Method of reading arbitrary symbols

A method of computing an animal identifier, for an animal comprising an arbitrary mark, comprising the steps:

• (a) initializing a symbol library;
• (aa) reading the mark, deriving a shape from the read mark, associating the shape with a symbol, and adding the symbol and the shape to the symbol library;
• (aaa) repeating step (aa) for additional marks, each with a different shape, each additional mark associated with a different symbol, wherein all the different symbols and shapes are in the symbol library;
• (aaaa) associating the animal identifier with the animal on whose mark is read in step (aa);
• (a′″) selecting a selection set comprising symbol groups;
• (b) using a predetermined symbol from the symbol library, assigning the associated shape to a current shape and to a prior shape;
• (c) reading the mark on the animal, and deriving the now current shape from the read mark;
• (d) comparing the current shape to the shapes in the symbol library;
• (d′) repeating steps (c) through (d) for additional marks on the animal;
• (e) selecting a symbol group from the selection set, responsive to the comparing in multiple steps (d);
• (f) computing the animal identifier responsive to the symbol group;
• (g) updating the symbol library responsive to the multiple current shapes from multiple steps (c), subject to validating;
• (h) repeating from step (c) until the mark is no longer available for reading.