[linux-audio-dev] Re: This better not be patented...

[Jens M Andreasen]

On sön, 2004-09-19 at 19:59, Juhana Sadeharju wrote:
> >From: Jens M Andreasen <jens.andreasen at chello.se>
> >
> >Here is an early paper:
> >
> >  http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/oskin/thompson-micro2002.pdf
> >
> >It is about general-purpose-computing of which audio-processing is a
> >subset. (BTW: Check out the aging references on the last page.)
> 
> I found nothing on the audio processing. So, the paper may be next to
> nothing. But it was said that the GPU can be used as general purpose
> computational unit for other applications.

No it does not say "other applications". It says *any* application
(general purpose, get it?) and to be more specific it narrows in on
applications that can be vectorized. This is a huge class of
applications ranging from weather forecasts and molecular simulations
down to the more humble world of audio and video streams where we live.

> In Europe, e.g., an apparatus, in which analog parts are replaced
> by their digital equivalents, is not patentable. (Source: a patent
> officer in a magazine.) So, if that big change is not patentable,
> then why would a move of the audio application to GPU? Specially after
> it is already said it could be used as an alternative to CPU.
> 
You can patent just about anything, say: "Audio Processing on The
Internet" (hey, now wait a second ...), and with a ton of lawyers you
can prevent people from even thinking of challenging the patent. That
doesn't mean the patent is valid and has no prior art and is not
obvious. But I am pretty sure that people around here will be able to
kick just almost anything related to audio back to 18th century math (or
17th or for that matter plain old greek.) Just attaching a label like
"on a computer" to a neat way of computing wont cut it. After all that
is what computers do.

> We should just ignore the patents and keep up with the audio research.
> Prior the patent the research has moved to GPU. We should not wait
> 20 years before we take first steps in researching the possibilities
> of the GPUs.
> 
Juhana, please go ahead with your ideas and stop worrying. You might
have to "massage" your algorithms a bit to maximize the flow in current
gpu pipelines, but it looks like the results can be very rewarding.  

/jens

> Juhana