Patents by Inventor Eric Firestone
Eric Firestone 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: 12619970Abstract: A payment service may receive a first payment request from a first user seeking funds from a second user. Having determined that the second user's account lacks sufficient funds, the payment service may send the second user an offer of funds to be repaid in installments. Once accepted, the amount is transferred from a host account to the first user's account. A second payment request seeking funds from a third user may be received. If the second user's account has a balance associated with repayment of the offered funds, the payment service intercepts a payment message to deposit funds for the second payment request from the third user's account into the second user's account. Responsive to intercepting the payment message and prior to any funds associated with the payment message being deposited, the payment service may modify the instructions to divert the funds to the host account.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2024Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignee: Block, Inc.Inventors: Brian Grassadonia, Tobi Kral, Eric Firestone, Kristopher David Stipech, Michael Dustin Moring
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Publication number: 20240403078Abstract: User interface (UI) customization systems and methods are described. A system modifies guest instructions using a first UI style to generate first customized guest instructions that are customized for use by a first client device, and provides the first customized guest instructions to the first client device. The first customized guest instructions include a first customized variant of a UI element with the first UI style applied, and that initiates a function in response to an interaction. The system modifies the guest instructions using a second UI style to generate second customized guest instructions that are customized for use by a second client device, and provides the second customized guest instructions to the second client device. The second customized guest instructions include a second customized variant of the UI element with the second UI style applied, and that initiates the function in response to an interaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2024Publication date: December 5, 2024Inventors: Jesse Wilson, Jacob Wharton, Eric Firestone
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Patent number: 12020045Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for updating an application's user interface (UI) without updating the application. A system provides, for a client device, an application with host instructions having host memory and a guest environment having guest memory. The system receives guest instructions relating to an update to a UI element to be presented via the application's UI without the application being updated. The system selects, based on the client device's platform, a native UI type for the UI element, selected from possible UI types corresponding to different platforms. The system bridges an interaction between a function of the guest instructions and a function of the host instructions without the guest memory and the host memory sharing memory. The system causes the application to display, via the UI, the UI element according to the native UI type based on the bridging and without the application being updated.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2023Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: Block, Inc.Inventors: Jesse Wilson, Jacob Wharton, Eric Firestone
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Patent number: 11562360Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving, in association with a payment transaction, a message from a customer device that includes data from an optical scan of a code displayed at a merchant point-of-sale. A request to authorize a payment for the payment transaction is received from a merchant computer. Customer and merchant accounts are identified and payment data previously associated with the customer account is accessed. The payment is authorized using the payment data, and notification of authorization is sent to the merchant device or customer device.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2022Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Block, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Patent number: 11455633Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a first device of a first user a first message requesting a payment transaction with a second user. Using an identifier of the second user provided by the first device, sending a second message to a second device of the second user requesting approval of the transaction, wherein the second message includes an approval code. A third message is received from the second device. If the third message includes the provided approval code and is received within a threshold amount of time, the payment transaction is processed using account information received in the first message.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: September 27, 2022Assignee: Block, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Publication number: 20220261808Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a merchant computer an indication of a payment transaction by a user associated with a mobile phone number. A text message is provided to a device associated with the mobile phone number requesting approval for the payment transaction, wherein the message includes an approval code. A message is received from the device associated with the mobile phone number. If the text message from the device associated with the mobile phone number includes the provided approval code, account information associated with the mobile phone number is obtained, authorization for the payment transaction is obtained using the account information, and notification of authorization of the payment transaction is provided to a merchant conducting the payment transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Patent number: 11023873Abstract: Payment technology companies are advancing technological solutions to facilitate payments between users and merchants. The complex architecture and software associated with payment technologies can be further improved by offering additional services to users. Some users may find it difficult or overly complicated to use payment technologies. As such, technological improvement are needed to make using payments technology easier, including adding the ability to make payments when funds are not available in an account, or to offer an advance funds transfer if the user would prefer not to use funds stored in a balance.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Brian Grassadonia, Tobi Kral, Michael Moring, Kristopher David Stipech, Eric Firestone
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Publication number: 20190354981Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a merchant computer an indication of a payment transaction by a user associated with a mobile phone number. A text message is provided to a device associated with the mobile phone number requesting approval for the payment transaction, wherein the message includes an approval code. A message is received from the device associated with the mobile phone number. If the text message from the device associated with the mobile phone number includes the provided approval code, account information associated with the mobile phone number is obtained, authorization for the payment transaction is obtained using the account information, and notification of authorization of the payment transaction is provided to a merchant conducting the payment transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2019Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Patent number: 10438202Abstract: Processing cardless payment transactions is described. In an example, a server system can receive a message from a mobile device of a user that includes a code identifying a merchant and can verify the identities of the merchant and the user based at least in part on account data stored in association with the server system. The server system can provide, to a merchant computer of the merchant, user information associated with the user account and can receive from the merchant computer, a request to authorize the cardless payment transaction. The server system can obtain authorization for the cardless payment transaction using account information associated with the merchant account and/or the user account, and can provide, to the merchant computer, notification of the authorization of the cardless payment transaction.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2014Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Publication number: 20150081556Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a merchant computer an indication of a payment transaction by a user associated with a mobile phone number. A text message is provided to a device associated with the mobile phone number requesting approval for the payment transaction, wherein the message includes an approval code. A message is received from the device associated with the mobile phone number. If the text message from the device associated with the mobile phone number includes the provided approval code, account information associated with the mobile phone number is obtained, authorization for the payment transaction is obtained using the account information, and notification of authorization of the payment transaction is provided to a merchant conducting the payment transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Patent number: 8924259Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a merchant computer an indication of a payment transaction by a user associated with a mobile phone number. A text message is provided to a device associated with the mobile phone number requesting approval for the payment transaction, wherein the message includes an approval code. A message is received from the device associated with the mobile phone number. If the text message from the device associated with the mobile phone number includes the provided approval code, account information associated with the mobile phone number is obtained, authorization for the payment transaction is obtained using the account information, and notification of authorization of the payment transaction is provided to a merchant conducting the payment transaction.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Square, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang
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Publication number: 20140279094Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting cardless payment transactions. One of the methods includes receiving from a merchant computer an indication of a payment transaction by a user associated with a mobile phone number. A text message is provided to a device associated with the mobile phone number requesting approval for the payment transaction, wherein the message includes an approval code. A message is received from the device associated with the mobile phone number. If the text message from the device associated with the mobile phone number includes the provided approval code, account information associated with the mobile phone number is obtained, authorization for the payment transaction is obtained using the account information, and notification of authorization of the payment transaction is provided to a merchant conducting the payment transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: Square, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Neighman, Eric Firestone, Daniel Spencer, Cameron Walters, Sophia Huang