1. A pattern recognition method for comparing a first image including a fundamental pattern, to a second image including a test pattern, to detect a match between the test pattern and the fundamental pattern, the method comprising the steps of: producing a first signal representative of said first image; producing a second signal representative of said second image; generating a set of data structures that defines a set of vectors based upon said first signal, said set of vectors including a first vector indicative of the fundamental pattern of the first image disposed in a first position and a plurality of second vectors indicative of the fundamental pattern of the first image disposed in a plurality of respective different positions from the first position; generating a linear subspace data structure that defines a linear subspace spanned by the first vector and the plurality of second vectors; generating a test pattern data structure that defines a test pattern vector based upon said second signal, said test pattern data structure being indicative of the second image; projecting the test pattern vector to the generated linear subspace to produce a third vector which belongs to a complementary subspace of the linear subspace; generating a norm signal based upon the third vector which belongs to the complementary subspace; and determining if the fundamental pattern of the first image matches the test pattern of the second image based on the norm signal.