1. An optical method of recognition and classification of patterns or image, on real time basis, comprising (a) measuring necessary times a respective output of correlation betwveen each of reference patterns and a specific pattern to be tested which is to belong to a specific class; (b) calculating a representative value for each set of the correlation output, from the set of the measured data of the correlation outputs, in regard to said each of reference patterns and said specific pattern, and a respective parameter to represent the degree of the deviation of the measured data of said correlation outputs belonging to said each set of correlation outputs; (c) making a respective membership function corresponding to each of said reference patterns for each of the specific classes to which the specific pattern should be classified or belong, on the basis of said respective representative value and said respective parameter; (d) estimating a respective membership value to each of the respective membership function, assigned to each of the specific classes to which the pattern should be classified or belong, on the basis of the respective output of correlation between the pattern to be tested and said each of reference patterns; (e) selecting the smallest membership value among the resulting membership values; or estimating an average of all said resulting membership values; (f) using the resulting smallest membership value or the resulting average as a degree to judge how much said pattern to be tested belongs to each of the specific classes. <IMAGE>
Method of optical recognition and classification of pattern