Patent ID: 8180147

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of pattern recognition comprising: obtaining classification results of a set of one or more electronic lower-level classifier modules performing pattern classification on particular input data; using a higher-level classifier module that performs pattern classification on a pattern recognition problem different from the set of lower-level classifier modules, wherein said higher-level classifier module performs at least one of the following operations: controlling, using one or more computers, training of the set of lower-level classifier modules based at least in part on the pattern classification task performed by the higher-level classifier module; combining, using the one or more computers, the results of the set of lower-level classifier modules based at least in part on combining rules that vary based on the particular input data and based at least in part on the classification task performed by the higher-level classifier module, where the set of lower-level classifier modules comprises a plurality of lower-level classifier modules; selecting, using the one or more computers, an active subset of the set of lower-level classifier modules based at least in part on a pattern classification task performed by the higher-level classifier module.