Parallel data processing systems and methods using cooperative thread arrays and SIMD instruction issue

A processor comprising:

• a processing core including a plurality of processing engines configured to execute threads in single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) groups, each SIMD group having a degree of parallelism P;
• and
• core interface logic coupled to the processing core and configured to initiate execution by the processing core of a thread array having a plurality of threads, each thread configured to execute a same program on an input data set,
• the core interface logic including a launch module configured to launch the threads of the thread array in one or more SIMD groups, wherein launching each SIMD group includes:
• assigning a unique thread identifier value to each thread in the SIMD group, wherein each unique thread identifier value is unique within the SIMD group;
• and
• signaling the processing engines to begin executing the SIMD group,
• wherein during execution, each thread of the thread array uses the unique thread identifier value assigned thereto as an input to compute at least one function specified by the same program, and an intermediate result from a first one of the threads of the SIMD group is shared with a second one of the threads of the SIMD group based on the respective thread identifiers of the first or second threads.

A computer-implemented method for processing data, the method comprising:

• defining, in a multithreaded processor having a plurality of processing engines configured to execute threads in single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) groups, a thread array having a plurality of threads, each thread configured to execute a same program on an input data set, wherein the SIMD groups each have a degree of parallelism P;
• and
• launching the threads of the thread array in one or more SIMD groups, wherein launching each SIMD group includes:
• assigning a unique thread identifier value to each thread in the SIMD group, wherein each unique thread identifier value is unique within the SIMD group;
• signaling the parallel processing engines to begin executing the SIMD group;
• and
• executing the one or more SIMD groups concurrently with each other, wherein the executing includes:
• generating an intermediate result from a first one of the threads of the SIMD group;
• and
• sharing the intermediate result with a second one of the threads of the SIMD group based on the respective thread identifiers of the first and second threads.