Patent Document ID: 9053392
Application ID: 14012770

Base Claim:
1. A method comprising: classifying a reference set of visual patterns that belong to a parent class into mutually exclusive child classes that include first and second child classes, a visual pattern from the reference set being classified into the first child class instead of the second child class; modifying a weight vector that corresponds to the parent class, the modified weight vector altering a first probability that the visual pattern belongs to the first child class and a second probability that the visual pattern belongs to the second child class; based on the altered first and second probabilities, removing mutual exclusivity from the first and second child classes by adding the visual pattern to the second child class; and using a processor, generating a hierarchy of classes of visual patterns, the hierarchy including the parent class and the mutually nonexclusive first and second child classes that each include the visual pattern.

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Claim 13:
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the modified weight vector includes a third probability that the visual pattern belongs to a third child class of the parent class; the removing of mutual exclusivity from the first and second child classes does not remove mutual exclusivity from the third child class and is further based on the third probability falling below a threshold value.