JP2004322880A - Air-conditioner for mobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air-conditioner for a mobile body capable of simplifying the system and adding new functions by effectively utilizing external information of the system present outside and inside the mobile body irrespective of information within the system. <P>SOLUTION: The air-conditioner of the mobile body comprises a control device 200 to control the air-conditioned state inside the mobile body and an air-conditioning unit 100 to perform the air-conditioning inside the mobile body according to the instruction of the control device 200, and further comprises an external information acquiring means 600 to acquire environmental information to affect the indoor environment of the mobile body in a moving area of the mobile body from the outside of the mobile body. The control device 200 performs the control according to the acquired environmental information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a moving body that can simplify a system or add a new function by effectively utilizing information outside the system existing inside and outside the moving body.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, various control systems mounted on a moving object have sensors and the like required by each system, and as a result, many sensors and the like are installed in the moving object (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120545
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, sensors and the like are not shared between different systems, and information existing outside the moving body is not used as sensor information in the systems. This not only raises the cost of the system, but also imposes many restrictions on improving the control by adding new functions to the system. Incidentally, recently, with the development of measurement technology and communication technology, for example, weather information and the like have been provided as information services for each small area, and it has become easier to collect such information even from within a mobile body via the wireless Internet.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to simplify the system or add new functions by effectively utilizing information outside the system existing inside and outside the moving object without being caught in the system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile air conditioner.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the technical means described in claims 1 to 11 is adopted.
[0007]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile device including: a control device that controls an air-conditioning state of the indoor space of the mobile object; and an air conditioning unit that air-conditions the indoor space of the mobile object in accordance with an instruction from the control device. An air conditioner,
External information acquiring means for acquiring environmental information affecting the indoor environment of the moving body in the moving area of the moving body from outside the moving body is provided, and the control device is configured to control the environment acquired by the external information acquiring means. The control is performed according to the information.
[0008]
This makes it possible to add a new function to the air conditioner using environmental information from outside the moving body.
[0009]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the environmental information includes at least air quality information of the moving area, thereby enabling air conditioning control according to, for example, the state of air contamination.
[0010]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the external information acquisition unit has a GPS receiver, and accesses the environment information service unit installed outside the mobile body using a communication unit, and receives the GPS reception. By obtaining the environment information of the moving area corresponding to the current position of the moving object obtained by the mobile device, it becomes possible to obtain more realistic environment information from the environment information service means outside the moving object.
[0011]
According to the invention described in claim 4, the control device sets the air conditioning unit to an inside air introduction mode for performing air conditioning using the inside air of the moving body when the control device determines that the outside air is dirty based on the environment information. By doing so, it becomes possible to protect the indoor environment of the moving object from the dirt of the outside air without using a dedicated sensor.
[0012]
According to the invention as set forth in claims 5 and 6, the external information acquiring means acquires weather information in addition to the environmental information, and the external information acquiring means comprises a weather information service installed outside the mobile body. Means for accessing the means using the communication means, and acquiring the weather information of the moving area corresponding to the current position of the moving body determined by the GPS receiver, thereby providing environmental information service means outside the moving body. It is possible to obtain weather information that is closer to the actual situation.
[0013]
According to the invention described in claim 7, the control device obtains an air-conditioning control amount in the room of the moving body using the weather information, thereby controlling air-conditioning necessary for air-conditioning control, such as an outside air temperature and a solar radiation amount. It is possible to omit a sensor dedicated to the device to some extent.
[0014]
According to the invention as set forth in claim 8, a mobile device comprising: a control device for controlling the indoor air-conditioning state of the mobile object; and an air-conditioning unit for air-conditioning the indoor of the mobile object in accordance with an instruction from the control device. An air conditioner,
Crew load information according to the number of occupants that affect the air conditioning state of the indoor of the moving body, provided with external information obtaining means for obtaining from the inside of the moving body, the control device, the control device, the external information obtaining means obtained The control is performed according to the occupant load information.
[0015]
Thus, based on the fact that the heat load generated in the room changes according to the number of occupants in the moving body, it is possible to improve the air-conditioning responsiveness by controlling ahead of the increase in the internal temperature due to the number of occupants.
[0016]
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the external information obtaining means accesses the underbody control means provided inside the moving body using the in-vehicle communication means, and the displacement amount of the air suspension of the moving body. Alternatively, by acquiring the tire pressure as the occupant load information of the moving body, the occupant load information can be acquired without using a sensor dedicated to an air conditioner.
[0017]
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the external information acquisition unit acquires operation information of an engine mounted on the moving body, so that the external information acquisition unit can use, for example, an engine speed or an engine without using a sensor dedicated to an air conditioner. Information such as the temperature of the cooling water can be obtained.
[0018]
According to the invention of claim 11, a door opening / closing sensor that indicates opening / closing of a door that enters and exits the room of the moving body, and an air device that forms an air curtain around the door are provided, and the control device includes By operating the air device to form an air curtain when the door is opened based on the door opening / closing information of the door opening / closing sensor, it is possible to minimize fluctuations in the air-conditioning state in the room of the moving body.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
(1st Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of various devices including an air conditioner mounted on a moving body, and information such as sensor information is shared between the air conditioner and the various devices.
[0021]
This air conditioner is an automatic air conditioner that automatically controls the indoor temperature of a moving body such as a bus, a passenger car, a railroad vehicle, or the like to a desired temperature set by an occupant. And an air conditioner control device 200 for controlling the equipment constituting the air conditioner unit 100.
[0022]
The moving body is equipped with, for example, an engine control device 400 that controls the operation of an engine (or a motor) that drives the moving body and a suspension control device 500 that controls the operation of a suspension or a brake. 200, 400, and 500 are connected to each other by an in-vehicle network (LAN) 300 so that information can be exchanged with each other.
[0023]
The external information collecting device 600 has a function of centrally controlling the sharing of information in a moving body. In this example, the external information collecting device 600 has a function of collecting and providing necessary information to the air conditioner control device 200. Specifically, for example, the engine control device 400 and the underbody control device 500 carry, for example, sensor information such as engine speed, throttle opening, accelerator opening, intake air temperature, air suspension displacement, tire pressure, etc., and calculation data. The information is collected as internal information of the mobile unit, or the current position of the mobile unit is detected by the GPS receiver 610, and the information service unit (data storage / update unit) 810, 820 such as a homepage installed outside the mobile unit is provided. The communication device 700 is used to access via the Internet 800 to acquire environmental information and weather information of a moving area corresponding to the current position of the moving object as external information of the moving object.
[0024]
Among the information service means 810, the environmental server 810 periodically measures environmental information including air quality information such as the amount of air contamination (for example, dust and exhaust gas components) and the amount of pollen scattering for each region. The server also updates and stores the latest measurement data, and the weather server 820 periodically measures weather information such as weather, insolation, outside temperature, outside air humidity, etc. for each region, and updates the latest measurement data. Is a server that updates and stores Therefore, the information service means 810 can provide environmental information and weather information of a region corresponding to the current position of the moving object.
[0025]
The air conditioner unit 100 has an air conditioning duct 20 that forms an air passage for guiding conditioned air into a room of a moving body. At the most upstream side of the air flow of the air conditioning duct 20, an inside / outside air switching unit 10 having an inside air suction port 11, an outside air suction port 12, and an inside / outside air switching door 13 is provided. By driving the inside / outside air switching door 13 by an actuator 42 such as a servomotor, the suction mode is switched between the inside air circulation mode, the inside / outside air mode, and the outside air introduction mode.
[0026]
On the downstream side of the inside / outside air switching unit 10 in the air conditioning duct 20, for example, a centrifugal blower fan 21 and a blower motor 22 for sending air are provided. An evaporator 23 constituting a part of the refrigeration cycle is provided downstream of the blower fan 21. The evaporator 23 exchanges heat between the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 41 and the introduced air to thereby introduce the introduced air. Dehumidify and cool.
[0027]
On the downstream side, a heater core 24 through which engine cooling water flows through a hot water circuit 44 is disposed, and heat is exchanged between dehumidified and cooled air and engine cooling water to heat the air. An air mixing door 25 is rotatably arranged on the air inlet side of the heater core 24, and is driven by an actuator 43 such as a servomotor to determine the ratio of the amount of air passing through the heater core 24 to the amount of air bypassing the heater core 24. The desired conditioned air is formed by the adjustment, and the temperature of the conditioned air blown into the room of the moving body is adjusted.
[0028]
An outlet switching unit 30 is provided at the most downstream side of the airflow of the air conditioning duct 20, and for example, in the case of a car, a face (FACE) opening, a foot (FOOT) opening, and a defroster (DEF) opening are provided. These openings are connected to ducts for guiding conditioned air to a predetermined blowing position. As the predetermined blowing position, a face (FACE) outlet for blowing conditioned air to the upper body side of the occupant, a foot (FOOT) outlet for blowing to the feet of the occupant, and a defroster (DEF) outlet for removing fogging of window glass. Is provided.
[0029]
Inside the outlets, an outlet opening / closing door (not shown) is rotatably mounted so that the conditioned air can be blown out from the outlets or the blowout amount can be individually adjusted. The air outlet mode includes a face (FACE) mode, a bi-level (B / L) mode which is intermediate between the face mode and the foot mode, a foot (FOOT) mode, and a differential (DEF) mode. Switching of the outlet mode is performed according to the instruction.
[0030]
In addition, the air purifier 70 is disposed in the room of the moving body, operates in response to an instruction from the air conditioner control device 200, and removes dirt and pollen such as fine particles in the room air to purify the room air. . When opening and closing the door of the moving body, the air device 80 controls the inside air at the doorway of the moving body to minimize the possibility that outside air enters the room or that the air-conditioned inside air leaks outside. This is a device that forms an air curtain that blocks outside air.
[0031]
Note that the above description and terms are mainly for a car or the like, but the air conditioner unit 100 is not limited to this, and can be applied to other moving objects such as a bus.
[0032]
The air conditioner control device 200 includes a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown), an input / output circuit, and a communication circuit. The air conditioner control device 200 is provided with operation signals of the operation panel 50 provided indoors, such as air conditioner ON / OFF information, set temperature information, blower air volume switching information, air outlet mode switching information, suction mode switching information, and the like. .
[0033]
Sensor signals from various sensors 61 to 66 are further input to the air conditioner control device 200. Here, the various sensors 61 to 63 are sensors specific to the air conditioner system, and include, for example, an internal air temperature sensor 61 for detecting the temperature of the indoor air (internal air temperature), a post-evaporation temperature sensor 62 for detecting the temperature of the downstream portion of the evaporator 23, A door opening / closing sensor 63 for detecting opening / closing of a door of the moving body.
[0034]
The various sensors 64 to 66 are sensor information that can be obtained from outside the air conditioner system as information on the inside of the moving body or information on the outside of the moving body. A solar radiation sensor 65 for detecting the amount of solar radiation to be emitted, and an other sensor 66 such as an engine cooling water temperature sensor or an outside air humidity sensor for detecting the humidity of outdoor air.
[0035]
Therefore, in this example, some of the various sensors 64 to 66 use sensor information provided from the external information collecting device 600, and the sensors provided independently of the air conditioning system are omitted. For example, as the outside air temperature and the amount of solar radiation, the outside air temperature, the weather, and the amount of solar radiation provided from the weather server 820 may be used, or the intake air temperature provided from the engine control device 400 may be used as the outside air temperature. The engine cooling water temperature provided from the engine control device 400 is used as it is as a substitute for the sensor 66. The humidity of the outside air may use the outside air humidity provided from the weather server 820. Of course, one sensor information may be formed by combining a plurality of sensor information such as an intake air temperature of the engine and an outside air temperature provided from the weather server 820.
[0036]
Next, the operation of the air conditioner control device 200 and the external information collecting device 600 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a main routine executed in control device 200.
[0037]
When an ignition switch (not shown) is turned on and this routine is started, first, the contents stored in a data processing memory (RAM) are initialized (step 210). Subsequently, a communication process with the external information collection device 600 is performed, and the external information collection device 600 communicates with the engine control device 400, the underbody control device 500, and the information service unit 800, and corresponds to a necessary latest sensor. The information is collected and the information is provided to the air conditioner control device 200 (step 220).
[0038]
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the external information collecting device 600 first sends the engine speed, the throttle opening, the accelerator opening, the engine coolant temperature, the intake air temperature from the engine control device 400 as the moving object internal information. A reception process of a sensor signal such as (corresponding to outside air temperature) is performed (step 221), and a sensor signal such as an air suspension displacement amount or a tire air pressure that changes according to the occupant total weight in the moving body is received from the underbody control device 500. Then, confirmation processing of the number of occupants in the moving body is performed (step 222). This means that occupant load information corresponding to the number of occupants that affects the air-conditioning state in the room of the moving object is obtained. If the number of passengers is automatically known by a fee processing system used for a bus or the like, the information on the number of passengers can be used as it is as the number of occupants.
[0039]
Then, in order to collect the external information of the moving object, first, the current position of the moving object is obtained by the GPS receiver 610 (step 223). The external information collection device 600 communicates with the information service means 800 via the Internet using a communication device 700 such as a mobile phone. In this example, the environment server 810 and the weather server 820 provide environmental information including air quality information such as the amount of air contamination and the amount of pollen scattered in the moving area corresponding to the current position of the moving object, and the weather, solar radiation, and outside air temperature. , And the weather information such as the humidity of the outside air are acquired (steps 224 and 225). Then, the various types of reception information acquired in steps 221 to 225 are provided from the external information collection device 600 to the air conditioner control device 200.
[0040]
Returning to FIG. 2, step 230 is an air conditioner control processing step in which the air conditioner control device 200 drives the air conditioner unit 100 to control the interior of the moving body to a desired air conditioning state.
[0041]
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, signals from the operation panel 50, the various sensors 61 to 63, and the external information collection device 600 are input (step 231). Based on the various signals, the required blowing temperature TAO according to the heat load of the moving body (sum of the amount of heat moving inside and outside the moving body) is calculated by the following equation (step 232).
[0042]
(Equation 1)
TAO = KSET / TSET-KR / TR-KAM / TAM-KS / TS + C
Here, TSET is the set temperature, TS is the amount of solar radiation (solar intensity), TR is the internal temperature obtained by the internal temperature sensor 61, TAM is the external temperature, KSET, KR, KAM, and KS are gains or correction coefficients, and C is Indicates a constant.
[0043]
Here, sensor information provided from outside the air conditioner system can be used for the outside temperature TAM and the amount of solar radiation TS. Further, the heat load generated in the room changes depending on the number of occupants in the moving body. Therefore, in order to improve the air-conditioning responsiveness in anticipation of an increase in the internal temperature due to the number of occupants, a predetermined control characteristic table is used, and an internal temperature coefficient KR or a constant C is changing. Thereby, for example, when a passenger car or a bus becomes full, a rapid cooling becomes possible before the internal temperature rises. This is so-called prospect control.
[0044]
Further, when the door of the moving body is opened, heat flows between the room and the outside, and the heat load generated in the room changes. Therefore, in order to improve the air-conditioning responsiveness in anticipation of the change in the internal temperature, the constant C is changed according to the door opening information of the door opening / closing sensor 63 and the outside air temperature, and the temperature is temporarily corrected in consideration of the intrusion of the heat load. It may be performed.
[0045]
Next, the blower control voltage VA is determined from the calculated required blow-out temperature TAO according to a predetermined control characteristic table (step 233). The suction mode for switching between the inside air and the outside air is also basically determined based on the required blow-out temperature TAO if not manually set (step 234). However, in this example, environmental information including air quality information such as the amount of air contamination and the amount of pollen scattering in the moving area corresponding to the current position information of the moving object is acquired from the external information collection device 600, and the outdoor air contamination state is acquired. Is always determined, and when the dirt is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the inside / outside air switching unit 10 is switched to the inside air side to set the inside air circulation mode by introducing the inside air.
[0046]
Subsequently, an outlet mode is determined from the calculated required outlet temperature TAO according to a predetermined control characteristic table (step 235). Subsequently, the opening degree of the air mix door 25 is determined from the calculated required blowing temperature TAO according to a predetermined control characteristic table (step 236), and each device is controlled according to the processing results of steps 232 to 236 (step 236). Step 237), controlling to a desired air conditioning state.
[0047]
Now, returning to FIG. 2, in step 240, the air conditioner control device 200 stops or reduces the driving of the compressor 41 in accordance with the operation state of the engine, thereby reducing the compressor load applied to the engine and improving the operability of the moving body. This is an air conditioner power adjustment processing step.
[0048]
For this reason, the air conditioner control device 200 acquires information on the engine speed, throttle valve opening, or accelerator opening in the engine control device 400 from the external information collecting device 600, and obtains information on the height of the moving body when accelerating or climbing a hill. The load operation state is determined, and during high load operation, priority is given to drivability to reduce the compressor load applied to the engine.
[0049]
Next, step 250 is an air purification processing step in which the air conditioner control device 200 activates the air purifier 70 in accordance with the state of contamination of the outdoor air.
[0050]
Therefore, the air conditioner control device 200 acquires, from the external information collecting device 600, environmental information including air quality information such as the amount of air contamination and the amount of pollen scattering in the moving area corresponding to the current position information of the moving object, Determine the dirt condition of the outdoor air. Therefore, when the contamination is equal to or more than the predetermined value, the inside / outside air switching unit 10 is set to the inside air introduction side and the air purifier 70 is operated. On the other hand, when there is a certain degree of dirt even when the dirt is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the air cleaner 70 is operated although the outside air is kept introduced.
[0051]
Next, step 260 is an air curtain processing step in which the air conditioner control device 200 operates the air device 80 when a person enters or exits.
[0052]
Therefore, the air conditioner control device 200 acquires a signal indicating the opening / closing of the door of the moving body from the door opening / closing sensor 63, and activates the air device 80 when the door is opened / closed. This minimizes leakage of outside air into the room and conversely, leakage of air-conditioned inside air to the outside of the room, thereby making it possible to maintain a good air-conditioning state of the room and dirt, pollen, etc. to enter the room. It also has the effect of suppressing this.
[0053]
The air conditioner control device 200 further calculates the refrigerant discharge capability of the compressor 41 based on the engine rotational speed information provided from the engine control device 400, and adjusts the blower rotational speed so as to make use of the refrigerant discharge capability. As a result, it is also possible to perform control that suppresses waste of power as a whole while maintaining the entire required blowing heat amount.
[0054]
In addition, as the air conditioner power adjustment processing step 240 of the air conditioner control device 200, for example, a battery voltage (not shown) supplied to the air conditioner control device 200 is monitored, and if the battery voltage continuously drops, the battery is protected. In order to reduce the load on the air conditioner including the compressor 41 and the blower 21, control may be performed to stop or reduce the capacity.
[0055]
(2nd Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of various devices including an air conditioner mounted on a moving body, and information such as sensor information is shared between the air conditioner and the various devices.
[0056]
The difference from the first embodiment is that the control devices for air conditioner control, engine control, and underbody control are concentrated in the central control device 900 without being dispersed in the moving object 1, which is necessary for control. The sensor information is collected in the central control device 900 or the external information collecting device 600, and the sharing of the sensor itself has been promoted, and the air conditioner driving device 200A and the engine driving device 400A mainly serving as driving means in various places in the moving body 1. , And the underbody drive device 500A are distributed and driven according to the instruction of the central control device 900.
[0057]
The sensors necessary for centralized control are arranged at various places in the mobile unit 1 and collected by the centralized control device 900 or the external information collection device 600 via the LAN communication circuit provided in each of the driving devices 200A, 400A, 500A. ing.
[0058]
This facilitates sharing of the sensor itself and sharing of sensor information, and enables advanced control by simplifying the system or adding new functions.
[0059]
In each of the above embodiments, the external information collection device 600 is provided separately from the control devices 200, 400, 500, and 900 and connected by the LAN 300. However, for example, the external information collection device 600 is provided in the air conditioner control device 200 or the central control device 900. It may be incorporated as a function.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of various devices including an air conditioner mounted on a moving body, showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a main routine executed in the air conditioner control device 200.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing communication processing inside and outside the vehicle executed by the external information collecting device 600.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an air conditioner control process executed by the air conditioner control device 200.
FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of various devices mounted on a moving object, showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 10 inside / outside air switching unit 20 air conditioning duct 21 blower fan 41 compressor 70 air purifier 80 air device 100 air conditioner unit (air conditioner unit)
200 Air conditioner control device (control device)
300 In-vehicle network (LAN, in-vehicle communication means)
400 engine control device 500 undercarriage control device 600 external information collection device (external information acquisition means)
610 GPS receiver 700 Communication device (communication means)
800 Information service means 810 Environmental server (environmental information service means)
820 weather server (meteorological information service means)
900 Centralized control device (control device)

Claims (11)

A control device for controlling the indoor air-conditioning state of the moving body, and an air-conditioning device for a moving body including an air-conditioning unit for performing air-conditioning of the inside of the moving body in accordance with an instruction of the control device,
Environmental information affecting the indoor environment of the moving body in the moving area of the moving body, provided with external information acquisition means for acquiring from outside the moving body,
The air conditioner for a moving body, wherein the control device performs control in accordance with the environment information acquired by the external information acquisition means. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the environment information includes at least air quality information of the moving area. The external information acquisition unit has a GPS receiver, accesses an environment information service unit installed outside the mobile unit using a communication unit, and obtains a current position of the mobile unit determined by the GPS receiver. 3. The air conditioner for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein the environment information of the corresponding moving area is acquired. 4. The air conditioner unit according to claim 3, wherein the controller sets the air conditioning unit to an inside air introduction mode in which air conditioning is performed using the inside air of the moving body when it is determined that the outside air is dirty based on the environment information. Mobile air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the external information acquiring unit acquires weather information in addition to the environmental information. The external information obtaining means accesses the weather information service means installed outside the moving body using the communication means, and obtains the moving area corresponding to the current position of the moving body obtained by the GPS receiver. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the weather information is acquired. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the controller obtains an air conditioning control amount in the room of the moving body using the weather information. A control device for controlling the indoor air-conditioning state of the moving body, and an air-conditioning device for a moving body including an air-conditioning unit for performing air-conditioning of the inside of the moving body in accordance with an instruction of the control device,
External information acquisition means for acquiring occupant load information according to the number of occupants that affects the air conditioning state of the indoor of the moving body is provided from inside the moving body,
The air conditioner for a moving body, wherein the control device performs control in accordance with the occupant load information acquired by the external information acquisition means. The external information obtaining means accesses the underbody control means provided inside the moving body by using an in-vehicle communication means, and calculates a displacement amount of an air suspension of the moving body or a tire air pressure by the moving body. 9. The air conditioner for a moving body according to claim 8, wherein the air conditioner is acquired as occupant load information. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the external information acquisition unit acquires operation information of an engine mounted on the moving body. A door opening / closing sensor that indicates opening and closing of a door that enters and exits the room of the moving body, and an air device that forms an air curtain around the door is provided.
9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the control device activates the air device when the door is opened based on the door opening / closing information of the door opening / closing sensor to form an air curtain.

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