Abstract:
A general purpose set theoretic processor is enhanced 1) by providing multi-function counters in stead of down-counters, 2) by internalizing the composite Boolean Logic function by introducing a two stage (two matrix) programmable composite Boolean Logic functionality wherein the first stage yields logical products of selected aggregation logic responses (or their complements) and the second stage yields logical sums of selected sets of those logical products, and 3) by providing internal selective re-initialization by means of a re-initialization routing matrix functionality that directs logical sums of Composite Boolean Logic sums of products to selected GPSTP cells to be re-initialized.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/829,474, filed on Oct. 13, 1006, entitled “ENHANCED AGGREGATION FUNCTIONALITY,” the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     The present application is related to and incorporates the contents of the following US patent by reference in its entirety and which is not to be considered to be prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,229 based on U.S. application Ser. No. 11/353,318, entitled “General Purpose Set Theoretic Processor”, filed Feb. 13, 2006. 
    
    
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     NOT APPLICABLE 
     REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
     NOT APPLICABLE 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to improvements in a general purpose set theoretic processor (GPSTP) as hereinafter defined. A GPSTP is a systolic (i.e., stimulus-response) processor consisting of N Building Block Modules (BBM&#39;s) each of which is itself a systolic processor. The present invention affects each of the BBM&#39;s internally and has no effect on the overall structure. Each of the BBM&#39;s has two major components; a Recognition Network and an Aggregation Network. They are controlled by an external Stimulus-Response Sequencer. More specifically, a GPSTP as described in the co-pending patent application includes at least one GPSTP building block module that comprises three components, a Recognition Network, an Aggregation Network and a Sequencer. In operation in its so-called scan mode, the Recognition Network generates a substantially amplified response, such as a 1024 bit response, for every input quantum (e.g., byte.). The Aggregation Network has two components, an Aggregation Routing Matrix component and a Threshold Logic component. The Aggregation Routing Matrix directs selected bits of the Recognition Network to selected Threshold Logic Units in the Threshold Logic component where they are counted. The Sequencer provides control signals for the other components. A GPSTP as described in the co-pending patent application is an advance in overcoming barriers to solving problems in complex and difficult pattern recognition, such as face-recognition suitable for surveillance, detection and the like; in real-time, multiple anonymous-speaker, continuous speech, multiple-language understanding in noisy environments and in understanding threat related content (encoded or not); content recognition and retrieval of pertinent digital information in text, sound, graphics, and video domains in real-time; and in detecting equipment failure precursor behaviors. The applications are widespread and often specialized, rendering the need for improvements in the basic general purpose set theoretic processor. 
     First, the basic GPSTP as originally conceived provided for one-way counters to aggregate simple, fragmentary responses to elementary stimuli. However, such counters could only decrement from an initial value and generate an output signal if they reach zero. Such “down-counters” are useful merely as threshold logic devices. However, it has now been determined that there are many problems that require counting responses for other purposes for which “down counters” are ill-suited. Improvement is needed. 
     Second, adequate handling of Boolean Logic is not as simple as it might seem. Although threshold logic performs a great deal of what would otherwise be performed by the Boolean Logic, the sorts of problems addressed by the GPSTP require resolution of logic expressions employing numerous logical variables. The embodiment described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,229, envisions thirty two variables and employs a relatively straightforward approach: as a part of Reference Pattern compilation a canonical sum-of-products truth table is derived. The truth-table is loaded into a 2 32 ×1 bit random access memory (RAM) using the binary representation of the variables&#39; truth-valuations as an index to store the truth-value of the expression. Evaluating the composite truth value of a stimulus response is a matter of using the binary representation of the truth-values of the response component variables to index the truth-value of the composite. This operation can be performed very rapidly and requires only one memory access. If the fastest memory available at a given point in time is used, then, for this configuration, there is no faster way at that given point in time. 
     However, there were practical limitations based on then-extant technology. The magnitude of 2 32 : 2 32 =4,294,967,295, four times the capacity of any memory chip available in early 2006, also four times the capacity of IC chips available to implement the GPSTP on a single chip. Given the state of the art, it was impossible to implement a GPSTP with on-board Composite Boolean Logic. Of the several unfortunate consequences of an external Composite Boolean Logic is that its outputs cannot easily be used by the GPSTP without degrading speed performance. 
     The third issue is intimately intertwined with the problems arising from external Composite Boolean Logic, so that it cannot be resolved if a way cannot be found to realize a GPSTP with on-board Composite Boolean Logic. This problem, for which a solution is described more fully hereinafter, is how to provide a mechanism for the GPSTP to re-initialize selected portions of itself when a set of stimuli is perceived by the GPSTP itself to signify a change of context. To appreciate the importance of being able to recognize and to act on changes in context as well as content, consider an application in which a GPSTP is used to recognize complex behaviors that precede system failures and signal control elements so they can prevent a system failure. One of many precursor patterns that must be concurrently monitored consists of 1) A frame formed by two triads of stimuli falling within individual limits in a given order: this frame forms a context in which the indicators of may occur. An indicator of looming failure is a string of stimuli with a series of ranges of values that must occur in a given order followed by a string of unknown length of stimuli whose values and order are of no significance followed by a series of stimuli with specific values but in any order. Moreover, a stream of stimuli meeting these criteria must occur within a frame. In order to avoid the satisfaction of only two of the three criteria occurring in one frame, and the third in another frame, the GPSTP must be able to re-initialize the cells participating in finding stimulus strings that meet the sets of criteria. However, the task of recognizing changes of context, boundaries, and frames is one that requires the same facilities as finding qualifying sequences within a context defining boundaries or frames. It would be unfortunate to have to perform context recognition in a host system rather than in the GPSTP concurrently with recognition of qualifying content. 
     These three issues provide opportunities for aggregation functionality improvement and are addressed by the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a general purpose set theoretic processor (GPSTP) is enhanced 1) by providing multi-function counters for down-counters, 2) by internalizing the composite Boolean Logic function by introducing a two stage (two matrix) programmable composite Boolean Logic functionality wherein the first stage yields logical products of selected aggregation logic responses (or their complements) and the second stage yields logical sums of selected sets of those logical products, and 3) by providing internal selective re-initialization by means of a re-initialization routing matrix functionality that directs logical sums of Composite Boolean Logic sums of products to selected GPSTP cells to be re-initialized. 
     The invention described herein provides three new components added to the Aggregation Network of a GPSTP: a Logical Products Array, a Logical Sums Array, and a Re-Initialization Routing Matrix, as well as enhancements to the Detection Cell (in the Recognition Network), the Aggregation Routing Cell, and the Threshold Logic Cell (both in the Aggregation Network). According to one aspect of the present invention, down-counters are replaced in the GPSTP with counters that can count up as well as down and that can either stop when the count reaches zero or can continue counting. These functions are selectable by the user. The “Count-Down-to-Zero” counters in the Threshold Logic component provide a powerful complement to the ordinal position logic implicit in the Recognition Network and the Composite Boolean Logic. The present invention provides that flexibility and data pathways to pass intermediate and final counter values to the Host Device Interface. In addition, the number of bits in the counters is increased from 10 to 32. 
     Still further according to the invention, a Composite Boolean Logic component is implemented on and integrated with a circuit chip carrying a fully functional GPSTP module, the component being used for logical combinations of results not related to re-initialization. 
     Further according to the invention, a technique is provided for context-triggered re-initialization of selected states of a GPSTP and also implemented on the same chip as the GPSTP itself. 
     The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the GPSTP. 
         FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b  and  2   c  comprise a block diagram of an Aggregation Network. 
         FIG. 3  is an input-output diagram of a Latch Cell 
         FIG. 4  is an input-output diagram of an Aggregation Routing Cell. 
         FIG. 5  is block diagram of an Aggregation Matrix. 
         FIG. 6  is an input-output diagram of an Aggregation Cell. 
         FIG. 7  is an input-output diagram of a Logical Product Cell. 
         FIG. 8  is an input-output diagram of a Logical Sum Cell. 
         FIG. 9  is an input-output diagram of a Re-Initialization Routing Matrix. 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a Recognition Network. 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a “slice” of a Recognition Network Showing a Detection Cell and the related column from each of a latent response memory, State Save and Restore Memory, and Activation Matrix 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the GPSTP  100 . As shown in the figure, the GPSTP comprises two subsystems, a Recognition Network  200  and an Aggregation Network  400 . 
       FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b  and  2   c  comprise a block diagram of an Aggregation Network  400 . An example is described more thoroughly in U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,229. The system comprises in principal elements an Aggregation Routing Matrix  420 , a Aggregation Matrix  440 ; a Logical Products Matrix  460  and a Logical Sums Matrix  480  of a Composite Boolean Logic component  520 , Re-Initialization Routing Matrix  640 , and a response selection multiplexer  680 . According to the present invention, seven of these are new structures to the Aggregation Network  400 , namely, a Latch Matrix  600 , the Logical Products Matrix  460 , the Logical Sums Matrix  480 , the Re-Initialization Routing Matrix  640 , the Response Selection Output Multiplexer  680 , a Latch State and Restore Memory  660 , and a Aggregation Counter Save and Restore Memory.  620 . (Neither of the save and restore memories affects or is relevant to the present invention.)  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b  and  2   c  comprise a block diagram of an Aggregation Network  400 . An example is described more thoroughly in U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,229. The system comprises in principal elements an Aggregation Routing Matrix  420 , a Aggregation Matrix  440 ; a Logical Products Matrix  460  and a Logical Sums Matrix  480  of a Composite Boolean Logic component  520 , Re-Initialization Routing Matrix  640 , and a response selection multiplexer  680 . According to the present invention, seven of these are new structures to the Aggregation Network  400 , namely, a Latch Matrix  600 , the Logical Products Matrix  460 , the Logical Sums Matrix  480 , the Re-Initialization Routing Matrix  640 , the Response Selection Output Multiplexer  680 , a Latch State and Restore Memory  660 , and a Aggregation Counter Save and Restore Memory.  620 . (Neither of the save and restore memories affects or is relevant to the present invention.) 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a Latch Matrix  600  comprises a plurality of Latch Cells  600   1 . . . 1024  as illustrated and as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/353,318. Each Latch Cell  600   i . has a state bit L i    720   i  that is reset to “1” by CBR i    430   i =1, which occurs when any of the associated Aggregation Routing Cells AGRC j,1 . . . 32  is selected by the re-initialization selection mechanism. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  4 , the Aggregation Routing Matrix  420  is a rectangular array of Aggregation Routing Cells (AGRC j,i )  420   j,i . According to the present invention, each AGRC j,i    420   j,i  has switches Y/N j,i    710   j,i  and LNL j,i    715   j,i  that respectively determine whether AGRC j,i    420   j,i  connects DC i    230   i  ( FIG. 11 ) to aggregation cell AGC j  and whether every non-zero response R i    702   i  or only the first response R i    705   i . The former non-zero response causes every occurrence of a response (or responses) to be counted, the later causes occurrence of unique responses to be counted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the Aggregation Matrix (AGM)  440  is shown. The AGM  440  comprises a plurality of AGM Cells  440   1-n . According to the present invention, two multiplexers  535  and  530  are added to the AGM  440 . Multiplexer  535  allows selection of the 32 bit current value AGCV j,1-32  of one of the Aggregation Counters AGC j . Multiplexer  530  that allows selection of either the current counter value selected by multiplexer  535  or the bits comprising the outputs TV 1  . . .  32  of all of the AGCs  440 . The selection is routed to the Response Selection Multiplexer  680  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , each AGM Cell  420   i  according to the invention is a multi-function counter. These AGM Cells  420   1-n  retain the count-down to zero functionality and add fcount up to 2 n −1 functionality, the maximum possible counts in the counter. The number n of bits in the counters is 32, so their maximum value is 4,294,967,295. The switch U/Dj  585  determines the direction of the count. It is necessary that these multi-function counters count from the selected threshold and stop when they reach their upper and lower limits and not roll over in order for the processor to serve its proper function 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , the Logical Products Matrix  460  is an n×n reticulum of Logical Product Cells  460   1-n , where n is the number of Group Logic Lines  511  1−n in the Aggregation Network  400 . An input-output diagram of a single Logical Products Cell  462   i  is shown in  FIG. 7 ; its behavior is determined by the logic equation:
 
 Pj,i ←( P   j−1,i &amp; C 1)&amp;(˜ PY/N   j,i   V ( PY/N   j,i &amp;(( TV   j &amp; D/C   j,i ) V (˜ TV   j &amp;˜ D/C   j,i ))))
 
Where P j−1,i  is the logical product of the preceding logical product cells, PY/N j,i  is a switch that determines if TV j  participates in the product, D/I j,i  determines whether TV j  or ˜TV j  participates.
 
     The Logical Sums Matrix  480  is an n×n reticulum of Logical Sum Cells  482   i , ( FIG. 8 ) where n is the number of Group Logic Lines  511   1-n  in the Aggregation Network  400 .  FIG. 8  is an input-output diagram of a single Logical Sum Cell; its behavior is determined by the logic equation:
 
 SPj←SP   j,n+1   V (( C 1&amp; SY/N   j,i )&amp;(( P   i &amp; D/I   j,i ) V (˜ P   i &amp;˜ D/I   j,i )))
 
Where SP j,i+1  is the logical sum P j,n  VP j,n−1  V . . . P j,i+2  V P j,i+1 , SY/N j,i  is a switch that determines if logical product P i  will participate in the sum, D/I j,i  is a switch that determines whether P i i  or ˜P i  participates.
 
     The Re-Initialization Routing Matrix  640  is an n×n reticulum of Re-Initialization Routing Cells  502   1-n , where n is the number of Group Logic Lines  511   1-n  in the Aggregation Network  400 .  FIG. 9  is an input-output diagram of a Re-Initialization Routing Cell  502   i ; its behavior is determined by the logic equation:
 
 RSV   i   ←RSV   j−1,i   V ( C 1&amp; RY/N   j,i &amp; SP   i )
 
Where SP i  is the output of row i of the Logical Sums Matrix, RSV i  is the output of Re-initialization Routing Cell j−1,i and RY/N j,i  is a switch that determines if logical sum SP i  will participate in the reinitialization.
 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a Recognition Network  200  showing various elements around and focused on a Recognition Matrix  230 . The Recognition Matrix  230  is a reticulum of Detection cells  230  1 . . . 1024. 
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a “Slice” of a Recognition Network showing a Detection Cell DC,  230 , with all of it inputs and outputs. In this embodiment there are 1024 such Detection Cells  230 , Re-initialization behavior is determined by the logic equation:
 
S i ←CRB i &amp;ISi&amp;C3
 
Where Si is the state of DCi, CRBi is its re-initialization bit, ISi is its initial state, and C 3  is the clock signal that controls Selective re-initialization.
 
     The Host Device Interface-Stimulus Response Sequencer (HDI-SRS  5 ) incorporates an industry standard interface to connect to host devices. The HDI-SRS  170  interfaces with the Recognition Network  200  via an eight bit unidirectional data bus  160 , a 32 bit bidirectional data bus  9 , and an 8 bit bidirectional control bus  8 . The HDI-SRS  170  interfaces with the Aggregation Network  400  via two 32 bit unidirectional data buses  10 . The Recognition Network  200  and the Aggregation Network  400  communicate via a bidirectional bus of 1024 bits. The HDI-SRS  170  is connected to the Recognition Network  200 , and Aggregation Network  400  by eight bit unidirectional control buses  12 . 
     Within the Aggregation Network  400 , the Aggregation Routing Matrix  420  is connected to the Aggregation Matrix  440  by a unidirectional 32-bit data bus  14 . The Aggregation Matrix  440  is connected to the Composite Boolean Logic  520  by a unidirectional 32-bit data bus  16  and to the Results Output Multiplexer (MUX)  680  by a unidirectional 32-bit data bus  18 . The Composite Boolean Logic  520  is connected to the Re-Initialization Routing Matrix by a unidirectional 32-bit data bus  20 . The MUX  680  is connected to the HDI-SRS  170  by a unidirectional 32-bit data bus  22 . 
     Operation 
     The Stimulus-Response Process—The Stimulus-Response Process is substantially the same as the Source Data Scan Process described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/353,318. In particular, the HDI-SRS  170  passes stimuli to the Recognition Network  200  one stimulus-byte) at a time to the Recognition Network  200 . The Recognition Network  200  generates a 1024 bit Manifest Response (R i−1024 )  702   1-n  as an output, which is passed to the Aggregation Network  400 . In the Aggregation Network  400 , the Aggregation Routing Matrix  420  directs the response subset (those bits that signal “term found”) of the 1024 bit Recognition Network  200  reaction to Aggregation Cell  440   i  (in the Aggregation Matrix  440 ). Each Aggregation Cell  440   i  aggregates the responses directed to it by incrementing or decrementing its counter. Output from each Aggregation Cell  440   i  is zero if the current value of the counter is greater than zero and one if the counter&#39;s value is zero. These (32 in the case of the preferred embodiment) values are passed to the Composite Boolean Logic, where in many applications they can be used as results. But in many other applications further logical transformations are necessary. 
     These transformations are carried out in the Composite Boolean Logic structure that comprises two n×n matrixes (32×32 in the preferred embodiment): the Logical Products Matrix and the Logical Sums Matrix. 
     When using Aggregation Cell  420   i  as threshold detectors, the outputs of the (32 Bit) Aggregation Cell  420   i  are the binary ones, that is, indicating whether each of the thresholds have been reached. 
     When using an Aggregation Cell  420  to count either the number of different terms fulfilled in logical group found in input data or the number of occurrences of strings from a logical group in input data, the current value of the counters. 
     In many scenarios of operation the GPSTP receives entities from a data stream in structural blocks (documents, messages, packets) that are carriers of information but that in themselves have no semantic meaning, except that their contents all “go together” in a manner that is presumably understood by both generators and consumers of the information. These blocks form boundaries both for selection and retrieval, that is, criteria for selection, based on a reference pattern, are to be satisfied within the boundaries of the block and the block is the unit to be retrieved. Tunable acuity requires syntactic/semantic boundaries. Since recognizing syntactic/semantic boundaries within a data entity is equivalent to perceiving content of interest, that task is preferably performed within the GPSTP rather than the host device. The invention described herein makes possible selective re-initialization of Detection Cell, Latch Cell, and Aggregation Cell states to their initial values when boundaries of interest are recognized. 
     The Logical Products Matrix allows Threshold Logic outputs or their logical complements to be conjoined in any desired combination. And it allows multiple conjunctive combinations up to the number of Threshold Logic outputs. The Logical Sums Matrix takes as its inputs the outputs of Logical Products Matrix. The Logical Sums Matrix allows disjunction of any combination of its inputs or their logical complements. And it allows multiple disjunctive combinations up to the number of Logical Products Matrix outputs. This two stage logic yields a sum of products transform of the Threshold Logic outputs. Outputs of the Composite Boolean Logic which, along with the raw Threshold Logic outputs, provide a comprehensive response to each source data input are passed to the Host Device Interface. 
     Much meaning is carried by the context in which a pattern is recognized. The Re-Initialization Routing Matrix provides a mechanism that allows context to be taken into account. In addition to recognizing substantive information relevant to the users&#39; needs, the GPSTP can be used to recognize context boundaries (e.g., beginning and end of sentences, paragraphs, frames, XML expressions). The Re-Initialization Routing Matrix allows context recognitions to be mapped to Aggregation Routing Cells, Threshold Logic Cells, and Detection Cells that are reset to their initial values in response to context changes. 
     The Re-Initialization Routing Matrix structure is an n×n matrix of Re-Initialization Routing Cells. Each of these maps zero or more Logical Sums Matrix outputs to one row of Aggregation Routing Cells. Multiple mappings to a row are combined disjunctively (with a logical “OR”). 
     The implementation of the various building blocks of the enhanced GPSTP is based on an application of the foregoing logic equations instantiated at the gate level. Various implementations are within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The invention has been explained with reference to specific embodiments. Other embodiments will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is therefore not intended that the inventions be limited, except as indicated by the appended claims.