Pipeline device with a plurality of pipelined processing units

A data-processing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of data transfer lines including:
• a data input line through which data is inputted, and a plurality of data output lines;
• a plurality of processing units each having an input and an output, the output of each of the plurality of processing units being connected to a corresponding one of the data output lines;
• a plurality of input selectors provided for the plurality of processing units, respectively;
• and
• a controller working to input, to the plurality of input selectors, a control signal representing one of a plurality of interconnection patterns among the plurality of processing units, the plurality of interconnection patterns corresponding to a plurality of data-processing tasks, respectively,
• each of the plurality of input selectors working to:
• select one of the plurality of data transfer lines except for one data output line to which the output of a corresponding one of the plurality of processing units is connected to thereby determine one of the plurality of interconnection patterns among the plurality of processing units;
• and
• input, to a corresponding one of the plurality of processing units via the input thereof, data flowing through the selected one of the plurality of data transfer lines, each of the plurality of processing units working to individually can out a predetermined process based on data inputted thereto by a corresponding one of the plurality of input selectors to thereby carry out, in pipeline, one of the plurality of data-processing tasks corresponding to the determined one of the plurality of interconnection patterns.