Warehousing system and method

Abstract

A warehousing system includes a container for storing at least one item, a first electronic (e.g. radio frequency identification (RFID)) module associated with the first container, and a controller which wirelessly communicates with first electronic module, for directing a transfer of said at least one item to and/or from said first container. The inventive system may include, for example, a hybrid retail/warehouse system which includes a facility having a shelving area, and a picking area adjacent to the shelving area, and a layout so as to minimize a picking area and a walking distance between a picking area and a shelving area.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part (CIP) Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 474,353 which was filed on Oct. 9, 2003, is assigned to the present assignee, and is incorporated herein by reference, and this Application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 474,353. [0002] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 474,353 claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 282,150 which was filed on Apr. 9, 2001 by John Stevens, and assigned to the present assignee, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 359,350 which was filed on Feb. 26, 2002 by John Stevens, et al. and assigned to the present assignee, and which were incorporated therein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] The present invention generally relates to a warehousing system and method, and more particularly, a warehousing system and method which may be used in a hybrid retail / warehouse ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0036] With its unique and novel features, the present invention optimizes each employee's time and leads to highly efficient put away of products and highly efficient picking of products. The invention, therefore, offers aff

Problems solved by technology

However, such businesses (e.g., dotcoms) have often failed, primarily because there are simply too few customers to carry costs.

That is, the costs of fulfillment and operating overhead could simply not be covered with the actual customer base.

A major barrier to growth for any inventory-based business is managing the physical warehouse, physical inventory, and fulfillment from warehouse to customer.

A major problem with such conventional systems is that volume and throughput commitments must be established before capital and systems commitments are made.

If the business plan is wrong and a warehouse faces unexpected expansion, it becomes quite expensive.

If the business plan is wrong and the warehouse faces below target throughput, it is a financial disaster.

Finally, if throughput is predictable, existing legacy systems are too expensive to change.

For instance, one of the major economic inefficiencies in dotcom businesses is the Internet's dependency upon expensive “old economy” fulfillment channels.

However the high costs and inefficiencies of these fulfillment channels cause conventional systems to be expensive and inefficient and were directly responsible for the demise of many dotcoms.

However, merely using conventional r

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