IP Library Granted Patent US 12670521
Granted Patent B2
US 12670521 · App. 18/499,609 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Messaging interface for managing order changes

Inventors: Camille van Horne (San Francisco, CA); Philip Goolkasian (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
G06Q30/0635G06F3/0482G06Q30/0641H04L51/046G06F3/0485
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12670521
App. No.
18/499,609
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a delivery service, a picker retrieves items specified in an order by a customer. If a picker encounters an issue with an item in the order, the picker may select, via a user interface, the item and an associated template message, which requests input from the customer regarding a course of action for the item, to send to the customer. The customer may select, via another user interface, a template message describing a course of action for the item. In response to receiving one of a subset of template messages, the online concierge system displays via the user interface, a set of replacement options to the customer, who may select one of the replacement options to be sent to the picker with the template message.

Claims (74)

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an order, the order comprising a plurality of items;

causing to display, via a chat interface on a picker device, a scrollable list of the plurality of items;

receiving, via the chat interface, a selection of an item from the scrollable list, wherein the selection indicates that the item has an issue encountered during fulfillment of the order;

responsive to receiving the selection, causing to display, via the chat interface, a set of two or more template messages within a chat window specific to the order, wherein the set of two or more template messages is selected based on the selected item, wherein each of the template messages in the set specifies a potential issue, wherein the set of two or more template messages includes messages associated with one or more potential issues with the item, wherein each template message is an editable message for a picker to specify an issue with the item;

receiving a selection of one of the template messages in the set;

receiving, via the chat interface, one or more edits to the selected template message;

transmitting an edited template with the one or more edits to a client device, wherein transmitting the edited template message causes the chat interface on the picker device to render the edited message in the chat window specific to the order;

receiving, via the chat interface on the picker device, information related to a client response message rendered in the chat window specific to the order; and

processing the client response message to display, via the chat window, a message indicating a course of action for the item.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the order comprises:

receiving, from the client device, the plurality of items that are selected by a customer; and

receiving a selection of a location to which the items are to be delivered; and

wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the scrollable list of the plurality of items comprises causing the scrollable list to be displayed at the chat interface of a picker for the picker to gather the items on behalf of the customer.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises:

displaying a first template message that indicates the item is in a poor quality; and

displaying a second template message that indicates the item is not available.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises displaying the set of two or more template messages in a slider or in a scrollable list.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises displaying one of the template messages that indicates to remove the item from the order.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, via the chat interface, one or more edits to the selected template message comprises:

causing the chat interface to display a camera icon; and

receiving a picture of a replacement option from a picker taking the picture at a warehouse location.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the edited template with the one or more edits to the client device comprises:

providing one or more replacement options that are transmitted along with the edited template;

retrieving user data describing previous orders and previously selected replacement options; and

ranking a set of replacement options based on the user data.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a message indicating a course of action for the item comprises receiving a selection from a customer to replace the item with another item that is suggested in the template message.

9 . A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving an order, the order comprising a plurality of items;

causing to display, via a chat interface on a picker device, a scrollable list of the plurality of items;

receiving, via the chat interface, a selection of an item from the scrollable list, wherein the selection indicates that the item has an issue encountered during fulfillment of the order;

responsive to receiving the selection, causing to display, via the chat interface, a set of two or more template messages within a chat window specific to the order, wherein the set of two or more template messages is selected based on the selected item, wherein each of the template messages in the set specifies a potential issue, wherein the set of two or more template messages includes messages associated with one or more potential issues with the item, wherein each template message is an editable message for a picker to specify an issue with the item;

receiving a selection of one of the template messages in the set;

receiving, via the chat interface, one or more edits to the selected template message;

transmitting an edited template with the one or more edits to a client device, wherein transmitting the edited template message causes the chat interface on the picker device to render the edited message in the chat window specific to the order;

receiving, via the chat interface on the picker device, information related to a client response message rendered in the chat window specific to the order; and

processing the client response message to display, via the chat window, a message indicating a course of action for the item.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein receiving the order comprises:

receiving, from the client device, the plurality of items that are selected by a customer; and

receiving a selection of a location to which the items are to be delivered; and

wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the scrollable list of the plurality of items comprises causing the scrollable list to be displayed at the chat interface of a picker for the picker to gather the items on behalf of the customer.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises:

displaying a first template message that indicates the item is in a poor quality; and

displaying a second template message that indicates the item is not available.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises displaying the set of two or more template messages in a slider or in a scrollable list.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises displaying one of the template messages that indicates to remove the item from the order.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein receiving, via the chat interface, one or more edits to the selected template message comprises:

causing the chat interface to display a camera icon; and

receiving a picture of a replacement option from a picker taking the picture at a warehouse location.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the edited template with the one or more edits to the client device comprises:

providing one or more replacement options that are transmitted along with the edited template;

retrieving user data describing previous orders and previously selected replacement options; and

ranking a set of replacement options based on the user data.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein receiving a message indicating a course of action for the item comprises receiving a selection from a customer to replace the item with another item that is suggested in the template message.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving an order, the order comprising a plurality of items;

causing to display, via a chat interface on a picker device, a scrollable list of the plurality of items;

receiving, via the chat interface, a selection of an item from the scrollable list, wherein the selection indicates that the item has an issue encountered during fulfillment of the order;

responsive to receiving the selection, causing to display, via the chat interface, a set of two or more template messages within a chat window specific to the order, wherein the set of two or more template messages is selected based on the selected item, wherein each of the template messages in the set specifies a potential issue, wherein the set of two or more template messages includes messages associated with one or more potential issues with the item, wherein each template message is an editable message for a picker to specify an issue with the item;

receiving a selection of one of the template messages in the set;

receiving, via the chat interface, one or more edits to the selected template message;

transmitting an edited template with the one or more edits to a client device, wherein transmitting the edited template message causes the chat interface on the picker device to render the edited message in the chat window specific to the order;

receiving, via the chat interface on the picker device, information related to a client response message rendered in the chat window specific to the order; and

processing the client response message to display, via the chat window, a message indicating a course of action for the item.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein receiving the order comprises:

receiving, from the client device, the plurality of items that are selected by a customer; and

receiving a selection of a location to which the items are to be delivered; and

wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the scrollable list of the plurality of items comprises causing the scrollable list to be displayed at the chat interface of a picker for the picker to gather the items on behalf of the customer.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises displaying the set of two or more template messages in a slider or in a scrollable list.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein causing to display, via the chat interface, the set of two or more template messages comprises:

displaying a first template message that indicates the item is in a poor quality; and

displaying a second template message that indicates the item is not available.