A parcel sorting system and method. The parcel sorting system comprises a parcel sorting device (100) and a parcel collecting device (101); the parcel sorting device is provided thereon with a plurality of parcel inspection inlets (104) and a plurality of parcel outlets (102), and the parcel collecting device is located just below the parcel sorting device; the parcel outlets on the parcel sorting device communicate with the parcel collecting device; the parcel outlets are respectively located at the middle or/and edges of the parcel sorting device; the parcel collecting device is provided thereon with storage devices (103) at positions under respective parcel outlets; and diameter of the storing device is larger than that of the parcel outlet. When the method is used, the parcel sorting efficiency is obviously improved; the implementation is convenient; and popularization and application are facilitated.

An automated order fulfillment system and automated method for fulfilling orders includes a donor-handling system having at least two donor buffers and a recipient-handling system having at least one recipient buffer. An item-handling system includes a vision system and an item manipulator. The vision system has a field of view encompassing the at least two donor receptacle buffers. A control causes the vision system to scan items in a donor receptacle at one of the donor buffers to obtain a pick list of location data of items in the scanned donor receptacle. The control causes the manipulator to pick an item from a donor receptacle at the other of the donor buffers under guidance of the vision system and place the picked item to a recipient receptacle at the at least one recipient buffer using the location data of items in that donor receptacle.

A system includes an article supply location, wherein the article supply location includes a plurality of articles to be sorted, first and second transport vehicles, each having a first position in which an article is stowed about the vehicle and a second position in which the article is deposited into a proximal container. And a control system. The control system is configured to receive an order for a plurality of disparate articles, determine one destination container of a plurality of destination containers to direct the transport vehicle to deposit a selected article, direct the first transport vehicle to transport a selected article to the destination container and deposit the article by manipulation of the first transport vehicle from the first position to the second position for deposit of the selected article in the destination container.

Provided are a parcel sorting system and method, solving the problem that parcel sorting efficiency needs to be improved in the prior art. The parcel sorting system comprises a parcel sorting device and a parcel collecting device. The parcel sorting device is provided thereon with a plurality of parcel inspection inlets and a plurality of parcel outlets. The parcel collecting device is located under the parcel sorting device. The parcel outlets on the parcel sorting device communicate with the parcel collecting device. The parcel outlets are respectively located at the middle or/and edges of the parcel sorting device. The parcel collecting device is provided thereon with storage devices at positions under respective parcel outlets; and diameter of the storing device is larger than that of the parcel outlet. When the method is used, the parcel sorting efficiency is obviously improved; the implementation is convenient; and popularization and application are facilitated.

Described in detail herein are object storage and retrieval systems and methods. A storage receptacle can be configured to receive an input from an electronic device including a decoded identifier from a unique optical machine-readable element associated with one or more physical objects, via an input device, and cause the one or more physical objects to be available via at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a multiple speed, multiple conveyor storage system for items in a materials handling facility such as a fulfillment center. In one embodiment, the item storage system includes a first conveyor configured to operate at one speed, a second conveyor configured to operate at a different speed, and a transfer device configured to transfer items between the conveyors. The conveyors are each configured to store items in motion in a circuit arrangement.

A system includes an article supply location, wherein the article supply location includes a plurality of articles to be sorted, first and second transport vehicles, each having a first position in which an article is stowed about the vehicle and a second position in which the article is deposited into a proximal container. And a control system. The control system is configured to receive an order for a plurality of disparate articles, determine one destination container of a plurality of destination containers to direct the transport vehicle to deposit a selected article, direct the first transport vehicle to transport a selected article to the destination container and deposit the article by manipulation of the first transport vehicle from the first position to the second position for deposit of the selected article in the destination container.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a multiple speed, multiple conveyor storage system for items in a materials handling facility such as a fulfillment center. An item storage system includes a first conveyor configured to operate at one speed, a second conveyor configured to operate at a different speed, and a transfer device configured to transfer items between the conveyors. The conveyors are each configured to store items in motion in a circuit arrangement. A computing device determines a predicted time at which the item is predicted to exit the item storage system and then initiates a transfer of the item between conveyors via the transfer device by the predicted time.

Provided are a parcel sorting system and method, solving the problem that parcel sorting efficiency needs to be improved in the prior art. The parcel sorting system comprises a parcel sorting device and a parcel collecting device. The parcel sorting device is provided thereon with a plurality of parcel inspection inlets and a plurality of parcel outlets. The parcel collecting device is located under the parcel sorting device. The parcel outlets on the parcel sorting device communicate with the parcel collecting device. The parcel outlets are respectively located at the middle or/and edges of the parcel sorting device. The parcel collecting device is provided thereon with storage devices at positions under respective parcel outlets; and diameter of the storing device is larger than that of the parcel outlet. When the method is used, the parcel sorting efficiency is obviously improved; the implementation is convenient; and popularization and application are facilitated.

A system having a process for order fulfillment bottleneck mitigation that includes receiving, at a picking station, a first tote specific to a first order with the first tote containing items specific to the first order and a plurality of other orders. A first quantity of items required by the first order are retrieved along with a second quantity of items that is the sum of the items required by the other orders. The second quantity of items are stored in a storage at the picking station. A second tote is received at the first picking station that has no further orders pending. A third quantity of items required by a second order is retrieved from the storage and placed into the second tote.