Transporting inventory items using mobile drive units and conveyance equipment

摘要

A method for transporting inventory items includes moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace. The first point is a location of an inventory holder. The method further includes docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace. The second point is associated with conveyance equipment. The method further includes moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment.

主权项

1. A method for transporting inventory items, comprising:
moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace, wherein the first mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder; docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder; moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment; and moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment, wherein the conveyance equipment represents a powered device that moves the inventory holder in response to instructions received from a management module and at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace; and wherein moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
transmitting a reservation request to the management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace; and in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.