Square's System for Predicting Orders and Guiding Couriers
This 2018 patent from Square describes a system that predicts which restaurants will get orders and tells delivery drivers where to wait to be ready.
Original patent title: “Courier network management”
This 2018 patent from Square describes a system that predicts which restaurants will get orders and tells delivery drivers where to wait to be ready. Granted to Square Inc in 2018 with 28 claims and 63 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent details a system designed to make food delivery more efficient. It analyzes past order data for many restaurants to predict which ones will receive orders during specific times and days. The system also estimates how long it will take to prepare those orders. Based on these predictions, and knowing where delivery drivers are, it tells drivers to move to specific waiting spots. This way, drivers can be closer to a restaurant just as an order is ready for pickup, reducing wait times for everyone.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Systems that do not predict future orders based on past order information.
- Systems that do not estimate order preparation times.
- Systems that do not direct couriers to specific waiting locations before an order is ready.
- Systems that do not consider the time of day or day of the week for predictions.
- Systems that do not manage a network of 'active' couriers who are available for assignments.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using historical order data not just to see what happened, but to predict *when* and *where* future orders will likely come from, and then proactively positioning couriers *before* the order is even placed, considering preparation time.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Square's own delivery services
Modern food delivery apps like DoorDash
Modern food delivery apps like Uber Eats
Modern food delivery apps like Grubhub
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is significant because it addresses a core challenge in the on-demand delivery industry: matching supply (couriers) with demand (orders) efficiently. By proactively predicting order volume and guiding couriers, it aims to reduce idle time for drivers and speed up deliveries, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and operational costs in services like DoorDash or Uber Eats.
Filed
February 19, 2015
Granted
November 20, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub are actively developing and deploying similar predictive logistics and courier management systems. Square, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, likely continues to leverage and build upon this technology within its own ecosystem for merchants.
Market impact
This patent reflects the growing sophistication in using data analytics and machine learning for optimizing logistics in the gig economy. It represents a move towards proactive rather than reactive dispatching, aiming to create a more seamless and cost-effective delivery experience for both consumers and service providers.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent details a system designed to make food delivery more efficient. It analyzes past order data for many restaurants to predict which ones will receive orders during specific times and days. The system also estimates how long it will take to prepare those orders. Based on these predictions, and knowing where delivery drivers are, it tells drivers to move to specific waiting spots. This way, drivers can be closer to a restaurant just as an order is ready for pickup, reducing wait times for everyone.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using historical order data not just to see what happened, but to predict *when* and *where* future orders will likely come from, and then proactively positioning couriers *before* the order is even placed, considering preparation time.
What it does not cover
- Systems that do not predict future orders based on past order information.
- Systems that do not estimate order preparation times.
- Systems that do not direct couriers to specific waiting locations before an order is ready.
- Systems that do not consider the time of day or day of the week for predictions.
- Systems that do not manage a network of 'active' couriers who are available for assignments.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
36/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
19/20
Very broad protection
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$468K – $1.5M
Midpoint $936K · 8.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
28 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Iacono, J. F., Din, R. D., Reiss, J. L., & Varma, A. K. (2018). Square's System for Predicting Orders and Guiding Couriers (U.S. Patent No. 10,133,995). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10133995/airbnb-host-guest-messaging
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Square's System for Predicting Orders and Guiding Couriers cover?
This 2018 patent from Square describes a system that predicts which restaurants will get orders and tells delivery drivers where to wait to be ready.
Who owns patent US 10133995?
Square Inc owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 20, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10133995 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 63 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is significant because it addresses a core challenge in the on-demand delivery industry: matching supply (couriers) with demand (orders) efficiently. By proactively predicting order volume and guiding couriers, it aims to reduce idle time for drivers and speed up deliveries, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and operational costs in services like DoorDash or Uber Eats.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Systems that do not predict future orders based on past order information.
Same assignee
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