Multiple Subclass Pattern Recognition: A Maximin Correlation Approach

This paper addresses a correlation based nearest neighbor pattern recognition problem where each class is given as a collection of subclass templates. The recognition is performed in two stages. In the first stage the class is determined. Templates for this stage are created using the subclass templates. Assignment into subclasses occurs in the second stage. This two stage approach may be used to accelerate template matching. In particular, the second stage may be omitted when only the class needs to be determined. We present a method for optimal aggregation of subclass templates into class templates. For each class, the new template is optimal in that it maximizes the worst case (i.e., minimum) correlation with its subclass templates. An algorithm which solves this maximin optimization problem is presented and its correctness is proved. In addition, test results are provided, indicating that the algorithm's execution time is polynomial in the number of subclass templates. We show tight bounds on the maximin correlation. The bounds are functions only of the number of original subclass templates and the minimum element in their correlation matrix. The algorithm is demonstrated on a multifont optical character recognition problem.