Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The NN processor incorporates functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well. The safety mechanisms cover data stream fault detection, software defined redundant allocation, cluster interlayer safety, cluster intralayer safety, layer control unit (LCU) instruction addressing, weights storage safety, and neural network intermediate results storage safety.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The mechanisms address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts that function to detect and promptly flag and report an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights. A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights. A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights. A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: Novel and useful system and methods of several functional safety mechanisms for use in an artificial neural network (ANN) processor. The mechanisms can be deployed individually or in combination to provide a desired level of safety in neural networks. Multiple strategies are applied involving redundancy by design, redundancy through spatial mapping as well as self-tuning procedures that modify static (weights) and monitor dynamic (activations) behavior. The various mechanisms of the present invention address ANN system level safety in situ, as a system level strategy that is tightly coupled with the processor architecture. The NN processor incorporates several functional safety concepts which reduce its risk of failure that occurs during operation from going unnoticed. The mechanisms function to detect and promptly flag and report the occurrence of an error with some mechanisms capable of correction as well.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of improved power performance and lowered memory requirements for an artificial neural network based on packing memory utilizing several structured sparsity mechanisms. The invention applies to neural network (NN) processing engines adapted to implement mechanisms to search for structured sparsity in weights and activations, resulting in a considerably reduced memory usage. The sparsity guided training mechanism synthesizes and generates structured sparsity weights A compiler mechanism within a software development kit (SDK), manipulates structured weight domain sparsity to generate a sparse set of static weights for the NN. The structured sparsity static weights are loaded into the NN after compilation and utilized by both the structured weight domain sparsity mechanism and the structured activation domain sparsity mechanism.