Patent ID: 7278573

Claim:
A device for reading out an optical code, said device comprising: a camera; an image memory for storing images taken by said camera; an image processor for decoding an optical code contained in an image taken by said camera; image-taking means for obtaining a plurality of images continuously with said camera under specified image-taking conditions in response to a specified image-taking command and causing the obtained images to be stored on said image memory; image-decoding means for sequentially selecting one of the images stored on said image memory in a specified order, causing said image processor to make an attempt to decode an optical code contained in the selected image, and outputting results of decoding as successful decoding, if the attempt to decode at least one of the stored images is successful; and interval-changing means for changing interval at which the plurality of images are to be taken by said image-taking means according to the number of successfully decoded ones of the plurality of images taken continuously in the past, said interval-changing means serving to change the intervals according to the number of images taken continuously by said image-taking means while keeping constant the total time taken for taking said plurality of images continuously by said image-taking means.