Neural Network Output Compression for Lower Feature Data Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Deep neural networks require significant bandwidth and memory for transferring and storing feature amount data, which is computationally intensive and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus with a computing unit and a compressing unit that irreversibly compresses feature amount data from at least part of the input, hidden, and output layers of a neural network, reducing data transfer and memory requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If feature amount data is transferred and stored in deep neural networks, then inference processing can be performed, but bandwidth becomes tight and large memory is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinference processing capabilityVSAvoiddata amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes redundant information from feature amount data through irreversible compression. The compressing unit identifies and eliminates redundant features while retaining essential information needed for inference processing, thereby reducing data amount without completely sacrificing inference capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation of feature amount data by transforming high-dimensional feature vectors into compressed low-dimensional representations. This parameter transformation reduces the quantity of data while maintaining the essential characteristics needed for inference through learned compression mappings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If feature amount data is reduced through compression, then bandwidth and memory requirements decrease, but information loss occurs due to irreversible compression

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata amountVSAvoidfeature information
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potentially harmful information loss from irreversible compression into a beneficial feature selection process. By deliberately removing redundant and less important features through compression, the system achieves efficient representation that focuses on essential information, turning information loss into improved data efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial compression to only the most redundant portions of feature amount data rather than compressing all data uniformly. The compressing unit selectively compresses features based on their importance and redundancy, maintaining high fidelity for critical features while aggressively compressing less important ones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If deep networks with multiple hidden layers are constructed, then feature extraction capability improves, but data amount between layers becomes enormous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeature extraction capabilityVSAvoiddata amount between layers
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements nested compression where compression operations are embedded within the deep network architecture. The compressing unit is nested between hidden layers, progressively compressing feature representations at each stage while maintaining the hierarchical feature extraction capability of deep networks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the deep network into compression stages, where the compressing unit divides the feature processing into original feature extraction and compressed feature representation phases. This segmentation allows the network to maintain rich feature representations when needed while using compressed representations for data transfer between layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11411575B2Irreversible compression of neural network output
Publication Date: 2022.08.09 KK TOSHIBA
  • US11411575B2 patent drawing
  • US11411575B2 patent drawing
  • US11411575B2 patent drawing

AI summary

According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a computing unit and a compressing unit. The computing unit is configured to execute computation of an input layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer of a neural network. The compressing unit is configured to irreversibly compress output data of at least a part of the input layer, the hidden layer, and the output layer and output the compressed data.