To make corrections as much as possible when the decoding of a bar code is taken place even if the bar code can not be read or is misread by shuffling respective code words of ID numbers and zip codes and interleaving and shuffling two code words of an address display number.
An information symbol outputted from a character/symbol conversion part 11 is inputted to a reed-solomon encoding part 12. The reed- solomon encoded symbol is inputted to a symbol/bar code conversion part 13 and converted into a pattern of a bar code printed on postal matter according to a specific rule, so that it is inputted to an interleaving/shuffling part 14. The ID number and zip code of the reed-solomon encoded information are shuffled and then converted into a bar code, and the address display number is interleaved and shuffled, and then converted into a bar code.
ENDO NAOKI
TAKAGI NOBUAKI
