Patent Publication Number: US-2023132697-A1

Title: Any gym fitness

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This continuation-in-part application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/629,736, which was filed on Jun. 21, 2017 claiming the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/352,859, which was filed on Jun. 21, 2016, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to implementations of a membership system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With existing gym memberships, a user pays a monthly fee for access to a gym or a network of gyms that are either owned by the same owner and/or franchise gyms. The gyms in the network have the same or similar look and feel (e.g., same equipment, same classes, same hours, etc.). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS.  1  and  2    illustrate example environments for a membership system according to the present disclosure for users accessing multiple gyms and paying participating gyms. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates an example computer system that may be used with some embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Implementations of a membership system (“Any Gym Fitness (AGF)”) for allowing users to access multiple unaffiliated gyms and paying the participating gyms are provided. In some implementations, the unaffiliated gyms may be commercial gyms or private gyms or a combination of the foregoing. In some implementations, a private gym includes a gym maintained in a private residence (e.g., a home gym). In some implementations, a gym includes any place that has at least one gym, exercise, or fitness equipment (e.g., treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine, elliptical, steppers, dumbbells, stretch equipment, etc.) for use. In some implementations, for a plurality of users, selections of a plurality of gyms are received from each user. For each user, a fee for a time-period to be paid by the user based on the gyms selected is calculated and the fee is received from the user. In some implementations, a unique code is assigned to each user. In some implementations, when a user visits a gym that the user selected, the unique code of the user and an identification of the gym visited is received and stored. In some implementations, for each user and each gym selected by the user, a payment to each gym selected by the user is calculated and paid based on the percentage of time the user visited the gym during the time period. In this way, the AGF system allows members to pay a fee at regular intervals (e.g., monthly) for access to multiple gyms is provided. 
     In some implementations, the gyms can be pre-selected by a member for use for a period of time (e.g., a month). In some implementations, the fee is determined based on the gyms selected. In some implementations, a member may change his/her selection of gyms at regular intervals (e.g., monthly). In some implementation, a member can select four gyms for access based on a fee. In some implementations, a member can select more than four gyms. In some implementations, a member can select less than four gyms. In some implementations, the gyms are unaffiliated. 
     In some implementations, the AGF system also allows participating gyms to receive payment based on the percentage of times a member uses the gym. 
     In this way, the AGF system provides members increased flexibility in the field of physical exercise. Members can have access to more and different equipment, more and different locations, more and different hours of operation, more and different exercises, more and different classes, more and different trainers, etc. 
     In some implementations, once a member signs up via the AGF system, the member may have immediate access to the selected gyms. In some implementations, a participating gym may verify whether a person may have access to the gym via the AGF system. In some implementations, information is stored on the participating gym&#39;s network for verification. In some implementations, information may not be stored on the participating gym&#39;s network for verification. 
     In some implementations, a member will receive an electronic membership card on his/her phone. In some implementations, the membership card may include a numerical and/or graphical code (e.g., an optical machine-readable code, a linear bar code, matrix bar code, etc.). In some implementations, when a member visits a participating gym, the member provides his/her code for verification. In some implementations, a scanner may be used to scan the code. In some implementation, the code may be manually entered for verification. In some implementations, the code is verified locally. In some implementations, the code is verified remotely. In some implementations, the code is transmitted over a network to verify the member has access. 
     In some implementations, once the code is retrieved, it may be verified by cross-reference to a database. In some implementations, the code and the gym&#39;s identity may be received by the AGF system to record the member&#39;s visit to the gym to determine the amount of money to pay the gym for that member&#39;s visit. 
     In some implementations, a member is charged a fee to use a predetermined number of gyms for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., a month). In some implementations, the fee is determined based on the membership fee of each selected gym for that time period. In some implementations, the fee is a function of the largest membership fee of the selected gyms. In some implementation, the fee is less than the sum of the membership fees for the selected gyms. In some implementations, the fee is a function of the sum of the largest membership fee of the selected gyms, a minimum fee for each of the remaining gyms, and a processing fee. 
     In some implementations, each gym of the gyms selected by a user receives a portion of the monthly fee paid by the user based on the percentage of time among the selected gyms that the user visited the gym. 
     In some implementations, each gym of the gyms selected by a user receives a fee for the selection (an access fee) and a use fee (e.g., a portion of the monthly fee paid by the user based on the percentage of time among the selected gyms that the user visited the gym). 
     In some implementations, a user can pay to use any equipment at any gym based on use thereby further customizing the user&#39;s experience. For example, a manufacturer/seller/supplier may provide equipment to a gym and the manufacturer/seller/supplier may be compensated based on use of the equipment. In some implementations, the manufacturer/seller/supplier may provide the equipment at no cost, at a nominal cost, or at a discount cost (not including any shipping and handling costs). In some implementations, the equipment is configured to track the use of the equipment and transmit the information to a server to determine a fee to charge based on use. In some implementations, a user can go to any participating gym and use his/her unique code to use equipment. In some implementations, the gym is billed based on use of the equipment. In some implementations, the user is billed based on use of the equipment with payment to be received by the manufacturer/seller/supplier. In some implementations, the gym may provide the equipment to the user and is compensated based on use of the equipment. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates an example environment  100  for an AGF system according to the present disclosure for users accessing multiple gyms and paying participating gyms. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the environment  100  can include client devices  110   a  and  110   b  (collectively client device  110 ), a wireless cellular network  120 , a network  125 , a website  130 , and gyms  140 . 
     Client devices  110   a  and  110   b  are depicted as a mobile phone  110   a  and desktop computer  110   b,  respectively, but client devices  110  may comprise any type of computing device, such as a desktop computer system, a laptop, a smartphone, a mobile telephone, a tablet-style computer, any other handheld electronic device, or any other device capable of wireless or wired communication. 
     In some implementations, the client devices  110  may be used by prospective users to access the AGF system website  130  to sign up for access to multiple gyms  140 . In some implementations, the client devices  110  may be used at gyms to input membership codes. In some implementations, memberships codes are inputted using optical scanners at the gyms  140 . 
     In some implementations, the client device  110   a  can connect to the network  125  through a wireless cellular network  120 , such as GPRS-based and CDMA-based wireless networks, as well as 802.16 WiMax and long-range wireless data networks. 
     Client devices  110   a  and  110   b  can interact with the website  130  via an application, such as a web browser or a native application, residing on the client devices  110   a  and  110   b  to access the AGF system described above. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates another example environment  200  for an AGF system according to the present disclosure for users accessing multiple gyms and paying participating gyms. 
     The example environment  200  can include a network  210 , one or more servers  220 , and one or more clients  230 . The example environment  200  also can include one or more data storage  240  linked to one or more servers  220 . Particular embodiments may be implemented in network environment  200 . For example, applications used to render the user interfaces to perform the functions described above (e.g., signing up, selecting gyms, inputting memberships codes, etc.) may be written in software programs hosted by one or more servers  220 . 
     In some implementations, network  210  may be an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the Internet, or another network  210  or a combination of two or more such networks  210 . The present disclosure contemplates any suitable network  210 . 
     One or more links  250  couple a server  220  or a client  230  to network  210 . In some implementations, one or more links  250  each can include one or more wired, wireless, or optical links  250 . In some implementations, one or more links  250  each can include an intranet, an extranet, a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, a MAN, a portion of the Internet, or another link  250  or a combination of two or more such links  250 . The present disclosure contemplates any suitable links  250  coupling servers  220  and clients  230  to network  210 . 
     In some implementations, each server  220  may be a unitary server or may be a distributed server spanning multiple computers or multiple datacenters. Servers  220  may be of various types, such as, for example and without limitation, web server, file server, application server, exchange server, database server, or proxy server. In some implementations, each server  220  may include hardware, software, or embedded logic components or a combination of two or more such components for carrying out the appropriate functionalities implemented or supported by server  220 . For example, a web server is generally capable of hosting websites containing web pages or particular elements of web pages. More specifically, a web server may host HTML files or other file types, or may dynamically create or constitute files upon a request, and communicate them to clients  230  in response to HTTP or other requests from clients  230 . A database server is generally capable of providing an interface for managing data stored in one or more data stores. 
     In some implementations, one or more data storages  240  may be communicatively linked to one or more servers  220  via one or more links  250 . In some implementations, data storages  240  may be used to store various types of information (selected gyms, membership codes, visits to gyms, etc). In some implementations, the information stored in data storages  240  may be organized according to specific data structures. In particular embodiment, each data storage  240  may be a relational database. Particular embodiments may provide interfaces that enable servers  220  or clients  230  to manage, e.g., retrieve, modify, add, or delete, the information stored in data storage  240 . 
     In some implementations, each client  230  may be an electronic device including hardware, software, or embedded logic components or a combination of two or more such components and capable of carrying out the appropriate functions implemented or supported by client  230 . For example and without limitation, a client  230  may be any type of computing device such as a desktop computer system, a laptop, a smartphone, a mobile telephone, a tablet-style computer, any other handheld electronic device, or any other device capable of wireless or wired communication. The present disclosure contemplates any suitable clients  230 . A client  230  may enable a network user at client  230  to access network  210 . A client  230  may enable its user to communicate with other users at other clients  230 . 
     In some implementations, a client  230  may have a web browser  232 , such as MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER, GOOGLE CHROME, MOZILLA FIREFOX, or any other future developed web browser and may have one or more add-ons, plug-ins, or other extensions. A user at client  230  may enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or other address directing the web browser  232  to a server  220 , and the web browser  232  may generate a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request and communicate the HTTP request to server  220 . Server  220  may accept the HTTP request and communicate to client  230  one or more Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) files responsive to the HTTP request. Client  230  may render a web page based on the HTML files from server  220  for presentation to the user. The present disclosure contemplates any suitable web page files. As an example and not by way of limitation, web pages may render from HTML files, Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language (XHTML) files, or Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, according to particular needs. Such pages may also execute scripts such as, for example and without limitation, those written in JAVASCRIPT, JAVA, MICROSOFT SILVERLIGHT, combinations of markup language and scripts such as AJAX (Asynchronous JAVASCRIPT and XML), and the like. Herein, reference to a web page encompasses one or more corresponding web page files (which a browser may use to render the web page) and vice versa, where appropriate. 
     In some implementations, a client  230  having a web browser  232  can connect to a server  220  to use the AGF system. In some implementations, input received from an user may be stored in a data storage  240  communicatively linked to the servers  220 . 
       FIG.  3    illustrates an example computer system  300 , which may be used with some embodiments of the present invention. This disclosure contemplates any suitable number of computer systems  300 . This disclosure contemplates computer system  300  taking any suitable physical form. As example and not by way of limitation, computer system  300  may be an embedded computer system, a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) (such as, for example, a computer-on-module (COM) or system-on-module (SOM)), a desktop computer system, a laptop, an interactive kiosk, a mainframe, a mesh of computer systems, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, computer system  300  may include one or more computer systems  300 ; be unitary or distributed; span multiple locations; span multiple machines; or reside in a cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one or more networks. Where appropriate, one or more computer systems  300  may perform without substantial spatial or temporal limitation one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. As an example and not by way of limitation, one or more computer systems  300  may perform in real time or in batch mode one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. One or more computer systems  300  may perform at different times or at different locations one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein, where appropriate. 
     In some implementations, computer system  300  includes a processor  302 , memory  304 , storage  306 , an input/output (I/O) interface  308 , a communication interface  310 , and a bus  312 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular computer system having a particular number of particular components in a particular arrangement, this disclosure contemplates any suitable computer system having any suitable number of any suitable components in any suitable arrangement. 
     In some implementations, processor  302  includes hardware for executing instructions, such as those making up a computer program. As an example and not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, processor  302  may retrieve (or fetch) the instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, memory  304 , or storage  306 ; decode and execute them; and then write one or more results to an internal register, an internal cache, memory  304 , or storage  306 . In some implementations, processor  302  may include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, or addresses. The present disclosure contemplates processor  302  including any suitable number of any suitable internal caches, where appropriate. As an example and not by way of limitation, processor  302  may include one or more instruction caches, one or more data caches, and one or more translation look-aside buffers (TLBs). Instructions in the instruction caches may be copies of instructions in memory  304  or storage  306 , and the instruction caches may speed up retrieval of those instructions by processor  302 . Data in the data caches may be copies of data in memory  304  or storage  306  for instructions executing at processor  302  to operate on; the results of previous instructions executed at processor  302  for access by subsequent instructions executing at processor  302  or for writing to memory  304  or storage  306 ; or other suitable data. The data caches may speed up read or write operations by processor  302 . The TLBs may speed up virtual-address translation for processor  302 . In some implementations, processor  302  may include one or more internal registers for data, instructions, or addresses. The present disclosure contemplates processor  302  including any suitable number of any suitable internal registers, where appropriate. Where appropriate, processor  302  may include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs); be a multi-core processor; or include one or more processors  302 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular processor, this disclosure contemplates any suitable processor. 
     In some implementations, memory  304  includes main memory for storing instructions for processor  302  to execute or data for processor  302  to operate on. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system  300  may load instructions from storage  306  or another source (such as, for example, another computer system  300 ) to memory  304 . Processor  302  may then load the instructions from memory  304  to an internal register or internal cache. To execute the instructions, processor  302  may retrieve the instructions from the internal register or internal cache and decode them. During or after execution of the instructions, processor  302  may write one or more results (which may be intermediate or final results) to the internal register or internal cache. Processor  302  may then write one or more of those results to memory  304 . In some implementations, processor  402  executes only instructions in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory  304  (as opposed to storage  306  or elsewhere) and operates only on data in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory  304  (as opposed to storage  306  or elsewhere). One or more memory buses (which may each include an address bus and a data bus) may couple processor  402  to memory  304 . Bus  312  may include one or more memory buses, as described below. In some implementations, one or more memory management units (MMUs) reside between processor  302  and memory  304  and facilitate accesses to memory  304  requested by processor  302 . In some implementations, memory  304  includes random access memory (RAM). This RAM may be volatile memory, where appropriate Where appropriate, this RAM may be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, where appropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM. The present disclosure contemplates any suitable RAM. Memory  304  may include one or more memories  302 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular memory, this disclosure contemplates any suitable memory. 
     In some implementations, storage  306  includes mass storage for data or instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, storage  306  may include an HDD, a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Storage  306  may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate. Storage  306  may be internal or external to computer system  300 , where appropriate. In some implementations, storage  306  is non-volatile, solid-state memory. In some implementations, storage  306  includes read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these. This disclosure contemplates mass storage  306  taking any suitable physical form. Storage  306  may include one or more storage control units facilitating communication between processor  302  and storage  306 , where appropriate. Where appropriate, storage  306  may include one or more storages  306 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular storage, this disclosure contemplates any suitable storage. 
     In some implementations, I/O interface  308  includes hardware, software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communication between computer system  300  and one or more I/O devices. Computer system  300  may include one or more of these I/O devices, where appropriate. One or more of these I/O devices may enable communication between a person and computer system  300 . As an example and not by way of limitation, an I/O device may include a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse, printer, scanner, speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touch screen, trackball, video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination of two or more of these. An I/O device may include one or more sensors. This disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O devices and any suitable I/O interfaces  308  for them. Where appropriate, I/O interface  308  may include one or more device or software drivers enabling processor  302  to drive one or more of these I/O devices. I/O interface  308  may include one or more I/O interfaces  308 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular I/O interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O interface. 
     In some implementations, communication interface  310  includes hardware, software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) between computer system  300  and one or more other computer systems  300  or one or more networks. As an example and not by way of limitation, communication interface  310  may include a network interface controller (NIC) or network adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-based network or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless network, such as a WI-FI network. This disclosure contemplates any suitable network and any suitable communication interface  310  for it. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system  300  may communicate with an ad hoc network, a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or more portions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless. As an example, computer system  300  may communicate with a wireless PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, a cellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), or other suitable wireless network or a combination of two or more of these. Computer system  300  may include any suitable communication interface  310  for any of these networks, where appropriate. Communication interface  310  may include one or more communication interfaces  310 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular communication interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable communication interface. 
     In some implementations, bus  312  includes hardware, software, or both coupling components of computer system  300  to each other. As an example and not by way of limitation, bus  312  may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, or another suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Bus  312  may include one or more buses  312 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular bus, this disclosure contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect. 
     Herein, reference to a computer-readable storage medium encompasses one or more non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage media possessing structure. As an example and not by way of limitation, a computer-readable storage medium may include a semiconductor-based or other integrated circuit (IC) (such, as for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific IC (ASIC)), a hard disk, an HDD, a hybrid hard drive (HHD), an optical disc, an optical disc drive (ODD), a magneto-optical disc, a magneto-optical drive, a floppy disk, a floppy disk drive (FDD), magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, a solid-state drive (SSD), a RAM-drive, a SECURE DIGITAL card, a SECURE DIGITAL drive, or another suitable computer-readable storage medium or a combination of two or more of these, where appropriate. Herein, reference to a computer-readable storage medium excludes any medium that is not eligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Herein, reference to a computer-readable storage medium excludes transitory forms of signal transmission (such as a propagating electrical or electromagnetic signal per se) to the extent that they are not eligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. § 101. 
     This disclosure contemplates one or more computer-readable storage media implementing any suitable storage. In some implementations, a computer-readable storage medium implements one or more portions of processor  302  (such as, for example, one or more internal registers or caches), one or more portions of memory  304 , one or more portions of storage  306 , or a combination of these, where appropriate. In some implementations, a computer-readable storage medium implements RAM or ROM. In some implementations, a computer-readable storage medium implements volatile or persistent memory. In some implementations, one or more computer-readable storage media embody software. Herein, reference to software may encompass one or more applications, bytecode, one or more computer programs, one or more executables, one or more instructions, logic, machine code, one or more scripts, or source code, and vice versa, where appropriate. In some implementations, software includes one or more application programming interfaces (APIs). This disclosure contemplates any suitable software written or otherwise expressed in any suitable programming language or combination of programming languages. In some implementations, software is expressed as source code or object code. In some implementations, software is expressed in a higher-level programming language, such as, for example, C, Perl, or a suitable extension thereof. In some implementations, software is expressed in a lower-level programming language, such as assembly language (or machine code). In some implementations, software is expressed in JAVA. In some implementations, software is expressed in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), or other suitable markup language. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. For example. it will apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be used with any electronic network service, even if it is not provided through a website. Any computer-based system that provides networking functionality can be used in accordance with the present invention even if it relies, for example, on e-mail, instant messaging or other forms of peer-to-peer communications, and any other technique for communicating between users. The invention is thus not limited to any particular type of communication system, network, protocol, format or application. 
     Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of the invention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are commonly used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively to others skilled in the art. These operations, while described functionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to be implemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits, microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient at times, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, without loss of generality. The described operations and their associated modules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or any combinations thereof 
     Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may be performed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules, alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, a software module is implemented with a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code, which can be executed by a computer processor for performing any or all of the steps, operations, or processes described. 
     Embodiments of the invention may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise a general-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a tangible computer readable storage medium or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, any computing systems referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability. 
     While the foregoing processes and mechanisms can be implemented by a wide variety of physical systems and in a wide variety of network and computing environments, the server or computing systems described below provide example computing system architectures for didactic, rather than limiting, purposes. 
     The present invention has been explained with reference to specific embodiments. For example, while embodiments of the present invention have been described as operating in connection with a network system, the present invention can be used in connection with any communications facility that allows for communication of messages between users, such as an email hosting site. Other embodiments will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is therefore not intended that the present invention be limited, except as indicated by the appended claims. 
     Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims. 
     The present disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend.