US Patent 7937345 Data classification methods using machine learning techniques

A method for adapting to a shift in document content according to one embodiment of the present invention includes receiving at least one labeled seed document; receiving unlabeled documents; receiving at least one predetermined cost factor; training a transductive classifier using the at least one predetermined cost factor, the at least one seed document, and the unlabeled documents; classifying the unlabeled documents having a confidence level above a predefined threshold into a plurality of categories using the classifier; reclassifying at least some of the categorized documents into the categories using the classifier; and outputting identifiers of the categorized documents to at least one of a user, another system, and another process. Methods for separating documents are also presented. Methods for document searching are also presented.