Patent ID: 8798784

Claim:
A unit-level materials handling facility, comprising: an inventory area comprising a plurality of portable storage units, wherein each portable storage unit of the plurality of portable storage units comprises one or more locations for stowing a first plurality of types of items in inventory, wherein the inventory area further comprises one or more induction stations, each induction station located proximate to a portion of a conveyance mechanism, and wherein the inventory area includes one or more mobile robotic devices operable to transport the portable storage units within the inventory area; a separate inventory storage area that stores a second plurality of types of items; a batch singulation station; and a control system operable to: direct the one or more robotic devices to transport, within the inventory area, a particular portable storage unit of the plurality of portable storage units to and from a particular induction station of the one or more induction stations within the inventory area; direct induction of one or more single units of items from one or more locations of the portable storage unit, while the particular portable storage unit is located at an induction station, into the conveyance mechanism at the particular induction station; direct picks of batches of heterogeneous items from the separate inventory storage area; and direct induction of single units of items from the batches of heterogeneous items picked from the separate inventory storage area into the conveyance mechanism at the batch singulation station.