Self-organizing circuits

Abstract

A self-organizing circuit providing improved performance and reduction in costs. The improvements are of two basic types: those that apply to improved circuit design and those that apply to improved "teaching" of the circuit. A method to allow the circuit elements to learn new patterns quickly is provided. Also, a mechanism by which serial or sequential information can be learned is disclosed. Finally, the invention includes mechanisms by which the circuits can be simplified by reducing the number of interconnections within the circuit. Improved teaching of the circuit includes ways by which the self-organizing circuit can be quickly taught new patterns. First by making each input to a subcircuit compete against the many other inputs to that subcircuit, by weighting each input according to simple Boolean functions, and lastly by incorporating a method by which information can be added to the circuit after the circuit has already learned some information. The circuit makes better distinctions between patterns by incorporating modified subcircuits which are change-sensitive and by making the subcircuit competition be sensitive to change. Lastly, a method of stabilizing and destabilizing subcircuits using signals which are sent to all nodes, lets the subcircuits organize themselves into persistent patterns.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.