Pattern recognition method and apparatus

Claim 1

In apparatus for classifying a pattern comprised of elemental areas situated fixedly with respect to each other within a scanning field, said elemental areas having three or more different light-remissive levels, the combination of scanning means for optically scanning said field and said elemental areas of said pattern with a plurality of successive scan lines to derive an electrical waveform having a parameter which varies in accordance with the light-remissive level of the elemental area being scanned at a given instant; signal processor means responsive to said electrical waveform for providing three or more groups of further signals, the signals of each group of further signals being provided during the times that said parameter of said electrical waveform lies between a respective pair of values defining a respective range of light-remissive levels, whereby the time integral of each of said groups of further signals is commensurate with the total amount of area within said scanning field falling within a respective one of said ranges of light-remissive levels; and time-integrating accumulator means for separately accumulating the signals of predetermined combinations of said groups of further signals to provide three or more stored data signals defining values of a function characteristic of said pattern.