Pattern recognition apparatus using oscillating memory circuits

• US 4,888,814 A
• Filed: 02/23/1989
• Issued: 12/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Research Development Corporation Of Japan (Japan Science And Technology Agency)
• Original Assignee: Research Development Corporation Of Japan (Japan Science And Technology Agency)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Youko, Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US07/314,301
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 382/21, 382/17, 382/29, 382/64
• US Class Current: 382/197
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition

Abstract

A pattern recognition system comprises first and second cell blocks each composed of a number of nonlinear oscillators arranged in a multi-layer matrix. The nonlinear oscillators in each layer of the first cell block are coupled so as to be excited by a corresponding bit of a two-dimensional bit pattern, and are coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer so as to mutually emphasize the oscillation in a predetermined direction different from those predetermined for the other layers, so that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited the nonlinear oscillators corresponding to a continuous line segment contained in the bit pattern and aligned in the excitation emphasizing direction of that layer. On the other hand, the nonlinear oscillators in each layer of the second cell block are coupled to a corresponding group of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators of a corresponding layer of the first cell block and are coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer such that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited only the nonlinear oscillators corresponding to an end of a continuous line segment contained in the bit pattern. A memory composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators is selectively excited by the exciting nonlinear oscillators of the first and second cell blocks, whereby the nonlinear oscillators corresponding to an exciting pattern of the exciting nonlinear oscillators of the first and second cell blocks oscillate at a frequency inherent to a given pattern.

Claims

1. A pattern recognition system comprising:

a preprocessing unit receiving a given pattern for converting the given pattern into a two-dimensional bit pattern;

a first cell block having a plurality of layers each of which is composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to the preprocessing unit so as to be excited by a corresponding bit of the bit pattern, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer so as to mutually emphasize the oscillation in a predetermined direction different from those predetermined for the other layers, so that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited the nonlinear oscillators arranged to correspond to a continuous line segment formed in the two-dimensional bit pattern and aligned in a direction coincident with the excitation emphasizing direction of that layer;

a second cell block having a plurality of layers each of which is composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, each of the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers of said second cell block being coupled to at least one of the plurality of nonlinear oscillators of said first cell block, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer so as to mutually emphasize the oscillation only in a predetermined orientation different from those predetermined for the other layers, so that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited the nonlinear oscillators corresponding to an end of a continuous line segment formed in the two-dimensional bit pattern and aligned in a direction coincident with the direction of that layer; and

a memory composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators coupled to the first and second cell blocks and selectively excited by the exciting nonlinear oscillators of the first and second cell blocks,

whereby the nonlinear oscillators of the memory corresponding to an exciting pattern of the exciting nonlinear oscillators of the first and second cell blocks oscillate at a frequency inherent to the given pattern.

2. A system claimed in claim 1 wherein the nonlinear oscillators in each layer of the second cell block are coupled to a corresponding group composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators of a corresponding layer of the first cell block.

3. A pattern recognition system comprising:

a preprocessing unit receiving a given pattern for converting the given pattern into a two-dimensional bit pattern;

a first cell block having a plurality of layers each of which is composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to the preprocessing unit so as to be excited by a corresponding bit of the bit pattern, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer so as to mutually emphasize the oscillation in a predetermined direction different from those predetermined for the other layers, so that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited the nonlinear oscillators arranged to correspond to a continuous line segment formed in the two-dimensional bit pattern and aligned in a direction coincident with the excitation emphasizing direction of that layer;

a second cell block having a plurality of layers each of which is composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, each of the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers of said second cellblock being coupled to at least one of the plurality of nonlinear oscillators of said first cell block, the nonlinear oscillators in each of the layers being coupled to adjacent nonlinear oscillators in the same layer so as to mutually emphasize the oscillation only in a predetermined orientation different from those predetermined for the other layers, so that in each of the layers, there are selectively excited the nonlinear oscillators corresponding to an end of a continuous line segment formed in the two-dimensional bit pattern and aligned in a direction coincident with the direction of that layer; and

a memory composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators coupled to the first and second cell blocks and selectively excited by the exciting nonlinear oscillators of the first and second cell blocks, the plurality of nonlinear oscillators being divided into a plurality of pairs, each pair of nonlinear oscillators being interconnected so that one nonlinear oscillator of each nonlinear oscillator pair receives at its input an output of the other nonlinear oscillator, and the nonlinear oscillators in each unitary memory being connected in a connection pattern corresponding to a predetermined pattern aligned to that unitary memory,

whereby the unitary memory having the nonlinear oscillators connected in a connection pattern corresponding to an given pattern oscillates at a frequency inherent to the given pattern.

4. A system claimed in claim 3 wherein the nonlinear oscillators in each layer of the second cell block are coupled to a corresponding group composed of a plurality of nonlinear oscillators of a corresponding layer of the first cell block.