US Patent 9315323 Order fulfillment technique

A method and apparatus for fulfilling orders with a system having an automated warehouse that is adapted to store a plurality of inventory receptacles. The automated warehouse includes a plurality of vehicles that are adapted to storing inventory receptacles and retrieving inventory receptacles and an outbound device that is adapted to exchanging inventory receptacles between a pick station and the vehicles. Orders of items are received with an order queue. Orders are disbursed from the order queue to a vehicle queue associated with each vehicle. Inventory receptacles are retrieved with the vehicles having items for at least one of the orders. The inventory receptacles are retrieved according to the vehicle queue for that vehicle. Inventory receptacles are deposited by the vehicles to an outbound queue associated with the outbound device and forwarded from the outbound device to the pick station according to the requirements of the pick station. Items are retrieved from the product receptacles at the pick station and put into transportation receptacles.