Patent ID: 8341040

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: performing, by one or more computers: receiving an indication of a given unit of a particular item that is to be stowed; receiving a selection of a bin of a plurality of bins, wherein each bin of the plurality of bins is configured to hold one or more units of items; determining a group of one or more bins of the plurality bins other than the selected bin, wherein each bin of the group is determined to be close to the selected bin based on one or more closeness criteria indicating distance or positional requirements for determining whether bins are close to each other; if the group does not contain an other unit of the particular item, and if the group and the selected bin do not contain a unit of an item that is similar to said particular item according to one or more similarity criteria indicating requirements for determining whether items are similar based on attributes of those items, generating an indication that specifies the selected bin is eligible to stow the given unit of the particular item; and if the group contains an other unit of the particular item, or if the group or the selected bin contain a unit of an item that is similar to said particular item according to said one or more similarity criteria, generating an indication that specifies the selected bin is ineligible to stow the given unit of the particular item.