US 5,819,247 A · Apparatus and methods for machine learning hypotheses

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for machine learning the hypotheses used in the classifier component of pattern classification devices such as OCRs, other image analysis systems, and and text retrieval systems. The apparatus and methods employ machine learning techniques for generating weak hypotheses from a set of examples of the patterns to be recognized and then evaluate the resulting hypothesis against example patterns. The results of the evaluation are used to increase the probability that the examples used to generate the next weak hypothesis are ones which the previous weak hypothesis did not correctly classify. The results of the evaluation are also used to give a weight to each weak hypothesis. A strong hypothesis is then made by combining the weak hypotheses according to their weights.

Claims26

Dependent claims

Apparatus for automatically generating a hypothesis to classify a set of examples for pattern recognition, the apparatus comprising:

input means for receiving the set of examples to be classified, the set of examples comprising machine-readable symbols;
learning means for receiving a subset of the set of examples and generating weak hypotheses therefrom;
evaluation means for evaluating the weak hypotheses during generation of the weak hypotheses and providing a selection feedback based on the evaluation, the evaluation means outputting a weighting feedback to the learning means based on the evaluation, the learning means assigning weights to the weak hypotheses in response to the weighting feedback and generating the hypothesis by combining the weak hypotheses according to the weights assigned thereto;
subset selection means responsive to the selection feedback for selecting a next subset of the set of examples;
and
determination means for classifying the set of examples based on the hypothesis.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and methods for machine learning hypotheses

Life of this patent

Apparatus and methods for machine learning hypotheses

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26