CODE READER AND CODE READING METHOD FOR COLOR IMAGE

A code reader for color images, which can simultaneously accept a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code and data of a color image of a subject for management and which can record both the data in mapping with each other, is provided. The code reader comprises color image pickup structure for picking up the code and also a color image of a subject for management as is specified by identification information contained in the code; code-recognizing-data extraction structure for extracting luminance data from the color image data picked up by the color image pickup structure, and for writing gray scale data into a first frame memory as data for recognizing the code; and recorded-image extraction structure for extracting color data from the color image data picked up by the color image pickup structure, and for writing the color data into a second frame memory.