Apparatus, methods, and systems for providing a baseball facility to allow a plurality of players to hit a baseball onto a single field

Abstract

A method of increasing a total number of players configured to hit a ball into a single field is disclosed. The method comprises providing a substantially circular shaped enclosed field, a structure housing a plurality of bays positioned at a midpoint of the substantially circular shaped enclosed field, and a plurality of mock pitching mounds. The plurality of mock pitching mounds is disposed around the structure and in front of each bay of the plurality of bays thereby each bay emulates the look and feel of a baseball diamond from the perspective of each of the players and bays. Each bay is convex shaped being disposed on the outer perimeter of the substantially circular structure to provide the plurality of bays each emulating the home plate and batter's boxes of a baseball field.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing a total number of players configured to hit a ball into a single field, wherein the method comprises:
 a) providing a substantially circular shaped enclosed field;   b) providing a structure housing a plurality of bays positioned at a midpoint of the substantially circular shaped enclosed field, wherein each of the plurality of bays has an open front side providing access from each of the plurality of bays to the substantially circular shaped enclosed field; and   c) providing a mock pitching mound in the substantially circular shaped enclosed field proximate to and positioned in front of each of the plurality of bays.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises providing at least one of an elevator or a plurality of stairs between an area below the structure and the structure which provides an ingress and an egress for a plurality of players to enter and leave the structure. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. providing the substantially circular shaped enclosed field with a portion of field removed, wherein the portion of the field removed extends radially outward from the structure to a perimeter of the field; and   b. providing an ingress and egress to the structure that is positioned where the portion of the field is removed.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bays is positioned at a perimeter of the structure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes a height adjustable tee with a top end disposed within a first bay of the plurality of bays, wherein the top end of the height adjustable tee is at height above a floor of the first bay for a first player to hit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes providing a device that throws a retrieved ball from a first area of a first bay of the plurality of bays toward a second area of the first bay. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes providing a second device that throws a retrieved ball from in front of the first bay of the plurality of bays toward a second area of the first bay. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a. providing at least one sensor to detect a ball path and an ending location of a first ball hit from a first bay of the plurality of bays into the substantially circular shaped enclosed field; 
 b. accessing, in an attached database, a plurality of virtual field data associated with a virtual field remote to the substantially circular shaped enclosed field; 
 c. determining, using a processor, a virtual ball path and a virtual ending location of the first ball within the substantially circular shaped enclosed field by comparing the ball path and the ending location of the first ball with the virtual field data associated with the virtual field; 
 d. presenting, on a graphical display within the first bay, a graphical representation of the virtual ball path and the virtual ending location of the first ball relative to a graphical representation of the virtual field; and 
 e. providing an entertaining experience, on the graphical display, when the virtual ending location is one of a plurality of virtual scoring locations within the virtual field. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. providing a user interface within the first bay to receive first player skill level information of a first player, wherein the user interface is communication with the processor;   b. creating a first player user record within the attached database and storing the first player skill level information in the first player user record;   c. selecting the virtual field and associated virtual field data based on the first player skill level information of the first player; and   d. after determining with the processor the virtual ball path and the virtual ending location, providing the entertaining experience, on the graphical display, when the virtual ending location is one of the plurality of virtual scoring locations within the virtual field based on the first player skill level information of the first player.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. providing a user interface within the first bay to receive first player skill level information of the first player, wherein the user interface is communication with the processor;   b. creating a first player user record within the attached database and storing the first player skill level information in the first player user record;   c. providing at least one target area having at least one light emitting element visible from the first bay and within the substantially circular shaped enclosed field, wherein the at least one light emitting element is in communication with the processor;   d. determining, using the processor, if the ending location of the first ball is within the at least one target area;   e. determining, using the processor, the first player skill level information of the first player if the ending location is within a first region of the field; and   f. providing a second entertaining experience, based on the first player skill level information, by causing the at least one light emitting element to emit light for at least a predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         11 . A system for increasing a total number of players hitting a plurality of baseballs into a single field, wherein the system comprises:
 a) at least one outer wall;   b) a field within the at least one outer wall, wherein the at least one outer wall substantially encloses the field;   c) a building structure concentrically disposed within the field with respect to the at least one outer wall;   d) a plurality of bays within the building structure having an open front side on a perimeter of the building structure providing access from each of the plurality of bays to the field; and   e) a plurality of mock pitching mounds concentrically arranged about the building structure such that at least one mock pitching mound of the plurality of mock pitching mounds is proximate to and positioned in front of each bay of the plurality of bays.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each bay of the plurality of bays comprises a batter's box and a home plate. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one outer wall is a plurality of outer walls such that each outer wall of the plurality of outer walls is contiguous and wherein each outer wall comprises an outfield distance defined by the distance from the respective outer wall to the home plate of at least one bay of the plurality of bays. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the system further comprises:
 a. at least one sensor configured to detect a baseball path and an ending location of at least one baseball of the plurality of baseballs hit from at least one bay of the plurality of bays into the field;   b. a database;   c. a display disposed with the at least one bay;   d. a processor in connection with the at least one sensor and the display, wherein the processor is configured for:
 i. accessing, in an attached database, a plurality of virtual field data associated with a virtual field remote to the field; 
 ii. determining a virtual ball path and a virtual ending location of the at least one baseball within the field by comparing the baseball path and the ending location of the at least one baseball with the virtual field data associated with the virtual field; 
 iii. presenting, on the display within the at least one bay, a graphical representation of the virtual ball path and the virtual ending location of the first ball relative to a graphical representation of the virtual field; and 
 iv. providing an entertaining experience, on the display, when the virtual ending location is one of a plurality of virtual scoring locations within the virtual field. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the at least one outer wall substantially encloses the field such that the at least one outer wall and the field substantially surround the building structure; and wherein the at least one outer wall, the field, and the building structure have a contiguous wedged entrance removed therefrom providing access from outside the at least one outer wall to the building structure. 
     
     
         16 . A method of increasing a total number of players configured to hit a ball into a single field, wherein the method comprises:
 a) providing:
 (i) at least one outer wall substantially enclosing a field; 
 (ii) a building structure housing a plurality of bays, wherein the building structure is concentrically disposed within the field with respect to the at least one outer wall, and wherein each bay of the plurality of bays has an open front side providing access from each bay of the plurality of bays to the field; 
 (iii) a plurality of mock pitching mounds in the field concentrically arranged about the building structure such that at least one mock pitching mound of the plurality of mock pitching mounds is proximate to and positioned in front of each bay of the plurality of bays; 
 (iv) wherein the at least one outer wall substantially encloses the field such that the at least one outer wall and the field substantially surround the building structure; 
   b) disposing a batter's box and a home plate in each bay of the plurality of bays in front of the at least one mock pitching mound of the plurality of mock pitching mounds thereby defining a mock baseball diamond;   c) delivering at least one baseball to at least one bay of the plurality of bays to be hit into the field by at least one player of a plurality of players;   d) after the at least one baseball is hit, detecting, with at least one sensor, a baseball path and an ending location of the at least one baseball of the plurality of baseballs hit;   e) accessing, with at least one processor, in an attached database, a plurality of virtual field data associated with a virtual field remote to the field;   f) determining, with the at least one processor, a virtual ball path and a virtual ending location of the at least one baseball within the field by comparing the baseball path and the ending location of the at least one baseball with the virtual field data associated with the virtual field;   g) presenting, on at least one display disposed within the at least one bay, a graphical representation of the virtual ball path and the virtual ending location of the first ball relative to a graphical representation of the virtual field; and   h) providing an entertaining experience, on the at least one display, when the virtual ending location is one of a plurality of virtual scoring locations within the virtual field.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein delivering the at least one baseball to the at least one bay comprises at least one of (i) throwing, using a pitching machine, the at least one baseball from the field into the at least one bay; (ii) tossing, using a second pitching machine disposed within the at least one bay, the at least one baseball proximate to the batter's box and the home plate; (iii) providing a dispensing system within the at least one bay wherein the dispensing system dispenses the at least one baseball to be disposed on a tee within the at least one bay. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one sensor is disposed within at least one of (i) the at least one baseball, (ii) the at least one bay, (iii) and within the field. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the building structure is a multilevel, substantially circular building structure having a removed wedge defining an entrance wherein the removed wedge is contiguous with an opening in the at least one outer wall and the field.