Mobile computing device application software interacting with an intelligent umbrella

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10565631-B2
Application number	US-201816129244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile computing device to communicate with one or more umbrellas, comprising:
a graphical user interface configured to receive input selections and to display results of operations of an umbrella;
a wireless communication transceiver configured to communicate commands and/or messages to one or more wireless communication transceivers of the one or more umbrellas;
one or more processors coupled to the wireless communication transceiver; and
a computer-readable storage medium containing computer-readable instructions in the form of application software, that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform actions including:
receive an input selection corresponding to a selected tilting movement of an umbrella and a selected deployment movement of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based on the selected tilted movement and the selected deployment movement, to the umbrella to cause an upper support assembly to tilt with respect to a lower assembly about an elevation axis and to cause one or more arm support assemblies to deploy to an open positon or to retract to a closed position; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, a representation of the selected tilted movement of the umbrella and the selected deployment movement of the umbrella.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing one or more operations to be performed on a lighting assembly of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, to cause the one or more operations to be performed on the lighting assembly; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, a representation of the performed one or more lighting assembly operations.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing activation or deactivation of one or more cameras of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based at least in part on the received input, to cause the one or more cameras of the umbrella to be activated and capture video or images or to be deactivated;
receive, via the wireless communication transceiver, captured video or images from the one or more cameras of the umbrella; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, the received videos or images from the one or more cameras of the umbrella.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing selecting activation or deactivation of one or more environmental sensors of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based at least in part on the selected input, to cause the one or more environmental sensors of the umbrella to be activated and capture measurements in an area around the umbrella or to be deactivated;
receive, via the wireless communication transceiver, captured measurements from the one or more environmental sensors of the umbrella; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, the received captured measurements from the one or more environmental sensors of the umbrella.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing selecting activation of an audio system of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based at least in part on the selected input, to cause the audio system of the umbrella to be activated;
communicate one or more audio files, via the wireless communication transceiver, to the audio system for playback on one or more speakers; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, a representation of the one or more audio files being played on the one or more speakers of the umbrella.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a personal area network (PAN) communication transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth) and the instructions and/or messages are communicated directly to a PAN communication transceiver of the umbrella.

7. A mobile computing device to communicate with one or more umbrellas, comprising:
a graphical user interface configured to receive input selections and to display results of operations of an umbrella;
a wireless communication transceiver configured to communicate commands and/or messages to one or more wireless communication transceivers of the one or more umbrellas;
one or more processors coupled to the wireless communication transceiver; and
a computer-readable storage medium containing computer-readable instructions in the form of application software, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including:
receive an input selection corresponding to a selected deployment movement of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based on the selected deployment movement to the umbrella to cause one or more arm support assemblies to deploy to an open positon or to retract to a closed position; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, a representation of the selected deployment movement of the umbrella.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 7 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing one or more operations to be performed on a lighting assembly of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, to cause the one or more operations to be performed on the lighting assembly; and
generate and communicate messages and/or commands to the graphical user interface to present, on a display of the mobile computing device, a representation of the performed one or more lighting assembly operations.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 7 , wherein the application software, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to further perform actions comprising:
receive an input representing activation of one or more cameras of the umbrella;
communicate messages and/or commands, via the wireless communication transceiver, based at least in part on the received input, to cause the one or more cameras of the umbrella to be activated and to capture video or images in an area surrounding the umbrella;
receive captured video or images from the one or more cameras of the umbrella via the wireless communication transcei

Assignees

• Shadecraft Inc

Inventors

• Gharabegian Armen Sevada

Classifications

• A45B17/00

  Tiltable umbrellas · CPC title

• H02S20/10

  Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24S25/12

  using posts in combination with upper profiles · CPC title

• A45B2017/005

  with additional rotation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• A45B25/165

  with fluid or electric actuators · CPC title