PURPOSE: To prevent reading errors when an address is recognized by recognizing a character string in response to the recognizing result of a numeral string in case the character strings are recognized with a slip where the character strings showing an address are written together with a numeral string like a zip code, etc., corresponding to a part of the address.

CONSTITUTION: When the character strings are recognized with a slip where the character strings showing an address are written together with a numeral string corresponding to a part of the address, the character strings are recognized in response to the recognizing result of the numeral string. For instance, a slip contains a numeral string '359' as a zip code together with character strings 'SAITAMAKEN' as a metropolis/ district name, 'TOKOROZAWASHI' as a word/city/district name, 'KANAYAMACHO' as a town/section/village name, and a numeral string '12-19' as an address. When such a slip is recognized, the numeral strings like the zip code, etc., can be easily recognized compared with other character strings with higher probability to obtain the correct result of recognition. Thus these character strings showing an address are recognized in response to the result of recognition of the numeral strings. Then it is possible to improve the probability to obtain the correct result of recognition with character strings.