PURPOSE: To include time and dynamic features in the pattern comparator by variably setting up a part of parameters, determining the values of the parameters and the division points of division to optimum values and finding out a minimum accumulated distance (degree of maximum accumulated simularity) as the minimum (maximum) value of total partial distance.

CONSTITUTION: A minimum accumulated distance (degree of maximum accumulated simularity) calculating means sets up a part of parameters as a variable value and determines the values of the parameters and the division points of division to optimum values to find out a minimum accumulated distance (degree of maximum accumulated simularity) as the minimum (maximum) value of i (i=1 to I) partial distances (degrees of partial similarity) in total. Since the inclination of a straight line in a partial section expresses the dynamic feature of the partial section and an average vector expresses its static feature, the dynamic feature can be reflected by including these features as reference patterns.