1. A method for improving the data transfer rate of input patterns, referred to as vectors, between a host computer and an artificial neural network (ANN) implemented in hardware during a recognition phase comprising the steps of: a) providing a set of vectors (Un,... ) having q components; b) merging a set of k consecutive vectors into a single vector having p components, referred to as a base consolidated vector (U′* n ), configured to globally represent said set of vectors, said base consolidated vector having only once all the components of the vectors, the first q components being formed by the components of first vector of said vector set, the (p-q) components consisting of the last component of the remaining vectors; c) providing an artificial neural network (ANN) configured as a combination of k sub-networks operating in parallel, each neuron storing at least p components; d) creating a set of k consolidated vectors (U′ n,...,) having p components derived from said base consolidated vector, wherein each consolidated vector has q components in common with the base consolidated vector, the (p-q) remaining components being assigned a don't care condition, the first q components of the first consolidated vector having a direct correspondence with the first q components of the base consolidated vector, with the remaining components remaining as don't care, and repeating the process until the last consolidated vector which has its q last components in direct correspondence with the q last components of the base consolidated vector, the first (p-q) components having a don't care condition; and e) presenting a new base consolidated vector to each sub-network of said ANN for recognition, wherein each of said sub-networks analyses in parallel a portion of said base consolidated vector.