Reconfigurable and customizable general-purpose circuits for neural networks

US8856055B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Bernard V. Brezzo · Somers, US
• Leland Chang · New York, US
• Steven K. Esser · San Jose, US
• Daniel J. Friedman · Sleepy Hollow, US
• Yong Liu · Rye, US
• Dharmendra S. Modha · San Jose, US
• Robert K. Montoye · Cold Spring, US
• Bipin Rajendran · Yorktown Heights, US
• Jae-sun Seo · Tempe, US
• Jose A. Tierno · Stamford, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 2011
• Grant date: Oct 7, 2014
• Expiry date: Jun 14, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06N3/092
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A reconfigurable neural network circuit is provided. The reconfigurable neural network circuit comprises an electronic synapse array including multiple synapses interconnecting a plurality of digital electronic neurons. Each neuron comprises an integrator that integrates input spikes and generates a signal when the integrated inputs exceed a threshold. The circuit further comprises a control module for reconfiguring the synapse array. The control module comprises a global final state machine that controls timing for operation of the circuit, and a priority encoder that allows spiking neurons to sequentially access the synapse array.