Software patent awarded

The ability to free draw windows and doors with your finger (or mouse) has become a key feature of Tommy Trinder’s Framepoint platform, and now the technology is protected by patent.

Chris Brunsdon, founder and CEO, said: “Installers want quoting software that is easy to use, and it doesn’t get any simpler than free-sketching your windows and doors. There’s a real wow moment for homeowners when they see it in action too. We’re so chuffed this ground-breaking technology has finally been recognised with a patent.”

Getting a patent for software applications is notoriously difficult, and it’s been long process for the firm.

Chief technology officer Robert Franks said: “We started developing our free-drawing technology a little over eight years ago. Chris showed me how he sketched out windows and doors on an A4 pad when he was selling to a homeowner and told me he wanted to be able sketch windows on a computer, in the same, simple way.

“New technology to render shapes and images via the web was just emerging at that time, and we moved quickly to leverage this to develop our interface for hand-drawing windows and doors. I’m really proud of what we managed to deliver. The images are super-fast and photo-realistic throughout the system. Getting the patent is the icing on the cake.”

This patent means Framepoint will be the only software that can have this feature for the next 20 years.