Patent ID: 7483866
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for constructing a classification architecture for a pattern recognition classifier that determines an associated occupant class of an occupant within a vehicle comprising: defining a plurality of occupant classes, at least one of the occupant classes having an associated set of subclasses; determining a hierarchy of subclass partitions, based on a degree of similarity between subclasses associated with a given occupant class, where each successive partition in the hierarchy is an immediate partition of the preceding partition; performing the following steps iteratively until a termination event occurs: selecting a subclass partition according to the determined hierarchy; evaluating the fitness of a classifier model having an architecture derived from the selected subclass partition; and retaining a class separation associated with the selected subclass partition when the evaluated fitness is better than that associated with the preceding subclass partition in the hierarchy; training the pattern recognition classifier using a final subclass partition retained at the termination event, such that a plurality of operative classes associated with the pattern recognition classifier are defined by the final subclass partition; and controlling deployment of an occupant restraint system with the trained classifier.