Abstract: An inventory system including a plurality of mobile inventory trays with a positioning system that enables the mobile inventory trays to determine their three-dimensional coordinates within a facility and thereby navigate a factory floor. The mobile inventory trays are also equipped with a communication system in order to determine optimum mobile inventory trays to fill order requests for items of inventory. The mobile inventory trays interface with a material handling system to receive order requests and deliver inventory items to pack stations located on the factory floor. The resulting system is a real-time parallel-processing order fulfillment and inventory management system. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: An inventory system includes a plurality of mobile drive units with a processor control and with a positioning system that enables the mobile drive units to navigate a factory floor. The mobile drive units interface with a material handling system to receive order requests and deliver inventory items to pack stations located on the factory floor. The inventory items are stored in trays stacked into movable inventory pods, which may be transported by the mobile drive units throughout the factory floor. The mobile drive units dock and undock with the movable inventory pods using a docking mechanism. The movable inventory pods are stored in a virtual storage grid when they are not being transported by the mobile drive units. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Abstract: An inventory system includes a plurality of mobile drive units with a processor control and with a positioning system that enables the mobile drive units to navigate a factory floor. The mobile drive units interface with a material handling system to receive order requests and deliver inventory items to pack stations located on the factory floor. The inventory items are stored in trays stacked into movable inventory pods, which may be transported by the mobile drive units throughout the factory floor. The mobile drive units dock and undock with the movable inventory pods using a docking mechanism. The movable inventory pods are stored in a virtual storage grid when they are not being transported by the mobile drive units. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.