Patent Document ID: 4882756
Application ID: 07308985
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A pattern matching system for deriving the minimum of the dissimilarity defined by the sum of the inter-vector distances d (a.sub.1, b.sub.j.sup.n) of an input pattern A=a.sub.1, a.sub.2, - - - , a.sub.I expressed by a sequence of feature vectors and an n-th reference pattern B.sup.n =b.sub.1.sup.n, b.sub.2.sup.n, - - - , and b.sub.j.sup.n of a number N of reference patterns stored beforehand on a time function j(i) for establishing correspondence between a time axis i of the input pattern A and a time axis j of the reference pattern B.sup.n, said system comprising: a pattern matching control unit for gathering a number L of time points i of said input pattern into a block of feature vectors, 1&lt;L&lt;I, incrementing a block number ii from 1 to I/L, incrementing a signal S.sub.j, indicating the time point of said reference pattern for each block number ii, from a lower limit L(ii) to an upper limit U(ii) of a matching region, and incrementing a signal, indicating the time point in one block of said input pattern, from 1 to L; a distance computation unit including: an input pattern buffer having its address specified by the signal of said control unit; and a reference pattern buffer for temporarily storing the vector b.sub.j.sup.n at the j-th frame of said reference pattern so that said input pattern a.sub.i and said reference pattern b.sub.j.sup.n may be read out from said input pattern buffer and said reference pattern buffer to derive said inter-vector distance d(a.sub.i, b.sub.j.sup.n); and an asymptotic equation computation unit including a dissimilarity memory G.sub.n (j), which has its address specified by said signal j and a signal n of said control unit, so that the asymptotic equation of a dynamic programming is computed for the time point j of each reference pattern and for each time point in one block of said input pattern with reference to said distance d(a.sub.i, b.sub.j.sup.n) under the connecting condition of the dissimilarity G.sub.n (j) at a time point (ii-1).multidot.L for the block number ii of the time point i of said input pattern, thereby to derive the dissimilarity G.sub.n (j) at the time point ii.multidot.L of said input pattern.