A combined umbrella and canopy (10) that provides the advantages of both of these devices for providing maximum shade. The umbrella portion (12) is substantially similar to a standard beach umbrella having a vertical pole (16) with spokes or ribs (22, 24, 26, 28) extending radially outwardly adjacent the top (20) for supporting a fabric cover (30). The fabric cover (30) defines a front (32) and back (34) and at least two sides of the umbrella. The back (34) of the umbrella includes an additional length of fabric (36) that extends horizontally rearwardly and then curves downwardly and terminates in two spaced apart ends (38, 40). Each end includes a pocket (42, 44) that can be filled with sand to weigh the same down to maintain the ends on the beach. The additional fabric (36) is essentially a canopy (14). The umbrella structure (12) provides better support for the forward end of the canopy and prevents the same from collapsing when the wind conditions change.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.

An umbrella includes a base assembly, a core assembly connected to the base assembly, the core assembly including a skin covering, a tubular assembly; and an electronics housing and an arm expansion assembly connected to the core assembly to expand or retract one or more umbrella arms. The electronics housing includes an opening or a space through which the tubular assembly passes and the electronics housing is located underneath the skin covering. The electronics housing also includes one or more sensor assemblies to capture sensor measurements in an area surrounding the umbrella.

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.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.

An umbrella includes a first lighting element, a second lighting element, a first electrical component associated with the first lighting element, a second electrical component associated with the second lighting element, and a computing device. The computing device includes one or more processors, one or more physical memory devices and computer-readable instructions being executable by the one or more processors to 1) receive first status message or signals from the first electrical component; 2) receive second status message or signals from the second electrical component; 3) generate first light element commands based, at least in part, on the received first status messages and communicate the generated first light element commands to the first light element; and 4) generate second light element commands based, at least in part, on the received second status messages and communicate the generated second light element commands to the second light element.

Cooling systems are provided. The cooling systems include a plurality of cooling units. Each cooling unit has a base having a housing with control components, a cooling tower attached to the base at a first end of the cooling tower, with an inner flow path and an exterior surface, and an air distribution system attached to the cooling tower at a second end. The air distribution system includes an air distribution chamber between first and second enclosures, cool and warm air dispensers are configured in the first enclosure, and a cover is disposed on an exterior of the enclosures. The control components are configured to convey air through the base, the cooling tower, and the air distribution system to dispense air through the air dispensers. At least two of the cooling units of the plurality of cooling units are arranged in a linear arrangement.

Cooling units are provided. The cooling units include a base having a housing with control components and a cooling tower attached to the base having an inner flow path and an exterior surface. An air distribution system is attached to the cooling tower and includes an air distribution chamber defined between first and second enclosures, a cool air dispenser configured in the first enclosure, a warm air dispenser configured in the first enclosure at a location different from the cool air dispenser, and a cover disposed on an exterior surface of the second enclosure. The control components are configured to convey air through the base, the cooling tower, and the air distribution system to dispense air through the cool air dispenser and the warm air dispenser and a plurality of ducts connect the cooling tower to at least one of the cool air dispenser and the warm air dispenser.

Cooling units are provided. The cooling units include abase having a housing with control components, a cooling tower attached to the base and having an inner flow path and an exterior surface. An air distribution system is attached to the cooling tower and includes an air distribution chamber defined between first and second enclosures, air dispensers are configured in the first enclosure, and a cover disposed on an exterior surface of the second enclosure. The control components are configured to convey air through the base, the cooling tower, and the air distribution system to dispense air through the cool air dispenser and the warm air dispenser and an electronics package installed on the cooling unit.

A multi-function double-canopy umbrella comprises: a first foot, a second foot, a mounting plate bolted to the first and second feet, a lower post attached to the mounting plate, an upper post, an inner core inserted into the lower and upper posts, a central tube, a spool, a crank rotatably attached to the spool, a rope threaded through the central tube, central ribs, central arms pivotably attached to the central ribs, an adjustable central canopy attached to the central ribs to adjust to different heights, an intersector slidably attached to the central tube, first ribs pivotably connected to the intersector and central arms, second ribs, multi-rib-connecting cores slidably connected to the first and second ribs to adjust the multi-function double-canopy umbrella to multiple different sizes, raising arms foldably attached to the intersector, an adjustable ring canopy attached to the first and second ribs, and adjusting flaps sewn to the adjustable ring canopy to adjust it to multiple different sizes.