IP Library Granted Patent US 12,547,879
Granted Patent B2
US 12,547,879 · App. 17/295,752 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Verification of perception systems

Inventors: Alessio Lomuscio (London, GB); Panagiotis Kouvaros (London, GB)
Assignee: Imperial College Innovations Limited
G06N3/048G06F18/2148G06F18/2431G06N3/08
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,547,879
App. No.
17/295,752
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a computer-implemented method for verifying the robustness of a neural network classifier with respect to one or more parameterised transformations applied to an input, the classifier comprising one or more convolutional layers, the method comprising: encoding each layer of the classifier as one or more algebraic classifier constraints; encoding each transformation as one or more algebraic transformation constraints; encoding a change in an output classifier label from the classifier as an algebraic output constraint; determining whether a solution exists which satisfies the classifier constraints, transformation constraints and output constraints, and determining the classifier as robust to the local transformations if no such solution exists. A perception system and a computer readable medium are also provided.

Claims (30)

1 . A computer-implemented method for operating an actuator using a neural network image classifier having robustness verified with respect to one or more parameterized transformations applied to an input image, the classifier comprising one or more convolutional layers, the method comprising:

encoding each layer of the image classifier as one or more algebraic classifier constraints, wherein the image classifier is configured to receive the input image and output a classifier label;

encoding each parameterized transformation as one or more algebraic transformation constraints, the parametrized transformations including at least one of translation, rotation scaling, shear, brightness and/or contrast;

encoding a change in an output classifier label from the image classifier as an algebraic output constraint;

determining whether a solution exists which satisfies the classifier constraints, transformation constraints and output constraints, and determining the classifier as robust to the parameterized transformations if no such solution exists such that the image classifier always returns the same classifier label for an image of a given scene regardless of the application of the one or more parameterized transformations;

the method further comprising, where a solution exists which satisfies the classifier constraints, transformation constraints and output constraints:

identifying parameters of the one or more transformations associated with the solution;

generating additional training data by applying the one or more transformations to existing training data using the identified parameters;

and training the classifier using the additional training data and

the method further comprises:

operating the classifier to classify image data obtained from a camera,

generating a control signal in dependence on an output of the classifier, and

operating an actuator in accordance with the control signal.

2 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the classifier, transformation and output constraints are linear constraints.

3 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the classifier, transformation and output constraints are non-linear constraints.

4 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the classifier further comprises one or more fully connected layers.

5 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein encoding each layer of the classifier as one or more algebraic classifier constraints comprises deriving a mixed-integer linear programming expression for each layer.

6 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein encoding each transformation as one or more algebraic transformation constraints comprises deriving a mixed-integer linear programming expression for each layer.

7 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein encoding each transformation as one or more algebraic transformation constraints comprises deriving a mixed-integer non-linear programming expression for each layer.

8 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the classifier layers comprises a rectified linear unit activating function.

9 . A perception system comprising a neural network image classifier implemented on one or more processors configured to carry out a method for verifying the robustness of the neural network image classifier with respect to one or more parameterized transformations applied to an input image, the classifier including one or more convolutional layers, the method including:

encoding each layer of the image classifier as one or more algebraic classifier constraints, wherein the image classifier is configured to receive the input image and output a classifier label;

encoding each parameterized transformation as one or more algebraic transformation constraints, the parametrized transformations including at least one of translation, rotation scaling, shear, brightness and/or contrast;

encoding a change in an output classifier label from the image classifier as an algebraic output constraint;

determining whether a solution exists which satisfies the classifier constraints, transformation constraints and output constraints, and determining the classifier as robust to the parameterized transformations if no such solution exists such that the image classifier always returns the same classifier label for an image of a given scene regardless of the application of the one or more parameterized transformations;

the method further comprising, where a solution exists which satisfies the classifier constraints, transformation constraints and output constraints:

identifying parameters of the one or more transformations associated with the solution;

generating additional training data by applying the one or more transformations to existing training data using the identified parameters;

and training the classifier using the additional training data,

wherein the perception system further comprises a controller and an actuator, the classifier is configured to classify image data received from a camera, the controller is configured to generate a control signal in dependence on an output of the classifier, and the actuator is configured to operate in accordance with the control signal received from the controller.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 72844 FRAME 216. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 18, 2026
From: LOMUSCIO, ALESSIO RENATO; KOUVAROS, PANAGIOTIS
To: IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Reel/Frame 075235/0146 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE UPDATED THE ASSIGNOR AND ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 72844 FRAME: 327. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 17, 2025
From: IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
To: IMPERIAL COLLEGE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 073612/0423 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2025
From: LOMUSCIO, ALESSIO RENATO; KOUVAROS, PANAGIOTIS
To: IMPERIAL COLLEGE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 072844/0216 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2025
From: IMPERIAL COLLEGE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
To: IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Reel/Frame 072844/0327 →
Priority Claims (1)
GB 1819211 · Nov 26, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220019879A1 · Jan 20, 2022
References Cited (10)
US 6401082B1 · Kropas-Hughes et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 9830534B1 · Ravichandran · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20130089304A1 · Jiang · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20170039445A1 · Tredoux · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180144746A1 · Mishra · 2018 [cited by examiner]
J. Sokolić, R. Giryes, G. Sapiro and M. R. D. Rodrigues, “Robust Large Margin Deep Neural Networks,” in IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 65, No. 16, pp. 4265-4280, Aug. 15, 2015, 2017, doi: 10.1109/TSP.2017.… [cited by examiner]
Kanbak, Can. “Measuring robustness of classifiers to geometric transformations.” (2017) (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
Tsui-Wei Weng et al: “Evaluating the Robustness of Neural Net-Works: An Extreme Value Theory Approach” Jan. 31, 2018. [cited by applicant]
Fawzi Alhussein et al: “Analysis of classifiers' robustness to adversarial perturbations”, Machine Learning, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, US, vol. 107, No. 3, Aug. 25, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Bose Avishek Joey et al: “Adversarial Attacks on Face Detectors Using Neural Net Based Constrained Optimization”, 2018 IEEE 20th International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing (MMSP), IEEE, Aug. 29, 2018. [cited by applicant]