IC for universal computing with near zero programming complexity

A computing unit in a computing machine, wherein the computing machine performs a plurality of computing operations using the computing unit, the computing unit comprising:

• an input layer of nodes for receiving an input signal;
• a middle layer of nodes coupled to the input layer of nodes, wherein the middle layer of nodes are related to the input layer of nodes through a first network of connections, the middle layer configured to process the input signal using middle layer weights corresponding to the first network of connections and an activation function to generate a middle layer signal;
• and
• an output layer of nodes coupled to the middle layer of nodes, wherein the output layer of nodes are related to the middle layer of nodes through a second network of connections, the output layer configured to process the middle layer signal using output layer weights corresponding to the second network of connections and the activation function to generate an output signal, the output signal being a result of a computing operation corresponding to the middle and output layer weights and the activation function.

A method for performing a plurality of computing operations with a computing unit using a weight matrix and an activation function, the computing unit comprising a hardware structure that implements networked nodes, wherein nodes in the networked nodes are related by a network of connections between the nodes, wherein the weight matrix comprises weights corresponding to the connections and the activation flunction specifies a function for the nodes in the networked nodes, the method comprising:

• receiving an input signal at an input layer in the networked nodes;
• sending the input signal to one or more nodes in a middle layer that are related by connections with the input layer;
• receiving middle layer weights for the connections between the input layer and middle layer from the weight matrix;
• processing the input signal using the middle layer weights and the function of the activation function to generate a middle layer signal;
• sending the middle layer signal to one or more nodes in an output layer that are related by connections with the middle layer;
• receiving output layer weights for the connections between the middle layer and output layer from the weight matrix;
• and
• generating an output signal by processing the middle layer signal using the weights and the function of the activation function.

A universal computing unit in a computing machine, wherein the computing machine maps an input signal to an output signal using the universal computing unit, the universal computing unit comprising:

• a first layer configured to receive the input signal;
• a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer comprising one or more multiply-accumulate (MAC) units and one or more activation function modules, wherein the one or more MAC units are configured to receive the input signal and second layer weights from a weight matrix and calculate one or more dot products of the received second layer weights and input signal, wherein the one or more activation function modules are configured to calculate a function of the one or more dot products of the received second layer weights and input signal to generate a second layer signal;
• and
• a third layer coupled to the second layer, the third layer comprising one or more MAC units and one or more activation function modules, wherein the one or more MAC units are configured to receive the second layer signal and third layer weights from the weight matrix and calculate one or more dot product of the received third layer weights and second layer signal, wherein the one or more activation function modules are configured to calculate a function of the one or more dot products of the received third layer weights and second layer signal to generate the output signal.

A method for performing a plurality of computing operations with one or more universal computing units, the one or more universal computing units being part of a network that couples the one or more universal computing units to one or more computing units, the method comprising:

• receiving routing coefficients that specify connectivity information for the one or more universal computing units and one or more computing units in the network, wherein the routing coefficients replace a programming instruction stream by a data coefficient stream;
• connecting the one or more universal computing units and one or more computing units in the network based on the routing coefficients;
• receiving an instruction through the connected network comprising a weight matrix and a selection of an activation function, wherein the weight matrix and selection of the activation function comprise a set of operation-coefficients that define a desired computing operation in the plurality of computing operations;
• receiving an input data stream through the connected network;
• and
• mapping an output data stream for the input data stream using the connected one or more universal computing units and one or more computing units and the set of operation-coefficients, the output data stream being a result of the defined desired computing operation.