Patents by Inventor Bruce Bell
Bruce Bell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11164172Abstract: A system and environment to enable entities to utilize delivery services provided by a service provider are described herein. In some examples, the service provider exposes the delivery services to a computing device associated with a merchant, buyer, and/or others using one or more Applicant Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by the service provider. The one or more APIs may enable merchants and/or others to automatically integrate the delivery services into technologies used by the merchants and/or others in order to facilitate delivery of items that are offered for acquisition by the merchants.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2017Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Kevin Yien, Karl Westman
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Patent number: 11151530Abstract: Described herein is a centralized order computing system that is configured to receive orders from a plurality of sources. The plurality of sources can include delivery applications, remote customer computing devices, and/or service computing devices associated with a merchant. The centralized order computing system may be configured to receive a plurality of orders from the plurality of sources, send the plurality of orders to a kitchen computing system associated with the merchant, receive a notification of order completion, and process the order.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, James Lintern, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Matthew T. Kursmark, Logan Johnson
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Publication number: 20210312413Abstract: A system and environment to enable entities to utilize delivery services provided by a service provider are described herein. In some examples, the service provider exposes the delivery services to a computing device associated with a merchant, buyer, and/or others using one or more Applicant Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by the service provider. The one or more APIs may enable merchants and/or others to automatically integrate the delivery services into technologies used by the merchants and/or others in order to facilitate delivery of items that are offered for acquisition by the merchants.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Bruce Bell, Kevin Yien, Karl Westman
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Patent number: 11010739Abstract: A system and environment to enable entities to utilize delivery services provided by a service provider are described herein. In some examples, the service provider exposes the delivery services to a computing device associated with a merchant, buyer, and/or others using one or more Applicant Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by the service provider. The one or more APIs may enable merchants and/or others to automatically integrate the delivery services into technologies used by the merchants and/or others in order to facilitate updating content of menus.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Kevin Yien, Karl Westman
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Patent number: 10956891Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enabling more efficient tipping by providing a merchant the ability to reduce the time used on manually entering tip amounts. In one embodiment, a method includes automatically generating, by a point-of-sale (POS) system, a transaction receipt that indicates a plurality of selectable tip options, wherein said automatically generating the transaction receipt is based on one or more rules specified by a user of the POS system. The method further includes causing the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt. The method further includes identifying, by the POS system, a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt. Among other benefits, the disclosed techniques reduce the time and effort the merchant needs to spend on collating the tipping at end of the business day.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Mathew Wilson, Gerard Thomas Knight
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Patent number: 10949888Abstract: Technology is disclosed for facilitating generation and processing of a customized promotion based on a set of factors. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology enables a particular merchant to incentivize customer business (e.g., increase customer traffic to a physical merchant location) by offering a customized promotion for placement in a receipt of a transaction with another merchant. The customized promotion, which decreases incrementally in value over time, is generated specifically for a product and/or service offered by the particular merchant. The product and/or service associated with the promotion correlates to a set of factors, including, among others, the customer's spending trend, thereby increasing the likelihood that the customer would redeem the promotion with the particular merchant in a second transaction.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2014Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Zachary Brock, John Ryan Crepezzi, Bruce Bell
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Publication number: 20200356967Abstract: Described herein is a centralized order computing system that is configured to receive orders from a plurality of sources. The plurality of sources can include delivery applications, remote customer computing devices, and/or service computing devices associated with a merchant The centralized order computing system may be configured to receive a plurality of orders from the plurality of sources, send the plurality of orders to a kitchen computing system associated with the merchant, receive a notification of order completion, and process the order.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Inventors: Bruce Bell, James Lintern, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Matthew T. Kursmark, Logan Johnson
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Publication number: 20200342432Abstract: A point-of-sale system for concurrently processing multiple point of sale transactions, each point of sale transaction including an item input portion and a payment portion of the transaction, each portion performed in series. The point-of-sale system comprises a customer facing terminal and a merchant facing terminal. The system can comprise a plurality of customer facing terminals and can be portable. The customer facing terminal is configured to receive an input of payment information for a first point of sale transaction during a payment portion of the first point of sale transaction. The merchant facing terminal is configured to receive an input of an item selection for a second point of sale transaction during an item input portion of the second point of sale transaction and during the payment portion of the first point of sale transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Bruce Bell, Gerald Thomas Knight, Jared Travis Marr
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Patent number: 10783508Abstract: A point-of-sale system for concurrently processing multiple point of sale transactions, each point of sale transaction including an item input portion and a payment portion of the transaction, each portion performed in series. The point-of-sale system comprises a customer facing terminal and a merchant facing terminal. The system can comprise a plurality of customer facing terminals and can be portable. The customer facing terminal is configured to receive an input of payment information for a first point of sale transaction during a payment portion of the first point of sale transaction. The merchant facing terminal is configured to receive an input of an item selection for a second point of sale transaction during an item input portion of the second point of sale transaction and during the payment portion of the first point of sale transaction.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Gerald Thomas Knight, Jared Travis Marr
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Publication number: 20200294094Abstract: Technology is disclosed for facilitating generation and processing of a customized promotion based on a set of factors. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology enables a particular merchant to incentivize customer business (e.g., increase customer traffic to a physical merchant location) by offering a customized promotion for placement in a receipt of a transaction with another merchant. The customized promotion, which decreases incrementally in value over time, is generated specifically for a product and/or service offered by the particular merchant. The product and/or service associated with the promotion correlates to a set of factors, including, among others, the customer's spending trend, thereby increasing the likelihood that the customer would redeem the promotion with the particular merchant in a second transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Inventors: Zachary Brock, John Ryan Crepezzi, Bruce Bell
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Patent number: 10762482Abstract: Described herein is a centralized order computing system that is configured to receive orders from a plurality of sources. The plurality of sources can include delivery applications, remote customer computing devices, and/or service computing devices associated with a merchant. The centralized order computing system may be configured to receive a plurality of orders from the plurality of sources, send the plurality of orders to a kitchen computing system associated with the merchant, receive a notification of order completion, and process the order.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Matthew T. Kursmark, James Lintern, Logan Johnson
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Publication number: 20200273086Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for integrating predefined templates with open ticket functionality. For instance, a merchant device can identify a type of transaction between a merchant and a customer, select a ticket type for the transaction based on the type of transaction, and select a transaction flow based on the ticket type. The merchant device can then generate an open ticket for the transaction based on the ticket type, and associated transaction flow with the open ticket. Additionally, the merchant device can generate a visual representation of data associated with the open ticket, where a layout of the data within the visual representation is based on the type of transaction and the transaction flow, and present the visual representation to the merchant. In some examples, the type of transaction is identified using received input. In some examples, the type of transaction is identified based on a group associated with the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2020Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Adam Abrons, Bruce Bell, Mathew Wilson, William Rocklin
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Publication number: 20200210981Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for analyzing sensor data to identify a bottleneck location within a physical establishment, and then providing a recommendation based on the bottleneck location. For instance, a payment service may analyze a layout of a physical establishment using sensor data representing movements of users within the physical establishment. Based on the analysis, the payment service can identify a location within the physical establishment in which movements of the users correspond to one another. For instance, the payment service can identify that the users are located at a similar location within the physical establishment at a given time period. The payment service can then generate and provide a message that indicates a location for moving an object such that users can utilize new routes through the physical establishment.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Bruce Bell, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Amar Dhingra, Alfred Bautista, Kevin Yien
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Publication number: 20200184443Abstract: Techniques and arrangements of a point-of-sale (POS) system including a transaction interface control mechanism configured to prevent simultaneous input by a merchant and a customer during a transaction. The POS system can include a merchant user interface (UI) presented on a merchant-facing display and a customer UI presented on a customer-facing display. In some instances, the merchant UI can be on a display of a merchant device, while the customer UI can be on a display of a customer device. In such instances, the merchant device and the customer device can be operably connected via a wired or wireless connection.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Bruce Bell, Alexey Kalinichenko, Logan Johnson, Nicholas Dower, Raymond Ryan
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Patent number: 10607200Abstract: A point of sale system includes a merchant terminal and a customer terminal. The merchant terminal is configured to display a user interface (UI) window on the merchant terminal. The UI window on the merchant terminal displays a merchant-specific version of a screen displayed on the customer terminal. The merchant terminal receives updates from the customer terminal regarding the status of the payment portion for a transaction. The merchant terminal can provide an input to the UI window which is sent as a message to the customer terminal. Control of state for the point of sale system is shared such that when the system is in a first state, the merchant terminal is the state control terminal, and when the point of sale system is in a second state, the customer terminal is the state control terminal and has control of state for the system.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Koun Han, Nicholas Dower, Raymond Ryan, Bruce Bell, Jared Travis Marr, Alexey Kalinichenko, Tien Nguyen
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Patent number: 10580062Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for integrating predefined templates with open ticket functionality. For instance, a merchant device can identify a type of transaction between a merchant and a customer, select a ticket type for the transaction based on the type of transaction, and select a transaction flow based on the ticket type. The merchant device can then generate an open ticket for the transaction based on the ticket type, and associated transaction flow with the open ticket. Additionally, the merchant device can generate a visual representation of data associated with the open ticket, where a layout of the data within the visual representation is based on the type of transaction and the transaction flow, and present the visual representation to the merchant. In some examples, the type of transaction is identified using received input. In some examples, the type of transaction is identified based on a group associated with the customer.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2016Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Adam Abrons, Bruce Bell, Mathew Wilson, William Rocklin
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Patent number: 10546344Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for dynamically modifying a user interface on a computing device of a point-of-sale (POS) system based on a merchant inventory. The user interface can include one or more icons corresponding to selectable items provided by the merchant, such as those available in the merchant inventory. A modification to the user interface can include an adjustment to a visual appearance of an icon and/or a replacement of an icon with another icon based on an analysis of the merchant inventory.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Matthew T. Kursmark, James Lintern, Logan Johnson
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Patent number: 10521784Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for analyzing sensor data to identify a bottleneck location within a physical establishment, and then providing a recommendation based on the bottleneck location. For instance, a payment service may analyze a layout of a physical establishment using sensor data representing movements of users within the physical establishment. Based on the analysis, the payment service can identify a location within the physical establishment in which movements of the users correspond to one another. For instance, the payment service can identify that the users are located at a similar location within the physical establishment at a given time period. The payment service can then generate and provide a message that indicates a location for moving an object such that users can utilize new routes through the physical establishment.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Brian Partridge, Ghassan Abu-Ghaida, Amar Dhingra, Alfred Bautista, Kevin Yien
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Publication number: 20190385142Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enabling more efficient tipping by providing a merchant the ability to reduce the time used on manually entering tip amounts. In one embodiment, a method includes automatically generating, by a point-of-sale (POS) system, a transaction receipt that indicates a plurality of selectable tip options, wherein said automatically generating the transaction receipt is based on one or more rules specified by a user of the POS system. The method further includes causing the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt. The method further includes identifying, by the POS system, a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt. Among other benefits, the disclosed techniques reduce the time and effort the merchant needs to spend on collating the tipping at end of the business day.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: Bruce Bell, Mathew Wilson, Gerald Thomas Knight
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Patent number: 10504092Abstract: Techniques and arrangements of a point-of-sale (POS) system including a transaction interface control mechanism configured to prevent simultaneous input by a merchant and a customer during a transaction. The POS system can include a merchant user interface (UI) presented on a merchant-facing display and a customer UI presented on a customer-facing display. In some instances, the merchant UI can be on a display of a merchant device, while the customer UI can be on a display of a customer device. In such instances, the merchant device and the customer device can be operably connected via a wired or wireless connection.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Bruce Bell, Raymond Ryan, Alexey Kalinichenko, Logan Johnson, Nicholas Dower