Patent ID: 6847731

Claim:
A process for training a pattern recognition system as comprising the steps of: (a) providing a training set of objects each classified in two or more classes; (b) taking data from each of the objects; (c) selecting a first discriminant space and computing discriminant values from the data; (d) plotting the values in the discriminant space; (e) establishing a decision boundary associated with the discriminant space; (f) setting the decision boundary and applying a decision rule wherein at least one object in the training set is separated and correctly classified; (g) removing correctly classified objects from the training set, thereby creating a remaining set of objects; (h) storing the first discriminant space, corresponding decision boundary and decision rule; (i) selecting a number of objects in the remaining set of objects such that when that number or zero is reached the pattern recognition system is trained; (j) repeating steps (a-g) with the remaining set of objects until the selected number or zero is reached: (k) introducing a set of objects, the objects known to be members of the two or more classes but unclassified as to which class, to the trained pattern recognition system; (l) taking data from the unclassified objects; (m) retrieving the first stored discriminant space, decision boundary and decision rule; (n) computing discriminant values from the data and plotting the values in the discriminant space; (o) applying the decision boundary and decision rule to the plotted values; (p) removing classified objects from the unclassified set; (q) sequentially retrieving the next discriminant space, decision boundary and decision rule; and (r) applying the next discriminant space, decision boundary and decision rule to the diminishing unclassified set of objects.