Patent ID: 6408321
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for transforming components of descriptor vectors that characterize items, wherein said descriptor vectors are classified into groups, said method steps comprising:generating first data representing differences between said groups of descriptor vectors; generating second data representing variation within said groups of said descriptor vectors; identifying a set of component vectors that maximizes an F distributed criterion function, said criterion function having a numerator based upon said first data and a denominator based upon said second data; generating an F distributed statistic for subsets of said component vectors, said statistic having a numerator based upon said first data and a denominator based upon said second data; for each particular subset of component vectors, calculating a probability value for the F-distributed statistic associated with the particular subset; selecting a probability value from probability values for said subsets of component vectors based upon a predetermined criterion; identifying the subset of said component vectors associated with the selected probability value; and for at least one descriptor vector for the items, mapping said at least one descriptor vector to a space corresponding to the subset of component vectors associated with the selected probability value for subsequent processing.