1. In a pattern recognition apparatus for determining at least one of the shape and position of an object to be recognized comprising means for scanning objects to obtain video signals representing the shape of the objects, means for quantizing and sampling said video signals to provide output signals in accordance therewith, and means for processing the output signals to detect at least one of whether an object has a specified shape, and the position of the object, the improvement wherein said processing means comprises: means connected to said quantizing and sampling means for generating four specified regions arranged in one direction, means connected to said generating means for measuring an area, where the output signal has a preassigned value, within each of said four specified regions, means for performing one arithmetic operation (a-b+c-d) between said measured areas of said four specified regions, where a, b, c, and d are said measured areas of said four individual specified regions, and means for determining the position of the object from the sign change of the result of the one arithmetic operation.