PURPOSE: To improve the working rate of a reader by providing a data collection function collecting a corresponding input picture when address information of an inputted mail cannot be read.

CONSTITUTION: The mail reader consists of a photoelectric conversion part 1, an A/D conversion part 2, a picture processing part 3, a character recognition part 4, an address recognition part 5, a mail division part 6 and the data collection part 7. When address information based on a character recognition result cannot be recognized, the address recognition part 5 transmits a data collection instruction to the data collection part 7. It collects the corresponding input picture, namely, picture data whose address information outputted from the A/D conversion part 2 at that time cannot be recognized. Thus, processing time for collecting data is shortened and the working rate of the reader can be improved.