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Method and system for transporting inventory items

  • US 8,725,286 B2
  • Filed: 07/19/2012
  • Issued: 05/13/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for inventory management, comprising:

  • a two-dimensional grid of fiducial marks within a workspace;

    a plurality of inventory holders, each of the plurality of inventory holders associated with a fiducial mark in the two-dimensional grid of fiducial marks;

    a plurality of mobile drive units, each mobile drive unit operable to;

    move beneath an inventory holder at a first fiducial mark in the two-dimensional grid of fiducial marks, wherein the first fiducial mark identifies a first location of the inventory holder and facilitates navigation within the workspace from the first location to a second location in the two-dimensional grid by providing location information that is used by a management module to generate a path from the first fiducial mark to the second location;

    lift the inventory holder at the first location;

    move while the inventory holder is lifted from the first location to the second location in the two-dimensional grid by following the path generated by the management module;

    lower the inventory holder at the second location; and

    move away from the second location.

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