Abstract: A system for controlling the flow of articles within a work area including a plurality of work stations and for acquiring real time information relating to the status of articles in process. The system comprises a sorting conveyor for delivering articles to be processed to the work stations from a storage area, means at each work station for indicating that an unprocessed article is requested at the station, and computer means coupled to the sorting conveyor and to the indicating means for controlling the movement of articles from the storage area to the work stations in response to work station requests and for providing information, based on articles dispatched to each work station, relating to the status of articles in process.

Abstract: In a system for controlling the horizontal and vertical alignment of a materials handling vehicle and for transferring articles to and from storage locations of a warehousing system in which several control sensors are positioned on the materials handling vehicle, a monitoring method and circuit for determing the operational status of the sensors by monitoring their status during a selected portion of a cycle of operation when their output is known. In one embodiment sensor outputs are cross checked against each other during a portion of an operating cycle in which the sensors outputs will be at a predetermined relationship to one another.

Abstract: A warehouse product monitoring and control system includes a distribution audit system computer which receives batch picking information on a recording medium identifying each transaction or article to be picked with a unique number. Associated with each unique number is processing information for controlling the sorting of the article within the system. The same number, unique for each article, is contained on a label positioned on each article as it is picked. The computer control provides continuous monitoring of the article as it is scanned by one or more label reading devices such that the picking and sorting status of each article to be picked can be continuously monitored. The system includes operator interface terminals and printers for providing a variety of status reports to the operating personnel such that the operational status of the system can be continuously monitored.