Electronic circuit implementing knowledge enhanced electronic logic solutions

• US 7,512,581 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helena G. Keeley, Thomas M. Keeley
• Original Assignee: Helena G. Keeley, Thomas M. Keeley
• Inventors: Keeley, Helena G., Keeley, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Mai T
• Application Number:
  US10/960,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 706/53
• US Class Current: 706/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing

Abstract

An electronic circuit for use in providing computational decision-making capabilities. The circuit implements a hierarchy of decision-making cells, with outputs derived from input signals supplying argument values, configuration signals for controlling the decision making model and wires between cells defining relationships between cells that modify the decision-making model of dependent cells. The cells are primarily characterized by modified values that may represent outputs although they may have a variety of other function features such as importance values and threshold values. The arguments are characterized by argument values that may represent inputs. The arguments are associated with particular cells and the values of the arguments associated with a given cell are combined to determine the value of that cell. The wires between different cells define different types of functional relationships between them. Circuits are developed through the creation and manipulation of the graphical items of the interface using visually oriented processes such as drop down windows and drag and drop techniques.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit for use in computational decision making based on a using a hierarchical tree structure, including:

a) a plurality of positions having modified values which positions may correspond to outputs,

b) a plurality of supporting and objecting arguments having values each of which is associated with one of said positions and which may correspond to input data and

c) a plurality of linkages between said positions and arguments representing functional relationships between said positions and arguments, the hierarchical tree structure operating according to the steps of;

a) sequentially selecting each of said positions in said tree structure;

b) calculating a position modified value for each selected position by accumulating and mathematically combining the supporting arguments and objecting arguments associated with the position; and

c) adjusting a plurality of position and argument related values for all other positions after said modified position value for each selected position is calculated based on the functional relationships defined in said linkage data structure to arrive at adjusted values for said other positions and arguments;

wherein the positions are implemented by circuitry cells accepting as inputs the supporting and objecting arguments and producing as outputs the modified values, the linkages between positions represented by electrical interconnections between the circuitry cells.

2. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting the position importance of one position in accordance in accordance with the modified value of another.

3. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting an argument value for one position in accordance with the modified value of another position.

4. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting an argument value for one position in accordance with a threshold associated with another position.

5. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting an argument value for one position in accordance with a clipper window associated with another position.

6. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting an argument value for one position in accordance with an argument value associated with another position.

7. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting the position importance of one position in accordance with a clipper window associated with another position.

8. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-step of:

adjusting the threshold set point for one position in accordance with the modified value of another position.

9. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting position and argument values includes the sub-steps of:

adjusting the clipper upper limit set point for one position in accordance with the modified value of another position; and

adjusting the clipper lower limit set point for one position in accordance with the modified value of another position.

10. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the step of:

iteratively evaluating said position and argument related values in order to settle on a stable set of such values by reselecting, recalculating and readjusting all said position and argument related values until they remain unchanged from one calculation to another.