Patent ID: 7657496
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: G06N,G11C

Abstract:
1. An associative memory comprising: a plurality of associative memory cells, a respective cell including a sensor input, a prior association representation, a next association representation and an associative output, the plurality of cells being serially connected to form a linear array, such that the sensor inputs, the prior association representations and the next association representations of the serially connected cells are arranged in a sequence from distal to proximal cells based on affinities of associations among the sensor inputs; a respective cell also including processing logic therein: that is responsive to the sensor input of the respective cell being active to send a measure of the next association representation to an adjacent proximal cell and/or to send a measure of the prior association representation to an adjacent distal cell; and that is further responsive to the sensor input being active, and to receipt of the measure of the next association representation from an adjacent distal cell, to accumulate an associative count in the associative output and/or that is responsive to the sensor input being active, and to receipt of the measure of the prior association representation from an adjacent proximal cell, to accumulate an associative count in the associative output, wherein the affinities of associations among the sensor inputs are determined by repeatedly swapping inputs, prior association representations and next association representations in the series based upon affinities of associations in the proximal and distal directions.