Meta-Learned Semantic Mapping for Incremental Few-Shot Learning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing incremental few-shot learning methods face challenges in learning novel classes without available semantic information, as they require semantic information as correct answer data, limiting their applicability.

Innovation Solution

A machine learning device and method that includes a semantic prediction unit trained in a meta-learning process to predict semantic information from input images, allowing learning of novel classes with or without added semantic information, by generating pseudo few-shot classes and using the trained unit's predictions as correct answers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If semantic information is required as correct answer data for learning novel classes, then learning precision can be maintained, but the method cannot learn images without semantic information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelearning precisionVSAvoidapplicability to images without semantic information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables the model to generate its own correct answer data by predicting semantic information from base class images. The semantic prediction unit uses learned semantic patterns to autonomously create supervision signals for novel class learning, eliminating the need for external semantic annotations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary learning of semantic information patterns during base class training. By pre-learning the relationship between images and their semantic characteristics on base classes, the model prepares the semantic prediction unit to generate accurate predictions for novel classes without requiring their semantic annotations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If new tasks are learned using another small amount of parameters, then catastrophic forgetting is avoided, but learning efficiency with limited data is constrained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveavoidance of catastrophic forgettingVSAvoidlearning efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The semantic prediction unit acts as an intermediary that bridges base class knowledge and novel class learning. It translates learned semantic patterns into predictions that serve as correct answer data, enabling efficient few-shot learning while preserving base class knowledge through the semantic abstraction layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by using semantic predictions as dynamic correct answer data instead of fixed annotated semantics. This parameter transformation enables the model to adapt to novel classes with minimal data while maintaining stability through the semantic representation learned from base classes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4443345B1Machine learning device, machine learning method, and machine learning program
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 JVC KENWOOD CORP
  • EP4443345B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4443345B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP4443345B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A feature extraction unit (220) extracts a feature vector from input data. A semantic prediction unit (250) is a module has been trained in advance in a meta-learning process and that generates a semantic vector from the feature vector of the input data. A mapping unit (230) is a module that has learned a base class and that generates a semantic vector from the feature vector of the input data. An optimization unit (240) optimizes parameters of the mapping unit using the semantic vector generated by the semantic prediction unit as a correct answer semantic vector such that a distance between the semantic vector generated by the mapping unit and the correct answer semantic vector is minimized when semantic information is not added to input data of a novel class at the time of learning the novel class.