Patent GB-1190244-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Methods of and Systems for Investigating Homomorphy Between Structures
Inventor: SAUVAN JACQUES
IPC: G06V10/46
Filed: 1967-05-03
Abstract: 1,190,244. Pattern recognition. SOC. NATIONALE D'ETUDE ET DE CONSTRUCTION DE MOTEURS D'AVIATION. 3 May, 1967, No. 20636/67. Heading G4R. Similarities between two patterns each represented by a sequence of vectors are detected by storing signals representing vectors of one pattern in a network of interconnected elements and applying signals representing the angular changes in orientation between successive vectors of the second pattern to the elements to cause signal propagation in the network. Each element of a 2-dimensional matrix of circuit elements comprises a 4 x 4 array of AND gates and 4 " vector " circuits, each vector circuit using 3 bi-stables. Each vector circuit of an element can feed signals to a respective one of the 4 nearest-neighbour elements in the matrix, and the array of AND gates in an element receives such signals from its neighbour elements and routes them to its own vector circuits under control of direction signals from a programmer. Two patterns to be compared are each represented by a sequence of equal-length vectors following the pattern lines, nose to tail. The third bi-stables of each element not corresponding in position to the head or tail of a vector of the pattern with the large number of vectors are set to inhibit the corresponding second bi-stables. All the non- inhibited second bi-stables are then set. The programmer then takes each vector of the other pattern in turn and supplies a direction signal specifying the change of direction of the next vector relative to this one to be 0 degree, 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 270 degrees. Each 4 x 4 array of AND gates responds to each direction signal by passing the set state of any second bi-stable in a vector circuit feeding it to set the first bi-stable in the vector circuit fed by it and oriented at 0 degree, 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 270 degrees relative to the former vector element, for direction signals of 0 degree, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degress respectively. Before the next direction signal is received, the set state of each set first bi-stable is gated to the corresponding second bi-stable unless this is inhibited, and the first bi-stable is reset. Finally, each set second bi-stable specifies the end of an occurrence of the second pattern in the first. The positions of these occurrences are read out by now applying direction signals corresponding to the second pattern but rotated through 180 degrees. Those elements in which one or more second bi-stables are set during this produce outputs via OR gates, one such gate per element. If the second pattern is discontinuous, the inhibitions are removed on reaching fictitious vectors required to make it continuous. If the patterns are just assemblies of points, the points can be notionally joined by vectors and the patterns treated as above. If the system only has to handle patterns of points, each element need have only one third bi-stable shared between the four vector circuits with their respective first and second bi-stables. If the orientation of the second pattern in the first will always be known in advance, only one vector circuit need be provided per element, its second bi-stable feeding AND gates in the four adjacent elements. Approximate correspondences between the patterns can be detected utilizing the following techniques also: (a) Extension, wherein each element adjacent to an element corresponding to the first pattern has its second bi-stable set from the latter element this causing the third bi-stable to be set. (b) Expansion, involving removal of the inhibition periodically to compensate for position error of the second pattern. To correct for edge effects during expansion, each edge of the matrix of elements has a counter which is incremented each time at least one second bi-stable is set at the edge on outward movement during expansion. On inward movement during expansion the counter is decremented and used to set the first bi-stables corresponding to set second bistables each step until the count reaches zero. (c) Before resetting the first bi-stables, the set state of each set first bi-stable feeding an inhibited second bi-stable may be set into the latter by removing the inhibition if the transfer from first bi-stables to uninhibited second bistables set none of the latter, or no more than a predetermined number of the latter, but a counter only permits this to occur up to a predetermined number of times. Comparison of patterns on different scales or relatively distorted is also said to be possible. The matrix of elements may be in more than two dimensions. Application to recognition of drawings, writing, fingerprints, photographs, graphs &c. is mentioned.