AVR-Chat

On Saturday 07 August 2004 10:25, Kathy Quinlan wrote:
> Dave Mucha wrote:
> >
> > some sort of associative memory and

Smart storage node; yes... with "infinite" cross-links to other
nodes.

Synaptic network sort of thing. Each synapse matches a particular
pattern and "fires". When you get plenty of synapses firing, there's
a recognition that something important is happening.  As a
particular data set passes through the synaptic network,
correlations are formed between firing synapses. 

It's plausible (IMHO necessary) for synapses to be generated
automatically for the on a significant firing. One that recognizes
the larger pattern immediately without having to wait for the
correlation in others to be recognized.

Data sets which don't automatically relate to 'significant' synaptic
response, are placed in memory. The human brain regularly "discards"
huge amounts of data because there's insignificant synaptic
response... some of that usually occurs during "down-time", when the
brain replays remembered events through the low-priority synapses.
Synaptic connections can be made during that phase.

Such "dream states", when the brain is "disconnected" from the real
world, are the foundation of creativity.

The dream state is also where the synaptic connections are likely
"tidied up", removing "unimportant", remembered correlations and
those for which specific synapses now exist.

It's a huge task to try to emulate that sort of thing because the
whole thing is so vague; perhaps beyond simple implementation in
binary states.

[snip]

> > Can you patient things as you discover them ?

> Yes Dave, my company will hold the copyright on the technology :) but I
> am not going to patent it and will make it avaliable for the good of
> human kind (or if HAL wins the downfall of human kind ;)

You must Patent the invention to give you the right to dedicate it
to the public. The existence of the Patent record establish the
prior art so that even USPTO will find it before approving a
spurious application for a similar "invention".

The alternative is to widely publish everything; but still leaves
the possibility of a Patent being granted to other parties. It then
becomes a case for litigation for others to show prior art to the
satisfaction of a court.

Classic example is the XOR cursor Patent which appears to have been
applied for and granted well after the prior art existed. Leaving
out the matter of it being bleeding obvious to anybody skilled in
the art, the Patent was granted because the examiners found nothing
conflicting in other Patents.

-- 
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