Control of Multiple Umbrellas or Shading Devices

Abstract

A mobile communications device includes a wireless communication transceiver to communicate commands or messages and to receive commands, measurements or messages, one or more memory devices, one or more processors, computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory devices, accessed from the one or more memory devices and executable by the one or more processors to cause the mobile device to communicate, via the wireless communication transceiver, commands, messages or instructions to a first umbrella to control some operations of the first umbrella and communicate, via the wireless communication transceiver, commands, messages or instructions to a second umbrella to control some operations of the second umbrella. The wireless transceiver may communicate utilizing a personal area network (PAN) communications protocol, a wireless local area network communications protocol or a cellular communications protocol.

1 . A first intelligent umbrella, comprising:
 a first support assembly;   a first shading expansion assembly connected to the support assembly, further comprising one or more arms coupled to the first shading expansion assembly;   a first wireless communication transceiver;   one or more processors;   one or more memory modules; and   computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, the computer-readable instructions fetched from the one or more memory modules and executable by the one or more processors to:   communicate commands to the first shading expansion assembly to cause the one or more arms to expand or retract; and   communicate commands to the wireless communication transceiver,   wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the commands to a second intelligent umbrella to cause the one or more arms of a second shading expansion assembly to expand or retract.   
     
     
         2 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors further to:   communicate additional commands to the first support assembly, to cause an upper section of the first support assembly to rotate about a lower section of the first support assembly; and   communicate the additional commands to the first wireless transceiver,   wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the additional commands to the second intelligent umbrella to cause an upper section of a second support assembly to rotate about a lower section of the second support assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a first audio transceiver and one or more first speakers;
 the computer-readable instructions executed by the one or more processors further to:   communicate digital audio files to the first audio transceiver, which transfers the digital audio files for playback by the one or more first speakers; and   communicate the digital audio files to the first wireless communication transceiver,   wherein the wireless communication transceiver to communicate the digital audio files to the second intelligent umbrella for audible playback utilizing a second audio transceiver and one or more second speakers.   
     
     
         4 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate with the second intelligent umbrella utilizing a wireless LAN communication protocol (e.g., WiFi communication protocol). 
     
     
         5 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate with the second intelligent umbrella utilizing a mesh networking wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a first lighting assembly;
 the computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors further to:   communicate commands to the first lighting assembly to activate one or more lighting elements in the first lighting assembly; and   communicate commands to the first wireless communication transceiver,   wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the commands to the second intelligent umbrella to activate one or more lighting elements in a second lighting assembly of the second intelligent umbrella.   
     
     
         7 . The intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first base assembly, the first base assembly coupled to the first support assembly;   the computer-readable instructions executed by the one or more processors to:   receive mobile device generated commands from a mobile communications device; and   communicate the received mobile device generated commands to the first support assembly to cause the first support assembly to rotate about the first base assembly based at least in part on the received mobile device generated commands.   
     
     
         8 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the commands to a third intelligent umbrella to cause the one or more arms of a third shading expansion assembly to expand or retract. 
     
     
         9 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the commands to a second intelligent umbrella to cause the one or more arms of a second shading expansion assembly to expand or retract in a synchronous fashion with respect to the one or more arms of first shading expansion assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , the first intelligent umbrella further comprising a power cable, the power cable coupled or connected to the second intelligent umbrella. 
     
     
         11 . A first intelligent umbrella, comprising:
 a first base assembly;   a first support assembly, the first support assembly comprising a first upper support assembly and a first lower support assembly;   a first shading expansion assembly connected to the support assembly, the shading assembly further comprising one or more arms coupled to the shading expansion assembly;   a first wireless communication transceiver;   one or more processors;   one or more memory modules; and   computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, the computer-readable instructions fetched from the one or more memory modules and executable by the one or more processors to:   communicate commands to the first support assembly to cause the first upper support assembly to rotate with respect to the first lower support assembly; and   communicate commands to the first wireless communication transceiver,   wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the commands to a second intelligent umbrella to cause a second upper support assembly to rotate with respect to a second lower support assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 11 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate with the second intelligent umbrella utilizing a two-way personal area network wireless communications protocol, such as a Bluetooth communications protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 11 , wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate with the second intelligent umbrella utilizing a bidirectional mesh networking wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
         14 . The intelligent umbrella of  claim 11 , further comprising a first audio transceiver and one or more first speakers;
 the computer-readable instructions executed by the one or more processors further to:   receive a first audio file and a second audio file;   communicate a first audio file to the first audio transceiver, which transfers the first audio file for playback by the one or more first speakers; and   communicate the second audio file to the first wireless communication transceiver,   wherein the wireless communication transceiver to communicate the second audio file to the second intelligent umbrella for audible playback utilizing a second audio transceiver and one or more second speakers   
     
     
         15 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a first environmental sensor assembly,
 the computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors further to:   communicate commands to the first environmental sensor assembly to capture measurements of an area surrounding the first intelligent umbrella; and   communicate the captured measurements to the first wireless communication transceiver.   
     
     
         16 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 11 , the computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors further to:
 communicate an additional set of commands to the first wireless communications transceiver, the first wireless communications transceiver to communicate the additional set of commands to the second intelligent umbrella to cause the second intelligent umbrella to perform an action that is different from the second upper support assembly rotating about the second lower support assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 11 ,
 the computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors further to:   receive mobile device generated commands from a mobile communications device;   communicate the received mobile device generated commands to the first shading expansion assembly to expand or retract the one or more arms of the first expansion shading assembly;   communicate the mobile device generated commands to the first wireless communication transceiver; and   communicate the mobile device generated commands to the second intelligent umbrella to cause the second shading expansion assembly to expand or retract the one or more arms of the second expansion shading assembly.   
     
     
         18 . A first intelligent umbrella, comprising:
 a first base assembly placed on a surface;   a first support assembly connected to the first base assembly;   a first shading expansion assembly connected to the first support assembly, further comprising one or more arms connected to the first shading expansion assembly;   a first sensor assembly to capture sensor measurements in an area around the first intelligent umbrella;   a first wireless communication transceiver;   one or more processors;   one or more memory devices; and   computer-readable instructions stored in the one or more memory devices, the computer-readable instructions fetched from the one or more memory modules and executable by the one or more processors to:   communicate commands to a first sensor assembly to cause the first sensor assembly to capture one or more first sensor measurements of an area around the first intelligent umbrella;   communicate the one or more first sensor measurements from the first sensor assembly to the first wireless communication transceiver, wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the one or more first sensor measurements from the first sensor assembly to a mobile communication device.   
     
     
         19 . The first intelligent umbrella of  claim 18 , the computer-readable instructions fetched from the one or more memory modules and executable by the one or more processors to further comprise:
 communicate commands to the first wireless communication transceiver,   communicate, from the first wireless communication transceiver, the commands to a second sensor assembly in a second intelligent umbrella to cause the cause the second sensor assembly to capture one or more second sensor measurements of an area around the second intelligent umbrella;   receive one or more second sensor measurements from the second sensor assembly via the first wireless communication transceiver, wherein the first wireless communication transceiver to communicate the one or more second sensor measurements from the second sensor assembly to a mobile communication device.