Abstract: Certain aspects provide techniques and apparatuses for efficiently processing inputs in a neural network using multiple receptive field sizes. An example method includes partitioning a first input into a first set of channels and a second set of channels. At a first layer of a neural network, the first set of channels and the second set of channels are convolved into a first output having a smaller dimensionality a dimensionality of the first input. The first set of channels and the first output are concatenated into a second input. The second input is convolved into a second output via a second layer of the neural network, wherein the second output merges a first receptive field generated by the first layer with a larger second receptive field generated by the second layer. One or more actions are taken based on at least one of the first output and the second output.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for improved machine learning model compression. A set of parameters for a machine learning model is accessed, where the set of parameters are formatted according to a first encoding. A converted set of parameters is generated based on applying a conversion operation to format the set of parameters according to a second encoding. A set of bit planes is generated based on applying a bit plane transformation to the converted set of parameters, and a compressed set of parameters for the machine learning model is generated based on applying a bit mask operation to one or more bit planes of the set of bit planes.

Abstract: An artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator is provided. The ANN accelerator includes digital controlled oscillators (DCOs), digital-to-time converters (DTCs) and a mixed-signal multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) array. Each DCO generates a first analog operand signal based on a first digital data value, and transmits the first analog operand signal along a respective column signal line. Each DTC generates a second analog operand signal based on a second digital data value, and transmits the second analog operand signal along a respective row signal line. The mixed-signal MAC array is coupled to the row and column signal lines, and includes mixed-signal MAC units. Each mixed-signal MAC unit includes an integrated clock gate (ICG) that generates a digital product signal based on the first and second analog operand signals, and a counter circuit that increments or decrements a count value stored in a register based on the digital product signal.

Abstract: A memory for an artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator is provided. The memory includes a first bank, a second bank and a bank selector. Each bank includes at least two word lines and a plurality of write word selectors. Each word line stores a plurality of words, and each word has a plurality of bytes. Each write word selector has an input port and a plurality of output ports, is coupled to a corresponding word in each word line, and is configured to select a byte of the corresponding word of a selected word line based on a byte select signal. The bank selector is coupled to the write word selectors of the first bank and the second bank, and configured to select a combination of write word selectors from at least one of the first bank and the second bank based on a bank select signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure advantageously provides a system including a memory, a processor, and a circuitry to execute one or more mixed precision layers of an artificial neural network (ANN), each mixed precision layer including high-precision weight filters and low precision weight filters. The circuitry is configured to perform one or more calculations on an input feature map having a plurality of input channels (cin) using the high precision weight filters to create a high precision output feature map having a first number of output channels (k), perform one or more calculations on the input feature map using the low precision weight filters to create a low precision output feature map having a second number of output channels (cout?k), and concatenate the high precision output feature map and the low precision output feature map to create a unified output feature map having a plurality of output channels (cout).

Abstract: A system and method for multiplying matrices are provided. The system includes a processor coupled to a memory and a matrix multiply accelerator (MMA) coupled to the processor. The MMA is configured to multiply, based on a bitmap, a compressed first matrix and a second matrix to generate an output matrix including, for each element i,j of the output matrix, a calculation of a dot product of an ith row of the compressed first matrix and a jth column of the second matrix based on the bitmap. Or, the MMA is configured to multiply, based on the bitmap, the second matrix and the compressed first matrix and to generate the output matrix including, for each element i,j of the output matrix, a calculation of a dot product of an ith row of the second matrix and a jth column of the compressed first matrix based on the bitmap.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be implemented, in whole or in part, using one or more computing devices to determine options for decisions in connection with design features of a computing device. In a particular implementation, design options for two or more design decisions of neural network processing device may be identified based, at least in part, on combination of a definition of available computing resources and one or more predefined performance constraints.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory (NVM) crossbar for an artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator is provided. The NVM crossbar includes row signal lines configured to receive input analog voltage signals, multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) column signal lines, a correction column signal line, a MAC cell disposed at each row signal line and MAC column signal line intersection, and a correction cell disposed at each row signal line and correction column signal line intersection. Each MAC cell includes one or more programmable NVM elements programmed to an ANN unipolar weight, and each correction cell includes one or more programmable NVM elements. Each MAC column signal line generates a MAC signal based on the input analog voltage signals and the respective MAC cells, and the correction column signal line generates a correction signal based on the input analog voltage signals and the correction cells. Each MAC signal is corrected based on the correction signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting errors when performing a convolutional operation is provided. Predicted checksum data, corresponding to input checksum data and kernel checksum data, is obtained. The convolutional operation is performed to obtain an output feature map. Output checksum data is generated and the predicted checksum data and the output checksum data are compared, the comparing taking account of partial predicted checksum data configured to correct for a lack of padding when performing the convolution operation, wherein the partial predicted checksum data corresponds to input checksum data for a subset of the values in the input feature map and kernel checksum data for a subset of the values in the kernel.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus provide bit-sparse neural network optimization. Rather than quantizing and pruning weight and activation elements at the word level, weight and activation elements are pruned at the bit level, which reduces the density of effective “set” bits in weight and activation data, which, advantageously, reduces the power consumption of the neural network inference process by reducing the degree of bit-level switching during inference.

Abstract: A method for processing video data, comprising: receiving raw video data, representative of a plurality of frames; detecting, using the raw video data, one or more regions of interest in a detection frame that belongs to the plurality of frames, for example using a region proposal network; performing a cropping process on a portion of the raw video data representative of the detection frame, based on the regions of interest, so as to generate cropped raw video data; performing image processing on the cropped raw video data, including demosaicing, so as to generate processed image data for the detection frame; and analyzing the processed image data, for example using an object detection process, to determine information relating to at least one of said one or more regions of interest.

Abstract: The present disclosure advantageously provides a matrix expansion unit that includes an input data selector, a first register set, a second register set, and an output data selector. The input data selector is configured to receive first matrix data in a columnwise format. The first register set is coupled to the input data selector, and includes a plurality of data selectors and a plurality of registers arranged in a first shift loop. The second register set is coupled to the data selector, and includes a plurality of data selectors and a plurality of registers arranged in a second shift loop. The output data selector is coupled to the first register set and the second register set, and is configured to output second matrix data in a rowwise format.

Abstract: Various implementations described herein are related to a method that monitors workloads of a neural network for current spikes. The method may determine current transitions of the workloads that result in rapid changes in load current consumption of the neural network. The method may modify load scheduling of the neural network so as to smooth and/or stabilize the current transitions of the workloads.

Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to a device having neural network circuitry with an array of synapse cells arranged in columns and rows. The device may have input circuitry that provides voltage to the synapse cells by way of row input lines for the rows in the array. The device may have output circuitry that receives current from the synapse cells by way of column output lines for the columns in the array. Also, conductance for the synapse cells in the array may be determined based on the voltage provided by the input circuitry and the current received by the output circuitry.

Abstract: Neural network systems and methods are provided. One method for processing a neural network includes, for at least one neural network layer that includes a plurality of weights, applying an offset function to each of a plurality of weight values in the plurality of weights to generate an offset weight value, and quantizing the offset weight values to form quantized offset weight values. The plurality of weights are pruned. One method for executing a neural network includes reading, from a memory, at least one neural network layer that includes quantized offset weight values and an offset value ?, and performing a neural network layer operation on an input feature map, based on the quantized offset weight values and the offset value ?, to generate an output feature map. The quantized offset weight values are signed integer numbers.

Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to a device having a multi-layered logic structure with a first logic layer and a second logic layer arranged vertically in a stacked configuration. The device may have a memory array that provides data, and also, the device may have an inter-layer data bus that vertically couples the memory array to the multi-layered logic structure. The inter-layer data bus may provide multiple data paths to the first logic layer and the second logic layer for reuse of the data provided by the memory array.

Abstract: A system, an apparatus and methods for utilizing software and hardware portions of a neural network to fix, or hardwire, certain portions, while modifying other portions are provided. A first set of weights for layers of the first neural network are established, and selected weights are modified to generate a second set of weights, based on a second dataset. The second set of weights is then used to train a second neural network.

Abstract: A processor, computer based method and apparatus for performing matrix multiplication are provided. The processor obtains a first bitslice vector comprising m elements, obtains a second bitslice vector comprising n elements, provides at least one element of the first bitslice vector as a first input to a single bit dot product unit, provides at least one element of the second bit-slice vector as a second input to the single-bit dot product unit, and obtains, from the single-bit dot product unit, an output comprising at least a partial dot product of the first and second bitslice vectors.

Abstract: A system and method for multiplying first and second matrices are provided. For the first matrix, a number of bit slice vectors for each row are generated based on the bit resolution, and a first bit slice tensor is generated based on the bit slice vectors for each row. For the second matrix, a number of bit slice vectors for each column are generated based on the bit resolution, and a second bit slice tensor is generated based on the bit slice vectors for each row. The first and second bit slice tensors are multiplied by a matrix multiply accelerator (MMA) to generate an output matrix.

Abstract: A matrix multiplication system and method are provided. The system includes a memory that stores one or more weight tensors, a processor and a matrix multiply accelerator (MMA). The processor converts each weight tensor into an encoded block set that is stored in the memory. Each encoded block set includes a number of encoded blocks, and each encoded block includes a data field and an index field. The MMA converts each encoded block set into a reconstructed weight tensor, and convolves each reconstructed weight tensor and an input data tensor to generate an output data matrix.