Centralized Feature Store for ML Model Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machine-learning processes operate as 'black boxes,' lacking transparency in feature importance and impact, and are often inflexible, requiring significant modification for different use cases, which discourages their wide adoption and leads to duplicative effort and time delays in deployment.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and apparatus that transmit data to a device to present interface elements associated with features, receive data to identify a subset of features, generate executable code for calculating feature values, and transmit this code to the device, enabling flexible feature management and deployment across multiple use cases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If machine-learning processes are developed for specific use-cases, then they can achieve accurate and reliable performance for those specific applications, but they become inflexible and require significant modification for deployment across multiple use cases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance accuracyVSAvoiddeployment flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a centralized feature store that serves multiple machine-learning models and use cases through a common infrastructure. The feature store provides a universal interface for feature generation, storage, and retrieval that can be consumed by various models across different use cases, eliminating the need for separate feature engineering pipelines for each model while maintaining reliable performance through consistent feature management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the machine-learning system into distinct modular components: a centralized feature store, model training modules, and inference modules. This segmentation allows each component to be independently developed, optimized, and reused across multiple use cases. The feature store is divided into feature groups and individual features that can be selectively consumed by different models, enabling flexible deployment while maintaining reliability through standardized interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If machine-learning processes are developed as customized solutions for specific use-cases, then they can meet specific requirements, but duplicative effort increases and deployment time delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuse-case specific performanceVSAvoiddeployment efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-generating and storing features in the centralized feature store before they are needed by specific models. Features are computed and validated in advance, stored with their metadata and dependencies, and made immediately available for multiple models. This eliminates redundant feature computation for each model deployment, reducing duplicative effort and accelerating deployment while maintaining use-case specific performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the feature engineering and management functions into a single centralized feature store that serves multiple models. Instead of each model having its own separate feature pipeline, the system combines feature generation, storage, versioning, and retrieval into one shared infrastructure. This consolidation eliminates duplicative effort across models while maintaining the ability to meet specific performance requirements through selective feature consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If machine-learning processes operate as black boxes, then they can process data efficiently, but transparency regarding feature importance and impact is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing efficiencyVSAvoidfeature transparency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms that provide transparency into the black-box machine-learning processes. The centralized feature store tracks and stores metadata about each feature, including its source, transformation logic, and usage by specific models. This information is made accessible through the interface, allowing users to understand feature importance and impact while the models continue to process data efficiently. The feedback loop connects model performance back to feature quality and relevance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250053387A1Centralized processes for feature generation and management within web-based computing environments
Publication Date: 2025.02.13 THE TORONTO DOMINION BANK
  • US20250053387A1 patent drawing
  • US20250053387A1 patent drawing
  • US20250053387A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosed embodiments include centralized, computer-implemented processes for feature generation and management within web-based computing environments. By way of example, an apparatus may transmit first data characterizing a plurality of features to a device, the first data causes the device to present interface elements associated with the features within a digital interface. The apparatus may receive second data that identifies at least a subset of the features from the device, and based on the second data, the apparatus may generate, for each of the subset of the features, elements of executable code associated with a calculation of a corresponding feature value. The apparatus may transmit third data that includes the elements of executable code to the device, which may present the elements of executable code within one or more additional portions of the digital interface.