Patent ID: 7774243

Claim:
A method, comprising: sending, by a control system comprising one or more computers, instructions directing movement of a plurality of agents along respective paths within an inventory storage area; sending, by the control system and while a first one of said plurality of agents is moving along a respective path, instructions for the first agent to select each of a plurality of items from said inventory storage area, wherein each of said plurality of items is specified in a corresponding customer order, wherein each of said plurality of items is designated to be delivered to a corresponding order processing area, and at least two of said plurality of items selected by the first agent are designated to be delivered to two different corresponding order processing areas by different ones of said agents; sending, by the control system and subsequent to selecting a particular one of said plurality of items and prior to said particular item being delivered to any order processing area, an instruction for said first agent for transferring said particular item to a second one of said plurality of agents, wherein transferring said particular item comprises said first agent transferring physical possession of said particular item to said second agent, and wherein said transferring occurs during conveyance of said particular item to said corresponding order processing area; sending, by the control system, an instruction for said second agent or another one of said plurality of agents to deliver said particular item to said corresponding order processing area.