Hierachical information processing system

• US 5,058,184 A
• Filed: 01/23/1989
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai
• Original Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai
• Inventors: Fukushima, Kunihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US07/299,539
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 382/14, 382/15, 382/27, 382/35, 382/36, 382/37, 382/38, 382/39, 382/49, 364/513
• US Class Current: 382/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/0463 Neocognitrons
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/454 Integrating the filters into a hierarchical structure, e.g. convolutional neural networks [CNN]

Abstract

Plural efferent signal paths paired with plural conventional afferent signal paths respectively are provided between lower order cell-layers and higher order cell-layers of a neural network model. Once an output response has been derived from the higher order cell-layer, an efferent signal is transmitted through the efferent signal path paired with the afferent signal path concerned in the output response. Under the control of which efferent signal, the afferent signal path contributing to the output response of the higher order cell-layer is affected by an excitatory effect, while the afferent signal path not contributing to the same is affected by an inhibitory effect. Hence the information processing consisting of both the associative memory and the pattern recognition provided with the faculty of segmentation can be attained despite deformation and positional error of the input pattern.

Claims

1. A hierarchial information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers comprising:

a plurality of afferent signal paths extending from lower order cell-layers to higher order cell-layers for processing information signals, wherein said afferent signals are processed by a plurality of feature-extracting cells u_s and feature-integrating cells u_c alternatively and convergingly;

a plurality of efferent information paths extending from higher order cell-layers to lower order cell-layers for transmitting an efferent signal, wherein said efferent signals are processed by a plurality of integrative feature-indicating cells w_c and feature-indicating cell w_s alternatively and divergingly;

cell layers in each stage, except input-cell layer U_o of the lowest stage and the cell layer in the highest stage, having converging afferent connections from feature-extracting cells u_s to feature-integrating cells u_c, and diverging efferent connections from an integrative feature-indicating cell w_c to feature-indicating cell w_s ;

a threshold controlling cell w_cx for receiving signals from the cell w_c via unmodifiable excitatory connections and receiving converging signals form the cells u_s in the same stage and controlling the selectivity for extracting particular features by said feature-extracting cells u_s ;

wherein each feature-extracting cell u_s is connected to send an unmodifiable excitatory signal or gate signal to each feature-indicating cell w_s, and each integrative feature-indicating cell w_c is connected to send a gain control or heterosynaptic facilitation signal to a feature-integrating cell u_c, and the transmission of efferent signals is gated by the afferent signals in the cell w_s, and simultaneously, the transmission of afferent signals is facilitated by the presence of the efferent signals in the cell w_c ;

whereby a pattern corresponding to the cell which is yielding the largest output among the feature-integrating cells u_c of the highest stage is interpreted as recognized; and

the output of the cell layer w_co of integrative feature-indicating cells of the lowest stage being interpreted as the output of associative recall or as the result of segmentation of a signal pattern which is now being recognized.

2. A hierarchical information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers as defined in claim 1, further comprising feedback means for transmitting a signal x derived from a maximum detector when the maximum output is zero to all feature-extracting cells u_s so as to lessen the inhibition to each target cell u_s.

3. A hierarchical information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers as defined in claim 1, further comprising an inhibiting cell u_sv convergingly receiving a pattern signal from the said feature-integrating cell u_c of the preceding stage and sending output signals via modifiable inhibitory connections to the said feature-extracting cell u_s.

4. A hierarchical information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers as defined in claim 1, further comprising a feature-indicating inhibitory cell w_sv connected to the feature-indicating cell w_s and connected divergingly and unmodifiably to the integrative feature-indicating cell w_c in the lower stage.

5. A hierarchical information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers as defined in claim 1, wherein the afferent signal path of serial connection of the feature-integrating cell u_c and the feature-extracting cell u_s and the efferent signal path of serial connection of the integrative feature-indicating cell w_c and the feature-indicating cell w_s are interconnected so as to affect said efferent signal by gain control signal from w_c cell and to affect efferent signal by gate signal from u_s cell to w_s cell;

and the feature-extracting cell u_s is affected by feedback signal x from a maximum detector in the highest stage, and the integrative feature-indicating cell w_c is affected by an unmodifiable inhibitory signal from the feature-indicating inhibitory cell w_sv activated by feature-indicating cell w_s.

6. A hierarchical information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers comprising:

a plurality of afferent signal paths extending from lower order cell-layers to higher order cell-layers for processing information signals, wherein said afferent signals are processed by a plurality of feature-extracting cells u_s and feature-integrating cells u_c alternatively and convergingly;

a plurality of efferent information paths extending from higher order cell-layers to lower order cell-layers for transmitting an efferent signal, wherein said efferent signals are processed by a plurality of integrative feature-indicating cells w_c and feature-indicating cells w_s alternatively and divergingly;

cells layers in each stage, except input-cell layer U_o of the lowest stage and the cell layer in the highest stage, having converging afferent connections from feature-extracting cells u_s to feature-integrating cells u_c, and diverging efferent connections from an integrative feature-indicating cell w_c to a feature-indicating cell w_s ;

an inhibiting cell u_sv convergingly receiving a pattern signal from the said feature-integrating cell u_c of the preceding stage and sending output signals via modifiable inhibitory connections to the said feature-extracting cell u_s ;

a threshold controlling cell w_cx receiving signals from the cell w_c via unmodifiable excitatory connections and receiving converging signals from the cells u_s in the same stage and controlling the selectivity for extracting particular features by said feature-extracting cell u_s ;

a feature-indicating inhibitory cell w_sv connected to the feature-indicating cell w_s and connected divergingly and unmodifiably to the integrated feature-indicating cell w_c in the lower stage;

wherein each feature-extracting cell u_s is connected to send an unmodifiable excitatory signal or gate signal to each feature-indicating sell w_s, and each integrative feature-indicating cell w_c is connected to send a gain control or heterosynaptic facilitation signal to a feature-integrating cell u_c, and the transmission of efferent signals is gated by the afferent signals in the cell w_s, and simultaneously, the transmission of afferent signals is facilitated by the presence of the efferent signals in the cell w_c ;

whereby a pattern corresponding to the cell which is yielding the largest output among the feature-integration cells u_c of the highest stage is interpreted as recognized; and

the output of the cell layer w_co of integrative feature-indicating cells of the lowest stage being interpreted as the output of associative recall or as the result of segmentation of a single pattern which is now being recognized.

7. A hierarchical information processing system as defined in claim 6, further comprising feedback means for transmitting a signal x derived from a maximum detector when the maximum output is zero to all feature-extracting cells u_s so as to lessen the inhibition to each target cell u_s.

8. A hierarchial information processing system for processing information in parallel over a plurality of cell layers comprising:

a plurality of afferent signal paths extending from lower order cell-layers to higher order cell-layers for processing information signals, wherein said afferent signals are processed by a plurality of feature-extracting analog cells u_s and feature-integrating analog cells u_c alternatively and convergingly;

a plurality of efferent information paths extending from higher order cell-layers to lower order cell-layers for transmitting an efferent signal, wherein said efferent signals are processed by a plurality of integrative feature-indicating analog cells w_c and feature-indicating analog cell w_s alternatively and divergingly;

cell layers in each stage, except input-cell layer U_o of the lowest stage and the cell layer in the highest stage, having converging afferent connections from feature-extracting cells u_s to feature-integrating cells u_c, and diverging efferent connections from an integrative feature-indicating cell w_c to feature-indicating cell w_s ;

wherein each feature-extracting cell u_s is connected to send an unmodifiable excitatory signal or gate signal to each feature-indicating cell w_s, and each integrative feature-indicating cell w_c is connected to send a gain control or heterosynaptic facilitation signal to a feature-integrating cell u_c, and the transmission of efferent signals is gated by the afferent signals in the cell w_s, and simultaneously, the transmission of afferent signals is facilitated by the presence of the efferent signals in the cell w_c ;

whereby a pattern corresponding to the cell which is yielding the largest output among the feature-integrating cells u_c of the highest stage is interpreted as recognized; and

the output of the cell layer w_co of integrative feature-indicating cells of the lowest stage being interpreted as the output of associative recall or as the result of segmentation of a single pattern which is now being recognized.