Shuffling inventory holders
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- positioning multiple inventory holders at corresponding multiple locations of a pick station of an inventory system, the multiple locations including multiple pick locations and multiple staging locations;
shuffling the multiple inventory holders among the multiple pick locations and the multiple staging locations of the pick station using multiple mobile drive units, the shuffling comprising;
repositioning, using a first mobile drive unit, a first inventory holder from a first pick location of the multiple pick locations to a first staging location of the multiple staging locations;
repositioning, using a second mobile drive unit, a second inventory holder from a second staging location of the multiple staging locations to the first pick location;
repositioning, using a third mobile drive unit, a third inventory holder from a second pick location of the multiple pick locations to the second staging location;
repositioning, using a fourth mobile drive unit, a fourth inventory holder from a third staging location of the multiple staging locations to the second pick location;
removing the first inventory holder and the third inventory holder from the pick station; and
retrieving a fifth inventory holder and depositing the fifth inventory holder in one of the first or second staging locations.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inventory system has mobile drive units that freely and independently move about a facility to transport inventory holders. The mobile drive units may operate through communications with other drive units, or under a more centralized control of a management module. For various operating scenarios, the mobile drive units are directed to shuffle the inventory holders in a manner that minimizes travel of the mobile drive units, thereby improving overall system efficiency. One or more single mobile drive units may be used to transport inventory holders to and from a region, and one or more other mobile drive units may be used to reposition or slide each of the inventory holders back and forth within the region to efficiently place inventory holders before an operator on an as-needed basis.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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positioning multiple inventory holders at corresponding multiple locations of a pick station of an inventory system, the multiple locations including multiple pick locations and multiple staging locations; shuffling the multiple inventory holders among the multiple pick locations and the multiple staging locations of the pick station using multiple mobile drive units, the shuffling comprising; repositioning, using a first mobile drive unit, a first inventory holder from a first pick location of the multiple pick locations to a first staging location of the multiple staging locations; repositioning, using a second mobile drive unit, a second inventory holder from a second staging location of the multiple staging locations to the first pick location; repositioning, using a third mobile drive unit, a third inventory holder from a second pick location of the multiple pick locations to the second staging location; repositioning, using a fourth mobile drive unit, a fourth inventory holder from a third staging location of the multiple staging locations to the second pick location; removing the first inventory holder and the third inventory holder from the pick station; and retrieving a fifth inventory holder and depositing the fifth inventory holder in one of the first or second staging locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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positioning a first inventory holder at a first location; positioning a second inventory holder at a second location adjacent to the first location; repositioning, using a first mobile drive unit, the first inventory holder from the first location to a third location proximate the first location; and repositioning, using a second mobile drive unit, the second inventory holder from the second location to the first location; and moving the second mobile drive unit from the first location back to the second location; and moving the first mobile drive unit from the third location back to the first location; wherein the first location, second location, and third location comprise a pick station. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An inventory system comprising:
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a plurality of mobile drive units that is remotely controllable to move inventory holders about a warehouse; a region within the warehouse comprising at least a first pick location, a first staging location, and a second staging location; and a management module configured to direct movement of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the inventory holders throughout the warehouse, the management module being further configured to direct at least first and second mobile drive units of the plurality of mobile drive units to perform a shuffle process within the region of the warehouse, the shuffle process comprising; directing the first mobile drive unit to reposition a first inventory holder from the first pick location, where items are placed into or removed from the first inventory holder, to the first staging location proximate the first pick location; directing the second mobile drive unit to reposition a second inventory holder from the second staging location to the first pick location; returning the second mobile drive unit from the first pick location to the second staging location; and returning the first mobile drive unit from the first staging location to the first pick location. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification