Abstract: An optical reading apparatus (bar code reader) including a plurality of light emitting elements, each light emitting element emitting light in different directions onto an information recording surface which has a linear recording (bar code pattern) printed thereon. A light receiving element receives reflected light from the information recording surface and generates a recording medium read signal for each light emitting element which is transmitted to a signal processing section. The signal processing section includes a plurality of conversion processing routes for converting the recording medium read signals from the plurality of light emitting elements into a plurality of display signals. Each of the display signals is then decoded separately.

Abstract: An optical reading apparatus (bar code reader) including a plurality of light emitting elements, each light emitting element emitting light in different directions onto an information recording surface which has a linear recording (bar code pattern) printed thereon. A light receiving element receives reflected light from the information recording surface and generates a recording medium read signal which is transmitted to a signal processing section for converting the recording medium read signal into a display signal. The recording medium read signal is also transmitted to a regular reflection detection section. When the regular reflection detection section detects the occurrence of a regular reflection condition from the recording medium read signal, the regular reflection detection section transmits a regular reflection detection signal to a driving controlling section which controls light emission from the plurality of light emitting elements.