Item display order picking system

Claim 1

An item handling system for aiding manual handling of said items by a human operator within a predetermined zone in accordance with output data including order number, quantity and location from a data input device comprising: a memory means; control means coupled to the output of said data input device including order number, quantity and location and to said memory means for formatting the data to be stored in said memory means and providing a preselected data output to a line driver means through an interface adapter means; at least one bay having a plurality of storage areas containing items to be picked; a display module adjacent each of said storage areas in said predetermined zone and coupled to the output of said control means through said interface adapter means to said line driver means; a changeable numerical display activated by said control means on each of said display modules for indicating the quantity of items to be picked; manually operated switch means on said display module for decrementing or incrementing the number indicated on said numerical display; and means for interconnecting said switch to said control means through said interface adapter means for transferring information relative to decrementing and incrementing to said control means.