Patent Publication Number: US-2009228407-A1

Title: Distributed cognitive architecture

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Intelligent edge computing may use intelligent mobile, light weight computing devices to host a society of intelligent agents in distributed, peer-to-peer computing environments supporting network management, and other large scale system applications. The development trend of the computing industry is towards “edge” computing devices such as mobile phones with multimedia applications, BlackBerrys, and Personal Data Assistants which is driving a trend towards computing systems architectures that are “peer-to-peer” in nature, not client server. Peer to peer systems may comprise computers at the edge of the internet controlling advanced communication systems. This may require middleware such as services that allow applications to publish and find services, record and save data, maximize energy efficiency, and minimize communications overhead and latency while maximizing data transmission rates. The ability to handle and integrate large amounts of information at the distributed sensors may make it possible for timely and intelligent decisions in order to achieve information superiority. 
     Cognitive architectures may include reasoning, problem solving, decision making, learning, etc. Distributive edge intelligence (DEI) may be targeted at moving processing, advanced network management, and security and cognitive control to the edge of the network. Distributed decision making may be the key to transforming information to knowledge enabling information superiority. The use of intelligent agents to distribute algorithms, to locate and schedule shared services, and to operate in a dynamic low bandwidth wireless environment may demonstrate the value of distributed intelligence to achieve information superiority. 
     Complex avionic systems often evaluate large amounts of dynamic inter-platform and intra-platform information interactions for making timely decisions. Handling critical failures correctly may require quick evaluation of a combination of system failures and corresponding corrective actions. For instance, in the arena of avionics, pilots may desire to evaluate richer data sets in real time to make better decisions for handling failures, sensor interpretation, weapon deployment and communication. It may be impossible for pilots to consider all the data on their own, therefore cognitive systems may be important. Cognitive systems that learn the behavior of pilots, maintenance workers, and others may enable better decisions over a diverse set of processes. 
     Modern systems may have to deal with large volumes of information over very limited bandwidths. Large volumes of sensor data gathered at the edge of the network may be transferred to a centralized location for processing the information into knowledge that humans may understand. This may not be feasible with larger sensor networks and limited bandwidth. Processing of the information may occur at the edge of the network to overcome the limited bandwidth and improved human interaction. 
     Distributed cognitive architectures may promote interactions between humans and machines using software agents which may utilize pre-deployed infrastructures. The requirements to create dynamic interactions using more flexible infrastructures provided by wireless communication may have increased. Distributed sensor systems may require localized decision making with more automated human interfaces. Cognitive solutions may assist in achieving this end result. 
     Cognitive systems may require advanced reasoning technology to meet the needs of real time dynamic communication and sensor systems. Reasoning about distributed sensor data may require aggregation and dispersion of information using complex communication systems. Several reasoning methods have been used to provide more autonomous interfaces between distributed sensors and communication systems using edge computing for distribution of the information. To be effective, the dispersion may need to reason about regulating the information to fit within the available bandwidth provided by the communication systems. Dynamic communication system control may be the key to the interconnection between humans and machines for effective distribution of information. Software agents and wireless communication systems may provide flexible infrastructures for cognitive architectures designed to improve information superiority. The cognitive system may be designed to autonomously control communication and sensor systems to exploit information of large loosely coupled sensor fabric. 
     Modern wireless communication systems may enable multi-user operation. These multi-user communication systems may use flexible admission protocols with statistical multiplexing for improved use of unlicensed spectrum via shared-access of the receiver and transmitter resources. One element of the multi-user communication system may comprise the Multiple Inputs/Multiple Outputs (MIMO) radio. The MIMO may require mitigation of multiple-access interferences such as inter-symbol interference caused by dispersive channels and inter-antenna interferences. The MIMO receiver may be composed of a receiver front end and a decision algorithm for reasoning about communication system performance. The receiver front end may be decomposed into temporal matched filters, beam formers, and rake receivers using decision logic for interconnecting the MIMO components. The MIMO radio may have the ability to reason about and control antenna beam forming using the set of linear elements to optimize the distribution of information while maximizing the use of available spectrum. This may be accomplished by using electrically steered beams formed by the linear array of elements. 
     The decision logic may control the formation of the beam to create a narrow, high gain and highly directional beam or a wide coverage (spoiled), lower gain beam with less directionality. Decision logic may also be used to correlate channel multi-path coefficients to reduce inter-symbol interferences. Distribution of an inference engine that may reason about the communication system control may be imperative to effectively utilize MIMO features. Many existing systems use game theory as the means to control these communication systems. A new method of control may be needed to handle coordinated distributed reasoning. Distributed inference engines may be one answer to improving the communication and sensor system control. 
     It may be beneficial to have more application capability in chips (“Power to the Edge”) using new security techniques to protect the chips from being used by unauthorized users. It may also be beneficial to form new middleware systems to support the deployment of intelligent agents on chips with very small operating systems. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the disclosure, a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked nodes and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked nodes and wireless network infrastructure. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided. In one step, a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked nodes and a wireless network infrastructure. In another step, the distributed cognitive architecture may reason about system goals at distributed nodes. In yet another step, the distributed cognitive architecture may assess system capabilities of a current configuration. In still another step, the distributed cognitive architecture may evaluate a reconfiguration to increase capability. 
     In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method may be provided of using a distributed cognitive architecture. In one step, a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked nodes and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked nodes and wireless network infrastructure. In another step, the distributed cognitive architecture may manage, distribute, store, and retrieve information. 
     In still another aspect of the disclosure, a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided. In one step, a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked nodes and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked nodes and wireless network infrastructure. In another step, real time network communication may be controlled, using the distributed cognitive architecture, by forming overlays. 
     In an additional aspect of the disclosure, a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided. In one step, a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked nodes and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may comprise an inference engine, a control and a knowledge management template. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked nodes and wireless network infrastructure. In another step, the knowledge management template may input to the inference engine. In still another step, the inference engine may send out commands and monitor inputs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing elements of a cognitive architecture 
         FIG. 2  is a box diagram view of a distributed cognitive architecture using an illustrative mesh arrangement of cognitive processors and reconfigurable switches; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing reconfigurable switch configurations in the mesh arrangement of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing distributed edge nodes with cognitive, security, network, and computing elements; 
         FIG. 5  is an illustrative cognitive command or instructions format; 
         FIG. 6  is a box chart of one embodiment of a dynamic reasoning cognitive architecture inference engine; 
         FIG. 7  is a reconfigurable graph illustration for a reconfigurable switch controlled by a cognitive processor; 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture; 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture; 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture; 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of using a distributed cognitive architecture; and 
         FIG. 12  shows an illustration of a knowledge management template. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the disclosure. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the disclosure, since the scope of the disclosure is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Many of today&#39;s inference engines are statistically based, narrowly focused and often do not have bounded performance. Existing statistical inference engines may use correlation, regression, error analysis and other traditional techniques to make decisions while symbolic inference engines may attempt to reduce the solution to a Boolean equation. Often, libraries of inference engines built into a knowledge data base may be offered as a solution for broader decision making. To tackle these problems, the instant disclosure discloses a distributed cognitive architecture in support of distributive edge intelligence (DEI). 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing elements of a cognitive processor  2 . The perceptual sensor processor  10  may receive inputs from external events via sensors. From a cognitive radio network perspective, the perceptual processor may scan a spectral band and identify vacant channels available for transmission. Each of the spectrums may allow different frequency ranges and varying numbers of users using the band. The perceptual sensor processor  10  may communicate via channel  12  with the inference engine  9 . The inference engine  9  may communicate via channel  13  with the control processor  11 , and may also communicate via channel  22  with the knowledge management  17 . The control processor  11  may communicate via channel  13  with the inference engine  9 . The knowledge management  17  may communicate via channel  21  with the memory storage  18  and the knowledge database  19 . The signal  16  between control processor  11  and  14  may comprise the handshake for exchange of cognitive decisions to initiate the security, cognitive, and computing elements  3 ,  4 , and  5  within box  14 . The computing element  5  within box  14  may communicate with the storage  18  via communication  20  for read and write on the global storage unit. The distributed inference engine  9  may provide reasoning data or perform agent functions by sending instructions  15  from the control processor  11  to the computing infrastructure  5  for execution. The architecture knowledge management  17  may manage the knowledge base  19  for access and saving for subsequent reasoning. The cognitive processor  2  may intelligently monitor, make dynamic decisions in real-time, and control the computing, network and security elements of the infrastructure. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary box diagram view of a mesh arrangement of concurrent processing using a matrix of cognitive processors  2  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) and switch  34 . The mesh arrangement may comprise the following interlinked components: cognitive processors  2 ; switches  34 ; network interface  35 ; local bus  36 ; storage  18 ; and knowledge data base  19 . The backbone of the distributed fabric may comprise the cognitive element  2  which may drive the connectivity of the other elements. The instructions  15  shown in  FIG. 1  may be distributed over the mesh arrangement, and may be carried by an intelligent agent, may be executed on the elements of other nodes, and may be carried further into the switch controls of the mesh connections. Each switch  34  is a 4-port switch with many configurations (shown in  FIG. 3 ). These switches may allow for the distributed cognitive processor  2  to virtually connect across the edge nodes thereby carrying their intermediate decisions to another unit  2  in another edge node. Storage  18  may comprise a memory storage which may also contain knowledge data base  19 . The network interface  35  may allows for connecting the distributed arrangement to a network by mapping from the ports of the switches  34  to the standard network interface  35 . 
     All of the cognitive processors  2  may run in parallel. While one cognitive processor  2  is working to recognize an image object, another cognitive processor  2  may be deciding what action has to be taken in response to that or another input. At the same time, another cognitive processor  2  may be undertaking an action for another frame of real-time demands. Each switch element  34  may have multiple ports and may be able to attain different port-to-port connectivity based on the configurations. The cognitive processors  2  may be integrated inside the switch elements  34 . All units may be passed through the local bus  36 . The knowledge data base is managed by knowledge manager  17  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The knowledge may comprise a culmination of environment and computing infrastructure information which may comprise ideas, theories, models, principles of operation, and situational awareness. Such knowledge may need to be gathered, analyzed, and comprehended. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a knowledge management template may be generated by knowledge manager  17  which may be sent over communication  22  to cognitive architecture inference engine  9  to make next activity decision and store any new knowledge in knowledge data base  19 .  FIG. 12  shows an illustration of a knowledge management template describing each element of the template. The knowledge management templates may continue to evolve and additional elements may be added to the knowledge management template. 
       FIG. 3  shows a block diagram showing the switch element configurations  46 ,  47 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53 ,  54  and  55  with 4-ports  48  to each switch. The four numbers of ports shown is only illustrative and may be configurable. The switch configuration may be set in the fabric configuration generated by initialization. Switch configuration  51  may represent a fully bypassed state of the switch so that the switch does no function and may be used to bypass the data. Switch configurations  52 ,  53 ,  54  and  55  may be in multi-cast modes in which data at one port is broadcasted to other ports. Switch configurations  46  and  47  may bypass on one pair of ports and may actively make decisions at other ports. A passive configuration may be utilized having switches  34  with no active participation. The switches  34  may bypass information to allow one cognitive processor  2  to receive intermediate decisions from other cognitive processors  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing distributed edge nodes E having cognitive  2 , security  3  network  4 , and computing  5  elements. As shown, in distributed edge computing, several edge nodes E may form a virtual farm by interconnecting the cognitive element  2 , the security element  3 , the network element  4 , and the computing element  5 . Once the edge nodes pass information via network interface  35 , it may be aggregated by a switch fabric  36   b.    
       FIG. 5  is an illustrative cognitive command or instructions format. Cognitive distributed command or instructions  7  may comprise extended specific instructions communicated to the network  4 , computing  5 , and security  3  elements via instructions  15  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). Each distributed instruction may culminate and be carried by an agent across the network  4  for collaborative interpretation and execution at the physical edge resources. Scale factor  31  may specify the number of processing elements, the type of configuration for the processing elements, and the number of cores used in the soft processor. The fabric ID  32  may specify the current residency of the elements  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  in the infrastructure. Fabric ID  32  may comprise a designation at an inter-module level (multiple chips). The reconfigurable manager (slot)  33  may provide control for real-time re-configurability that may include adding dynamic scheduled processing to computing infrastructure  5  for real-time adaptations. The reconfigurable manager  33  may also engage in user transparent hardware acceleration functions of hardware/software hybrid processing, may utilize cognitive agent-based distributed computational entities, and may carry out tasks autonomously to achieve end users&#39; goals. Such goals may be translated and stored in the knowledge data base. 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram showing a model for dynamic reasoning cognitive architecture inference engine  9  shown in  FIG. 1 . It may use financial theory as an analogy to base the model for achieving dynamic reasoning (predict, react and control) about the use of sensor and communication system control. Such an analogy may be made to resource planning to financial decisions, budget decisions, cognitive resource allocation decisions, financial risks, technical risks, social and economic behavior patterns, run-time, processing behavioral patterns, amongst others. The prediction may be provided by capabilities evolution  61  which may track resources and their functions. It may also recognize an estimated cost of deploying resources and any likely constraints for deployment. Prioritization may be necessary in the likely case the total estimated cost exceeds the anticipated goals of delivering an end-to-end solution. The cognitive architecture may react via behavioral parameters and may control by generating decisions in  1  and creating dynamic behavioral patterns. 
     Resource planning  49  and decision  52  may read the capabilities data from  61 . This data may be captured by unit  50  via channel  53  and may be delivered to decision maker  52  and also to unit  57  via  58 . Unit  57  may create behavioral parameters to intelligently make cognitive reasoning and decisions on resource allocation to meet overall goals of the user application. Further, the decision making  52  may decide which pieces of the capabilities per the capabilities evolution  61  will be selected to meet the cost requirement. 
     Block  77  of the model may identify resource risk assessment. It may receive the resource selection and configuration from  52  via channel  75  and may gather consolidated risk data and capture the unfulfilled user goals taken from the knowledge data base  19  of  FIG. 1 . Such risks may be prioritized, may be fed back to resource planning  49  via channel  79 , and may also be entered into knowledge data base  19  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The cognitive architecture using the behavioral patterns  57  may make the final reasoning and decision to ascertain what and how much resources in terms of soft and reconfigurable processors, memories, and network bandwidth are needed to meet the user goals. If this decision is confirmed for availability, then the run-time execution may be continued. These behavioral patterns  57  may be fed back via channel  59  to be compared with model decision making block  52 . As the cognitive architecture  2  makes intelligent and optimum selections, the overall risk may be reduced and may provide better cost optimization. 
     The cognitive architecture  2  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) based on the model  73  may be used for mobile software agents in a wireless sensor network. This may provide information superiority using this new inference engine  9  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) for controlling communication and sensor systems. Though the cognitive architecture  2  may be contemplated for wireless mobile networks, it may also be adaptable for intelligent network centric distributed computing with fixed nodes. 
     In addition to the intelligent agent tasks of reasoning, planning and learning, etc, the architecture may also include sensory perception  10  shown in  FIG. 1  for initiating action and generation of effective states, and processes like motivation, attitude, emotional states, etc. A virtual switching mechanism (shown in  FIG. 7 ) may be delivered by a distributed switch and network. This may allow for the selection of a group of components of the architecture to be active at a given time. Distributed cognitive architectures in other non-financial disciplines, such as any process needing reasoning and decision making, may emerge from the general parallel distributed architecture. 
       FIG. 7  shows an illustrative reconfigurable graph  60  that may be processed to identify initial configurations and update them. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the reconfigurable graph may be the basis for control of the switch element  34  shown in  FIG. 2 . The graph may comprise the function FG=FG (V, E) with V vertices and E edges. Edge nodes may be mapped as nodes and the edges may specify the interlinking behavior of the cognitive  2  element, the security  3  element, the networking element  4 , and the computing element  5 . Interlinking of elemental behaviors may be identified as  38   a,    39   a  and  40   a.  In other words, links  38   a,    39   a  and  40   a  may comprise consolidate control from elements  2 ,  3  ,  4  and  5 . As these behaviors may constitute dynamicity in terms of decisions and actions, the edges may become reconfigurable and may together constitute virtual connectivity  6  of these elements. By selecting and identifying resource availability and sharing based on constraints at each cognitive node, new configurations may be established for the computing, network and security elements to support new virtual edge computing infrastructure and to form different graph topologies showing edge reconfigurations. 
     In order to control real time network communication by forming network overlays, there may be a mapping of the network elements into a topology or layout that may be assessed to create a set of overlay nodes. The overlay nodes may form paths or information arteries enabling the efficient transport of network data through the fabric of edge nodes. The cognitive architecture may evaluate the current node network configuration using graph model  60  or other methods to reason about the initial configuration and to propose changes. The virtual network topology may accommodate new edge nodes which may use backbone routing of data. Optimal node mapping to backbones having dynamic backbone construction may require reasoning about RF signal strength, power, directivity, path length, number of hops, latency, and jitter parameters that may be evaluated by the cognitive architect. 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method  101  of using a distributed cognitive architecture. In one step  102 , a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked fabric and a wireless network infrastructure. In another step  103 , the distributed cognitive architecture may reason about system goals at distributed nodes. In yet another step  104 , the distributed cognitive architecture may assess system capabilities of a current configuration. In still another step  105 , the distributed cognitive architecture may evaluate a reconfiguration to increase capability. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method  110  of using a distributed cognitive architecture. In one step  111 , a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked fabric and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked fabric and wireless network infrastructure. In another step  112 , the distributed cognitive architecture may manage, distribute, store, and retrieve information. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method  120  of using a distributed cognitive architecture. In one step  121 , a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked fabric and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked fabric and wireless network infrastructure. In another step  122 , real time network communication may be controlled, using the distributed cognitive architecture, by forming overlays. 
       FIG. 11  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method  130  of using a distributed cognitive architecture. In one step  131 , a distributed cognitive architecture may be provided extending across at least one of multiple systems of networked fabric and a wireless network infrastructure. The distributed cognitive architecture may comprise an inference engine, and a knowledge management template. The distributed cognitive architecture may be configured to use intelligent reasoning for actions and configurations extending across the at least one multiple systems of networked fabric and wireless network infrastructure. In another step  132 , the knowledge management template may input to the inference engine. In still another step  133 , the inference engine may send out commands and monitor inputs. In yet another step  134 , current processing may be conducted, using the distributed cognitive architecture, in order to achieve intermediate results. The provided distributed cognitive architecture of method  130  may be distributed across hierarchical layers of fabric element associations comprising edge nodes. 
     Other aspects and features of the present disclosure may be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.