New horizon for CNN: with fuzzy paradigms for multimedia

The cellular neural network (CNN) is a powerful technique to mimic the local function of biological neural circuits for real-time image and video processing. Recently, it is widely accepted that using a set of CNNs in parallel can achieve higher-level information processing and reasoning functions either from application or biology points of views. The authors introduce a novel framework for constructing a multiple-CNN integrated neural system called recurrent fuzzy CNN (RFCNN). This system can automatically learn its proper network structure and parameters simultaneously. In the RFCNN, each learned fuzzy rule corresponds to a CNN. Hence, each CNN takes care of a fuzzily separated problem region, and the functions of all CNNs are integrated through the fuzzy inference mechanism. Some online clustering algorithms are introduced for the structure learning, and the ordered-derivative calculus is applied to derive the recurrent learning rules of CNN templates in the parameter-learning phase. RFCNN provides a solution to the current dilemma on the decision of templates and/or fuzzy rules in the existing integrated (fuzzy) CNN systems. The capability of the RFCNN is demonstrated on the real-world vision-based defect inspection and image descreening problems proving that the RFCNN scheme is effective and promising.