# US 10,769,519 B2 · Converting digital numeric data to spike event data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,519 B2 - Document ID: US10769519B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/812,589 - Filed: 2017-11-14 - Published: 2018-03-22 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-19 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Rodrigo Alvarez-Icaza Rivera; John V. Arthur; Andrew S. Cassidy; Steven K. Esser; Myron D. Flickner; Bryan L. Jackson; Paul A. Merolla; Dharmendra S. Modha; Jun Sawada; Benjamin G. Shaw - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769519B2 ## CPC - G06N 3/06: Physical realisation, i.e. hardware implementation of neural networks, neurons or parts of neurons - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract One embodiment of the invention provides a system comprising at least one data-to-spike converter unit for converting input numeric data received by the system to spike event data. Each data-to-spike converter unit is configured to support one or more spike codes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a data-to-spike converter unit supporting different spike coding schemes, wherein the data-to-spike converter unit is configured to convert external input data received by the system into one or more spike event packets encoded in a spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes by processing the external input data in accordance with an equation corresponding to the spike coding scheme; and an output bus configured to transmit the one or more spike event packets to a plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits for processing; wherein a first spike event packet, encoded in a first spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from first external input data received by the system by processing the first external input data in accordance with a first equation corresponding to the first spike coding scheme; and wherein a second spike event packet, encoded in a second spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from second external input data received by the system by processing the second external input data in accordance with a second equation corresponding to the second spike coding scheme that is different from the first equation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first spike event packet is formatted to include both a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet and a corresponding delivery timestamp indicative of when the first spike event packet should be processed at the corresponding target address; and the second spike event packet is formatted to include only a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the second spike event packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein tracking of the first spike event packet is different from tracking of the second spike event packet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein: the first spike event packet is tracked at the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet, such that the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet controls when the first spike event packet is processed based on the corresponding delivery timestamp included in the first spike event packet; and the second spike event packet is tracked at the data-to-spike converter unit, such that the data-to-spike converter unit controls when the second spike event packet is outputted to the output bus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external input data comprises digital numeric data representing one or more sensory inputs from an external environment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data-to-spike converter unit is configured to generate the one or more spike event packets in one of a serial manner or a parallel manner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: each neurosynaptic core circuit comprises a plurality of electronic neurons, a plurality of electronic axons, and a plurality of synapse devices for interconnecting the plurality of electronic neurons with the plurality of electronic axons; and the plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits are interconnected via at least one router for routing spike event packets between the plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits. ### Claim 8 A system, comprising: a plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits; a data-to-spike converter unit supporting different spike coding schemes, wherein the data-to-spike converter unit is configured to convert external input data received by the system into one or more spike event packets encoded in a spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes by processing the external input data in accordance with an equation corresponding to the spike coding scheme; and an output bus configured to transmit the one or more spike event packets to the plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits for processing; wherein a first spike event packet, encoded in a first spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from first external input data received by the system by processing the first external input data in accordance with a first equation corresponding to the first spike coding scheme; and wherein a second spike event packet, encoded in a second spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from second external input data received by the system by processing the second external input data in accordance with a second equation corresponding to the second spike coding scheme that is different from the first equation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein: the first spike event packet is formatted to include both a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet and a corresponding delivery timestamp indicative of when the first spike event packet should be processed at the corresponding target address; and the second spike event packet is formatted to include only a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the second spike event packet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein tracking of the first spike event packet is different from tracking of the second spike event packet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the first spike event packet is tracked at the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet, such that the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet controls when the first spike event packet is processed based on the corresponding delivery timestamp included in the first spike event packet; and the second spike event packet is tracked at the data-to-spike converter unit, such that the data-to-spike converter unit controls when the second spike event packet is outputted to the output bus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the external input data comprises digital numeric data representing one or more sensory inputs from an external environment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the data-to-spike converter unit is configured to generate the one or more spike event packets in one of a serial manner or a parallel manner. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein: each neurosynaptic core circuit comprises a plurality of electronic neurons, a plurality of electronic axons, and a plurality of synapse devices for interconnecting the plurality of electronic neurons with the plurality of electronic axons; and the plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits are interconnected via at least one router for routing spike event packets between the plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: at a data-to-spike converter unit supporting different spike coding schemes: converting external input data into one or more spike event packets encoded in a spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes by processing the external input data in accordance with an equation corresponding to the spike coding scheme; and outputting the one or more spike event packets to an output bus configured to transmit the one or more spike event packets to a plurality of neurosynaptic core circuits for processing; wherein a first spike event packet, encoded in a first spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from first external input data by processing the first external input data in accordance with a first equation corresponding to the first spike coding scheme; and wherein a second spike event packet, encoded in a second spike coding scheme of the different spike coding schemes, is converted from second external input data received by processing the second external input data in accordance with a second equation corresponding to the second spike coding scheme that is different from the first equation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein: the first spike event packet is formatted to include both a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet and a corresponding delivery timestamp indicative of when the first spike event packet should be processed at the corresponding target address; and the second spike event packet is formatted to include only a corresponding target address of a corresponding target axon for the second spike event packet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein tracking of the first spike event packet is different from tracking of the second spike event packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein: the first spike event packet is tracked at the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet, such that the corresponding target axon for the first spike event packet controls when the first spike event packet is processed based on the corresponding delivery timestamp included in the first spike event packet; and the second spike event packet is tracked at the data-to-spike converter unit, such that the data-to-spike converter unit controls when the second spike event packet is outputted to the output bus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the external input data comprises digital numeric data representing one or more sensory inputs from an external environment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the data-to-spike converter unit is configured to generate the one or more spike event packets in one of a serial manner or a parallel manner.