METHOD OF COMBINING SPECTRAL DATA WITH NON-SPECTRAL DATA IN A PRODUCE RECOGNITION SYSTEM

A method of combining spectral data with non-spectral data which uses a defined distance measure of likeness (DML) value and conditional probabilities. The method includes the steps of collecting the spectral and non-spectral data for the produce item, determining DML values between the spectral and the non-spectral data and reference produce data for a plurality of types of produce items, determining conditional probability densities for all of the types of produce items using the DML values, combining the conditional probability densities to form a combined conditional probability density, and determining probabilities for the types of produce items from the combined conditional probability density.