APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TEMPORALLY PROXIMATE OBJECT RECOGNITION

• US 20120308076A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Inventors: Petre, Csaba, Szatmary, Botond, Izhikevich, Eugene M., Piekniewski, Filip Lukasz, Sokol, Sach Hansen, Nageswaran, Jayram Moorkanikara
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/049 Temporal neural networks, e.g. delay elements, oscillating neurons or pulsed inputs

Abstract

Object recognition apparatus and methods useful for extracting information from an input signal. In one embodiment, the input signal is representative of an element of an image, and the extracted information is encoded into patterns of pulses. The patterns of pulses are directed via transmission channels to a plurality of detector nodes configured to generate an output pulse upon detecting an object of interest. Upon detecting a particular object, a given detector node elevates its sensitivity to that particular object when processing subsequent inputs. In one implementation, one or more of the detector nodes are also configured to prevent adjacent detector nodes from generating detection signals in response to the same object representation. The object recognition apparatus modulates properties of the transmission channels by promoting contributions from channels carrying information used in object recognition.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a sequence of image frames comprising an object undergoing a transformation;

an encoder configured to encode at least a portion of an image frame within the sequence of image frames into a group of pulses; and

a detector coupled by a plurality of transmission channels to the encoder and configured to receive said group of pulses, and to generate a detection signal based at least in part on the group of pulses;

wherein;

an excitability parameter of the detector is configurable to be increased above a reference value responsive to generation of the detection signal;

a gain of at least one of the plurality of transmission channels is configurable to be adjusted from a first value to a second value responsive to an arrival of at least one pulse of the group of pulses at the detector within a time interval relative to the detection signal; and

the excitability parameter and the gain of at least one of the plurality of transmission channels cooperate to effect recognition of the object in the image frame of the sequence of image frames invariantly with respect to the transformation.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second value is configured based at least in part on the time between the detection signal and the at least one pulse such that:

the second value is greater than the first value responsive to the at least one pulse arriving at the detector prior to the detection signal; and

the second value is less than the first value responsive to the at least one pulse arriving at the detector subsequent to the detection signal.

3. Apparatus configured for object recognition, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a first plurality of frames relating to an object undergoing a transformation;

an encoder configured to encode at least a portion of a frame within the first plurality of frames into a group of pulses; and

at least one detector in communication with the encoder and configured to receive said group of pulses, and to generate a first signal based at least in part on said group of pulses;

wherein;

at least a subset of the first plurality of frames comprises a plurality of views of the object undergoing the transformation; and

the apparatus is configured to recognize the object in a view of the plurality of views invariantly with respect to the transformation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one detector comprises a first detector and a second detector; and

the first detector is configurable to be adjusted from a first regime to a second regime responsive to a second signal associated with the second detector.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second regime is configured based at least in part on a value associated with the second signal, the fourth regime comprising one of (i) a detection inhibition regime, and (ii) detection enhancement regime.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one detector is adjustable from a first regime to a second regime responsive to a second signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the second signal comprises a detection signal generated in response to a first frame of the first plurality of frames; and

the first regime comprises a first parameter and the second regime comprises a second parameter, the second parameter configured substantially different from the first parameter until at least receiving of a second frame of the first plurality of frames, the second frame being generated subsequent to the first frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and the second parameter are configured to effect an excitability of the at least one detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second signal comprises the first signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the least one detector is further configurable to be adjusted from a third regime a fourth regime based at least in part on a second detection signal, the second detection signal being generated responsive to a second plurality of frames, the second plurality of frames temporally preceding the first plurality of frames.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of transmission channels coupled between the at least one detector and the encoder; and

logic configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of transmission channels from a first scheme to a second scheme based at least in part on the second detection signal being generated.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one detector communicates with the encoder via a plurality of transmission channels, and

the apparatus further comprises a logic configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of the transmission channels from a first scheme to a second scheme responsive to an arrival of at least one pulse of said group of pulses at the at least one detector via said at least one of the plurality of transmission channels within a first interval relative to the signal, such that the adjustment from the first scheme to the second scheme is configured based at least in part on the interval.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first scheme is characterized by a first channel gain and second scheme is characterized by second channel gain;

and

the second channel gain is greater than the first channel gain responsive to the least one pulse arriving to the detector prior to the signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second scheme is configured to be substantially different from the first scheme for a duration that is at least an integer multiple longer than a time period corresponding to two consecutive frames of the first plurality of frames.

15. An apparatus comprising:

an encoder configured to receive a first plurality of views of an object undergoing a transformation and to encode at least a portion of a first view of the first plurality of views into a group of pulses; and

a first detector configured to generate a detection signal based at least in part on the receiving said group of pulses;

wherein;

the first detector is adjustable from a first regime to a second regime responsive to a receipt of a pulse of the group of pulses; and

the apparatus is configured to recognize the object in the first view of the first plurality of views invariantly with respect to the transformation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first detector is adjustable from a third regime to a fourth regime responsive to a signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the detection signal is generated in response to the first view of the first plurality of views; and

the first regime comprises a first parameter and the second regime comprises a second parameter, the second parameter configured substantially different from the first parameter until at least a receiving of a second view of the first plurality of views, the second view being received subsequent to the first view.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of channels coupled between the first detector and the encoder; and

logic configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of channels from a first scheme to a second scheme responsive to an arrival of at least one pulse of said group of pulses at the first detector via said at least one of the plurality of channels within a first time interval relative to the signal, such that the adjustment from the first scheme to the second scheme is configured based at least in part on the interval.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first scheme is characterized by a first channel gain and second scheme is characterized by second channel gain;

and

the second channel gain is smaller than the first channel gain responsive to the least one pulse arriving to the first detector after the detection signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of channels coupled between the first detector and the encoder; and

logic configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of channels from a first scheme to a second scheme based at least in part on a second detection signal, the second detection signal being generated responsive to a second plurality of views, the second plurality of views temporally preceding the first plurality of views.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the adjustment of the at least one of the plurality of channels is effected responsive to generation of the second detection signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second scheme is configured based at least in part on (i) a receiving activity;

and (ii) detection signal generating activity of the first detector, said receiving activity and detection signal generating activity integrated over a time period that is longer than a time interval corresponding to two consecutive frames.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, farther comprising a second detector, wherein the first detector is configurable to be adjusted from a third regime to a fourth regime responsive to a signal associated with the second detector.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the fourth regime is configured based at least in part on a value associated with the signal, the fourth regime comprising one of:

(i) a detection inhibition regime, and (ii) detection enhancement regime.

25. A computer readable apparatus, the apparatus comprising non-transient data stored thereon, the data being generated via a computerized apparatus configured to process a plurality of frames relating to an object undergoing a transformation, the plurality of frames being received by a detector apparatus of the computerized apparatus in communication with a plurality of communication channels, according to a method comprising;

receiving a first group of pulses via at least a subset of the plurality of communication channels, the first group of pulses associated with a first view of the object;

generating a detection signal based at least in part on said receiving; and

adjusting at least one communication channels within the subset from a first scheme to a second scheme responsive to the detection signal;

wherein said generating and adjusting cooperate to effect recognition of the object in the first view invariantly with respect to the transformation.

26. A method for use in a computerized apparatus configured to process a first plurality of frames comprising views of an object undergoing a transformation, the first plurality of frames being received by a detector apparatus in communication with a plurality of channels, the method comprising;

generating a detection signal responsive to receiving a first group of pulses via the plurality of channels, the first group associated with a first view of the object; and

adjusting at least one of the channels from a first scheme to a second scheme responsive to the detection signal;

wherein said generating and adjusting cooperate to effect recognition of the object in the first view invariantly with respect to the transformation.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising adjusting the detector apparatus from a first regime to a second regime responsive to a signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal comprises the detection signal.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising adjusting the detector apparatus from a third regime a fourth regime based at least in part on a second detection signal, the second detection signal being generated responsive to a second plurality of frames relating to the object undergoing the transformation;

wherein the second plurality of frames temporally preceding the first plurality of frames.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the signal comprises the detection signal being generated responsive to a first frame of the first plurality of frames; and

the first regime comprises a first parameter and the second regime comprises a second parameter, the second parameter configured substantially different from the first parameter until at least receiving of a second frame of the first plurality of frames, the second frame being received subsequent to the first frame.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and the second parameter are configured to effect an excitability of the detector apparatus.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising adjusting at least one of the plurality of the channels from a third scheme to a fourth scheme responsive to an arrival of at least one pulse of said group of pulses at the detector apparatus via said at least one of the plurality of channels within a first interval relative to the signal, such that the adjustment from the first scheme to the fourth scheme is configured based at least in part on the interval.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first regime is characterized by a first channel gain and second regime is characterized by second channel gain;

and

the second channel gain is greater than the first channel gain responsive to the least one pulse arriving to the detector apparatus prior to the detection signal.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the detection apparatus comprises a first detector and a second detector;

and

the first detector is configurable to be adjusted from a third regime to a fourth regime responsive to a signal associated with the second detector.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the fourth regime is configured based at least in part on a value associated with the signal, the fourth regime comprising one of:

(i) a detection inhibition regime, and (ii) detection enhancement regime.