Patent ID: 7447720

Claim:
A method of optimizing the operation of an n-dimensional array of processing elements comprising: determining a local extrema for each of said processing elements; serially outputting, on each clock cycle, said local extrema from each of said processing elements to a neighboring processing element until every processing element in a first dimension has received all local extrema along said first dimension; determining within each of said processing elements a first dimensional extrema for said first dimension of said n-dimensional array, wherein said dimensional extrema is determined concurrently with the receipt of said local extrema from said processing elements in said first dimension; serially outputting, on each clock cycle, said first dimensional extrema from each of said processing elements to a neighboring processing element until every processing element in a next dimension has received all first dimensional extrema along said next dimension; determining within each of said processing elements a next dimensional extrema for a next dimension of said n-dimensional array, wherein said next dimensional extrema is determined concurrently with the receipt of said first dimensional extrema; repeating said serially outputting on each clock cycle and concurrently determining within each of said processing elements a next dimensional extrema for each of said n-dimensions, wherein each of said next dimensional extrema is determined from a dimensional extrema from a previously selected dimension, until the global extrema is determined; and saving said global extrema.