The Next Wave: A Closer Peek at Sony’s CELL Patent: What Are We Missing?

Posted by Dennis Sellers Feb 7, 2005 at 12:50am

Neo is Macsimum News’ international man of mystery. If we told you more, we’d have to kill you.

Sony’s New Qualia Brand

This chapter of the “Next Wave of the Internet” series is all about demystifying Sony’s CELL patent. It’s quite unnecessary to scrutinize the patent in its entirety so as to understand its fundamentals. Those wanting to know about the actual nuts and bolts of CELL could look forward to next week’s conference where Sony is likely to reveal the mysteries behind their use of Holographic memory and Broadband Engine. However interesting that may be, it’s the basics of how it will play out in the real-world that interests most people.

Before getting to the patent, I thought I’d point out Sony’s Qualia Movement logo. It’s a little hard to ignore as it points to how the CELL project is currently focused on iServices such as movies, music, games and of course electronics – that will of course go beyond just the Playstation 3. Take note of the two empty hexagons being reserved for future entries. In addition to that, Qualia’s use of hexagons in their logo actually provides you with a vital clue about the CELL project itself. While you may not recognize what that is at the moment, you will by the end of this chapter.

There’s a lot of ground to cover in this chapter in order to establish its links to Apple’s Next Wave of the Internet. These projects are more related than you could possibly imagine. So let’s begin today’s journey.

Un-complicating Sony’s CELL Patent

One of the first things to note in Sony’s CELL patent is a section called “Background of the Invention” which quickly establishes the project’s basic logic. It’s here that it lays out the premise that the old “stand-alone computing model” was never intended for networking, and then goes on to present the many disadvantages of such an architecture for which the cell processor is intended to remedy. These are the two specific areas of the patent that I’ll review today. Beyond those points I’ll just mention that the patent’s general focus relates to networks, be they global, enterprise or otherwise.

Patent Point 0001: The present invention relates to an architecture for computer processors and computer networks and, in particular, to an architecture for computer processors and computer networks in a broadband environment.

Patent Point 0002-: This heterogeneous combination of computers and computing devices on today’s computer networks complicates the processing and sharing of data and applications. Multiple versions of the same application often are required, moreover, to accommodate this heterogeneous environment.

Patent Point 0003: The types of computers and computing devices connected to global networks, particularly the Internet, are extensive. In addition to personal computers (PCs) and servers, these computing devices include cellular telephones,mobile computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), set top boxes, digital televisions and many others. The sharing of data and applications among this assortment of computers and computing devices presents substantial problems.

Patent Point 0005: …The correct application, or the most current application, for the transmitted data may not be available on the client’s computer.This approach also requires the writing of a multiplicity of versions of each application for the multiplicity of different ISAs and instruction sets employed by the processors on the network.

A CELL Project Home Run … for Apple?

In Frank Casanova’s presentation at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2004 conference in San Francisco on October 26, 2004, he made these simple points:

There is no QuickTime player in any phone like MS and Real are trying to do and yet QT is compatible with more handsets than the other guys will ever be.

Vodaphone is coming up with 10 new phones and the guys in Japan are in constant turn over. I would hate it if our engineers had to spend all of their time porting media players to these phones. You can’t keep up.It’s a losing proposition.

In one fell swoop, Frank Casanova provided the answer to the problems presented in the first CELL patent points above—to the letter! Apple indeed has the solution playing out in the real-world today. Frank Casanova’s keynote revealed that Apple had completed their first round of 25 global trials with Telco’s and Cellco’s in such countries as Japan, South Korea, China, Europe, Canada and Brazil. A second wave of trials is now set for 2005 that will include up to an additional 30 global centers. The old way of doing things isn’t going to “cut-it” in the Next Wave of the Internet and Frank spelt that out very succinctly. C/net described it this way: “In a way, Apple’s found its way into the core of cell phone carriers without having to build a single handset.”

The news only gets better because Apple’s core solution will extend beyond cellphones in the near future to include additional digital devices as presented in Patent Point 0011:

The members of the network can be, e.g., clients, servers, PCs, mobile computers, game machines, PDAs, set top boxes, appliances,digital televisions and other devices using computer processors.

Does the “Digital Hub” ring a bell with anyone? Yes, of course. Think about it, if MS is currently having problems with just keeping up with cellphones, how will they ever keep up with the multiplicity of the additional devices presented in patent point 0011? Well that’s the point—they won’t! Kind of sheds new light as to why Sony’s Kunitake Ando was so excited at this year’s Macworld that he actually got “lost in the moment”—and then suddenly blurted out “we should together—We’ll really create this great HD world and everything – right?” Better yet was Steve Jobs answer—“We’re in.” Yes, of course.

The Patent’s Proposed Network Solution

Patent Points 0009-0012 provides us with CELL’s radical vision for a Network Solution as follows:

A new computer architecture.

A new architecture for computer networks.

A new programming model is required, and

All computers and computing devices of the network are constructed from a common computing module. This common computing module has a consistent structure and preferably employs the same Industry Standard Architecture (ISA).

A new programming model for transmitting data and applications over a network and for processing data and applications among the network’s members.

This programming model employs a software cell transmitted over the network for processing by any of the network’s members.

Each software cell has the same structure and can contain both applications and data.

Each software cell preferably contains a global identification (global ID) and information describing the amount of computing resources required for the cell’s processing. Since all computing resources have the same basic structure and employ the same ISA, the particular resource performing this processing can be located anywhere on the network and dynamically assigned.

How This Could be Playing out Today

The question is simple. If the CELL alliance is now prepared to reveal their enhanced CELL based workstation next week, can we assume that their network solution is close to ready as well?

Once again I turn to Frank Casanova’s keynote remarks that I presented earlier. The only answer given was that the solution rested with Apple’s Xserve.

So let’s review the verbiage of patent points 0009-0012 to see if we could extrapolate a clearer vision in context to Apple having this new network architecture in finished trials.

To demystify the patent, it’s simply a matter of replacing the mystical term software cells with software objects.

Then it’s a matter of simply understanding that Apple themselves have been conducting real-world trials for MPEG-4 Part-10 with H.264/AVC prior to it’s official release in OS-X with their recent Telco trials previously established.

This important twist ties in many projects in play today and sheds much needed light on this mysterious architecture. Why should you make this leap with me? Because of Sony’s own leap presented here in their portable game player specifications:

The game player will include a 4.3-inch widescreen TFT LCD, will contain a lithium-ion battery, and process AAC and MP3 music and AVC/@MP for pictures and movies.
In a presentation at the Hot Chips conference here Tuesday, designer Masanobu Okabe described further details of the PSP chipset, which the company concealed with the non-specific title: “A 90-nm embedded DRAM single-chip LSI with a 3D graphics H.264 codec engine and a reconfigurable processor.”

How clear could this be that MPEG-4 Part-10 H.264/AVC will play a vital role in the CELL project? Obviously Sony’s own game player has been engineered to work with their own proposed network architecture—wouldn’t you agree?

In addition, how could we talk about networks and not think about Cisco and their connection to this project. They’re one of the core partners in the newly formed open digital media framework that supports H.264 Advanced Video Coding along with Apple and IBM. Contextually it would be interesting to Note that Patent Points 0066, 67, 72, 73, 77, 78, 79 and 80 introduce the notion of the Broadband Engine. Equally relevant therefore would be Cisco’s Broadband Processing Enginesthat would seem to fit into the patents scenarios.

Then there’s “Chaku-Uta Full”—KDDI’s new music download service. Interesting to note here is that the “Chaku-Uta Full” trademark is owned by Sony Music Entertainment Corporation. KDDI uses AAC, so what’s happening here on the music front? Wouldn’t Sony’s proposed network architecture be in play here? So it makes one wonder if Steve Jobs commentary at MacWorld being—“You know we do work very closely with Sony on digital still cameras and these new camcorders, which is really great. Andwho knows, maybe someday computers and music too—ties into this new network architecture.

Could WebObjects relate to Software Cells?

One of the keys to note about MPEG-4 PART with H.264 in comparison to H.263 is this: It’s Object-based (see chart above). That does changes everything, and it’s one of the secrets to understanding the CELL patent’s use of the term software cells meaning software objects. I know that the Mac community is quite aware of the fact that Apple’s iTunes Music Store was created with WebObjects. So the patent’s point on a new programming model is solved as far as Mac developers using WebObjects are concerned. So how does Sony fit in this scenario? Well if you go back to Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference in 2000, Steve Jobs made these specific points concerning WebObjects:

“We’ve got over 3.000 customers for this, and these are just a few: AT&T, Sony, AAA, Mercedes, British Telecom, Virgin, Disney and UPS.” “Apple has big plans for WebObjects.” “We think this is going to be a very important technology for this community going forward.”

Big plans you say? Yes, of course. The point being that Steve Jobs purposely got Sony on record as being a WebObjects developer, so there’s precedent here.

There is growing evidence that MPEG-4 Part-10 H.264AVC is in fact one component connected with their proposed architecture for computer networks. Another aspect of this network architecture certainly involves grid computing.

On OSGi’s homepage you’ll recognize many of the industries top players listed in association with this initiative including IBM and Toshiba who are two of the three companies involved with the CELL processor. While Sony isn’t listed here, there’s a direct connection found on the ObjectWeb’s success stories Web page connecting them to Opensugar’s JEFFREE [Java Embedded Framework FREE], which is an OSGi services gateway for service applications. In Opensugar’s pdf (2003) you’ll find the following:

“Sony International Europe we developed software components to interface between Jeffree and a message-oriented middleware for audio-video home networking, to interact with the Sony home network devices, in this case network-ready camcorders final demonstration was a VAIO and hard-disk based video recorders.”
The subtle clue to extract here of course is, “we developed software components to interface between Jeffree … meaning that another source of code is being used to create these software components. Any guesses as to what that other source may be?

Isn’t it funny how things go full circle. Steve Jobs made a point to include both Mercedes and Sony in his keynote of 2000 in respect to WebObjects and then just happened to have these same two players show up at this year’s MacWorld in January 2005. Steve Jobs has a knack at storyboarding everything like a Pixar Movie—you’ve just gotta love it!

ObjectWeb: Sounds Familiar

Being that ObjectWeb was brought into this scenario, I thought I’d bring your attention to ObjectWeb’s home page. Over time you’ll see how this open initiative will play into the CELL project. They of course mention components such as Grid, OSGi and one called GLOBUS. This just came to light last Friday (01/28/95): The new GLOBUS Consortium. This will play a role in the CELL project as well. I’ll just leave it at that.

Remember my mentioning Qualia’s use of hexagons provided a vital clue? Hmm, ObjectWeb has that same hexagon aspect to their logo and Sony’s using the ObjectWeb project JEFFREE. Coincidence—I don’t think so.

The second point may sound trivial, but did you know that WebObjects in French just happens to translate directly as ObjectWeb? Have you heard of any lawsuits lately on this infringement to Apple’s WebObject? Didn’t think so. Perhaps I’ll touch on that again in another chapter. For now, think of this group … well … as one of the family, and I’ll leave it at that for now.

Let’s Clear up that Nasty GPU CPU Confusion

As far as the confusion goes over whether to view CELL as either a GPU or CPU, here’s a way to cut-to-the-chase. Yes it’s a GPU because it’s a Grid Processor Unit. Yes, it’s a CPU because it’s the CELL Processor Unit. It can’t be a central processor unit (CPU) by its classic definition because the patent itself calls the desktop model based on the central processor a failure as a networking platform. In addition, CELL could work in conjunction with a wide variety of desktop processors in certain hardware.

Nvidia’s December 2004 news release pertaining to their joint venture with Sony stated that “both companies are jointly developing a custom graphics processing unit (GPU) incorporating NVIDIA’s next-generation GeForce and SCEI’s system solutions for next-generation computer entertainment systems featuring the Cell processor.” So obviously CELL used in this context, is relating to its Grid Processor Unit properties working in conjunction with a traditional custom Graphic Processor Unit—that isn’t CELL itself. Think of the CELL patent as simply hijacking traditional terminology in order to throw off the competition, because on that front, consider it mission accomplished!

So the pieces of the puzzle are coming together quite nicely. CELL’s mysterious common platform is … well, not so much of a mystery anymore. Wouldn’t you agree? Apple has been executing on the CELL project without the actual processor from the Server side of things for a little while now. So could you imagine what QuickTime 7 with H.264 will bring to the table once CELL is implemented on digital devices? Surf’s up dude – I see the Next Wave of the Internet!

Addendum:

The originating Qualia site is a work in progress awaiting the arrival of CELL no doubt and provides us with a tiny peek at future products on tap for this new CELL centric consumer line. If you visit the site, you could click on About Us” if you want to pick-up a Mac OS X Screensaver up to a 1280×1024 format. There’s a rather lengthy QuickTime clip that’s both eclectic and artistic in nature – literally. Skip it if you’re not the artsy-type, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch it with your morning coffee—it’s up to you.

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