System for integrating courier service with customer applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928540-B1
Application number	US-201615390958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Techniques to enable the integration of a courier service with a customer application. To integrate a courier service with a customer application, a system may receive a plurality of orders that are to be fulfilled by delivery along with a plurality of locations associated with a plurality of courier devices. The system can then generate a proposal for an order that is based on the plurality of orders and the plurality of locations. In some instances, the system generates the proposal to include one or more options for fulfilling the order, such as delivery by a courier, pickup by a customer, or dine-in by the customer. In some instances, the system further determines a cost associated with each of the options and generates the proposal to include the respective costs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a service computing device including a service computing device processor and a service computing device communication interface communicatively coupled to the service computing device processor, the service computing device communication interface for communicating over one or more networks with a plurality of courier devices, a plurality of merchant devices, and a plurality of customer devices, the service computing device being configured to:
receive, by the service computing device, from a plurality of first customer devices of the plurality of customer devices, a plurality of orders, respectively, each respective order of the plurality of orders being for a respective menu item to be prepared by a respective merchant for a respective first customer associated with a respective first customer device of the plurality of customer devices:
receive, by the service computing device, from each respective first customer device of the plurality of customer devices, first information indicating a geographic location of the respective first customer device;
receive, by the service computing device, from each respective courier device of the plurality of courier devices, second information indicating a geographic location of the respective courier device, wherein a courier application executable on each respective courier device determines and sends the second information to the service computing device;
determine, by the service computing device, a courier shortage state based at least in part on the received plurality of orders, the received geographic locations of the plurality of first customer devices, and the received geographic locations of the plurality of courier devices;
receive, by the service computing device, from a customer application executing on a second customer device of the plurality of customer devices, an indication that a second customer has accessed the customer application on the second customer device, the customer application including functionality for ordering the respective menu items from the respective merchants;
generate, by the service computing device, based at least in part on the courier shortage state and the indication that the second customer has accessed the customer application on the second customer device, fulfillment information for presentation on the second customer device;
send, by the service computing device, the fulfillment information to the second customer device, wherein the customer application is executable by one or more processors of the second customer device to:
send the first information to the service computing device indicating the geographic location of the second customer device;
present an interface on a display associated with the second customer device;
receive, from the service computing device, the fulfillment information, the fulfillment information causing the customer application to present, in the interface, one or more acquisition options for acquiring a menu item, by at least one of:
restricting from presentation in the interface a first acquisition option for acquiring the menu item by delivery; or
displaying in the interface an incentive for acquiring the menu item using a second acquisition option that is different from the first acquisition option;

receive, via the interface, a customer selection of a presented acquisition option for the menu item; and
send order information to the service computing device based on the customer selection.

2. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein:
the service computing device is further configured to:
receive, from an additional plurality of customer devices, an indication of a plurality of potential orders, wherein a respective potential order of the plurality of potential orders is for a respective menu item to be prepared by the merchant for a respective potential customer, wherein determining the courier shortage state is further based at least in part on the indication of the plurality of potential orders; and

each respective additional customer device of the additional plurality of customer devices comprises a respective customer application executable by one or more processors of the respective additional customer device associated with the respective potential customer to:
provide an interface to the respective potential customer via a display associated with the respective additional customer device;
receive, via the interface, a selection of the respective menu item as the respective potential order; and
send the respective potential order to the service computing device.

3. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the service computing device is further configured to:
generate with the fulfillment information a proposal based, at least in part, on the courier shortage state, the proposal including the first acquisition option associated with a first cost for fulfilling the order by delivery by a courier, and the second acquisition option associated with a second cost for fulfilling the order by pickup or dine-in by the second customer, wherein the second cost is different from the first cost.

4. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the service computing device is further configured to:
generate the fulfillment information to include the second acquisition option for acquiring the menu item by pickup or dine-in by the second customer without including the first acquisition option for acquiring the menu item by delivery by a courier.

5. A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a plurality of first orders from a plurality of first electronic devices;
assigning, by the one or more processors, individual ones of the plurality of first orders for fulfillment by delivery to respective couriers of a plurality of first couriers;
receiving, by the one or more processors, from each of a plurality of first courier devices associated with the plurality of first couriers, first information indicating a first geographic location of the respective first courier device;
receiving, by the one or more processors, from a customer application executing on a second electronic device, an indication that a customer has accessed the customer application on the second customer device, the customer application including functionality enabling ordering an item from a merchant;
receiving, by the one or more processors, from a second courier device associated with a second courier, second information indicating a second geographic location of the second courier device;
determining, by the one or more processors, a courier shortage state based at least in part on the first geographic locations of the plurality of first courier devices and the second geographic location of the second courier device;
generating, by the one or more processors, based at least partially on the courier shortage state and the indication that the customer application has been accessed on the second electronic device, fulfillment information for presentation on the second electronic device;
sending, by the one or more processors, to the second electronic device, the fulfillment information, the fulfillment information causing the customer application on the second electronic device to at least one of:
restrict, from display in a user interface presented on the second electronic device, a first acquisition option for acquiring the item by delivery; or
display, in the user interface, an incentive for acquiring the item using a second acquisition option that is different from the first acquisition option;

receiving, by the one or more processors, from the second electronic device, an indication of a selected acquisition option for a second order for acquiring the item; and
sending, by the one or more processors, a communication for fulfilling the second o

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Gerard Ryan
• Lam Fion
• Chu Keith
• Reiss Jesse L
• Iacono Jeffrey F
• Hammer Derek
• Thole Michael

Classifications

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635 Primary

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• H04L67/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title