Encoding and decoding information

A system comprising:

• a time encoder configured to encode information in a collection of time-based code signals, the time-based code signals each being divided into time intervals and each of the time intervals including an event, the occurrence of the events within the intervals being timed to represent information;
• a compressing encoder comprising a collection of converter devices each connected and configured to receive and weight the amplitudes of events in a respective time-based code signal as a function of the timing of other events in the respective time-based code;
• an integrator connected and configured to receive a collection of amplitude-weighted sequences of events from the compressing encoder, the integrator comprising a comparator connected to receive a signal characterizing the integration, wherein the comparator is configured to
• compare the signal characterizing the integration with a dynamic threshold value, and
• in response to the signal characterizing the integration reaching the dynamic threshold value, output an output event and reset the comparison between the signal characterizing the integration and the dynamic threshold value.

A decoder device comprising:

• an input connectable to receive an input time series of events, the events in the input time series occurring at non-uniform intervals, the timing of the input events within the input time series encoding information;
• a collection of converter devices each configured to uniquely convert the input time series into a collection of amplitudes, each amplitude being a function of the timing of multiple input events in the input time series, wherein at least some of the amplitudes generated by different weight generators differ for each non-zero input time series;
• a collection of terminals, each carrying a respective series of amplitudes, wherein the amplitudes vary but the number of the amplitudes is the same as the number of the events in the input time series,
• a comparator connected to compare a first of the series of amplitudes with a second of the series of amplitudes and generate a signal indicative of a difference between the first series of amplitudes and the second series of amplitudes;
• a converter device configured to convert a time series into the second series of amplitudes, each amplitude in the second series being a function of the timing of multiple events in the time series input into the converter device;
• a permuter configured to permute the time series input into the converter device;
• and
• an output connectable to output a time series input into the converter device in response to the signal indicative of the difference between the first series of amplitudes and the second series of amplitudes falling below a threshold value.