Patent ID: 7720291

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving an image data set in a multidimensional property space that comprises data classifiable into data classes; determining a projection vector that maximizes overall variance of the data of the image data set using a processor; determining a projection vector that maximizes variance between classes of the image data set and minimizes variance within classes of the image data set using the processor; deciding which vector allows for distinguishing more classes; projecting at least some of the data onto the decided vector; classifying at least some of the data into a plurality of unambiguously defined data classes based on the projecting operation, using the processor; eliminating at least some of the classified unambiguously defined data classes from the image data set based on the classifying operation and using the processor to form a modified image data set containing only unclassified data; and determining one or more additional projection vectors selected from a group consisting of projection vectors that maximize overall variance and projection vectors that maximize variance between the unambiguous classes and minimize variance within the unambiguous classes.