IP Library Granted Patent US 12,165,140
Granted Patent B2
US 12,165,140 · App. 17/870,487 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Recommending conditions for blockchain-enforced contracts

Inventors: Brian John Mullins (San Francisco, CA); Kay Sueru Feker (San Francisco, CA); Steffano Santiago Chavez (Clayton, MO); Michael Andrew Tomkins (San Francisco, CA); Nicole Antonio Maulino (San Ramon, CA); Ryan Yi-Lin Tai (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q20/38215G06F21/64G06Q20/401G06Q30/04H04L9/0637
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,165,140
App. No.
17/870,487
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, techniques include receiving, by a computing device associated with a payment service system, a request to create a blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between a merchant and a customer. Techniques include generating, based on analysis using machine-learned models of a transaction history associated with the merchant, a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract requisite for completion of the new transaction. Techniques includes generating the blockchain-enforced contract including the condition. Techniques include providing the blockchain-enforced contract to nodes in a blockchain network. Techniques include creating a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and including information regarding the condition. Techniques include providing the blockchain transaction to the nodes. Techniques include receiving confirmation that the nodes have validated the blockchain transaction. Techniques include causing a value associated with the new transaction to be transferred to a merchant account associated with the merchant.

Claims (69)

1. A payment service system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the one or more processors and comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request to create a blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between a merchant and a customer, wherein the request indicates a value associated with the new transaction;

generating, based on accessing a merchant transaction history associated with the payment service system and providing the merchant transaction history as input to a machine-learned model, a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction;

generating computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract, the blockchain-enforced contract indicating the condition to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction, the computer code being executable by one or more nodes of a blockchain network;

providing the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, in association with the new transaction, an input comprising information regarding the condition of the blockchain-enforced contract;

creating, based on the input, a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and comprising the information regarding the condition;

providing the blockchain transaction to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, based on the one or more nodes executing the computer code according to the blockchain transaction and representing the blockchain-enforced contract, confirmation that the one or more nodes in the blockchain network have validated the blockchain transaction comprising the information regarding the condition; and

transferring the value associated with the new transaction to a merchant account associated with the merchant.

2. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the input is received from at least one of a customer client system associated with the customer, a system associated with a third party related to the new transaction, or a point-of-sale device associated with the merchant.

3. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

causing the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from an escrow account to the merchant account.

4. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

causing the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from a customer account associated with the customer.

5. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

transmitting, to a computing device associated with the merchant, a user interface comprising one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied as selectable elements in the user interface; and

receiving, from the computing device associated with the merchant, a selection of at least one of the one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied through interaction with the selectable elements in the user interface,

wherein generating the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract is based at least in part on the selection.

6. The payment service system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

generating, based at least in part on an analysis using the machine-learned model, the one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied.

7. The payment service system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

generating an invoice relating to the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract comprising the information about the new transaction and the selection of the at least one of the one or more options;

providing the invoice to at least the computing device associated with the merchant; and

receiving, from at least the computing device associated with the merchant, input indicating that the invoice has been acknowledged.

8. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nodes of the blockchain network execute the computer code in response to receiving the blockchain transaction, the blockchain transaction activating the execution of the computer code.

9. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the new transaction comprises a first stage corresponding to a purchase and a second stage corresponding to a return,

wherein the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract comprises at least one condition for completion of the first stage and at least one condition for completion of the second stage.

10. The payment service system of claim 1 , wherein the payment service system additionally comprises a node in the blockchain network.

11. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media associated with a payment service system, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device of the payment service system, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a request to create a blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between a merchant and a customer, wherein the request indicates a value associated with the new transaction;

generating, based on accessing a transaction history associated with the merchant and providing the transaction history as input to a machine-learned model, a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction;

generating, by the computing device, computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract, the blockchain-enforced contract indicating the condition to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction, the computer code being executable by one or more nodes of a blockchain network;

providing, by the computing device, the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, in association with the new transaction, an input comprising information regarding the condition of the blockchain-enforced contract;

creating, by the computing device and based on the input, a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and comprising the information regarding the condition;

providing, by the computing device, the blockchain transaction to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, by the computing device and based on the one or more nodes executing the computer code according to the blockchain transaction and representing the blockchain-enforced contract, confirmation that the one or more nodes in the blockchain network have validated the blockchain transaction comprising the information regarding the condition; and

transferring, by the computing device, the value associated with the new transaction to a merchant account associated with the merchant.

12. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 11 , wherein the input is received from at least one of a customer client system associated with the customer, a system associated with a third party related to the new transaction, or a point-of-sale device associated with the merchant.

13. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computing device, further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

causing the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from an escrow account to the merchant account.

14. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computing device, further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

causing the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from a customer account associated with the customer.

15. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computing device, further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

transmitting, to a computing device associated with the merchant, a user interface comprising one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied as selectable elements in the user interface; and

receiving, from the computing device associated with the merchant, a selection of at least one of the one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied through interaction with the selectable elements in the user interface,

wherein generating the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract is based at least in part on the selection.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device associated with a payment service system, a request to create a blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between a merchant and a customer, wherein the request indicates a value associated with the new transaction;

generating, by the computing device and based on accessing a transaction history associated with the merchant and providing the transaction history as input to a machine-learned model, a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction;

generating, by the computing device, computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract comprising the condition to be satisfied for completion of the new transaction, the computer code being executable by one or more nodes of a blockchain network;

providing, by the computing device, the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, by the computing device and in association with the new transaction, an input comprising information regarding the condition of the blockchain-enforced contract;

creating, by the computing device and based on the input, a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and comprising the information regarding the condition;

providing, by the computing device, the blockchain transaction to the one or more nodes in the blockchain network;

receiving, by the computing device and based on the one or more nodes executing the computer code according to the blockchain transaction and representing the blockchain-enforced contract, confirmation that the one or more nodes in the blockchain network have validated the blockchain transaction comprising the information regarding the condition; and

transferring, by the computing device, the value associated with the new transaction to a merchant account associated with the merchant.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the input is received from at least one of a customer client system associated with the customer, a system associated with a third party related to the new transaction, or a point-of-sale device associated with the merchant.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from an escrow account to the merchant account.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, the value associated with the new transaction to be transferred from a customer account associated with the customer.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device and to a computing device associated with the merchant, a user interface comprising one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied as selectable elements in the user interface; and

receiving, by the computing device and from the computing device associated with the merchant, a selection of at least one of the one or more options for determining that the condition is satisfied through interaction with the selectable elements in the user interface,

wherein generating the computer code representing the blockchain-enforced contract is based at least in part on the selection.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2022
From: MULLINS, BRIAN JOHN; FEKER, KAY SUERU; TOMKINS, MICHAEL ANDREW; MAULINO, NICOLE ANTONIO; TAI, RYAN YI-LIN; CHAVEZ, STEFFANO SANTIAGO
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 060585/0063 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 21, 2022
From: SQUARE, INC.
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 060813/0892 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15992117 · May 29, 2018
Related Publication 20220358498A1 · Nov 10, 2022