# US 11,027,185 B1 · Robotic batting tee system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,185 B1 - Document ID: US11027185B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/013,196 - Filed: 2020-09-04 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-04 - Assignees: Robosport Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Robosport Technologies LLC - Inventors: Salvatore LoDuca; Ted Larson; Zack Alban - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027185B1 ## CPC - A63B 69/0053: {Apparatus generating random stimulus signals for reaction-time training involving a substantial physical effort} - A63B 69/0075: {Means for releasably holding a ball in position prior to kicking, striking or the like (golf tees A63B57/10)} - A63B 69/0002: {for baseball} - A63B 71/0622: {Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user} - A63B 2069/0008: {for batting} - A63B 2071/026: {stabilised by weight} - A63B 2102/18: Baseball, rounders or similar games - A63B 2102/182: {Softball} - A63B 2220/10: Positions - A63B 2220/40: Acceleration - A63B 2220/805: Optical or opto-electronic sensors - A63B 2220/833: Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement - A63B 2225/09: Adjustable dimensions - A63B 2225/093: Height - A63B 2225/20: with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like - A63B 2225/50: Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry - A63B 2225/74: with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A batting tee system includes a base, a first carriage moveably coupled to the base, and a second carriage moveably coupled to the first carriage. The second carriage may hold an external system having a neck and a ball holder. The batting tee system further includes a first actuator attached to the base, and a second actuator attached to the first carriage. The first actuator may move the first carriage and the second carriage along a first horizontal axis relative to the base. The second actuator may move the second carriage along a second horizontal axis relative to the base and the first carriage. The batting tee system further includes a control system that may cause the first carriage and the second carriage to move to random positions along the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A batting tee system, comprising: a vertical tee system comprising: a housing; a ball holder for holding a ball; a neck movable along a vertical axis, the neck coupled at a first end to the housing, and further coupled at a second end to the ball holder; a first actuator positioned in the housing and operable to move the neck along the vertical axis thereby increasing and decreasing a distance between the ball holder and the housing; a first control system operable to cause the first actuator to move the neck to a first random position along the vertical axis, wherein the control system is further operable to cause the first actuator to move the neck from the first random position along the vertical axis to a second random position along the vertical axis, different than the first random position along the vertical axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the neck is in the first random position along the vertical axis; a horizontal tee system comprising: a base; a first carriage moveably coupled to the base; a second carriage moveably coupled to the first carriage, the second carriage operable to hold the vertical tee system; a second actuator coupled to the base and operable to move the first carriage and the second carriage along a first horizontal axis relative to the base; a third actuator coupled to the first carriage and operable to move the second carriage along a second horizontal axis relative to the base and the first carriage; and a second control system operable to: cause the second actuator to move the first carriage and the second carriage to a first random position along the first horizontal axis; cause the third actuator to move the second carriage to a first random position along the second horizontal axis; cause the second actuator to move the first carriage and the second carriage from the first random position along the first horizontal axis to a second random position along the first horizontal axis, different than the first random position along the first horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the first carriage and the second carriage are in the first random position along the first horizontal axis; and cause the third actuator to move the second carriage from the first random position along the second horizontal axis to a second random position along the second horizontal axis, different than the first random position along the second horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the second carriage is in the first random position along the second horizontal axis; and one or more connectors operable to releasably couple the vertical tee system to the second carriage of the horizontal tee system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first carriage is an in-out carriage; the second carriage is a front-back carriage; the second actuator is operable to move the in-out carriage and the front-back carriage along an in-out axis relative to the base; and the third actuator is operable to move the front-back carriage along a front-back axis relative to the base and the in-out carriage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first carriage is a front-back carriage; the second carriage is an in-out carriage; the second actuator is operable to move the front-back carriage and the in-out carriage along a front-back axis relative to the base; and the third actuator is operable to move the in-out carriage along an in-out axis relative to the base and the front-back carriage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors comprise a quick release clip system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator comprises a spool rotatable by a motor, and further comprises plastic tape coupled at a first end to the spool and further coupled at a second end to a portion of the neck. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second actuator and the third actuator each comprise a belt connected to two or more rotating shafts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first control system is further operable to cause the first actuator to move the neck from the second random position along the vertical axis to a third position that is selected by a user, that is along the vertical axis, and that is different than the second random position along the vertical axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the neck is in the second random position along the vertical axis; and the second control system is further operable to: cause the second actuator to move the first carriage and the second carriage from the second random position along the first horizontal axis to a third position that is selected by a user, that is along the first horizontal axis, and that is different than the second random position along the first horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the first carriage and the second carriage are in the second random position along the first horizontal axis; and cause the third actuator to move the second carriage from the second random position along the second horizontal axis to a third position that is selected by the user, that is along the second horizontal axis, and that is different than the second random position along the second horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the second carriage is in the second random position along the second horizontal axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the neck is operable to be moved manually by a user from the second position along the vertical axis to a third position along the vertical axis; the first and second carriage are further operable to be moved manually by the user from the second position along the first horizontal axis to a third position along the first horizontal axis; and the second carriage is further operable to be moved manually by the user from the second position along the second horizontal axis to a third position along the second horizontal axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first control system comprises one or more ball presence sensors positioned to collect ball presence data that the first control system analyzes to determine if the ball has been hit from the ball holder. ### Claim 10 A batting tee system, comprising: a vertical tee system comprising: a housing; a ball holder for holding a ball; a neck movable along a vertical axis, the neck coupled at a first end to the housing, and further coupled at a second end to the ball holder; a first actuator positioned in the housing and operable to move the neck along the vertical axis thereby increasing and decreasing a distance between the ball holder and the housing; a first control system operable to cause the first actuator to move the neck to a first position along the vertical axis, wherein the control system is further operable to cause the first actuator to move the neck from the first position along the vertical axis to a second position along the vertical axis, different than the first position along the vertical axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the neck is in the first position along the vertical axis; a horizontal tee system comprising: a base; a first carriage moveably coupled to the base; a second carriage moveably coupled to the first carriage, the second carriage operable to hold the vertical tee system; a second actuator coupled to the base and operable to move the first carriage and the second carriage along a first horizontal axis relative to the base; a third actuator coupled to the first carriage and operable to move the second carriage along a second horizontal axis relative to the base and the first carriage; and a second control system operable to: cause the second actuator to move the first carriage and the second carriage to a first position along the first horizontal axis; cause the third actuator to move the second carriage to a first position along the second horizontal axis; cause the second actuator to move the first carriage and the second carriage from the first position along the first horizontal axis to a second position along the first horizontal axis, different than the first position along the first horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the first carriage and the second carriage are in the first position along the first horizontal axis; and cause the third actuator to move the second carriage from the first position along the second horizontal axis to a second position along the second horizontal axis, different than the first position along the second horizontal axis, after the ball is hit from the ball holder when the second carriage is in the first position along the second horizontal axis; and one or more connectors operable to releasably couple the vertical tee system to the second carriage of the horizontal tee system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the first position along the vertical axis comprises a first position that is along the vertical axis and that is selected by a user; the first position along the first horizontal axis comprises a first position that is along the first horizontal axis and that is selected by the user; the first position along the second horizontal axis comprises a first position that is along the second horizontal axis and that is selected by the user; the second position along the vertical axis comprises a second position that is along the vertical axis and that is selected by the user; the second position along the first horizontal axis comprises a second position that is along the first horizontal axis and that is selected by the user; and the second position along the second horizontal axis comprises a second position that is along the second horizontal axis and that is selected by the user.