Creaform patent confirmed

China Patent Office approval for Creaform's scanning technology

Creaform has announced that the China Patent Council has confirmed Creaform's Chinese patent for the 3D scanning technology used in a range of Creaform products following a patent examination. The technology covered by this patent is included in their flagship product, the HandySCAN 3D ™ 3D scanner. The decision was welcomed with considerable satisfaction by the management of the Canadian company, which specializes in the development of 3D measurement technology.

The challenge challenging the validity of Creaform's Chinese patent was filed by a Chinese citizen in China's State Patent Registry in July 2017. Coincidentally, this was at the same time that several Chinese manufacturers began to develop and market automatic handheld scanners guaranteed to provide a similar level of performance as Creaform's patented HandySCAN 3D ™ technology. Some of these manufacturers have gone so far as to blatantly copy even the design aspects of the products including marketing materials.

Creaform introduced the HandySCAN 3D ™ 3D scanner in 2005. It was the first generation of truly accurate, portable, auto-positioning handheld 3D laser scanners. The device was characterized by ease of use and accurate measurement of complex shapes in environments previously considered too robust for dimensional metrology. The technology developed by Creaform developed over time until 2014, when it underwent an important redesign and immediately became the most sought-after handheld laser scanner on the global market.

The patent confirmed by the China Patent Examination Council covers the patented 3D scanning technology used in Creaform's HandySCAN 3D ™ scanners, Go! SCAN 3D ™ and other products. Creaform's proprietary automatic positioning technology (also known as self-positioning technology) for handheld 3D scanners is patented in several countries around the world, including the United States, Japan and Germany. The board's decision strengthens Creaform's position in the market as it gives options to take further steps to protect its intellectual property.

Creaform's 3D measuring devices and application programs are fully equipped with patented technologies. Our 3D scanners, portable coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and photogrammetry measuring instruments are the result of 15 years of intensive research and development at Creaform and offer unmatched accuracy, resolution, repeatability and ease of use