JP2004046688A - Password input method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a password input method that utilizes a pointing device and a keyboard such that another person can not analyze by watching the password. <P>SOLUTION: A personal computer 1 accepts an input of the password with a help of a mouse 20, which works as the pointing device 8 for receiving a pointing input through a button operation and a moving vector. The personal computer 1, then with a password reference device 4, obtains a value, which is generated by combined processing of a state of the button operation for the mouse 20 and the moving vector, collates the value with a password value stored in a password memory device 5, and activates a system with a system control unit 3 if both values match. Therefore, a user can enter the passwords using the existing mouse without using any particular device, which are supposed that the other person can not well understand, because the legibility and the acoustic analysis of which are so poor and difficult respectively that the other person can not read as well as analyze them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a password input method, and more particularly, to a password input method that is difficult to analyze a password even when viewed by others using a pointing device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, protecting personal information has become a serious problem in handling computers and the like. When handling information that requires confidentiality, passwords have been increasingly entered. I have.
[0003]
Conventionally, a password is generally input from a keyboard. However, when inputting a password using a keyboard, if a person who is unfamiliar with typing on the keyboard inputs the password, the input speed is low. Therefore, there is a problem that the password can be easily found when viewed by others.
[0004]
Therefore, conventionally, in a password input method for a computer including a pointing device, detection signal output means for periodically outputting a detection signal indicating whether or not a button of the pointing device is pressed, based on the detection signal, A pointing device comprising: an analysis unit that recognizes an input password from a time pattern in which a button of the pointing device is pressed, and a determination unit that determines whether the input password obtained by the analysis unit matches a pre-registered password. A password input method used has been proposed (see JP-A-2000-47799).
[0005]
Conventionally, in a computer information processing system device having a mouse device as a human hand input assisting device, a password or the like, which is one means of personal authentication, is used as a means for registering and collating so that it cannot be stolen by others. There has been proposed a personal authentication method that takes into account habits (biometrics), that is, a click timing pattern of a mouse button and a movement trajectory pattern of a mouse (see JP-A-2002-32142).
[0006]
Further, conventionally, a personal information storage device and a personal information storage device which are provided with storage means for storing user's personal information and inputting / outputting the personal information to / from a computer, and an interface for connecting to the computer. A personal information storage device provided with storage means for storing information and inputting / outputting the information to / from a computer, and an interface for connecting to the computer; and There has been proposed an authentication device having a use right judging unit for judging a user's program use right based on personal information (see JP-A-2000-172412).
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such conventional techniques have various problems. That is, in the prior art described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-47799, since the password is input in the pressing time pattern of the pointing device, the input of the pointing device such as a mouse is compared with the input of the password from the keyboard. It is cheaper than a keyboard, does not require skill to move quickly compared to a keyboard, and is a complicated input, which increases reliability.However, if you pay attention to the sound of pressing a button on a pointing device, it will be easier Had the problem that the password was revealed.
[0008]
Further, in the prior art described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-32142, since passwords and personal habits (biometrics) are used, it can be said that the reliability is high. In order to collect the information, a great deal of effort is required on the user. In addition, in order to recognize the habit, the operation is not considered to be a simple operation, and there is a concern that the password becomes too complicated.
[0009]
Further, in the prior art described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-172412, it is necessary to develop a device having a password control function, and there is a problem that the device can be used only in that device and lacks versatility.
[0010]
In addition, it is said that an operation related to the movement vector of the pointing device (for example, moving a mouse, rotating a trackball, tracing a pointing pad, etc.) does not generate a sound, or it is difficult to specify what operation is performed even if it is generated. In addition to having the characteristics, the pointing device can input information with only a few millimeters of operation, and as mentioned earlier, it can be moved quickly without the skill of a keyboard, making it difficult for people who are unfamiliar with computers. Even so, an operation that is difficult for others to visually analyze can be performed.
[0011]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a password input method that uses a combination of a button operation of a pointing device and an operation related to a movement vector for a password and is hard to be visually identified and hard to be analyzed by sound. I have.
[0012]
Specifically, when inputting a password using a pointing device that performs a pointing operation with a button operation and a movement vector, the invention according to claim 1 is an operation that combines the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector. By entering a password, you can use an existing pointing device to input a password that is difficult to see visually even when viewed by others and that is difficult to analyze by sound without using special equipment It is an object of the present invention to provide a password input method that is inexpensive, has good usability, and is difficult for others to understand.
[0013]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a function for switching between a valid period and a invalid period of a password input is set for a specific operation in which an operation state of a button of a pointing device and a movement vector are combined. By acquiring only the password operation as a password input operation and inputting the password, it appears that the password input is actually complicated even if it is actually a simple password input, reducing the risk that the password will be revealed It is intended to provide a password input method that is more difficult for others to understand.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, when a password is input based on a key operation on a keyboard, a function for switching between a valid period and an invalid period of the input of the password is set for a specific key operation. By acquiring only the key operation of the password as the key input operation of the password and entering the password, it is possible to use the existing keyboard without using special equipment An object of the present invention is to provide a password input method which is complicated and reduces the risk of a password being found, is inexpensive, has good usability, and is difficult for others to understand.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The password input method according to the first aspect of the present invention is a password input method for inputting a password using a pointing device that performs a pointing operation with a button operation and a movement vector, wherein an operation state of the button of the pointing device, the movement vector, The above object is achieved by inputting a password by an operation combining.
[0016]
According to the above configuration, when inputting the password using the pointing device that performs the pointing operation with the button operation and the movement vector, the password is input by the operation that combines the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector, Without using special equipment, you can use an existing pointing device to enter passwords that are difficult to find visually even when viewed by others and that are difficult to analyze by sound, and are inexpensive and usable It is possible to enter a password that is good and difficult for others to understand.
[0017]
In this case, for example, as described in claim 2, in the password input method, a specific operation in which the operation state of the button of the pointing device is combined with the movement vector includes a password input valid period and an invalid period. A function of switching the period may be set, and only the operation during the valid input period of the password is acquired as the input operation of the password, and the input of the password may be performed.
[0018]
According to the above configuration, the function for switching between the valid period and the invalid period of the password input is set for the specific operation combining the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector, and the operation during the valid period of the password input is performed. Only the password input operation is obtained and the password is input, so even if it is actually a simple password input, it seems as if it is complicated, and it is possible to reduce the risk of the password being found out It is possible to input a password which is difficult for others to understand.
[0019]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the password input method for inputting a password based on a key operation of a keyboard, a function of switching between a valid period and an invalid period of inputting a password is set for a specific key operation. The above object is achieved by acquiring only the key operation during the valid input period of the password as the key input operation of the password and performing the password input.
[0020]
According to the above configuration, when a password is input based on a key operation of a keyboard, a function for switching between a valid period and an invalid period of the password input is set for a specific key operation, and the key during the valid period of the password input is set. Only the operation is acquired as the key input operation of the password, and the password is input.Therefore, without using special equipment, the existing keyboard can be used to make the password look long and complicated even if it is actually a simple password. Thus, it is possible to reduce the risk of the password being found out, and to input the password at low cost and good usability, which is difficult for others to understand.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are added. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. The embodiments are not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified.
[0022]
1 to 6 show a first embodiment of a password input system according to the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to claim 1.
[0023]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a personal computer 1 to which a first embodiment of a password input method according to the present invention is applied.
[0024]
In FIG. 1, a personal computer 1 has a main body 2 provided with a system control unit 3 as a BIOS, a password collation unit 4, a password storage unit 5 and a storage device 6, and a keyboard 7 and a pointing device 8 are connected to PS / 2, They are connected by an interface supported by BIOS such as USB.
[0025]
The keyboard 7 and the pointing device 8 do not require special ones, and the existing keyboard is sufficient. The pointing device 8 notifies the moving direction, the moving amount (moving vector), and whether or not the button is pressed. What is necessary is just to have an interface.
[0026]
In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a mouse 20 is used as the pointing device 8, and a left button 20a and a right button 20b are provided on the upper front surface side, and Although not shown, a ball or infrared light emitter for detecting the movement of the mouse 20 and a sensor are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the moving direction of the mouse 20 is defined as the right direction as + X direction, the left direction as −X direction, the upper direction as + Y direction, and the lower direction as −Y direction.
[0027]
The password recording unit 5 uses, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), stores a set password (value), and the password can be appropriately changed (rewritten) by the user.
[0028]
The storage device 6 is composed of, for example, a hard disk or the like, and stores an OS (Operating System) and various application programs, particularly the password input control processing program of the present embodiment.
[0029]
The system control unit 3 operates on the OS of the storage device 6, executes various application programs in the storage device 6, and executes the password input control process of the present embodiment.
[0030]
The password collating unit 4 determines whether a key input from the keyboard 7 can be performed when conditions for requiring a password to be input are met, such as when the power switch 10 is turned on or when an event 11 at the time of return from the hibernation state occurs. It receives information and information such as the operation state of the button and the moving direction and the moving amount (moving vector) which are changed by the operation of the pointing device 8, recognizes the operation performed from the information as a specific value, and stores the information in the password recording unit. Check with the password (value) recorded in 5.
[0031]
Therefore, the password collating unit 4 stores numerical data for the operation of the mouse 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in its internal memory in advance, and digitizes and recognizes the operation of the mouse 20 when entering the password. Then, the password is compared with the password (value) stored in the password storage unit 5.
[0032]
The password verification unit 4 notifies the system control unit 3 of the result of verification between the password input from the keyboard 7 and the pointing device 8 and the password stored in the password storage unit 5, and the system control unit 3 If the password collation results match, the system is started from the storage device 6. If the password collation results from the password collation unit 4 do not match, a process of requesting a password re-input or turning off the power is performed. I do. Note that the password is configured by one or more values.
[0033]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. The personal computer 1 of the present embodiment is started by inputting a password by operating the mouse 20. Now, assuming that the password is set with four digits of “01h, 0Ah, 07h, 0Dh”, when the personal computer 1 is turned on, the password collating unit 4 requests the input of the password, In response to the password input request, the user performs a password input operation using the mouse 20 as the pointing device 8.
[0034]
At this time, the user can input a password by performing the operation shown in FIG.
[0035]
When the mouse 20 is operated, the password collation unit 4 recognizes the value as a value assigned in advance to the operation of the mouse 20 and collates the value with the value stored in the password storage unit 5.
[0036]
When the value recognized by operating the mouse 20 matches the value of the password, the password matching unit 4 notifies the system control unit 3 that an appropriate password has been input, and the system control unit 3 When the system is started and the password verification result of the password verification unit 4 does not match, the password verification unit 4 performs a process of requesting re-input of the password or turning off the power.
[0037]
As described above, when the personal computer 1 of the present embodiment inputs a password using the mouse 20 as the pointing device 8 for performing the pointing operation with the button operation and the movement vector, the operation state of the button of the mouse 20 and the movement vector The password has been entered using the combination of.
[0038]
Therefore, without using special equipment, using an existing mouse, it is possible to input a password that is difficult to be visually recognized even when viewed by others, and that is difficult to analyze by sound, and is inexpensive and The user can enter a password that is easy to use and difficult for others to understand.
[0039]
In particular, the operation of the mouse 20, which is the pointing device 8, requires less skill than the keyboard 7, and can be moved quickly in a short period of time. It is difficult to analyze, and since a moving operation is added in addition to the button operation, it is possible to prevent the password from being identified by a click sound.
[0040]
In FIG. 3, the operation of the mouse 20 is classified by the two buttons 20a and 20b of the mouse 20, the four directions (+ X, -X, + Y, and -Y directions) and the two (short and long) movement amounts. ０0Fh, which can be arbitrarily changed by the SETUP program or application software of the system control unit 3 and the password collation unit 4 as the BIOS. Further, the operation of the mouse 20 and the value may be associated with each other on a bit basis. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the operation of the mouse 20 is defined by bits, the two buttons 20a and 20b of the mouse 20 in 16 directions and four types of movement amounts (for example, bit [7: 6] = 00b: no movement) , 01b: short-distance movement, 10b: medium-distance movement, 11b: long-distance movement). By understanding each bit, what kind of operation of the mouse 20 is represented. You can easily see
[0041]
The definition of the amount of movement of the mouse 20 (no movement, short distance, medium distance, long distance, etc.) is defined in advance, but if the user can set it arbitrarily, it is convenient for the user. Performance can be improved.
[0042]
Further, in the above description, a two-button mouse 20 is used as the pointing device 8, and one operation is handled as one byte of data. However, in the password collation unit 4, the data size is appropriately adjusted according to the target pointing device 8. With such a large size, the pointing device 8 having a large number of buttons can be supported. In a mouse with a scroll function or the like, the value may be defined so as to change according to the amount of movement of the roller.
[0043]
In the above description, the password input at the time of power-on of the personal computer 1 has been described. However, the same function is provided to the OS and the driver, and the same applies to the password input at the time of returning from the hibernation mode or the standby mode. can do.
[0044]
Further, since the BIOS and the driver are software and can be updated in many cases, the functions of the present embodiment can be easily and inexpensively implemented on an existing personal computer by adding the functions of the present embodiment as software. Can be.
[0045]
FIGS. 7 to 9 show a second embodiment of the password input system of the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to claim 2 of the present invention.
[0046]
Note that the present embodiment is applied to a personal computer similar to the personal computer 1 of the first embodiment. In the description of the present embodiment, the first embodiment The description will be made using the reference numerals used in the description of the embodiment as they are.
[0047]
The personal computer 1 according to the present embodiment defines an operation for validating the subsequent operation and an operation for invalidating the subsequent operation in the input operation of the password, so that it becomes more difficult for others to understand the password. I have.
[0048]
That is, the personal computer 1 of the present embodiment stores, in the internal memory of the password collating unit 4, numerical data for the operation of the mouse 20 as shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 7, the meaning of “validate the input” for the specific operation, “move shortly in the −Y direction, and then press the right button” in FIG. Numerical data to which the meaning of “invalidate input” is pre-stored is stored for “move shortly and then press left button.”.
[0049]
Here, "invalid input" means that in the subsequent operations, inputs other than "validate input" or "determine password" are invalid, and "validate input" means In the subsequent operations, all inputs are valid.
[0050]
Therefore, in the personal computer 1 of the present embodiment, for example, when the password “01h, 0Ah, 07h, 0Dh” is input with the mouse 20, the operation of “validating the input” and the operation of “validating the input” By appropriately inserting the operation, it is possible to make the operation more difficult for others to see.
[0051]
That is, when a password “01h, 0Ah, 07h, 0Dh” is input with the mouse 20, an “enable input” operation and an “invalid input” operation are appropriately inserted, for example, as shown in FIG. The password can be input by operating the mouse 20 as shown in FIG.
[0052]
In the case of FIG. 8, an “invalidate input” operation is performed in step 2, an “enable input” operation is performed in step 5, and an “invalidate input” operation is performed in step 7. In step 10, the operation of "validating the input" is performed, in step 13, the operation of "invalidating the input" is performed, and in step 16, the password input deciding operation is performed. The operation of the mouse 20 from Step 2 to Step 5, Step 7 to Step 10, and Step 13 to Step 15 is an operation unrelated to the password. In the password input operation of the first embodiment, the operation is performed five times. The password is released by the operation of FIG. 8, but in the operation of FIG. 8, the password is released by 16 operations.
[0053]
In order to input the same password, as shown in FIG. 9, an operation of "invalidating input" is performed in step 1, an operation of "validating input" is performed in step 3, and 7, an “invalidate input” operation is performed. In step 10, an “enable input” operation is performed. In step 12, a password input determination operation is performed. The operations up to 3 and the operations from step 7 to step 10 are operations unrelated to the password. In the password input operation of the first embodiment, the password is released by five operations. In the operation, the password is released by 12 operations.
[0054]
After performing the operation of “invalidating input”, the number of operations of the mouse 20 during the invalidation period until the operation of “validating input” or the operation of “determining password input” is performed is appropriately increased / decreased. The password can be changed arbitrarily, and unlike the case of actually lengthening the password, simply remembering the password and the key to enable and disable the input, the password of a complicated length as intended by the user You can pretend to be.
[0055]
Also, since the operation of the pointing device in an invalid input state is usually appropriate and not constant, it is possible to make it appear that a different operation is performed each time, even though the password is the same.
[0056]
As described above, the personal computer 1 according to the present embodiment has a function of switching between the valid period and the invalid period of the password input for a specific operation combining the operation state of the button of the mouse 20 as the pointing device 8 and the movement vector. Is set, and only the operation during the valid input period of the password is obtained as the input operation of the password, and the password is input.
[0057]
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk that the password is found out by making it seem complicated even if the password is actually input, and it is possible to input a password that is difficult for others to understand.
[0058]
In particular, when a password is input using the keyboard 7, a similar function of canceling or correcting the input can be provided by using the ESC key or the Backspace key. However, the input is canceled because the definition of the key is general. And it's easy to see what has been corrected.
[0059]
However, when input validity and invalidity are assigned to any operation of the mouse 20 as in the present embodiment, only the set user can know which operation makes the input valid or invalid. Can be difficult.
[0060]
In each of the above embodiments, the case where the most well-known two-button mouse 20 is used as the pointing device 8 has been described. However, the pointing device 8 is not limited to the two-button mouse 20. For example, it has an interface capable of notifying the password collating unit 4 of the moving direction, moving amount, and button state of a three-button mouse, a mouse with a scroll function, a trackball, a pointing pad, a pointing stick, and the like. If there is, it can be easily applied with existing hardware.
[0061]
FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing a third embodiment of the password input method of the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to claim 3.
[0062]
Note that the present embodiment is applied to a personal computer similar to the personal computer 1 of the first embodiment. In the description of the present embodiment, the first embodiment The description will be made using the reference numerals used in the description of the embodiment as they are.
[0063]
In the present embodiment, the keyboard 7 is used to input a password, and “validate input” and “validate input” are assigned to appropriate keys, and the password is input with the keyboard 7. In this case, “invalid input” means that key inputs other than “validate input” or “determine password” are invalidated in subsequent key operations, and “validate input” Indicates that all key inputs are valid in subsequent key operations.
[0064]
In the personal computer 1 of the present embodiment, the “validate input” key and the “validate input” key, which are set in advance or arbitrarily set by the user, are registered in the internal memory of the password collating unit 4. I have.
[0065]
When the password is, for example, four characters “PASS”, normally, as shown in FIG. 10, in order to input “PASS” from the keyboard 7, the number of key operations performed to input the password is five. Input operation.
[0066]
Therefore, if another person can see where the password is being entered on the keyboard 7, the password can be easily found.
[0067]
However, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, a “validate input” key and a “validate input” key are assigned to a Q key and a Z key, respectively. When the Q key that is the “Yes” key and the Z key that is the “invalidate the input” key are interlaced, the password is kept unchanged at 4 characters and, as shown in FIG. Of passwords, making it difficult for others to remember where the password is being entered.
[0068]
As described above, when inputting a password based on a key operation of the keyboard 7, the personal computer 1 of the present embodiment sets a function of switching between a valid period and an invalid period for inputting a password for a specific key operation. Only the key operation during the valid input period of the password is acquired as the key input operation of the password, and the password is input.
[0069]
Therefore, without using any special equipment, it is possible to use the existing keyboard 7 to make the password appear long and complicated even if the password is actually short and simple, and to reduce the risk of the password being found out. It is possible to input a password which is easy to use and easy for others to understand.
[0070]
By enabling the user to arbitrarily set and define the “validate input” key and the “validate input” key, the input can be canceled by the conventional ESC key or Backspace key. Or, unlike the case of a fixed key operation of correcting, a password input that is more difficult for others to understand can be performed.
[0071]
As described above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say.
[0072]
【The invention's effect】
According to the password input method of the first aspect of the present invention, when inputting a password using a pointing device that performs a pointing operation with a button operation and a movement vector, an operation combining the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector. Since the password is input, the user does not need to use any special equipment and uses an existing pointing device to input the password, which is difficult to be visually recognized even when viewed by other people and hard to be analyzed by sound. It is possible to input a password that is inexpensive, has good usability, and is difficult for others to understand.
[0073]
According to the password input method of the second aspect of the present invention, the function for switching between the valid period and the invalid period of the password input is set for a specific operation that combines the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector. Only the operations during the password input validity period are acquired as the password input operation and the password is input, so in fact it seems as if it is a simple password input even if it is complicated, and the password is found out This can reduce the risk of the password being input, and can input a password that is difficult for others to understand.
[0074]
According to the password input method of the present invention, when a password is input based on a key operation of a keyboard, a function for switching between a valid period and an invalid period of the password input is set for a specific key operation. Only key operations during the password input validity period are obtained as password key input operations and password input is performed, so using a conventional keyboard without using special equipment, a short and simple password is actually used. However, even if the password is long and complicated, the danger of the password being found can be reduced, and the password can be input at low cost and with good usability, which is difficult for others to understand.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a computer to which a first embodiment of a password input method according to the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a plan view clearly showing a moving direction of a mouse as a pointing device in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing an example of a definition of a mouse operation of the computer of FIG. 1 and its meaning.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing another example of a mouse operation of the computer shown in FIG. 1 and a definition of its meaning.
FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the mouse operation and its meaning when a password is input by the mouse operation of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the operation of the mouse in FIG. 1 is defined by bits.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary view showing an example of a mouse operation including input validity and input invalidity of a computer to which a second embodiment of the password input method according to the present invention is applied, and a definition of its meaning.
8 is a view showing an example of a password input operation using a mouse and the meaning thereof using the definition of FIG. 7;
9 is a view showing another example of a password input operation using a mouse and the meaning thereof using the definition of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is an exemplary view showing an example of a key input operation of a password using a keyboard of a computer to which a third embodiment of the password input system of the present invention is applied and a definition of its meaning.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a key input operation when the password of FIG. 10 is performed by a key operation including input validity and input invalidity and a definition of the meaning;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Personal computer
2 body
3 System control unit
4 Password collation section
5 Password storage unit
6 Storage device
7 Keyboard
8 Pointing device
20 mice
20a Left button
20b right button

Claims (3)

In a password input method of inputting a password using a pointing device that performs a pointing operation with a button operation and a movement vector, inputting a password by an operation combining the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector. Characteristic password input method. The password input method sets a function of switching between a valid period and an invalid period of input of a password for a specific operation in which the operation state of the button of the pointing device and the movement vector are combined, and sets a valid period of input of the password. 2. The password input method according to claim 1, wherein only the middle operation is acquired as the password input operation, and the password is input. In the password input method that inputs a password based on the key operation of the keyboard, a function to switch between the valid period and invalid period of the password input is set for a specific key operation, and only the key operation during the valid input period of the password is set. A password input method, wherein the password is input by acquiring the password as a key input operation.

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