Spiking neuron circuits and methods

A method comprising:

• obtaining an integration value by integration based on received input spike signals from one or more pre-synaptic neurons;
• storing the integration value in a membrane potential accumulator;
• obtaining a leakage value based on an oscillator signal generated by a triggerable ring oscillator by accumulating and storing the leakage value in a leakage accumulator;
• comparing the integration value stored in the membrane potential accumulator with the leakage value stored in the leakage accumulator;
• and
• deactivating the triggerable ring oscillator based on the comparison of the integration value and the leakage value, wherein the deactivating comprises deactivating the triggerable ring oscillator when the leakage value is greater than or equal to the integration value.

A spiking neuron comprising:

• a triggerable ring oscillator configured to generate an oscillator signal;
• a circuit comprising an adder and a membrane potential accumulator, wherein the circuit is configured to obtain an integration value by integrating based on received input spike signals from one or more pre-synaptic neurons, and wherein the membrane potential accumulator is configured to store the integration value;
• a leakage circuit comprising a leakage accumulator, wherein the leakage circuit is configured to obtain a leakage value based on the oscillator signal, and wherein the leakage accumulator is configured to accumulate and store the leakage value in response to the oscillator signal;
• an oscillator activator comprising a comparator, wherein the oscillator activator is configured to activate the triggerable ring oscillator in response to a received input spike signal, and wherein the comparator is configured to compare the integration value stored in the membrane potential accumulator with the leakage value stored in the leakage accumulator, and wherein the oscillator is further configured to deactivate the triggerable ring oscillator when the leakage value is greater than or equal to the integration value.

A spiking neuron comprising:

• a triggerable oscillator means for generating an oscillator signal;
• a circuit means for obtaining an integration value based on received input spike signals from one or more pre-synaptic neurons and for storing the integration value;
• a leakage circuit means for obtaining a leakage value based on the oscillator signal and for accumulating and storing the leakage value;
• an oscillator activator means for activating or deactivating the triggerable oscillator means based on the leakage value and the integration value, wherein the oscillator activator means comprises means for comparing the stored integration value with the stored leakage value and for deactivating the triggerable oscillator means when the leakage value is greater than or equal to the integration value.