An umbrella includes a frame assembly including a support pole and a canopy support structure associated with the support pole. At least a portion of the canopy support structure is movable relative to a central axis of the canopy support structure. An actuation mechanism including an actuator is operably coupled to a portion of the canopy support structure. The actuation mechanism is selectively operable to move the canopy support structure to at least one of automatically transform the umbrella to an open configuration and automatically transform the umbrella to a closed configuration.

An umbrella includes a frame assembly including a support pole and a canopy support structure associated with the support pole. At least a portion of the canopy support structure is movable relative to a central axis of the canopy support structure. An actuation mechanism including an actuator is operably coupled to a portion of the canopy support structure. The actuation mechanism is selectively operable to move the canopy support structure to at least one of automatically transform the umbrella to an open configuration and automatically transform the umbrella to a closed configuration.

A twist lock mechanism for easily achieving a secure locking relationship between an outer member and an inner member is provided for use on an umbrella with a ball-joint based for adaptive orientation, and a spike receiving base or anchoring base mechanism.

A twist lock mechanism for easily achieving a secure locking relationship between an outer member and an inner member is provided for use on an umbrella with a ball-joint based for adaptive orientation, and a spike receiving base or anchoring base mechanism.

A cantilever umbrella including a frame having an upper tray and a lower tray is provided. Two first crossed rods, a transverse rod and a first long rib are articulated to the upper tray. Two second crossed rods and two first short ribs are articulated to the lower tray. One of the two first short ribs is articulated to a middle portion of the transverse rod and the other one is articulated to a middle portion of the first long rib. A middle portion of each second crossed rod is articulated to a middle portion of the first crossed rod on a same side. An end of each first crossed rod is articulated with a short-rib tray which is articulated to a short rib, and an end of each second crossed rod is articulated with a long-rib tray which is articulated to a long rib. The short ribs each has one end articulated to the short-rib tray and another end articulated to a middle portion of one of the long ribs. The upper tray and the two long-rib trays are each disposed with a cap thereon, and a canopy fabric is covered on the long ribs to form three canopies.

An intelligent umbrella includes a wireless communication transceiver to receive commands or messages from a mobile computing device and an integrated computing device, the integrated computing device including one or more memory devices, one or more processors and computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory devices. The computer-readable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to receive the commands or messages, via the wireless communication transceiver from the mobile computing device and to generate instructions, signals, commands and/or messages, based, at least in part on the received commands or messages from the mobile computing device. The computer-readable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to communicate the generated instructions, signals, commands or messages to one or more assemblies of the intelligent umbrella to cause the one or more assemblies of the intelligent umbrella to move in a specified manner.

An intelligent umbrella includes a wireless communication transceiver to receive commands or messages from a mobile computing device and an integrated computing device, the integrated computing device including one or more memory devices, one or more processors and computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory devices. The computer-readable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to receive the commands or messages, via the wireless communication transceiver from the mobile computing device and to generate instructions, signals, commands and/or messages, based, at least in part on the received commands or messages from the mobile computing device. The computer-readable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to communicate the generated instructions, signals, commands or messages to one or more assemblies of the intelligent umbrella to cause the one or more assemblies of the intelligent umbrella to move in a specified manner.

A shading system includes a base assembly, core assembly, a sensor expansion module coupled to the core assembly module, wherein the sensor expansion module includes one or more arm support assemblies; one or more arms connected to the one or more arm support assemblies. The base assembly includes one or more motors, one or more processors; one or more memory modules; a base motor controller; and computer-readable instructions, which when executed communicate movement direction and distance instructions to a base motor controller. The base assembly includes one or more motors, wherein the base motor controller converts the received movement direction and/or distance instructions to movement direction and/or distance commands, and communicates the movement direction and/or distance commands to the one or more motors to physically move the base assembly.

A shading system includes a base assembly, core assembly, a sensor expansion module coupled to the core assembly module, wherein the sensor expansion module includes one or more arm support assemblies; one or more arms connected to the one or more arm support assemblies. The base assembly includes one or more motors, one or more processors; one or more memory modules; a base motor controller; and computer-readable instructions, which when executed communicate movement direction and distance instructions to a base motor controller. The base assembly includes one or more motors, wherein the base motor controller converts the received movement direction and/or distance instructions to movement direction and/or distance commands, and communicates the movement direction and/or distance commands to the one or more motors to physically move the base assembly.

A wind-lift-eliminating self-adjusting self-stabilizing arthritic-aiding umbrella comprises: a flow-directing chapeau attached to a chapeau crown, an upper cone rotatably attached to a cable conduit for preventing the umbrella from radially twisting clockwise and counterclockwise out of shape, a lower tube for centering the upper cone, a stanchion, an intersector bolted to the stanchion, a supporting-arm intersector, a top-hub, a canopy-height-and-tilt-adjusting arthritic-hand-aiding handle slidably connected to the stanchion, a height-adjusting arthritic-hand-aiding trigger springably and pivotably attached to the handle for providing aid to arthritic hands to operate the handle without discomfort and for providing means to slidably lower and raise the handle to adjust the umbrella, a supporting arm pivotably attached to the lifting-arm intersector and the supporting-arm intersector, a lifting arm pivotably attached to the handle and the top-hub intersector, the supporting-arm intersector pivotably attached to the lifting arm, a deploying cable, a cable spool molded into the handle and attached to the cable, an arthritic-hand-aiding crank, an arthritic-hand-aiding-crank paddle rotatably connected to the crank for providing aid to arthritic hands to operate the crank providing means to deploy and retract the umbrella without discomfort, a reversible wind-pressure-releasing and cooling-funnel canopy for providing a cover to protect users from weather elements and for releasing air pressure below the umbrella, an opening is cut into the canopy, a top-hub-ring, the cable conduit rotatably attached to the top-hub-ring, the top-hub intersector pivotably attached to the top-hub-ring, a bottom-shuttle-hub-ring, the lower cone rotatably attached to the bottom-shuttle-hub-ring, the cable connected to the bottom hub-ring, upper-ribs, wind-lift-eliminating self-adjusting funnel-and-canopy-tension-adjusting springs for adjustably tensioning the canopy and for customizingly relieving air pressure below the umbrella to stabilize and to eliminate lift and vibration from wind gusts, adjustable-tension-canopy-spring brackets springably securing the wind-lift-eliminating self-adjusting funnel-and-canopy-tension-adjusting springs to the upper-ribs, lower-ribs pivotably screwed to the bottom-shuttle-hub-ring and the upper-ribs, a stanchion base-mounting plate attached to the stanchion, and base-stabilizing feet bolted to the base-mounting-plate.