Pattern classification equipment

Claim 2

A pattern classification equipment adapted to determine the classification of incoming n-dimensional time-sequential pattern composed of n binary state-dependent variables, by giving weighting coefficients to said variables, summing up the weighted variables, and quantizing the summation result, characterized by comprising: a scanning-type photo-electric conversion means for sequentially converting into a binary signal an input pattern on a sheet of document divided into n meshes, so that brightness of each mesh may be translated into two values of said binary signal through the successive comparison of said brightness with a reference brightness; a sequential access memory having a plurality of memory sections for storing n pairs of positive and negative weighting coefficients, said memory being adapted to read out one pair from among the n pairs of said positive and negative weighting coefficients in one-to-one correspondence with each component of the time-sequential input pattern; a plurality of switching means connected to readout terminals of said memory sections and controlled by the output of the photo-electric conversion means; a counter connected to the switching means; a quantizer connected to the counter and composed of a comparator and a polarity detector; and means for generating timing signals for controlling each of all the aforementioned means; whereby the corresponding switching means operates so that the positive or negative weighting coefficient may be sent to the counter depending on the binary output signal 1 or 0 from the photoelectric conversion means.

Claim 3

A pattern classification equipment according to claim 1 having first and second counters in place of the above-mentioned single counter, whereby all of the switching means operate so that the positive and negative weighting coefficients are sent respectively to the first and second counters depending on the binary output signal 1 from the photo-electric conversion means and vice versa depending on the signal 0.

Claim 4

A pattern classification system adapted to classify n-dimensional patterns represented by n sequential binary components x1 . . . xn, said system comprising, a. means for storing a plurality of pairs of n-dimensional weighting coefficients Wj and Ws - j, where Wj is a positive weighting coefficient composed of n components wjl, wj2, wj3, . . . wjn; Ws - Wj is the corresponding negative weighting coefficient composed of n components (ws - wj1), (ws - wj2), . . . (ws - wjn); ws is the sum of any two corresponding components of a pair of positive and negative weighting coefficients, b. means associated with each said stored pair responsive to weighting components applied thereto for accumulating said weighting components and forming a sum thereof, c. switching means associated with said stored pairs between said storing means and said accumulating means, and being responsive to each said components x1 of said pattern for applying either wji or (ws - wji) to said accumulating means depending on whether Xi has a first or second binary value, and d. threshold means associated with each said accumulating means, for providing an indication whether said sum exceeds a threshold value applied to said threshold means.

Claim 5

A pattern classification system adapted to classify n-dimensional patterns represented by n sequential binary components x1 . . . xn, said system comprising, a. means for storing a plurality of pairs of n-dimensional weighting coefficients Wj and Ws - j, where Wj is a positive weighting coefficient composed of n components wjl, wj2, wj3, . . . wjn; Ws - Wj is the corresponding negative weighting coefficient composed of n components (ws - wj1), (ws - wj2), . . . (ws - wjn); ws is the sum of any two corresponding components of a pair of positive and negative weighting coefficients, b. means associated with each said stored pair responsive to weighting components applied thereto for accumulating said weighting components and forming a sum thereof, c. switching means associated with said stored pairs between said storing means and said accumulating means, and being responsive to each said components x1 of said pattern for applying either wji or (ws - wji) to said accumulating means depending on whether Xi has a first or second binary value, and d. threshold means associated with each said accumulating means, for providing an indication whether said sum exceeds a threshold value applied to said threshold means.

Claim 6

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising means associated with each said stored pair for developing a threshold value, said latter means comprising, a. second accumulating means for accumulating weighting components applied thereto, and b. second switching means between said storage means and said second accumulating means and being responsive to each said component xi of said pattern for applying to said second accumulating means the other of said components wji or (ws -wji) from that which is applied to said first accumulating means by said first switching means, whereby the sum in said second accumulating means is said threshold value.

Claim 7

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for storing each pair of positive and negative weighting coefficients comprises, first and second magnetic domain storage paths, said first storage path adapted to retain a plurality of sequentially arranged groups of magnetic domains, the groups corresponding respectively to components of Wj and the number of domains in any group i representing the value of components wji, said second storage path adapted to retain a plurality of sequentially arranged groups of magnetic domains, the groups corresponding respectively to components of Ws - Wj and the number of domains in any group i representing the value of components ws - wji.

Claim 8

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first switching means comprises, a. means for generating a continuous stream of magnetic domains, b. a first domain diverting means having one input and two output paths for diverting domains appearing at said input path to said first output path in response to a particular time-phase external magnetic field and for diverting said domains to said second path in the absence of said particular time-phase external magnetic field, wherein the binary value of each xi is represented by the presence or absence of said particular time-phase external magnetic field, c. a pair of magnetic domain repulsion diverting means located respectively adjacent said first and second stored paths for applying domains appearing at an input thereof to said accumulating means only when a domain in said adjacent storage path is in a position to repulse said input domain, and d. means to cause said domains in said paths to circulate in synchronism with the generation of domains by said generating means, e. said generating means, said domain diverting means, and said domain repulsion diverting means being arranged on a material capable of holding magnetic domains, the arrangement being such that each generated domain is applied to the input of said first diverting means and is diverted to one or the other of said repulsion diverting means where it is repulsed towards said accumulating means if a domain is circulating through a location in said storage path adjacent said repulsion diverting means at the same time said generated domain is at said repulsion diverting means.

Claim 9

A paTtern classification system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said accumulating means and said threshold means comprises, a domain detection, a magnetic domain stacking path adapted to store domains in stacked arrangement as they are applied to an input thereof, said stacking path being filled when no further domains can be stored therein, means for applying the domains from said repulsion diverting means to the input of said domain stacking path whereby said domains enter said path when said path is not full and are repulsed to said domain detector when said stacked path is filled.

Claim 10

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said storing means comprises, a. a first magnetic domain storage path for storing n groups of magnetic domains corresponding respectively to an n-component positive weighting coefficient, where the number of domains in each group corresponds to the value of the component, and b. a second magnetic domain storage path for storing n groups of magnetic domains corresponding respectively to an n-component negative weighting coefficient, where the number of domains in each group corresponds to the value of the component.

Claim 11

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first accumulating means comprises, a. a third magnetic domain storage path arranged to form a closed loop domain path with said first path, b. a fourth magnetic domain storage path arranged to form a closed loop domain path with said second path, whereby domains entering said third and fourth paths from said first and second paths, respectively, are effectively accumulated, and c. magnetic domain detecting means adjacent said third and fourth paths for forming a signal representing the total number of domains in said third and fourth paths.

Claim 12

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second accumulating means comprises, a. a fifth magnetic domain storage path arranged to form a closed loop domain path with said first path and arranged as an alternate path to said third path, b. a sixth magnetic domain storage path arranged to form a closed loop domain path with said second path and arranged in an alternate path to said fourth path, whereby domains entering said fifth and sixth paths from said first and second paths, respectively, are effectively accumulated, and c. second magnetic domain detecting means adjacent said fifth and sixth parts for forming a signal representing the total number of domains in said fifth and sixth paths.

Claim 13

A pattern classification system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first and second switching means comprises, a. a first domain switch, located between the output of said first path and the inputs to said third and fifth paths, and responsive to magnetic time-phase vectors representing the values of said components xi for diverting each group of domains representing wji from said first path to either said third or said fifth path depending on the value of xi, and b. a second domain switch, located between the output of said second path and the inputs to said fourth and sixth paths, and responsive to magnetic time-phase vectors representing the values of said components xi for diverting each group of domains representing (ws - wji) from said second path to either said fourth or said sixth path depending on the value of xi.

Claim 14

A magnetic domain circuit of the type comprising a plurality of permalloy thin film elements of the surface of a material capable of holding magnetic domains and a rotating planar magnetic field adapted to rotate the poles of said permalloy elements to cause movement of domains in direction controlled by the shape and groupings of said elements, the improvement being the particular arrangement of elements to perform a pattern classification weighting function and comprising, a. a first domain circulating path formed bY said elements for circulating a plurality of domains through a first domain point, b. a second domain circulating path formed of said elements for circulating a plurality of domains through a second domain point, c. a first repulsion diverting means formed of said elements and positioned adjacent said first domain point for transferring domain applied to the input thereof to a first output in the absence of a domain at said first domain point and for diverting said domain applied to the input to a second output thereof when a domain is present at said first domain point, d. a second repulsion diverting means formed by said elements and positioned adjacent said second domain point for transferring domain applied to the input thereof to a second output in the absence of a domain at said second domain point and for diverting said domain applied to the input to a second output thereof when a domain is present at said second domain point, e. domain generating means formed from said elements, f. switching means formed from said elements and responsive to an external field in addition to said rotating magnetic field for selectively transferring the domains generated by said generating means to one of said first and second repulsion diverting means, g. a storage path formed from said elements and having an input end and a far end, said storage path being adapted to accept and store a maximum number of domains applied to the input end thereof, h. an alternate path, formed from said elements, adjacent the input end of said storage path, and i. input switching means, formed from said elements, adapted to receive said domains from the second outputs respectively of said first and second repulsive diverting means for transferring said domains to said storage path provided said storage path is not filled to maximum and for transferring said domains to said alternate path when said storage path is filled to maximum.

Claim 15

A magnetic domain circuit of the type comprising a plurality of permalloy thin film elements of the surface of a material capable of holding magnetic domains and a rotating planar magnetic field adapted to rotate the poles of said permalloy elements to cause movement of domains in direction controlled by the shape and groupings of said elements, the improvement being the particular arrangement of elements to perform a pattern classification weighting function and comprising, a. a first domain circulating path formed bY said elements for circulating a plurality of domains through a first domain point, b. a second domain circulating path formed of said elements for circulating a plurality of domains through a second domain point, c. a first repulsion diverting means formed of said elements and positioned adjacent said first domain point for transferring domain applied to the input thereof to a first output in the absence of a domain at said first domain point and for diverting said domain applied to the input to a second output thereof when a domain is present at said first domain point, d. a second repulsion diverting means formed by said elements and positioned adjacent said second domain point for transferring domain applied to the input thereof to a second output in the absence of a domain at said second domain point and for diverting said domain applied to the input to a second output thereof when a domain is present at said second domain point, e. domain generating means formed from said elements, f. switching means formed from said elements and responsive to an external field in addition to said rotating magnetic field for selectively transferring the domains generated by said generating means to one of said first and second repulsion diverting means, g. a storage path formed from said elements and having an input end and a far end, said storage path being adapted to accept and store a maximum number of domains applied to the input end thereof, h. an alternate path, formed from said elements, adjacent the input end of said storage path, and i. input switching means, formed from said elements, adapted to receive said domains from the second outputs respectively of said first and second repulsive diverting means for transferring said domains to said storage path provided said storage path is not filled to maximum and for transferring said domains to said alternate path when said storage path is filled to maximum.