US Patent 9555978 Semi-automated inventory transfer station

An inventory transfer station is provided in connection with a workspace of an inventory management system. At the inventory transfer station, items are transferred from container holders to empty containers thereby generating containers that may fulfill orders for items. The inventory transfer station may be semi-automatically configured to transfer items from the container holders to the empty containers utilizing a vertical reciprocating conveyor that feeds empty containers to the inventory transfer station via an inbound conveyor lane associated with the inventory management system. Containers that have received items from the container holder may be transferred to an outbound conveyor lane that may, via the vertical reciprocating conveyor, feed fulfilled containers to a shipping area of the workspace.