CN110825461B - Data processing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiments of this application disclose data processing methods and devices. A specific implementation of the method includes: a data processing method, which method includes: receiving static graph structure data to be processed, the static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list; selecting from the ready node information list Ready node information, execute the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as the executing state; in response to the completion of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information , mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as completed. This implementation saves computing time.

Description

Data processing methods and devices

Technical field

The embodiments of this application relate to the field of computer technology, and specifically to data processing methods and devices.

Background technique

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, the parameters and training data of artificial neural networks are also increasing. At the same time, the amount of calculations in the training process of artificial neural networks is also increasing. In order to solve these problems, different computing units are generally used to perform computing tasks. Among them, each computing unit performs a certain type of specific operation (such as matrix operation, activation operation, etc.). This will greatly improve the computing speed. Currently, these computing units are controlled by the central processing unit (CPU) on the host computer. When the computing task of a certain computing unit is completed, the next computing task is received by communicating with the CPU.

Contents of the invention

The embodiments of this application provide data processing methods and devices.

In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a data processing method, which method includes: receiving static graph structure data to be processed, where the static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list; from the ready node information list Select the ready node information, perform the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as the executing state; in response to the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, execute Completed, mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as completed.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the status of the predecessor node of the successor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information; in response to determining that the status of the predecessor node of the successor node is the completed status, changing the status of the successor node The node information is added to the ready node information list.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to determining that the status of a node in the at least one node is a completed status, sending prompt information indicating completion of processing of the static graph structure data to be processed.

In the second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a data processing method, including: obtaining data to be processed; and processing the data to be processed into static graph structure data, where the static graph structure data includes at least one node and a ready node information list.

In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a data processing device, which device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive static graph structure data to be processed, where the static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list; The execution unit is configured to select ready node information from the ready node information list, perform operations corresponding to the nodes indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as an executing state; the marking unit is It is configured to mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as a completed state in response to completion of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a status determination unit configured to determine the status of a predecessor node of a successor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information; a joining unit configured to respond to determining the status of the successor node. The status of the predecessor node is completed, and the node information of the successor node is added to the ready node information list.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a sending unit configured to send prompt information indicating completion of processing of the static graph structure data to be processed in response to determining that the status of a node in at least one node is a completed status.

In the fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a data processing device, including: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data to be processed; a data processing unit configured to process the data to be processed into static graph structure data, the static graph The structure data includes at least one node and a list of ready node information.

In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide an electronic device, including: one or more general-purpose processors; one or more chips; a storage device on which one or more programs are stored. When one or more programs Executed by one or more chips, causing one or more chips to implement the method described in any implementation manner in the first aspect, when one or more programs are executed by one or more general-purpose processors, such that one or more general-purpose processors The processor implements the method described in any implementation manner of the second aspect.

In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the method described in any implementation manner in the first aspect is implemented.

The data processing method and device provided by the embodiments of the present application complete the processing of the static graph structure data to be processed by selecting nodes in the static graph structure data to be processed and executing operations corresponding to the nodes. In this process, one or more execution subjects can perform selection and execution operations multiple times, without the need to communicate with the subject to obtain the next computing task each time after executing a computing task. This can save computing time.

Description of drawings

Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

Figure 1 is an exemplary system architecture diagram in which an embodiment of the present application can be applied;

Figure 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a data processing method according to the present application;

Figure 3 is a flow chart of another embodiment of the data processing method according to the embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a data processing method according to the present application;

Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a data processing device according to the present application;

Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of a data processing device according to the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a computer system suitable for implementing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

The present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the relevant invention, but not to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for convenience of description, only the parts related to the invention are shown in the drawings.

It should be noted that, as long as there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system architecture 100 to which the data processing method or data processing device according to the embodiment of the present application can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the system architecture 100 may include a CPU 101 and chips 102 , 103 , and 104 . Among them, the CPU 101 and the chips 102, 103, and 104 can be connected through a bus to achieve communication. The CPU 101 may be an important component widely used in various electronic devices. CPU 101 can be used to interpret computer instructions and process data in memory. Chips 102, 103, and 104 may be integrated circuits that support various operations.

It should be noted that the data processing method provided by the embodiment of the present application is generally executed by chips 102, 103, and 104. Correspondingly, information processing devices are generally provided in chips 102, 103, and 104.

It should be understood that the number of CPUs and chips in Figure 1 is only illustrative. Depending on implementation needs, you can have any number of CPUs and chips. In addition, the connection method between multiple chips is not limited to the cascade method shown in FIG. 1 . Multiple chips can be connected using various connection methods as needed.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 2 , a process 200 according to one embodiment of the data processing method of the present application is shown. This data processing method includes the following steps:

Step 201: Receive static image structure data to be processed.

In this embodiment, the execution body of the data processing method (for example, the chips 102, 103, and 104 in Figure 1) may first receive the static graph structure data to be processed. The static graph structure data to be processed may be data whose data structure is a graph structure. Graph structure, also referred to as "graph", is a common data structure. Storage methods for static graph structure data include: adjacency matrix, adjacency list, etc. The static graph structure data to be processed can be any static graph structure data. The static graph structure data to be processed can be specified by technical personnel or filtered based on certain conditions.

In practice, static graph structure data generally includes multiple nodes. For one of the nodes, there can be a predecessor node and a successor node. Among them, the predecessor node can be the node "before" the node in logical sequence. In the same way, the successor node can be the node "behind" the node in logical sequence. Each node can have multiple predecessor nodes and successor nodes. Therefore, the static graph structure data to be processed may include at least one node. There can be connections between these nodes. In addition, the static graph structure data to be processed also includes a ready node information list. The ready node information may be the node information of the ready node. For a node, if the status of all predecessor nodes of the node is completed, then the node is a ready node. If the node has no predecessor node, then the node is also a ready node.

Step 202: Select the ready node information from the ready node information list, perform the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as the executing status.

In this embodiment, the execution subject can select ready node information from the ready node information list in various ways. For example, select randomly, select from front to back according to the time of joining the list, etc. There is no restriction on the selection method in this application.

On this basis, the above execution subject can perform operations corresponding to the nodes indicated by the selected ready node information. It can be seen from the description in step 201 that the graph structure, as a data structure, can be a way to store and organize data. Among them, the data can be any data. That is to say, the nodes in the static graph structure data can be various data according to needs.

In this embodiment, the nodes in the static graph structure data to be processed may include but are not limited to: data to be operated, data description information, code information required to perform operations, graph structure description information, execution status of the data, etc. Therefore, each node can be viewed as corresponding to one or more operations. Therefore, the above-mentioned execution subject can execute the relevant code according to the stored code information required to perform the operation for the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and perform the corresponding operation on the data to be operated. That is, perform the operation corresponding to the node. As examples, various operations such as matrix operations and activation operations can be used.

In addition, the execution subject may mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as the executing status. In practice, various identifiers (for example, numbers, characters, etc.) can be used to identify the status of the node as needed. As an example, the executing status may be identified by the number "1".

Step 203: In response to the completion of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as a completed status.

In this embodiment, in response to the execution of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, the execution subject may mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information (that is, the node where the operation execution is completed). is completed status.

The data processing method provided by the above embodiments of the present application completes the processing of the static graph structure data to be processed by selecting nodes in the static graph structure data to be processed and executing operations corresponding to the nodes. In this process, one or more execution subjects can perform selection and execution operations multiple times, without the need to communicate with the subject to obtain the next computing task each time after executing a computing task. This can save computing time.

Referring further to FIG. 3 , a flow 300 of yet another embodiment of a data processing method is shown. The process 300 of the data processing method includes the following steps:

Step 301: Receive static graph structure data to be processed. The static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list.

Step 302: Select the ready node information from the ready node information list, perform the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as the executing status.

Step 303: In response to the completion of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as a completed state.

In this embodiment, the specific implementation of steps 301-303 and the technical effects thereof can be referred to steps 201-203 in the corresponding embodiment of Figure 2, which will not be described again here.

Step 304: Determine the status of the predecessor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information.

In this embodiment, for the node indicated by the selected ready node information, the execution subject of the data processing method can traverse each subsequent node of the node after completing the operation corresponding to the node. For each successor node, the above execution subject can determine the status of each predecessor node among multiple predecessor nodes of the successor node.

Step 305: In response to determining that the status of the predecessor node of the successor node is the completed state, add the node information of the successor node to the ready node information list.

In this embodiment, based on step 304, in response to determining that the status of each predecessor node of a successor node is the completed state, the execution subject may add the node information of the successor node to the ready node information list. The node information may be node-related information. As an example, it could be the node's identification, number, etc. It should be noted that, as can be seen from the description in step 304, the above execution subject can traverse every subsequent node of a node. Thus, the node information of the ready node can be added to the ready node information list.

Step 306: In response to determining that the status of the node in at least one node is the completed status, send prompt information indicating that the processing of the static graph structure data to be processed is completed.

In this embodiment, in response to determining that the status of all nodes in at least one node is the completed status, the execution subject may send prompt information indicating that the static graph structure data to be processed is completed. The prompt information can be in various forms of information. As an example, it may be an interrupt signal. Interrupts are a widely used way for processing units to communicate with hardware devices.

As can be seen from Figure 3, compared with the embodiment corresponding to Figure 2, the flow 300 of the data processing method of this embodiment adds a step of determining the status of the successor node of the node where the operation execution is completed. By determining the status of the predecessor node of the subsequent node, it is determined whether the subsequent node is in a ready state, and the node information of the ready successor node is added to the ready node information list. As a result, the ready node information list is updated, and the static graph structure data to be processed is further executed.

Referring further to FIG. 4 , a flowchart 400 of one embodiment of the data processing method of the present application is shown. This data processing method includes the following steps:

Step 401: Obtain data to be processed.

In this embodiment, the execution subject of the data processing method (for example, the CPU 101 in Figure 1) can obtain the data to be processed. Among them, static calculation graphs are widely used in the field of machine learning. Specifically, in data described by static computation graphs, the declaration and execution of the computation graph are separated. The data to be processed can be various data. For example, it may be data representing the parameters and structure of an artificial neural network. The data to be processed can be specified by technical personnel or filtered based on certain conditions.

Step 402: Process the data to be processed into static graph structure data. The static graph structure data includes at least one node and a ready node information list.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned execution subject can process the to-be-processed data into static graph structure data suitable for processing by the processing unit (such as the chips 102, 103, and 104 in Figure 1). In practice, the general deep learning framework will provide some simple way to describe or calculate the data graph. As an example, the current mainstream deep learning framework will provide a Python interface to allow users to describe specific artificial neural networks, but the underlying logic is implemented in C++. When the user describes the artificial neural network in Python, the above execution body can convert the artificial neural network described by the user into static graph structure data based on C++. Among them, Python and C++ are commonly used computer programming languages. During this process, as an example, the above execution subject can also allocate a certain amount of memory, bind related parameters, and so on. And use memory allocation information and bound parameter information as part of the image structure data.

The data processing method provided by the above embodiments of the present application can process the data to be processed into static graph structure data. Since the subsequent processing units (such as the chips 102, 103, and 104 in Figure 1) are mainly used for calculation, their logical control capabilities are limited. The static graph structure data contains information such as data to be operated, code information required to perform the operation, etc. Subsequent processing units can process based on this information. Thereby increasing the processing speed of data to be processed.

Continuing to refer to Figure 5, as an implementation of the method shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, this application provides an embodiment of a data processing device. This device embodiment corresponds to the method embodiment shown in Figure 2. The The device can be applied in various electronic devices.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the data processing device 500 of this embodiment includes: a receiving unit 501 , an execution unit 502 and a marking unit 503 . Among them, the receiving unit 501 is configured to receive the static graph structure data to be processed, and the static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list; the execution unit 502 is configured to select the ready node information from the ready node information list, and execute The operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and the status of the node performing the operation is marked as the executing state; the marking unit 503 is configured to execute the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information. Completed, marks the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as completed.

In this embodiment, the specific processing of the receiving unit 501, the execution unit 502 and the marking unit 503 in the data processing device 500 and the technical effects they bring can be referred to the corresponding embodiment in Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the data processing apparatus 500 may further include: a status determination unit (not shown in the figure). The status determination unit is configured to determine the status of the predecessor node of the successor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information; the joining unit is configured to respond to determining that the status of the predecessor node of the successor node is a completed state, adding the successor node The node information is added to the ready node information list.

In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the data processing apparatus 500 may further include: a sending unit (not shown in the figure). The sending unit is configured to send prompt information representing the completion of processing of the static graph structure data to be processed in response to determining that the status of the node in the at least one node is a completed status.

In this embodiment, the execution unit 502 completes the processing of the static graph structure data by selecting nodes in the static graph structure data and executing operations corresponding to the nodes. During this process, the execution unit 502 can perform the selection and execution operations multiple times without the need to communicate with the subject to obtain the next computing task after each execution of a computing task. This can save computing time.

Continuing to refer to Figure 6, as an implementation of the method shown in Figure 4 above, this application provides an embodiment of a data processing device. The device embodiment corresponds to the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. The device can specifically Used in various electronic equipment.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the data processing device 600 of this embodiment includes: a data acquisition unit 601 and a data processing unit 602 . Among them, the data acquisition unit 601 is configured to acquire data to be processed. The data processing unit 602 is configured to process the data to be processed into static graph structure data, where the static graph structure data includes at least one node and a ready node information list.

In this embodiment, the specific processing in the data processing device 600 and the technical effects it brings can be referred to the corresponding embodiment in FIG. 4 , and will not be described again here.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a schematic structural diagram of a computer system 700 suitable for implementing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in Figure 7, a system 700 of an electronic device includes a central processing unit (CPU) 701, which can be loaded into a random access memory (RAM) 703 according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 702 or from a storage portion 708. program to perform various appropriate actions and processes. In the RAM 703, various programs and data required for the operation of the system 700 are also stored. The CPU 701 can also process and analyze data through the chip 712 . The CPU 701, ROM 702, RAM 703, and chip 712 are connected to each other through a bus 704. An input/output (I/O) interface 705 is also connected to bus 704. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the general processor may be CPU701.

The following components are connected to the I/O interface 705: an input part 706 including a touch screen, buttons, mouse, microphone, camera, etc.; an output part 707 including a liquid crystal display (LCD), speakers, etc.; a storage part 708 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communications section 709 including network interface cards such as LAN cards, modems, and the like. The communication section 709 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. Driver 710 is also connected to I/O interface 705 as needed. Removable media 711, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, etc., are installed on the drive 710 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage portion 708 as needed.

In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in the present application, the process described above with reference to the flowchart may be implemented as a computer software program. For example, embodiments disclosed herein may include a computer program product including a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium. The computer program contains program code for performing the method illustrated in the flowchart. In such embodiments, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from the network via communication portion 709 and/or installed from removable media 711 . When the computer program is executed by the chip 712, the above functions defined in the method of the present application are performed.

It should be noted that the computer-readable medium described in this application may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard drive, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), removable Programmed read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optics, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, the computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which computer-readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device . Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wire, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for performing the operations of the present application may be written in one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional A procedural programming language - such as "C" or a similar programming language. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In situations involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any kind of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computer (such as an Internet service provider through Internet connection).

It can be understood that the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible implementation architecture, functions and operations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more logic functions that implement the specified executable instructions. It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown one after another may actually execute substantially in parallel, or they may sometimes execute in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagram and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagram and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or operations. , or can be implemented using a combination of specialized hardware and computer instructions.

The units involved in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in software or hardware. The described unit may also be provided in a processor. For example, it may be described as follows: a processor includes a receiving unit, an execution unit and a marking unit. The names of these units do not constitute a limitation on the unit itself under certain circumstances. For example, the receiving unit may also be described as "a unit that receives static graph structure data to be processed."

As another aspect, this application also provides a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiments; it may also exist independently without being assembled into the electronic device. . The computer-readable medium carries one or more programs. When the one or more programs are executed by the electronic device, the electronic device implements the method described in the embodiment corresponding to each figure.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover any solution consisting of the above technical features or without departing from the above inventive concept. Other technical solutions formed by any combination of equivalent features. For example, a technical solution is formed by replacing the above features with technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application (but not limited to).

Claims (10)

1. A data processing method, including: Receive static graph structure data to be processed. The static graph structure data to be processed includes at least one node and a ready node information list, wherein the node includes at least one of the following: data to be operated, data description information, and information required to perform the operation. Code information, image structure description information, and data execution status. The ready node information in the ready node information list refers to the node information of the ready node; Select ready node information from the ready node information list, perform the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as the executing status; In response to completion of execution of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information is marked as a completed state. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: Determine the status of the predecessor node of the successor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information; In response to determining that the status of the predecessor node of the successor node is a completed state, the node information of the successor node is added to the ready node information list. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: In response to determining that the status of the node in the at least one node is a completed status, prompt information indicating completion of processing of the static graph structure data to be processed is sent. 4. A data processing method, including: Get data to be processed; The data to be processed is processed into static graph structure data, the static graph structure data includes at least one node and a ready node information list, and the static graph structure data is used as described in any one of claims 1-3 method of processing. 5. A data processing device, comprising: A receiving unit configured to receive static graph structure data to be processed, the static graph structure data to be processed including at least one node and a ready node information list, wherein the node includes at least one of the following: data to be operated, data description information, code information required to perform operations, image structure description information, and data execution status. The ready node information in the ready node information list refers to the node information of the ready node; An execution unit configured to select ready node information from the ready node information list, perform an operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information, and mark the status of the node performing the operation as an executing status; The marking unit is configured to mark the status of the node indicated by the selected ready node information as a completed state in response to completion of the operation corresponding to the node indicated by the selected ready node information. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the device further comprises: a status determination unit configured to determine the status of the predecessor node of the successor node of the node indicated by the selected ready node information; The adding unit is configured to add the node information of the successor node to the ready node information list in response to determining that the status of the predecessor node of the successor node is a completed state. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the device further comprises: The sending unit is configured to send prompt information indicating completion of processing of the static graph structure data to be processed in response to determining that the status of the node in the at least one node is a completed status. 8. A data processing device, comprising: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data to be processed; A data processing unit configured to process the data to be processed into static graph structure data, the static graph structure data including at least one node and a ready node information list, the static graph structure data being used as claimed in claim 1- Use any of the methods described in 3. 9. An electronic device, including: one or more general-purpose processors; one or more chips; a storage device on which one or more programs are stored, In response to the one or more programs being executed by the one or more chips, the one or more chips implement the method according to any one of claims 1-3, In response to the one or more programs being executed by the one or more general purpose processors, the one or more general purpose processors implement the method of claim 4 . 10. A computer-readable medium with a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the program is executed by a processor, the method of any one of claims 1-4 is implemented.