Some umbrellas include a support assembly, canopy assembly, and a toroidal air bladder. The support assembly includes a pump and a handle. The canopy assembly includes a plurality of support ribs attached to the handle, and a sheet attached to each of the support ribs. The toroidal air bladder is coupled to the air pump, and the air bladder disposed about the handle and engages the support ribs.

An umbrella system includes a support pole connected to a rotating tube positioned around a center tube that extends between the support pole and a center support that is connected to an umbrella frame. The rotating tube has one or more helical grooves therein that are engaged by teeth of a hub which is connected to the umbrella frame. As the rotating tube is rotated, the hub is driven along the length of the rotating tube thereby opening and closing the umbrella frame. In one arrangement system includes a motor housing assembly including a plurality of batteries and a motor that includes a driven gear that meshes with a stationary gear which causes rotation of the rotating tube. The system also includes a counterbalance assembly positioned within the rotating tube. The counterbalance assembly includes at least one spring positioned within the rotating tube that provides a counterbalance force.

An intelligent shading charging system, comprises a housing having a rechargeable battery installed therein, a lower support assembly connected to the housing and an upper support assembly, the upper support assembly comprising one or more arm support assemblies. The intelligent shading charging system further comprises a hinging assembly connecting a lower support assembly to an upper support assembly to allow an upper support assembly to rotate with respect to the lower support assembly, one or more arms connected to the one or more are support assemblies, a shading fabric; and one or more solar cell arrays mounted on or integrated within the shading fabric.

An intelligent shading object, comprises a plurality of shading elements, a shading element deployment mechanism, a support structure, and a base unit. A shading element deployment mechanism deploys a plurality of shading elements independently of each other. A support structure is coupled to the shading element deployment mechanism. A base unit is coupled to the support structure to provide stability to the support structure, the shading element deployment mechanism, and the plurality of shading elements.

A marine vessel intelligent shading system, including a marine vessel deck surface, a mounting assembly attached to the marine vessel deck surface, a base assembly having a first end attached to the mounting assembly, a first telescoping module connected to a base assembly, the first telescoping module being adjustable to a plurality of heights, and a core assembly module coupled to the first telescoping module. The marine vessel intelligent shading system further includes an expansion sensor module coupled to the core assembly module and the expansion sensor module includes one or more arm support assemblies, one or more arms and a shading fabric. The one or more arms are connected to the one or more arm support assemblies, and the shading fabric is coupled to the one or more arms.

A strutless umbrella frame for supporting a canopy, the strutless umbrella f comprising a central post, a plurality of ribs each pivotally mounted to the central post about a pivot axis, an actuator arranged for operating the umbrella frame between the closed and open position; and a connection arranged for hingendly connecting each of the plurality of ribs to the actuator. The actuator comprises at least one air spring and first regulator and a second fluid regulator. The actuator is configured for opening the umbrella, in response to a predetermined opening force applied initially by the pivoting movement of at least one of ribs, and for closing the umbrella in response to a predetermined closing force applied initially by the pivoting movement of the at least one of the ribs.

Some umbrellas include a support assembly, canopy assembly, and a toroidal air bladder. The support assembly includes a pump and a handle. The canopy assembly includes a plurality of support ribs attached to the handle, and a sheet attached to each of the support ribs. The toroidal air bladder is coupled to the air pump, and the air bladder disposed about the handle and engages the support ribs.

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 umbrella includes a base unit, a core umbrella assembly connected to the base unit, an arm expansion module connected to the core umbrella assembly, the arm expansion module comprising one or more arm expansion assemblies and one or more arms, the one or more arms connected to the one or more arm expansion assemblies, and an expansion motor, the expansion motor to expand or retract the one or more arms, wherein the expansion motor is located within a core umbrella assembly. The arm expansion module includes a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly comprising one or more environmental sensors to capture measurements of environmental conditions in a surrounding area. The umbrella includes an azimuth motor to rotate the core umbrella assembly about the base unit, the azimuth motor being located inside the core umbrella assembly.

Disclosed is an electrically folding and unfolding multi-fold umbrella, which includes a handle, a pull cord, and an intermediate shaft, the handle is defined at one end of the intermediate shaft, an upper nest and a lower nest are defined at two sides of the intermediate shaft respectively, and the lower nest is adjacent to the handle, a motor, a first gear, and at least one pulley are all located in the upper nest, the first gear is coaxial with one pulley, a side of the motor defines a lead screw, an axis of the pulley is connected to an inner surface of the upper nest, a fixed pulley is defined at a side of an inner surface of the lower nest, one end of the pull cord is fixed in the end of the intermediate shaft, the other end of the pull cord is fixed on the upper nest.