1. A method of recognizing an identifier entered by a user, the identifier including a first plurality of predetermined characters, wherein the characters are selected from a first set of characters, the first set of characters having a first total number of characters, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a recognized identifier based on the entered identifier, the recognized identifier comprising a second plurality of predetermined characters; b) providing a plurality of reference identifiers, each one of the plurality of reference identifiers comprising a different plurality of predetermined characters, each one of the different plurality of predetermined characters belonging to the first set of characters; c) providing a first arrangement of character recognition probabilities, the first arrangement of character recognition probabilities encompassing a second set of characters having a second total number of characters and is a superset of the characters of the first set of characters; d) producing a constrained arrangement of character recognition probabilities by constraining the first arrangement of character recognition probabilities to encompass a third set of characters constituting a subset of the second set of characters; e) obtaining, for each character position in at least one of the reference identifiers and each character position in the recognized identifier, from the constrained arrangement of character recognition probabilities, a probability that a character in the at least one reference identifier is recognized as a character found in the corresponding character position in the recognized identifier; f) determining an identifier recognition probability based on the obtained probabilities; g) repeating steps e) and f) for every reference identifier in the plurality of reference identifiers, each one of the plurality of reference identifiers being associated with a corresponding identifier recognition probability; and h) selecting the reference identifier most likely matching the entered identifier based on the plurality of obtained recognition probabilities.
1. A method of recognizing an identifier entered by a user, the identifier including a first plurality of predetermined characters, wherein the characters are selected from a first set of characters, the first set of characters having a first total number of characters, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a recognized identifier based on the entered identifier, the recognized identifier comprising a second plurality of predetermined characters; b) providing a plurality of reference identifiers, each one of the plurality of reference identifiers comprising a different plurality of predetermined characters, each one of the different plurality of predetermined characters belonging to the first set of characters; c) providing a first arrangement of character recognition probabilities, the first arrangement of character recognition probabilities encompassing a second set of characters having a second total number of characters and is a superset of the characters of the first set of characters; d) producing a constrained arrangement of character recognition probabilities by constraining the first arrangement of character recognition probabilities to encompass a third set of characters constituting a subset of the second set of characters; e) obtaining, for each character position in at least one of the reference identifiers and each character position in the recognized identifier, from the constrained arrangement of character recognition probabilities, a probability that a character in the at least one reference identifier is recognized as a character found in the corresponding character position in the recognized identifier; f) determining an identifier recognition probability based on the obtained probabilities; g) repeating steps e) and f) for every reference identifier in the plurality of reference identifiers, each one of the plurality of reference identifiers being associated with a corresponding identifier recognition probability; and h) selecting the reference identifier most likely matching the entered identifier based on the plurality of obtained recognition probabilities. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement of character recognition probabilities and the constrained arrangement of character recognition probabilities are each obtained from a data input device.