35. A pattern recognition method for providing an identity for an unknown pattern, comprising the steps of: determining distance values between an unknown pattern and at least one known pattern based on plural respectively different distance functions; providing plural candidates for the unknown pattern, each of the plural candidates corresponding to a different one of the plural respectively different distance functions; comparing said plural candidates so as to determine whether or not said plural candidates are comparable; outputting one of said plural candidates as the identity of the unknown pattern in a case where said comparing step determines that said plural candidates are comparable; and performing detail processing to determine the identity of the unknown pattern, said detail processing step being selectively performed so as to determine the identity of the unknown pattern in a case where said comparing step determines that said plural candidates are not comparable.
35. A pattern recognition method for providing an identity for an unknown pattern, comprising the steps of: determining distance values between an unknown pattern and at least one known pattern based on plural respectively different distance functions; providing plural candidates for the unknown pattern, each of the plural candidates corresponding to a different one of the plural respectively different distance functions; comparing said plural candidates so as to determine whether or not said plural candidates are comparable; outputting one of said plural candidates as the identity of the unknown pattern in a case where said comparing step determines that said plural candidates are comparable; and performing detail processing to determine the identity of the unknown pattern, said detail processing step being selectively performed so as to determine the identity of the unknown pattern in a case where said comparing step determines that said plural candidates are not comparable. 36. A method according to claim 35, wherein said step of determining distance values includes calculating the distance values between the unknown pattern and the at least one known pattern.