IP Library Granted Patent US 12,548,094
Granted Patent B2
US 12,548,094 · App. 18/620,578 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Embedded applications

Inventors: Philip Goolkasian (San Francisco, CA); Brandon Labbe (San Francisco, CA); Shaun Forouzandeh (San Francisco, CA); Vitaly Odemchuk (Brookhaven, GA)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q50/12G06Q30/0207G06Q30/0631G06Q30/0643
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,548,094
App. No.
18/620,578
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embedding applications, or parts thereof, into other applications, or parts thereof, is described. In an example, an engagement with a first application associated with a merchant can be detected, which can cause the first application to add a user to a waitlist associated with a merchant location of the merchant, and a notification can be sent to a user computing device of the user. Detecting an interaction with an interactable element of the notification can trigger a second application associated with the merchant to be initialized in response to the engagement. In at least one example, the first application can provisionally transition to the second application, or a part thereof. Based at least in part on detecting a user interaction with the second application, and a menu can be presented via a user interface associated with the second application via the user computing device.

Claims (54)

1 . A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, engagement with a first application associated with a merchant that causes the first application to add a user of a user computing device to a waitlist associated with a merchant location of the merchant;

causing, by the one or more processors, a notification to be sent to the user computing device, the notification including an interactable element;

triggering, by the one or more processors and based on detecting an interaction with the interactable element, a second application associated with the merchant to be initialized in response to the engagement;

transitioning, by the one or more processors, provisionally from the first application to the second application; and

causing, by the one or more processors, presentation, via the user computing device, of a menu on a user interface associated with the second application.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the notification to be sent is based at least in part on a position of the user on the waitlist.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of a user interaction with the second application, wherein the user interaction is with the menu and causes the second application to submit, over a network, a request to order one or more items from the merchant; and

causing, by the one or more processors, presentation, via the user computing device, of a user interface element on a second user interface associated with the first application, the user interface element representing at least a portion of the user interaction.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein items on the menu have been determined based at least in part on past buyer history associated with the user.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the user interface element indicates that an order for the one or more items is pending.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising downloading, by the one or more processors, the first application to the user computing device based at least in part on determining that the user computing device is within a threshold distance of the merchant location of the merchant.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction with the interactable element comprises an input of one or more of a party size, a name, or a phone number.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, data associated with the interaction with the interactable element; and

storing, by the one or more processors, the data in a data structure representing the waitlist.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing, by the one or more processors and in response to detecting the interaction with the interactable element, a second notification to be sent to the user computing device, the notification including an indication the user is added to the waitlist; and

causing by the one or more processors, a third notification to be sent to the user computing device, the third notification including a second interactable element,

wherein triggering the second application is based on detecting an interaction with the second interactable element.

10 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

detecting engagement with a first application associated with a merchant that causes the first application to add a user of a user computing device to a waitlist associated with a merchant location of the merchant;

causing a notification to be sent to the user computing device, the notification including an interactable element;

triggering, based on detecting an interaction with the interactable element, a second application associated with the merchant to be initialized in response to the engagement;

transitioning provisionally from the first application to the second application; and

causing presentation, via the user computing device, of a menu on a user interface associated with the second application.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the interaction with the interactable element comprises an input of one or more of a party size, a name, or a phone number.

12 . The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, data associated with the interaction with the interactable element; and

storing, by the one or more processors, the data in a data structure representing the waitlist.

13 . The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

causing, in response to detecting the interaction with the interactable element, a second notification to be sent to the user computing device, the notification including an indication the user is added to the waitlist; and

causing a third notification to be sent to the user computing device, the third notification including a second interactable element,

wherein triggering the second application is based on detecting an interaction with the second interactable element.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein causing the notification to be sent is based at least in part on a position of the user on the waitlist.

15 . The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

receiving an indication of a user interaction with the second application, wherein the user interaction is with the menu and causes the second application to submit, over a network, a request to order one or more items from the merchant; and

causing presentation, via the user computing device, of a user interface element on a second user interface associated with the first application, the user interface element representing at least a portion of the user interaction.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the merchant location comprises a restaurant;

the waitlist is for a table at the restaurant; and

the request comprises an order for one or more food items to be delivered to the table at the merchant location upon arrival of the user at the table.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the user interface element indicates that an order for the one or more items is pending.

18 . The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising: downloading the first application to the user computing device based at least in part on determining that the user computing device is within a threshold distance of the merchant location of the merchant.

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

detecting engagement with a first application associated with a merchant that causes the first application to add a user of a user computing device to a waitlist associated with a merchant location of the merchant;

causing a notification to be sent to the user computing device, the notification including an interactable element;

triggering, based on detecting an interaction with the interactable element, a second application associated with the merchant to be initialized in response to the engagement;

transitioning provisionally from the first application to the second application; and

causing presentation, via the user computing device, of a menu on a user interface associated with the second application.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the merchant location comprises a restaurant, and wherein the waitlist is for a table at the restaurant.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: GOOLKASIAN, PHILIP; LABBE, BRANDON; ODEMCHUK, VITALY
To: SQUARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 067190/0944 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: SQUARE, INC.
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 067191/0648 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18089320 · Dec 27, 2022
Continuation 17114015 · Dec 7, 2020
Provisional Application 63058841 · Jul 30, 2020
Related Publication 20250307962A1 · Oct 2, 2025
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