Order processing system using pick and pass process and method of processing orders using the system
First Claim
1. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station;
providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station;
releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station;
directing first and second totes simultaneously and serially to the first and second pick zones;
determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote;
determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote;
releasing a second order including at least a third item from one of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing the third item from the one of the first and second pick modules to be retrieved and delivered to the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules; and
determining whether the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and, upon determining that the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules, picking the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and placing the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules in the second tote,wherein the step of releasing a first order comprises downloading an order for processing at each of the first and second pick modules,wherein the step of providing a first pick module comprises providing a first pick module with first automated equipment comprising a first carousel, the first automated equipment receiving a first processing command in response to the downloading of the first order, and the step of causing the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station comprises causing the first carousel to retrieve and deliver the at least one item in the first pick module to the first picking station as an incident of receiving the first processing command.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of processing orders in a warehouse. The method includes the steps of: providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a plurality of stored items and a first picking station; providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; directing a first tote serially to the first and second pick zones; determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; and determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote.
121 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station; providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; directing first and second totes simultaneously and serially to the first and second pick zones; determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote; releasing a second order including at least a third item from one of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing the third item from the one of the first and second pick modules to be retrieved and delivered to the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules; and determining whether the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and, upon determining that the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules, picking the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and placing the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules in the second tote, wherein the step of releasing a first order comprises downloading an order for processing at each of the first and second pick modules, wherein the step of providing a first pick module comprises providing a first pick module with first automated equipment comprising a first carousel, the first automated equipment receiving a first processing command in response to the downloading of the first order, and the step of causing the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station comprises causing the first carousel to retrieve and deliver the at least one item in the first pick module to the first picking station as an incident of receiving the first processing command. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station; providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; directing a first tote serially to the first and second pick zones; determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; and determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote, wherein the step of releasing an order comprises downloading an order for processing at each of the first and second pick modules, wherein the step of providing a first pick module comprises providing a first pick module with first automated equipment that receives a first processing command in response to the downloading of the first order, wherein the step of causing the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station comprises causing the first automated equipment to retrieve and deliver the at least one item in the first pick module to the first picking station as an incident of receiving the first processing command; releasing a second order including at least another item from the first pick module by downloading the second order for processing at the first pick module and thereby causing the first automated equipment to receive a second processing command and, as an incident thereof, to retrieve and deliver the at least another item in the first pick module to the first picking station directing a second tote to the first pick zone; determining whether the second tote is at the first pick zone; and upon determining that the second tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least another item from the first picking station and placing the at least another item from the first picking station in the second tote, wherein the steps of directing the first and second totes to the first pick zone comprise causing the first and second totes to simultaneously reside at the first pick zone and the steps of placing the at least one item in the first tote and the at least another item in the second tote comprise placing the at least one item and the at least another item in the respective totes in the sequence in which the at least one item and the at least another item are delivered to the first picking station. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station; providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; directing a first tote serially to the first and second pick zones; determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote, wherein the step of releasing an order comprises downloading an order for processing at each of the first and second pick modules, wherein the step of providing a first pick module comprises providing a first pick module with first automated equipment that receives a first processing command in response to the downloading of the first order, wherein the step of causing the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station comprises causing the first automated equipment to retrieve and deliver the at least one item in the first pick module to the first picking station as an incident of receiving the first processing command; releasing a second order including at least another item from the first pick module by downloading the second order for processing at the first pick module and thereby causing the first automated equipment to receive a second processing command and, as an incident thereof, to retrieve and deliver the at least another item in the first pick module to the first picking station directing a second tote to the first pick zone; determining whether the second tote is at the first pick zone; and upon determining that the second tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least another item from the first picking station and placing the at least another item from the first picking station in the second tote, said method further comprising the step of directing the first tote and the second tote from the first zone to the second zone after the at least one item from the first pick zone is placed in the first tote and after the at least another item from the first zone is placed in the second tote. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station; providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing a) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and b) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; directing first and second totes simultaneously and serially to the first and second pick zones; determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, manually picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; releasing a second order including at least a third item from one of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing the third item from the one of the first and second pick modules to be retrieved and delivered to the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules; determining whether the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and, upon determining that the second tote is at the pick zone associated with the one of the first and second pick modules, manually picking the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules and placing the third item from the picking station associated with the one of the first and second pick modules in the second tote; and determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, manually picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second .picking station in the first tote. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of processing orders in a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a first pick module in a first pick zone with a first plurality of stored items and a first picking station; b) providing a second pick module in a second pick zone with a second plurality of stored items and a second picking station; c) releasing a first order including at least one item from each of the first and second pick modules and thereby causing i) the at least one item in the first pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the first picking station and ii) the at least one item in the second pick module to be retrieved and delivered to the second picking station; d) directing a first tote serially to the first and second pick zones; e) determining whether the first tote is at the first pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the first pick zone, picking the at least one item from the first picking station and placing the at least one item from the first picking station in the first tote; f) determining whether the first tote is at the second pick zone and, upon determining that the first tote is at the second pick zone, picking the at least one item from the second picking station and placing the at least one item from the second picking station in the first tote; determining if more than one tote is required for the first order before releasing the first order; and if more than one tote is required for the first order, breaking the first order into sub-orders that are each processed by carrying out steps a)–
f).
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Specification