Segmented neural network with daisy chain control

• US 5,214,747 A
• Filed: 12/24/1990
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/632,862
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 395/27
• US Class Current: 706/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention is a direct digitally implemented network system in which neural nodes 24, 26 and 28 which output to the same destination node 22 in the network share the same channel 30. If a set of nodes does not output any data to any node to which a second set of nodes outputs data (the two sets of nodes to not overlap or intersect), the two sets of nodes are independent and do not share a channel and have separate channels 120 and 122. The network is configured as parallel operating non-intersecting segments or independent sets where each segment has a segment communication channel or bus 30. Each node in the independent set or segment is sequentially activated to produce an output by a daisy chain control signal. The outputs are thereby time division multiplexed over the channel 30 to the destination node 22. The nodes are implemented on integrated circuits 158 with multiple nodes per circuit. The outputs of the nodes on the circuits in a segment are connected to the segment channel. Each node includes a memory array 136 that stores the weights applied to each input via a multiplier 152. The multiplied inputs are accumulated and applied to a lookup table 132 that performs any threshold comparison operation. The output of the lookup table 134 is placed on a common bus serving as the channel for the independent set of nodes by a tristate driver 44 controlled by the daisy chain control signal.

Claims

1. A neural network configuration and control method, comprising the steps of:

(a) segmenting the network nodes in each layer into at least two segments according to at least two data destinations of outputs of the nodes of each layer; and

(b) controlling an output of each node in each segment with a control signal corresponding to each segment where the control signal is sequentially applied to each node within each segment.