Patent ID: 7200465

Claim:
A method for storing and delivering containers, comprising the steps of: providing an individual container storage and delivery system; providing a palletizer for forming a group of containers from said individual container storage and delivery system into a layer or a partial layer, and placing this layer or partial layer onto a pallet; providing a layer storage and delivery system for taking full layers of containers from a storage area and placing said full layers onto a pallet; providing a robotic container delivery system for placing individual containers onto a pallet; maintaining inventory data comprising position data for at least some containers in said system; receiving customer order data; determining at least one pallet configuration from said order data and said inventory data, said pallet configuration including layers of containers for said pallet configuration; and, if said configuration of containers includes layers of homogeneous SKUs, placing said homogeneous SKU containers on a pallet with said layer storage and delivery system; if said configuration requires layers of homogeneous package type, placing said homogeneous package type containers on said pallet with said individual container storage and delivery system and said palletizer; and, if said configuration requires heterogeneous package types, placing said heterogeneous package types onto a pallet with said robotic container delivery system.