Word recognition device and method

A method comprising:

• selecting a dictionary of words;
• associating an analog weight with each character of an alphabet forming said words, wherein equal analog weights correspond to identical characters;
• storing said analog weights in a first analog associative memory;
• dividing said words into groups, with each group corresponding to words having common lengths;
• transforming each word of each group of words via said analog weights stored in said first analog associative memory into a sequence of analog weights, to provide groups of analog weight sequences, each said group of analog weight sequences corresponding to one of said groups of words having common lengths;
• separating a second analog associative memory into portions;
• and
• storing said groups of analog weight sequences in said second analog associative memory such that each group of words corresponds to only one of said portions in said second analog associative memory.

A method comprising steps of:

• receiving a character string corresponding to a word;
• determining a length of said character string;
• transforming said character string into a series of analog signals via analog weights stored in a first analog associative memory, wherein equal analog weights correspond to identical characters;
• coupling said series of analog signals to a portion of a second analog associative memory having a dictionary stored therein, each word of said dictionary corresponding to an analog weight sequence stored in said second analog associative memory, said portion of said second analog associative memory storing words having lengths comparable to said length of said character string;
• computing distances between each analog weight sequence stored in said portion and said series of analog signals;
• selecting those distances that are less than a predetermined distance;
• and
• writing data corresponding to those analog weight sequences providing distances less than said predetermined distance to a memory.