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CN112332513B - Electronic equipment and power control method thereof - Google Patents

️Tue Mar 29 2022

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a power control method for an electronic device and the electronic device, where the method can avoid energy fluctuation of a power supply circuit when power supply states of a plurality of power supply devices of the electronic device such as a computer change, so as to avoid influence or even damage of the fluctuated energy on hardware.

In order to solve the technical problem, the embodiment of the application adopts the following technical scheme: a power control method of an electronic device, comprising:

under the condition that a switching instruction for switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment from a first power supply interface to a second power supply interface is received, acquiring first power supply information of the first power supply interface of the electronic equipment and second power supply information of the second power supply interface of the electronic equipment;

acquiring a first power supply capacity of the first power supply interface based on the first power supply information, and acquiring a second power supply capacity of the second power supply interface based on the second power supply information;

limiting a system power supply parameter of a system power supply module of the electronic device to be within a first range when a second power supply capacity is larger than a first power supply capacity, wherein the system power supply module is powered by the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface;

and switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface so as to supply power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

Optionally, when the second power supply capability is greater than the first power supply capability, limiting a system power supply parameter of a system power supply module of the electronic device to be within a first range includes:

switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode;

and modifying the first working parameter of at least one specific component in the system power supply module into a preset working parameter so as to enable the system power supply parameter to be in the first range.

Optionally, the switching the operating mode of the system power supply module to the protection mode includes:

switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode through an embedded controller of the electronic equipment;

correspondingly, the modifying the first operating parameter of at least one specific component in the system power supply module to a preset operating parameter to make the system power supply parameter be within the first range includes:

and modifying a preset working parameter by the embedded controller according to the first working parameter stored in the first register of the system power supply module, and generating a trigger instruction.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

under the condition that a first power supply is connected to the first power supply interface and supplies power to the electronic equipment through the first power supply interface, if a second power supply is detected to be connected to the second power supply interface, the switching instruction is generated;

or,

under the condition that a first power supply is connected to the first power supply interface, a second power supply is connected to the second power supply interface, and the first power supply passes through the first power supply interface to supply power to the electronic equipment, if the first power supply is disconnected from the first power supply interface or the power supply parameter of the first power supply changes, the switching instruction is generated.

Optionally, the switching the power supply end of the electronic device to the second power supply interface specifically includes:

and switching the power supply end of the electronic equipment to a second power supply interface after receiving a trigger instruction, wherein the trigger instruction is used for representing that the operation of limiting the system power supply parameter to be within the first range is completed.

Optionally, the switching the power supply terminal of the electronic device to the second power supply interface includes:

turning off a first power switch corresponding to the first power supply interface, and cutting off the power supply of the first power supply interface;

and starting a second power switch corresponding to the second power supply interface, and supplying power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

after the power supply end of the electronic equipment is switched to the second power supply interface, the limitation of the system power supply parameters of the system power supply module is cancelled, wherein the limitation comprises the step of restoring the system power supply parameters to an initial value or adjusting the system power supply parameters according to second power supply information of the second power supply interface.

An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, including:

a power controller connected with a first power supply interface and a second power supply interface of the electronic device, respectively, the power controller configured to: under the condition that a switching instruction for switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment from a first power supply interface to a second power supply interface is received, acquiring first power supply information of the first power supply interface of the electronic equipment and second power supply information of the second power supply interface of the electronic equipment;

an embedded controller connected to the power controller and a system power supply module of the electronic device, respectively, the embedded controller configured to: limiting a system power supply parameter of a system power supply module of the electronic equipment to be within a first range and sending a control instruction to the power controller under the condition that the second power supply capacity is larger than the first power supply capacity, wherein the system power supply module is powered by the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface;

the power controller is further configured to: and receiving the control instruction, and switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface so as to supply power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

Optionally, the embedded controller is further configured to: and sending a control instruction to the system power supply module, switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode, and modifying the first working parameter of at least one specific component in the system power supply module into a preset working parameter so as to enable the system power supply parameter to be in the first range.

Optionally, the embedded controller is further configured to: and modifying a preset working parameter by using a first working parameter stored in a first register of the system power supply module, generating a trigger instruction, and sending the trigger instruction to a power controller.

The power control method of the embodiment can ensure that each component in the electronic equipment is not influenced by energy fluctuation even if the power supply state of the power supply equipment is changed (especially the power supply equipment of the electronic equipment is switched) in a scene that a plurality of power supply equipment supplies power to the electronic equipment, and ensure the safety of hardware.

Detailed Description

Various aspects and features of the present application are described herein with reference to the drawings.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments of the present application. Accordingly, the foregoing description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the application.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and, together with a general description of the application given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the application.

These and other characteristics of the present application will become apparent from the following description of preferred forms of embodiment, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the attached drawings.

It should also be understood that, although the present application has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of application, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Specific embodiments of the present application are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the application, which can be embodied in various forms. Well-known and/or repeated functions and constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the application of unnecessary or unnecessary detail. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present application in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

The specification may use the phrases "in one embodiment," "in another embodiment," "in yet another embodiment," or "in other embodiments," which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments in accordance with the application.

Fig. 1 is a flowchart of a power control method of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; the power control method of the electronic device in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to electronic devices such as computers, and the electronic device in the embodiment of the present application can be powered by a plurality of power supply devices, for example, an external display and a charger are respectively connected to a notebook computer, and can both supply power to the notebook computer. As shown in fig. 1 in conjunction with fig. 4, the method comprises the steps of:

s1, when a switching instruction for switching the power supply terminal of the electronic device from the first power supply interface to the second power supply interface is received, obtain first power supply information of the first power supply interface of the electronic device and second power supply information of the second power supply interface of the electronic device.

Specifically, a plurality of different power supply apparatuses may respectively supply power to the electronic apparatus as a plurality of power supply sources of the electronic apparatus, for example, an external display may be used as an additional display of the electronic apparatus, and may also be used as one power supply source of the electronic apparatus, and an external charger may be used as another power supply source of the electronic apparatus. The plurality of power supply sources are respectively connected to the power supply interfaces of the electronic equipment, so that each power supply interface has corresponding power supply capacity. In the case that the plurality of power supply interfaces supply power to the electronic device, if the power supply state of at least one of the power supply interfaces changes, a switching instruction may be generated. If the electronic equipment is originally powered by the first power supply interface alone and then powered by the second power supply interface instead, the electronic equipment can switch the power supply end of the electronic equipment from the first power supply interface to the second power supply interface according to the received switching instruction, and the second power supply interface supplies power to the electronic equipment. Of course, there are many forms for the case of triggering the generation of the switching instruction, and they are not listed here.

After receiving the switching instruction, the switching operation may not be directly performed, but first power supply information of a first power supply interface of the electronic device and second power supply information of a second power supply interface of the electronic device may be acquired. The first power supply information includes various parameters of the first power supply interface related to power supply, such as power supply voltage, power supply current and the like; similarly, the second power supply information also includes various parameters related to power supply of the second power supply interface, such as power supply voltage, power supply current, and the like of the second power supply interface.

And S2, acquiring a first power supply capacity of the first power supply interface based on the first power supply information, and acquiring a second power supply capacity of the second power supply interface based on the second power supply information.

The power supply capability of the power supply interface can be embodied by power supply information, and in one embodiment, the first power supply information includes parameters of voltage, current, input power, and the like of the first power supply interface, where the input power of the first power supply interface can be used to characterize the first power supply capability of the first power supply interface; in another embodiment, the second power supply information includes parameters of voltage, current, input power, etc. of the second power supply interface, wherein the input power of the second power supply interface can be used to characterize the second power supply capability of the second power supply interface.

And S3, limiting the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module of the electronic equipment to be within a first range under the condition that the second power supply capacity is larger than the first power supply capacity, wherein the system power supply module is powered by the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface.

Specifically, the system power supply module of the electronic device receives the power transmitted by each power supply interface, and may also receive the power transmitted by other power sources (such as a battery, or an internal charger, etc.), the system power supply module supplies power to the whole system of the electronic device, such as to supply power to each component in the electronic device, and the system power supply module has its system power supply parameters, such as voltage, current, power, etc. The system power supply parameter may be adjusted according to actual needs, for example, the adjustment may be made according to an operating state of the electronic device, a user demand, or hardware information. The specific value of the system power supply parameter in the first range is smaller than that of the electronic device in normal operation, for example, a notebook computer needs 65W of power supply in normal operation, and the first range may be preset based on the power satisfying the basic operation of the electronic device, for example, the first range may be set to a range smaller than 20W, so that the electronic device only maintains the basic operation. In another embodiment, the first range may also be set according to the discharge capability of a built-in battery of the electronic device, so that the power supply of the electronic device can be guaranteed only by the battery if the system power supply module is limited to the first range. In the process of limiting the system power supply parameters of the system power supply module to the first range, the system power supply parameters are not limited immediately but adjusted slowly in a time period, and finally the system power supply parameters are in the first range, so that the damage to hardware caused by large energy fluctuation is avoided.

In addition, the system power supply module is powered by the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface, so that the system power supply module has an association relationship with the first power supply interface and the second power supply interface, and after the power supply state of the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface changes, the system power supply module can correspondingly adjust.

And S4, switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface so as to supply power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

After the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module is limited to the first range, the power supply end of the electronic equipment is switched to the operation action of the second power supply interface, and the whole system of the electronic equipment cannot be influenced. Specifically, after the power consumption requirement of the system is limited, even if a large current fluctuation is formed in a short time in the process of switching the power supply terminal between the first power supply interface and the second power supply interface, each component in the electronic equipment is not affected. After the electronic equipment is switched to the second power supply interface, the electric power is transmitted to the system power supply module through the second power supply interface, and then the system power supply module supplies power to the electronic equipment.

In an embodiment of the application, as shown in fig. 2, the limiting the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module of the electronic device to be within the first range in the case that the second power supply capability is greater than the first power supply capability includes:

and S31, switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode.

The system power supply module (such as a charger IC) has multiple working modes, each mode has respective characteristics, the working mode of the system power supply module is one mode when the electronic equipment works normally, before the system power supply parameter is limited to a first range, the working mode of the system power supply module can be switched to a protection mode, and the protection mode can protect the system power supply module and corresponding circuits from being influenced by overhigh voltage or current and the like. For example, the protection mode may be a DC mode.

S32, modifying the first working parameter of at least one specific component in the system power supply module to a preset working parameter, so that the system power supply parameter is in the first range.

The system power supply module is provided with a plurality of components, wherein the weight of the specific component on the operation influence of the system power supply module is larger than a specific value, the specific component in the embodiment is provided with a first working parameter, the first working parameter can determine the mode in which the system power supply module works, and if the first working parameter changes, the system power supply module can correspondingly adjust the working mode. In this embodiment, the preset operating parameter is modified from the first operating parameter of the specific component, so that the system power supply parameter is within the first range.

In an embodiment of the present application, the switching the operating mode of the system power supply module to the protection mode includes:

switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode through an embedded controller of the electronic equipment;

Specifically, the Embedded Controller (EC) is existing hardware in electronic devices such as a notebook computer, and is connected with the system power supply module, so that the system power supply module can be easily operated. The system power supply module can be prevented from being additionally provided with other control equipment to control the system power supply module, and the production cost is saved. In addition, the system power supply module has a first register with a greater weight in the system power supply module, such as the register 0X3F, and modifying the first operating parameter in the register 0X3F by the preset operating parameter can limit the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module to be within a first range. And generating a trigger instruction after the system power supply parameter is limited within a first range, and switching the power supply end of the electronic equipment to a second power supply interface according to the trigger instruction to complete switching operation.

In one embodiment of the present application, the method further comprises the steps of:

and under the condition that a first power supply is connected to the first power supply interface and supplies power to the electronic equipment through the first power supply interface, if a second power supply is detected to be connected to the second power supply interface, generating the switching instruction.

For example, in the original state, the first power supply (e.g., the additional display of the notebook computer) is connected to a TYPE-C interface (the first power supply interface) of the notebook computer, and other power supply interfaces of the notebook computer are not connected to other power supplies; in the current state, another external charger is connected to another TYPE-C interface (second power supply interface) of the notebook computer, which changes the original power supply state only supplied by the first power supply, thereby generating a switching instruction.

Or,

For example, in an original state, both TYPE-C interfaces of the notebook computer are connected with a power supply (for example, a first power supply is connected to the first TYPE-C interface, and a second power supply is connected to the second TYPE-C interface), but only the first power supply supplies power to the electronic device (the electronic device is powered by supplying power to the system power supply module), and the second power supply is plugged into the second TYPE-C interface but does not supply power; under the current state, if the first power supply is disconnected with the first TYPE-C interface, a switching instruction is generated; or the power supply parameter of the first power supply changes, and if the original high-power supply is changed into low-power supply, the switching instruction is also generated.

In an embodiment of the present application, with reference to fig. 5, the switching the power supply terminal of the electronic device to the second power supply interface specifically includes:

Specifically, the electronic device is provided with a power controller, the power controller can directly realize switching of the power supply terminal (for example, switching between a first power supply interface and a second power supply interface), and after receiving a trigger instruction, the embedded controller can realize switching of the power supply terminal through the power controller, where the trigger instruction is used for representing that an operation of limiting the system power supply parameter to a first range has been completed, that is, the trigger instruction can be generated only after the system power supply parameter is limited to the first range, and switching operation is performed based on the trigger instruction.

In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 2 and in conjunction with fig. 5, the switching the power supply terminal of the electronic device to the second power supply interface includes the following steps:

and S41, turning off a first power switch corresponding to the first power supply interface, and cutting off the power supply of the first power supply interface.

The first power switch can be arranged between the first power supply interface and the system power supply module, and in the process of switching the power supply terminals, the first power switch (power switch1, which can be a MOS transistor) can be turned off first by an enable signal (switch EN1), so that the first power supply interface is disconnected from the system power supply module, that is, a path for the first power supply interface to provide power for the electronic device through the system power supply module is cut off, for example, power supply on a VBUS1 path is cut off.

And S42, turning on a second power switch corresponding to the second power supply interface, and supplying power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

The second power switch may be disposed between the second power supply interface and the system power supply module, and in the process of switching the power supply terminals, after the first power switch is turned off, the second power switch (power switch2, which may be a MOS transistor) may be turned on by an enable signal (switch EN2), so as to connect the second power supply interface with the system power supply module, so that the second power supply interface may provide power for the electronic device through the system power supply module, for example, power supply on the VBUS2 path is kept from being blocked.

In one embodiment of the present application, the method further comprises the steps of: after the power supply end of the electronic equipment is switched to the second power supply interface, the limitation of the system power supply parameters of the system power supply module is cancelled, wherein the limitation comprises the step of restoring the system power supply parameters to an initial value or adjusting the system power supply parameters according to second power supply information of the second power supply interface.

Specifically, with reference to fig. 5, before the power supply terminal of the electronic device is switched to the second power supply interface, the embedded control limits the system power supply parameter (specifically, limits the system power supply parameter to the first range), and after the power supply terminal of the electronic device is switched to the second power supply interface, the embedded control may cancel the above limitation, so that the performance of the electronic device is restored to the original state, and the requirement of the user on the hardware performance is ensured. The method comprises the steps that embedded control is carried out to restore the system power supply parameters to initial values (including restoring direct current power supply parameters and/or alternating current power supply parameters to the initial values); after the limitation is cancelled, the embedded control adjusts the system power supply parameters according to second power supply information (such as voltage, current, power and the like of the second power supply interface) of the second power supply interface, so that the system power supply parameters are matched with the power supply capacity of the second power supply interface, and the power supply stability is ensured.

An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device corresponding to the power control method, where, with reference to fig. 4 and 5, the electronic device includes:

a power controller connected with a first power supply interface and a second power supply interface of the electronic device, respectively, the power controller configured to: the method comprises the steps of acquiring first power supply information of a first power supply interface of the electronic equipment and second power supply information of a second power supply interface of the electronic equipment under the condition of receiving a switching instruction for switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment from the first power supply interface to the second power supply interface.

Acquiring a first power supply capacity of the first power supply interface based on the first power supply information, and acquiring a second power supply capacity of the second power supply interface based on the second power supply information;

specifically, a plurality of different power supply apparatuses may respectively supply power to the electronic apparatus as a plurality of power supply sources of the electronic apparatus, for example, an external display may be used as an additional display of the electronic apparatus, and may also be used as one power supply source of the electronic apparatus, and an external charger may be used as another power supply source of the electronic apparatus. The plurality of power supply sources are respectively connected to the power supply interfaces of the electronic equipment, so that each power supply interface has corresponding power supply capacity. In the case that the plurality of power supply interfaces supply power to the electronic device, if the power supply state of at least one of the power supply interfaces changes, a switching instruction may be generated. If the electronic equipment is originally powered by the first power supply interface alone and then powered by the second power supply interface instead, the electronic equipment can switch the power supply end of the electronic equipment from the first power supply interface to the second power supply interface according to the received switching instruction, and the second power supply interface supplies power to the electronic equipment. Of course, there are many forms for the case of triggering the generation of the switching instruction, and they are not listed here.

Upon receiving the switching instruction, the power controller (PD controller) may not directly perform the switching operation, but obtain first power supply information of a first power supply interface of the electronic device and second power supply information of a second power supply interface of the electronic device (e.g., obtain the first power supply information and the second power supply information through CC location in TYPE-C protocol). The first power supply information includes various parameters of the first power supply interface related to power supply, such as power supply voltage, power supply current and the like; similarly, the second power supply information also includes various parameters related to power supply of the second power supply interface, such as power supply voltage, power supply current, and the like of the second power supply interface. After the power controller acquires the first power supply information and the second power supply information, the power controller can send the information to the embedded controller.

An embedded controller connected to the power controller and a system power supply module of the electronic device, respectively, the embedded controller configured to: and limiting the system power supply parameter of a system power supply module of the electronic equipment to be within a first range and sending a control instruction to the power controller under the condition that the second power supply capacity is larger than the first power supply capacity, wherein the system power supply module is powered by the first power supply interface and/or the second power supply interface.

Specifically, the system power supply module of the electronic device receives the power transmitted by each power supply interface, and may also receive the power transmitted by other power sources (such as a battery, or an internal charger, etc.), the system power supply module supplies power to the whole system of the electronic device, such as to supply power to each component in the electronic device, and the system power supply module has its system power supply parameters, such as voltage, current, power, etc. The system power supply parameter may be adjusted according to actual needs, for example, the system power supply parameter may be adjusted according to an operating state of the electronic device, a user requirement, or hardware information. The specific value of the system power supply parameter in the first range is smaller than that of the electronic device in normal operation, for example, a notebook computer needs 65W of power supply in normal operation, and the first range may be preset based on the power satisfying the basic operation of the electronic device, for example, the embedded controller may set the specific value to a range smaller than 20W, so that the electronic device only maintains the basic operation. In another embodiment, the first range may also be set according to the discharge capability of a built-in battery of the electronic device, so that the power supply of the electronic device can be guaranteed only by the battery if the system power supply module is limited to the first range. And the embedded controller can not be limited immediately but can be adjusted slowly in a time period in the process of limiting the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module to the first range, and finally the system power supply parameter is in the first range, so that the damage to hardware caused by large energy fluctuation is avoided.

The power controller is further configured to: and receiving the control instruction, and switching a power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface so as to supply power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

After the system power supply parameters of the system power supply module are limited within the first range, the embedded controller switches the power supply end of the electronic equipment to the operation action of the second power supply interface, and the whole system of the electronic equipment cannot be influenced. Specifically, after the embedded controller limits the power demand of the system, even if a large current fluctuation is formed in a short time in the process that the power supply end is switched between the first power supply interface and the second power supply interface by the power controller, each component in the electronic equipment is not affected. After the power controller is switched to the second power supply interface, the power controller transmits power to the system power supply module through the second power supply interface, and then the system power supply module supplies power to the electronic equipment.

In the electronic device of the embodiment, in a scene where a plurality of power supply devices supply power to the electronic device, even if the power supply state of the power supply device changes (especially, the power supply interface of the power supply terminal of the electronic device is switched), it can be ensured that each component in the electronic device is not affected by energy fluctuation, and the safety of hardware is ensured.

In one embodiment of the present application, the embedded controller is further configured to: and sending a control instruction to the system power supply module, switching the working mode of the system power supply module to a protection mode, and modifying the first working parameter of at least one specific component in the system power supply module into a preset working parameter so as to enable the system power supply parameter to be in the first range.

The system power supply module is provided with a plurality of components, wherein the weight of the specific component on the operation influence of the system power supply module is larger than a specific value, the specific component in the embodiment is provided with a first working parameter, the first working parameter can determine the mode in which the system power supply module works, and if the first working parameter changes, the system power supply module can correspondingly adjust the working mode. In this embodiment, the embedded controller modifies the first working parameter of the specific component to a preset working parameter, so that the system power supply parameter is within the first range.

In one embodiment of the present application, the embedded controller is further configured to: and modifying a preset working parameter by using a first working parameter stored in a first register of the system power supply module, generating a trigger instruction, and sending the trigger instruction to a power controller.

Specifically, the Embedded Controller (EC) is existing hardware in electronic devices such as a notebook computer, and is connected with the system power supply module, so that the system power supply module can be easily operated. The system power supply module can be prevented from being additionally provided with other control equipment to control the system power supply module, and the production cost is saved. In addition, the system power supply module is provided with a first register, the first register has larger weight in the system power supply module, for example, the register 0X3F, and the embedded controller modifies the first operating parameter in the register 0X3F by the preset operating parameter, so that the system power supply parameter of the system power supply module is limited to be within a first range. And after the system power supply parameter is limited within the first range, a trigger instruction can be generated, and according to the trigger instruction, the power controller switches the power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface to complete the switching operation.

In one embodiment of the present application, the power controller has a sensing terminal configured to:

or,

In one embodiment of the present application, a power controller has an enable terminal configured to:

turning off a first power switch corresponding to the first power supply interface, and cutting off the power supply of the first power supply interface;

and starting a second power switch corresponding to the second power supply interface, and supplying power to the electronic equipment through the second power supply interface.

In one embodiment of the present application, the embedded controller is further configured to: after the power controller switches the power supply end of the electronic equipment to the second power supply interface, the limitation on the system power supply parameters of the system power supply module is cancelled, wherein the limitation comprises the step of restoring the system power supply parameters to an initial value or adjusting the system power supply parameters according to second power supply information of the second power supply interface.

The above embodiments are only exemplary embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is defined by the claims. Various modifications and equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present application and such modifications and equivalents should also be considered to be within the scope of the present application.