Mobile picking method

1. A picking method, comprising:

having a host computer with an output and a mobile device with an application program running on the mobile device;

the host computer communicating with the mobile device thereby providing data defining the item or items of a plurality of orders, the data defining each order being provided individually using the output, at least some of the orders comprising a plurality of items in that order, the mobile device having an input receiving the data provided by the host computer defining the item or items for each order, the data defining each order being received individually and loading that data to the application program running on the mobile device, the application program providing data defining the items to be picked from the warehouse for the plurality of orders;

the host computer discontinuing communication with the mobile device and an operator then picking items from the warehouse in response to said mobile device providing instructions from the application program of a sequence of locations to pick and the items to be picked at each location for the plurality of orders; and

the host computer resuming communication with the mobile device and the application program on the mobile device communicating data to the host computer after the picking of the items for the plurality of orders in order to confirm that the items for the orders have been picked.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data also defines a layout of items in the warehouse that is developed by the host and separately communicated by the host to the mobile device and information on picking sequence of items for the order to be picked in the warehouse.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 including data that defines a layout of items in the warehouse that is developed by the host and separately communicated by the host to the mobile device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said communicating comprises a wireless communication.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the application program displaying with a mobile device an image of an item to be picked at a location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein images of items to be picked are obtained during prior picking operations.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 including a Smart Watch in communication with the mobile device for providing a user interface with said mobile device.

8. A picking method, comprising:

having a host computer with an output and a mobile device with an application program running on the mobile device;

the host computer communicating with the mobile device thereby providing data defining the item or items of a plurality of orders, the data defining each order being provided individually using the output, at least some of the orders comprising a plurality of items in that order, the mobile device having an input receiving the data provided by the host computer defining the item or items for each order, the data defining each order being received individually and loading that data to the application program running on the mobile device, the application program providing data defining the items to be picked from the warehouse for the plurality of orders;

the host computer discontinuing communication with the mobile device, said mobile device establishing with an application program running on the mobile device an aggregate sequence of items to be picked, and locations of the items of the plurality of orders, wherein an operator then picking items from the warehouse in response to said mobile device providing instructions from the application program of a sequence of locations to pick and the items to be picked at each location for the plurality of orders.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the application program running on the mobile device identifies to the operator at each location a number of items to be picked and in which order to place each of the items to be picked.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the application program running on the mobile device identifies the number of items to be picked in response to a handheld scanner scanning a code at the location.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the application program running on the mobile device confirms that each of the items is matched with the order containing that item before instructing the operator to move to another location in the warehouse.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the application program running on the mobile device confirms that each of the items is matched with the order containing that item in response to the mobile device scanning a code of a receptacle associated with that order.

13. A picking method, comprising:

having a host computer with an output and a mobile device with an application program running on the mobile device;

the host computer communicating with the mobile device thereby providing data defining the item or items of a plurality of orders, the data defining each order being provided individually using the output, at least some of the orders comprising a plurality of items in that order, the mobile device having an input receiving the data provided by the host computer defining the item or items for each order, the data defining each order being received individually and loading that data to the application program running on the mobile device, the application program providing data defining the items to be picked from the warehouse for the plurality of orders;

the host computer discontinuing communication with the mobile device and an operator then picking items from the warehouse in response to said mobile device providing instructing from the application program of a sequence of locations to pick and the items to be picked at each location for the plurality of orders; and

wherein said host computer communication with the mobile device thereby providing data comprises producing an optical pattern with the host output and said receiving data comprises scanning said optical pattern with an optical scanner defining said input associated with said mobile device.

14. The method as claimed by claim 13 wherein the optical pattern comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 including a Bluetooth connection between said optical scanner and said handheld device.

16. A picking system, comprising:

a mobile device with an application program running on the mobile device and a host computer with an output and a communication link that is adapted to communicate data between the host computer output and the mobile device when the mobile device is synchronized with the host system;

the host computer configured to provide data via the communication link defining the item or items of a plurality of orders with the mobile device synchronized with the host system, the data defining each order being provided individually using the output, at least some of the orders comprising a plurality of items in that order, the mobile device having an input configured to receive the data provided by the host computer defining the item or items for each order, the data defining each order being received individually and loaded to the application program running on the mobile device, the application program configured to provide data defining an order made up of number of items to be picked from the warehouse and a sequence of picking of the items of that order;

wherein the application program running on said mobile device provides instructions to an operator of a sequence of locations to pick and the items to be picked at each location for the plurality of orders with the mobile device not synchronized with the hosting computer during picking of items; and;

wherein the application program running on the mobile device communicates data to the host via communication link after the picking of items with the mobile device synchronized with the host computer in order to confirm that the items for the orders have been picked.

17. The picking system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the application program running on the mobile device stores an aggregate sequence of items to be picked and locations of the items of the plurality of orders.

18. The picking system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the application program running on the mobile device identifies to the operator at each location a number of items to be picked and in which order to place each of the items to be picked.

19. The picking system as claimed in claim 18 including a handheld scanner and wherein the application program running on the mobile device identifies the number of items to be picked in response to a handheld scanner scanning a code at the location.

20. The picking system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the application program running on the mobile device confirms that each of the items is matched with the order containing that item before instructing the operator to move to another location in the warehouse.

21. The picking system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the application program running on the mobile device confirms that each of the items is matched with the order containing that item in response to the mobile device scanning a code of a receptacle associated with that order.

22. The picking system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said communicating link comprises a wireless communication.

23. The picking system as claimed in claim 16 including a Smart Watch in communication with the mobile device for providing a user interface with said mobile device.

24. A picking system, comprising:

a mobile device with an application program running on the mobile device and a host computer with an output and a communication link that is adapted to communicate data between the host computer output and the mobile device when the mobile device is synchronized with the host system;

the host computer configured to provide data via the communication link defining the item or items of a plurality of orders with the mobile device synchronizing with the host system, the data defining each order being provided individually using the output, at least some of the orders comprising a plurality of items in that order, the mobile device having an input configured to receive the data provided by the host computer defining the item or items for each order, the data defining each order being received individually and loaded to the application program running on the mobile device, the application program configured to provide data defining the items to be picked from the warehouse and a sequence of picking of the items for the plurality of orders;

wherein the application program running on said mobile device provides instructions to an operator of a sequence of locations to pick and the items to be picked at each location for the plurality of orders with the mobile device not synchronized with the host computer during picking of items; and

wherein said communication link comprises said output adapted to produce an optical pattern and said input comprises an optical scanner associated with said mobile device adapted to scan the optical pattern.

25. The picking system as claimed by claim 24 wherein the optical pattern comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.

26. The picking system as claimed in claim 24 including a Bluetooth connection between said optical scanner and said handheld device.