1. A method comprising: comparing by a processor a first feature vector in a sequence of feature vectors formed from a digitized incoming signal to be recognized, with a first number of templates from a set of templates representing candidate patterns, based on said comparison, selecting by a processor in response to a control signal, a second number of templates from said template set, the second number being smaller than the first number, comparing by a processor a second feature vector only with said selected templates, and generating by a processor a signal corresponding to a recognized pattern of said digitized incoming signal as a result of said comparing said second feature vector only with said selected templates.