Learning device for digital signal pattern recognition

• US 4,327,354 A
• Filed: 11/01/1979
• Issued: 04/27/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Persoon, Eric H. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US06/090,806
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 340/146.3 MA, 340/146.3 AQ, 340/146.3 AC, 340/146.3 R, 340/146.3 AE, 364/515, 364/490, 356/400, 356/373, 356/375, 358/101, 358/103, 358/106-109
• US Class Current: 382/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/443 by matching or filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/194 References adjustable by an adaptive method, e.g. learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/196 using sequential comparisons of the image signals with a plurality of references

Abstract

A device for recognizing overall patterns of digital signals which are arranged according to at least one coordinate comprises: first storage means for the storage of a pattern to be presented for comparison; a window device for selecting a local pattern of a number of digital signals from the overall pattern; a stepping mechanism for coordinate-wise adjustment of the window device over a step; a gradient determining device for determining, for predetermined coordinate values within the window, the absolute value of the coordinate-wide gradient of the values of the digital signals prevailing at said coordinate values; a moment generator for receiving these absolute values, for determining the moment therefrom with respect to a focussing point of the window, and for generating an output signal when a predetermined minimum value of said moment is reached in order to indicate the reaching of a local maximum in said coordinate-wise gradient; second storage means for the storage of a number of reference patterns; and a difference determining device for comparing, under control of the output signal of the moment generator, a local pattern selected by the window device with the reference patterns and for alternatively forming a non-correspondence/correspondence signal. If the difference is too large, the "new" pattern is stored as a further reference, so that the learning phase and the use phase occur simultaneously. The comparison does not take into account a difference near substantially coincident acute amplitude gradients.

Claims

1. A device for recognizing a pattern of a predetermined number of separate digital signals which are arranged according to at least one coordinate and each of which has a signal value, the device comprising an input with first storage means for receiving and storing said pattern, second storage means with a predetermined number of storage locations, each of which has a storage capacity for a corresponding pattern, a difference determining device with a first input which is connected to a data output of the first storage means, a second input which is connected to a data output of the second storage means, and an output for alternatively supplying a non-correspondence/correspondence signal, characterized in that for the recognition of a local pattern which is selected from a overall pattern by way of a coordinate-wise adjustable window device, the window device comprises a stepping mechanism in order to be adjusted coordinate-wise over a step, a gradient determining device being provided for determining, for predetermined coordinate values within the window, the absolute value of a coordinate-wise gradient of the values of said digital signals prevailing at said coordinate values, a moment generator for receiving said absolute values and for determining a moment thereof with respect to a reference point of the window, and for generating an output signal when a predetermined minimum value of said moment is reached in order to indicate that a local high value is reached of the value of said coordinate-wise gradient averaged over the local pattern, a connection being provided for supplying said output signal as an activation signal to said difference determining device.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that there is provided a preadjustment stepping mechanism in order to impart, by way of a predetermined number of preadjustment steps, a corresponding number of starting positions to the window device, an output of the preadjustment stepping mechanism being connected to an input of the moment generator in order to activate the latter only after a starting point has been reached.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that there is provided a feedback connection between an output of the moment generator and an activation input of the stepping mechanism in order to supply the stepping mechanism with a step direction signal.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that there is provided a termination element for imposing an upper limit to the number of steps which can be activated from a starting position by a step direction signal applied to the stepping mechanism.

6. A device as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that there are provided third storage means for storing, under the control of a correspondence signal from the difference determining device, a reference position of the window then prevailing and an address signal for the second storage means.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that there is provided a moment generator for receiving said absolute values and for determining a moment thereof with respect to a reference point of the window, and for generating an output signal when a predetermined minimum value of said moment is reached in order to indicate that a local high value is reached of the value of said coordinate-wise gradient as averaged over the local pattern, a connection being provided for supplying said output signal as an activation signal to said difference determining device, there also being provided a cycle generator for presenting the respective stored data from the second storage means to the difference determining device, said "correspondence" signal acting as a first stop signal for signalling a recognition, a "non-correspondence" signal acting as a proceed signal for presenting further patterns stored in the second storage means for comparison until all patterns have been presented, a second stop signal acting to unblock a blocking element between an output of the first storage means and an input of the second storage means in order to store the pattern stored in the first storage means at a vacant storage location in said second storage means.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, in which there is provided a feedback connection between an output of the moment generator and an activation input of the stepping mechanism in order to supply the stepping mechanism with a step direction signal, characterized in that there are provided fourth storage means for the intermediate storage after all patterns stored in the second storage means have been presented, of a reference position of the window device then prevailing, there being provided a repetition device for generating at least one additional starting position, and there also being provided a comparison element for comparing, after the minimum value of said moment has subsequently been reached again, the reference position of the window device then pre-vailing with that storing the fourth storage means, and for forming a running total of correspondences and for ultimately generating said second stop signal after a predetermined minimum total has reached, starting from said at least one additional starting position.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, in which there is provided a feedback connection between an output of the moment generator and an activation input of the stepping mechanism in order to supply the stepping mechanism with a step direction signal, characterized in that there are provided fifth storage means for storing, under the control of said second stop signal, a provisionality flag signal and for forming a running total, there being provided a repetition device for generating at least one additional starting position and for incrementing the running total by a subsequent first stop signal for the pattern most recently stored in the second storage means in order to reset, starting from said at least one additional starting position, said provisionality flag signal only when a predetermined minimum running total is reached, but to invalidate the latter pattern, otherwise.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a second window device is connected to a data connection of the second storage means in order to limit activated supply of data to the difference determining device to coordinate positions for a pattern to be stored in said second storage means for which either a predetermined coordinate-wise gradient of said signal value is detected or for which a predetermined coordinate-wise gradient of said signal value is detected at a neighbouring coordinate position.

5. A device for recognizing a pattern of a predetermined number of separate digital signals which are arranged according to at least one coordinate and each of which has a signal value, the device comprising an input with first storage means for receiving and storing said pattern, second storage means with a predetermined number of storage locations, each of which has a storage capacity for a corresponding pattern, a difference determining device with a first input which is connected to a data output of the first storage means, a second input which is connected to the data output of the second storage means, and an output for alternatively supplying a non-correspondence/correspondence signal, characterized in that for the recognition of a local pattern selected from an overall pattern by means of a window device which can be focussed coordinate-wise, the window device comprises a stepping mechanism in order to be focussed coordinate-wise over a step, a gradient determining device being provided for determining, for predetermined coordinate values within the window, the absolute value of a coordinate-wise gradient of the values of said digital signals prevailing at said coordinate values, the difference determining device comprising means which serve to ignore the predetermined difference generated for a given coordinate value if a pair of signals from first and second storage means which is presented for comparison exhibits a predetermined difference for said coordinate value while the relevant patterns both have a predetermined coordinate-wise gradient in the signal value for said coordinate value.