A Cluster-Level Information Fusion Framework for D-S Evidence Theory with Its Applications in Pattern Classification

Multi-source information fusion is a key challenge in uncertainty reasoning. Dempster–Shafer evidence theory (D-S evidence theory) offers a flexible framework for representing and fusing uncertain information. However, the classical Dempster’s combination rules may yield counter-intuitive results when faced with highly conflicting evidence. To overcome this limitation, we introduce a cluster-level information fusion framework, which shifts the focus from pairwise evidence comparisons to a more holistic cluster-based perspective. A key contribution is a novel cluster–cluster divergence measure that jointly captures the strength of belief assignments and structural differences between clusters. Guided by this measure, a reward-driven evidence assignment rule dynamically allocates new evidence to enhance inter-cluster separability while preserving intra-cluster coherence. Building upon the resulting structure, we propose a two-stage information fusion algorithm that assigns credibility weights at the cluster level. The effectiveness of the framework is validated through a range of benchmark pattern classification tasks, in which the proposed method not only improves classification accuracy compared with D-S evidence theory methods but also provides a more interpretable, cluster-oriented perspective for handling evidential conflict.