Neural network model of attention

[Christof Koch]

I published a network model of attention, together with SHimon Ullman,
in 1984/85. It involves a central saliency map, possibly located in area IT
or in parietal cortex. Attention selects the most conspicuous or salient
location from this map (without knowing "what" is at that location) and then
goes back to the individual feature maps to find out about the properties
of the attended location (e.g. red, horizontal etc..).
The paper is "Shifts in selective visual attention: towards the underlying
neural circuitry", C. Koch and S. Ullman, Human Neurbiology Vol. 4:
pp. 219-227, 1985. It also appeared as a MIT AI Memo in 1984.

Christof

P.S. In this version, attention has to solve the binding problem; that is,
combine the various attributes of the object being perceived into
a coherent whole.