1. A computer-implemented process for recognizing a pattern in an image among a set of known templates, the process comprising the steps of: a) partitioning each of said known templates into an n.times.n grid of boxes; b) determining, for each of said known templates, a vertical adjacency matrix indicating vertical connectivity of said boxes, a horizontal adjacency matrix indicating horizontal connectivity of said boxes, and a pixel density matrix indicating pixel density in each of said boxes; c) extracting a detected pattern from said image by applying a minimal bounding frame to said image; d) partitioning said detected pattern into said n.times.n grid of boxes; e) determining, for said detected pattern, said vertical adjacency matrix, said horizontal adjacency matrix, and said pixel density matrix; f) comparing said vertical adjacency matrix, horizontal adjacency matrix, and pixel density matrix for said detected pattern respectively with said vertical adjacency matrix, horizontal adjacency matrix, and pixel density matrix for each of said known templates; g) determining a Hamming distance vector between said detected pattern and each of said known templates based on the results of step f; h) choosing a set of candidates from said set of templates based on Pareto non-inferiority of said Hamming distance vector between said detected pattern and said candidate; i) recognizing, responsive to said set of candidates including only one candidate, said image as corresponding to said one candidate; j) recognizing, responsive to said set of candidates including a plurality of candidates, said image as corresponding to one of said plurality of candidates by eliminating candidates from said set based on geometric properties of said minimal bounding frame and i) recognizing, responsive to a single candidate remaining in said set of candidates, said image as corresponding to said single candidate; and ii) recognizing, responsive to a plural number of candidates remaining in said set of candidates, said image as corresponding to a selected one of said plural candidates most likely to occur in context with at least one adjacent recognized image.