System and method for filling an order

1. A system for fulfilling inventory requests, comprising:

a plurality of inventory holders operable to store inventory items;

an order holder operable to store orders, wherein each order comprises one or more inventory items and is associated with a particular inventory request;

a plurality of mobile drive units operable to move the inventory holders and order holder within a workspace;

a management module operable to:

receive an inventory request requesting an inventory item;

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move an inventory holder storing the requested inventory item to a first location;

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to the first location, wherein the requested inventory item is transferred from the inventory holder to the order holder at the first location;

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to a storage space within the workspace;

detect a triggering event; and

in response to detecting a triggering event, transmit a priority message to any one of the plurality of mobile drive units instructing it to adjust a priority level of a task assignment, wherein the mobile drive unit which received the transmitted priority message, in response to receiving the priority message, retrieves the order holder from the storage space.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management module is operable to receive an order requesting an inventory item by receiving an order requesting a plurality of inventory items.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move an inventory holder storing the requested inventory item to a first location by instructing a plurality of mobile drive units to move a plurality of inventory holders to the first location, wherein each of the plurality of inventory holders stores one or more of the requested inventory items.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the inventory holder to the first location by instructing it to:

move to the inventory holder;

dock with the inventory holder; and

move the inventory holder to the first location.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the order holders holds a plurality of shipping containers operable to hold inventory items during shipping, and wherein the management module is operable to:

identify a shipping container in which the requested inventory item should be stored; and

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder by instructing it to move the order holder to a storage space after the requested inventory item has been transferred from the inventory holder to a particular shipping container.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to the first location by:

identifying an order holder currently storing orders associated with a destination indicated by the inventory request; and

instructing any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the identified order holder to the first location.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage space comprises one or more storage spaces and the management module is further operable to arrange the one or more storage spaces according to a shipping sequence.

8. An apparatus for fulfilling inventory request, comprising:

a memory operable to store processor instructions; and

a processor operable, when executing the processor instructions, to receive an inventory request requesting an inventory item;

instruct any one of a plurality of mobile drive units to move an inventory holder storing the requested inventory item to a first location;

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to the first location, wherein the requested inventory item is transferred from the inventory holder to the order holder;

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to a storage space within the workspace after the requested inventory item has been transferred from the inventory holder to the order holder;

detect a triggering event; and

in response to detecting a triggering event, transmit a priority message to any one of the plurality of mobile drive units instructing it to adjust a priority level of a task assignment, wherein the mobile drive unit which received the transmitted priority message, in response to receiving the priority message, retrieves the order holder from the storage space.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the storage space comprises one or more storage spaces and the management module is further operable to arrange the one or more storage spaces according to a shipping sequence.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the inventory holder to the first location by instructing it to:

move to the inventory holder;

dock with the inventory holder; and

move the inventory holder to the first location.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the order holders holds a plurality of shipping containers operable to hold inventory items during shipping, and wherein the management module is operable to:

identify a shipping container in which the requested inventory item should be stored; and

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder by instructing it to move the order holder to a storage space after the requested inventory item has been transferred from the inventory holder to a particular shipping container.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to the first location by:

identifying an order holder currently storing orders associated with a destination indicated by the inventory request; and

instructing any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the identified order holder to the first location.

13. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program operable when executed to:

receive an inventory request requesting an inventory item;

instruct a user to select the requested inventory item from an inventory holder;

instruct the user to store the requested inventory item in an order holder associated with the inventory request;

instruct any one of a plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to a storage space;

detect a triggering event; and

in response to detecting a triggering event, transmit a priority message to any one of the plurality of mobile drive units mobile drive unit instructing it to adjust a priority level of a task assignment, wherein the mobile drive unit which received the transmitted priority message, in response to receiving the priority message, retrieves the order holder from the storage space.

14. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the storage space comprises one or more storage spaces and the management module is further operable to arrange the one or more storage spaces according to a shipping sequence.

15. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the inventory holder to the first location by instructing it to:

move to the inventory holder;

dock with the inventory holder; and

move the inventory holder to the first location.

16. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein each of the order holders holds a plurality of shipping containers operable to hold inventory items during shipping, and wherein the management module is operable to:

identify a shipping container in which the requested inventory item should be stored; and

instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder by instructing it to move the order holder to a storage space after the requested inventory item has been transferred from the inventory holder to a particular shipping container.

17. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the management module is operable to instruct any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the order holder to the first location by:

identifying an order holder currently storing orders associated with a destination indicated by the inventory request; and

instructing any one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move the identified order holder to the first location.