PURPOSE: To make reading of a bar code and an OCR character with one set of scanner, by discriminating whether read picture is bar code or OCR character and performing processing through the switchig to corresponding identification processing section.

CONSTITUTION: An OCR scanner 1 has sensors in n×m arrangement in two dimension for photoelectric conversion elements 1b and picks up a bar code C or an OCR character D as a binary signal. A bar code/OCR character switching gate 2 discriminates whether the picture is a bar code e or an OCR character D from the said binary signal and an identification processing section is switched to a bar code or OCR character identification processing section 3 or 4. For the discrimination of the gate 2, the longitudinal effective length of the bar code C and the OCR character D is predetermined and discrimination is made based on it.