Self-organizing neural network for pattern classification

摘要

A neural network includes a plurality of input nodes for receiving the respective elements of the input vector. A copy of all of the elements of the input vector is sent to the next level of nodes in the neural network denoted as intermediate nodes. The intermediate nodes each encode a separate template pattern. They compare the actual input pattern with the template and generate a signal indicative of the difference between the input pattern and the template pattern. Each of the templates encoded in the intermediate nodes has a class associated with it. The difference calculated by the intermediate nodes is passed to an output node for each of the intermediate nodes at a given class. The output node then selects the minimum difference amongst the values sent from the intermediate nodes. This lowest difference for the class represented by the output node is then forwarded to a selector. The selector receives such values from each of the output nodes of all of the classes and then selects that to output value which is a minimum difference. The selector in turn, generates a signal indicative of the class of the intermediate node that sent the smallest difference value.