IP Library Granted Patent US 11,928,724
Granted Patent B2
US 11,928,724 · App. 16/998,921 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Customer-device application sites accessible via merchant-managed identifiers

Inventors: Katherine Swett (Long Island City, NY); Drew Richards (Brooklyn, NY); Xuanhua Ren (San Francisco, CA); Neil Straghalis (San Francisco, CA); Vitaly Odemchuk (San Francisco, CA); Lisa Fong (Hayward, CA); Katherine Ahn (New York, NY); David Pearson (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q30/0643G06F16/954G06Q20/102G06Q30/0641
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,928,724
App. No.
16/998,921
Filed
Aug 20, 2020
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3684
USPC
705/27.2
Abstract

Customer-device application sites (e.g., content presented via a progressive web applications) that are accessible via merchant-managed identifiers (e.g., identification codes) are described. An identification of a physical location associated with a merchant can be associated with an identification code. The identification code can be received from a computing device of a customer and, based at least in part on receiving the identification code, merchant data associated with the merchant can be caused to be presented via a web browser of the computing device of the customer. In an example, the merchant data can be presented via the web browser by a progressive web application downloaded onto the computing device of the customer via the web browser. An indication of an input received via the progressive web application can be received by the computing device of the customer and an operation based at least in part on the input can be performed.

Claims (60)

1. A method, implemented by at least one server computing device of a service provider, the method comprising:

accessing, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant associated with the service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated seating area within the brick-and-mortar store;

generating, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the third identifier is an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, an indication of the third identifier from the computing device of the customer in the designated seating area at the brick-and-mortar store;

causing, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, a progressive web application to be downloaded onto the computing device of the customer via a web browser of the computing device of the customer, wherein:

the progressive web application is associated with an object that (i) is configured to execute client-side code in a background thread separate from a main thread of the web browser of the computing device of the customer and (ii) provides a scriptable network proxy to the web browser to programmatically manage communication between the progressive web application and the at least one server computing device of the service provider;

at least a portion of the progressive web application is cached by the object for future interactions with the progressive web application; and

the progressive web application causes a menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the web browser;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider and from the computing device of the customer and via an input received by the progressive web application, an order for an item of the menu of items, wherein the order is associated with the third identifier;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer; and

processing, by the at least one server computing device of the service provider, payment for at least the order based at least in part on the payment data.

2. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the indication of the third identifier is associated with a customer identifier, the method further comprising:

accessing customer data associated with the customer identifier; and

generating the menu of items based at least in part on the customer data.

3. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the payment data is received while the customer is at the brick-and-mortar store or after the customer has left the brick-and-mortar store.

4. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the order is a first order, the item is a first item, and the first order is associated with a first time, the method further comprising receiving, via another input received by the progressive web application and at a second time after the first time, a second order for a second item of the menu of items, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

5. The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the order is associated with a first time, the method further comprising receiving, via another input received by the progressive web application and at a second time after the first time, at least one of gratuity or feedback associated with at least the order, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

6. The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising receiving, from a computing device of the merchant and prior to generating the identification code, an indication that the designated seating area has been added to the brick-and-mortar store, wherein generating the third identifier is further based at least in part on receiving the indication that the designated seating area has been added.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

associate, by at least one server computing device of a service provider, (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant of a plurality of merchants associated with the service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated seating area within the brick-and-mortar store;

generate, by the at least one server computing device, a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the third identifier is an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receive, by the at least one server computing device, an indication of the third identifier from a computing device of the customer;

cause, by the at least one server computing device and based at least in part on receiving the indication of the third identifier, merchant data associated with the merchant to be presented via a web browser of the computing device of the customer, wherein the merchant data is presented via the web browser by a progressive web application downloaded onto the computing device of the customer via the web browser;

receive, by the at least one server computing device and from the computing device of the customer, an indication of an input received via the progressive web application; and

perform, by the at least one server computing device, an operation based at least in part on the input.

8. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the third identifier comprises at least one of a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, or a unique identifier of a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device.

9. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the input is associated with a transaction and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

receive, by the at least one server computing device, payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer, wherein the payment data is received prior to, at a beginning of, during, at an end of, or after the transaction, and wherein the payment data is received via (i) the computing device of the customer via the progressive web application, (ii) a computing device of the merchant via a merchant application installed thereon, or (iii) a datastore storing the payment data; and

process, by the at least one server computing device, payment for the transaction based at least in part on the payment data.

10. The system as claim 9 recites wherein, prior to the merchant data being presented via the web browser by the progressive web application, at least a portion of the merchant data is presented via an instant application.

11. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the indication of the third identifier is associated with a customer identifier, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

access, by the at least one server computing device, customer data associated with the customer identifier; and

determine, by the at least one server computing device, at least one of the merchant data or a recommendation associated with the merchant data based at least in part on the customer data.

12. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the merchant data comprises a menu of items available for sale by the merchant and the input comprises an order for an item.

13. The system as claim 12 recites, wherein the input is associated with a first time, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the at least one server computing device to receive, from the computing device of the customer, another indication of another input received by the progressive web application and at a second time, wherein the other input comprises at least one of another order for another item, a reservation, gratuity, or feedback, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

14. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the merchant data comprises a layout of the brick-and-mortar store of the merchant and the input comprises a request to be seated at another designated seating area associated with the brick-and-mortar store.

15. The system as claim 7 recites, wherein the progressive web application is associated with an object that (i) is configured to execute client-side code in a background thread separate from a main thread of the web browser of the computing device of the customer and (ii) provides a scriptable network proxy to the web browser to programmatically manage communication between the progressive web application and the at least one server computing device of the service provider, and wherein at least a portion of the progressive web application is cached by the object for future interactions with the progressive web application.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

associating, by at least one server computing device of a service provider, (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant associated with the service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated seating area within the brick-and-mortar store;

generating, by the at least one server computing device of a service provider, a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the third identifier is an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device and from a computing device of the customer, an indication of the third identifier;

causing, by the at least one server computing device and based at least in part on receiving the third identifier, a menu of items for sale by the merchant to be presented via a web browser of the computing device of the customer, wherein the menu of items is presented via the web browser by a progressive web application downloaded onto the computing device of the customer via the web browser;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device and from the computing device of the customer and at a first time via an indication of a first input received by the progressive web application, a first order for a first item from the menu of items;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device, payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer; and

processing, by the at least one server computing device, payment for at least the first item based at least in part on the payment data.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 16 recites, the operations further comprising:

associating, by the at least one server computing device, the first item with a data structure representing an open ticket;

receiving, by the at least one server computing device and from the computing device of the customer and at a second time via a second input received by the progressive web application, a second order for a second item from the menu of items, wherein the second time is after the first time;

associating, by the at least one server computing device, the second item with the data structure; and

processing, by the at least one server computing device, payment for the first item and the second item at a third time after the first time and the second time.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 16 recites, the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one server computing device and from a computing device of the merchant, a second order associated with a different customer, wherein the second order is received via (i) an online ordering user interface or (ii) an application associated with the computing device of the merchant;

adding, by the at least one server computing device, the second order to a queue that includes the first order; and

causing, by the at least one server computing device, at least a portion of the queue to be presented via at least one of the computing device of the customer or the computing device of the merchant.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 16 recites, the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on receiving the indication of the third identifier, accessing, by the at least one server computing device, data associated with an online menu presented via an online ordering user interface; and

modifying, by the at least one server computing device, the data associated with the online menu to generate the menu of items to be presented via the web browser by the progressive web application.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 16 recites, wherein the third identifier is presented via an electronic device.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 5, 2022
From: SQUARE, INC.
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 058646/0154 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: SWETT, KATHERINE; RICHARDS, DREW; REN, XUANHUA; STRAGHALIS, NEIL; ODEMCHUK, VITALY; FONG, LISA; AHN, KATHERINE; PEARSON, DAVID
To: SQUARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 054169/0188 →
Continuity (1)
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Cited By (1)
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