Retrieving a block of data items in a processor

A processor configured to retrieve a block of data items, each of the data items being associated with a coordinate for each of a plurality of dimensions of a stored data array, the processor comprising a data processing unit and a data load unit,

• wherein the data processing unit is configured to:
• perform a process of detecting that the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are axis-aligned, wherein said detecting that the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are axis-aligned comprises determining that the axes of the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are aligned with the axes of the block of data items, and
• send a set of the coordinates to the data load unit;
• and
• wherein the data load unit is configured to:
• determine two or more integer coordinates for each of the set of the coordinates,
• perform a uniquification process on the determined integer coordinates to remove one or more duplicated integer coordinates and to thereby determine a subset of the determined integer coordinates,
• use the subset of the determined integer coordinates to generate addresses of data array elements to be fetched from the stored data array,
• fetch data array elements from the stored data array using the generated addresses,
• for each of the data items of the block, determine a data item value using a sub-group of the fetched data array elements, and
• output the data item values.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon an integrated circuit definition dataset that, when processed in an integrated circuit manufacturing system, configures the integrated circuit manufacturing system to manufacture a processor that is configured to retrieve a block of data items, each of the data items being associated with a coordinate for each of a plurality of dimensions of a stored data array, the processor comprising a data processing unit and a data load unit,

• wherein the data processing unit is configured to:
• perform a process of detecting that the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are axis-aligned, wherein said detecting that the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are axis-aligned comprises determining that the axes of the coordinates associated with the data items of the block are aligned with the axes of the block of data items, and
• send a set of the coordinates to the data load unit;
• and
• wherein the data load unit is configured to:
• determine two or more integer coordinates for each of the set of the coordinates,
• perform a uniquification process on the determined integer coordinates to remove one or more duplicated integer coordinates and to thereby determine a subset of the determined integer coordinates,
• use the subset of the determined integer coordinates to generate addresses of data array elements to be fetched from the stored data array,
• fetch data array elements from the stored data array using the generated addresses,
• for each of the data items of the block, determine a data item value using a sub-group of the fetched data array elements, and
• output the data item values.