A parallel coordinative visual model-the plate parallel retrieval model (PPRM)

In this paper, a parallel coordinative visual model-the revised plate parallel retrieval model (Wang Tianzhen et al, 1994) is presented based on the analysis of the global effect of Chinese characters and the recent neurobiological research on the function of neuroglia in learning and memory. The theory assumes that visual neurons possess the function of memory and retrieval in addition to the commonly recognised function of signal transformation. It supposes all the pixels in the array of a Chinese character are encoded, stored and retrieved simultaneously and synchronously by each neuron separately. In the model, neuroglia cells play an important role in the integration of the visual signal. The model cannot only satisfactorily explain both the global effect and strokes effect, but can also explain the implicit memory of Chinese characters as well. We have experimented on an SIMD array processor to prove the viability of the PPR algorithm. The results are satisfactory. The model can be extended to general shape vision with some conditions