detecting unit together with the commodity information read by the first detecting unit.