Microsecond Word-Recognition System

This paper describes the application of the solenoid array principle to the problem of word recognition, code recognition, and (in a limited sense), associative memory. The proposed device, based entirely on existing experience with a large character recognition cross correlator, is capable of recognizing one of 24,000 individual English words up to 16 letters long. The simultaneous correlation and selection is made in less than 3 μsec, and cycle time of the device is less than 20 μsec. The selection can be made either on a perfect-match or a best-match basis. The parameters of the system proposed are taken as typical practical ones and direct expansion of the correlator to a capacity in excess of 100,000 words is fully feasible.