Patent ID: 8332336

Claim:
Method in a processing unit for selecting information, the end result to be achieved being feature information to be used for performing a task, and in which method the input data to the processing unit is processed with the intention to find useful information from the input information in view of the task, which input information consists of primary inputs and a context representing general information related to the task to be performed, whereby the feature information representing characteristics of the input information is formed from the input information, the values of the feature information being further processed on the basis of its utility, characterized in that a) a prediction is formed from a first context of a set of input information by means of first parameters and a parameterized function, b) a preactivation is formed from the first primary input of the set of input information by means of second parameters and a parameterized function, c) feature information is formed from the preactivation by strengthening those characteristics whose estimated utility is high while weakening other characteristics, where the estimate of utility is based on the prediction formed in step a) in such a way that those characteristics which are predicted are considered to have a higher utility than those which are not predicted, d) the second parameters are modified in such a way that, if having been used in step b), they would have given the calculation results corresponding to the feature information of step c), e) steps a)-d) are repeated for each element of the set of input information.