Hardware-implemented argmax layer

A hardware acceleration module, comprising:

• a plurality of integrated circuits configured to perform one or more hardware-implemented operations, wherein the hardware acceleration module is configured to:
• receive
• a plurality of feature maps based on image data, each feature map having a first location storing a first feature value based on one or more regions of the image data, wherein each feature map stores one or more feature values for a different channel of the image data, and wherein a first set of associated feature values includes the first feature value stored at the first location within each of the plurality of feature maps;
• determine an argument maxima value for the first set of associated feature values, wherein the argument maxima value is determined by executing a sequence of the hardware-implemented operations on the first set of associated feature values;
• and
• generate an argument maxima map storing the argument maxima value determined for the first set of associated feature values.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a hardware acceleration module,
• a plurality of feature maps based on image data, each feature map having a first location storing a first feature value based on one or more regions of the image data, wherein each feature map stores one or more feature values for a different channel of the image data, and wherein a first set of associated feature values includes the first feature value stored at the first location within each of the plurality of feature maps;
• determining, by the hardware acceleration module, an argument maxima value for the first set of associated feature values, wherein the argument maxima value is determined by executing a sequence of hardware-implemented operations on the first set of associated feature values;
• and
• generating, by the hardware acceleration module, an argument maxima map storing the argument maxima value determined for the first set of associated feature values.