Patent ID: 7676441

Claim:
An information processing apparatus which includes a data input layer for inputting image data and an arithmetic processing layer having a plurality of layers and a plurality of processing modules corresponding to a plurality of feature classes to be detected, and said apparatus executes parallel hierarchical processing to detect the feature classes from the input image data, said apparatus comprising: at least one learned processing module which has learned, which includes a plurality of neurons having a receptor field structure used to detect a predetermined feature class in the arithmetic processing layer; and at least one unlearned processing module which has not learned yet, which includes a plurality of neurons which should learn an unlearned feature class and have an undetermined receptor field structure, wherein learning of a connection pattern necessary for detection of a new feature class is executed in said unlearned processing module by presenting a predetermined pattern to the data input layer, in the learning, supervised learning is executed for a processing module of a higher layer higher than a layer of interest where said unlearned processing module is present, and supervised learning of a connection weight between a learned processing module in the layer of interest and a processing module in the higher layer for detection of a new feature class is executed such that a learning coefficient for the connection weight between said learned processing module in the layer of interest and the processing module in the higher layer is set to a smaller value than the learning coefficient for the connection weight between said unlearned processing module in the layer of interest and the processing module in the higher layer.