JP2019069736A - Transmission device - Google Patents

Abstract

To specify a location on which a flight vehicle is landed even when the flight vehicle is landed moderately.SOLUTION: A transmission device 13 functions as transmission control means 101, determination means 102, and impact detection means 103. A transmission part 133 is mounted on a flight vehicle and transmits position information indicating a position of the flight vehicle. The transmission control means 101 controls a timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission part on the basis of variations of an altitude and acceleration of the flight vehicle measured by an altimeter 135.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for transmitting location information.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique of transmitting position information indicating the position of an object when an accident or an unexpected situation occurs. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for transmitting position information when a shock detection sensor outputs a detection signal that exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

JP-A-8-287386

In order to monitor a suspicious object from the sky, a flying object such as a balloon or an airship may be used. This aircraft is usually moored by mooring lines, but if the mooring lines are cut or come off, they can be blown off by the wind and become lost. However, there are cases where the aircraft slowly lands on the ground or gets caught on a tree. When using, for example, an acceleration sensor as a shock detection sensor, the aircraft may receive wind and vibrate during flight, so when the aircraft lands slowly in this way, the aircraft may land against the aircraft when it lands. In some cases, a strong impact may not be applied compared to during flight. In this case, with the technology described in Patent Document 1 described above, it is not possible to accurately determine that the aircraft has landed depending on the setting of the threshold, and as a result, the position information is not transmitted and the aircraft landed. There is a possibility that the location can not be identified.
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to specify the place where an aircraft landed even if the aircraft lands slowly.

  The present invention is based on a transmitting unit mounted on an aircraft and transmitting position information indicating the position of the aircraft, an altimeter measuring the altitude of the aircraft, and the amount of change in the altitude measured by the altimeter. And a transmission control means for controlling the timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit.

  The transmission device further includes an accelerometer for measuring the acceleration of the flying object, and the transmission control means is that the acceleration measured by the accelerometer is equal to or less than a predetermined acceleration, and is measured by the altimeter. The timing may be controlled using a condition that the amount of change in height is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

  The transmission control means may cause the transmission unit to transmit the position information when the condition is satisfied.

  The transmission control means causes the transmission unit to transmit the position information at a first time interval in a first period that satisfies the condition, and is longer than the first time interval in a second period in which the condition is not satisfied. The position information may be transmitted to the transmitter at a second time interval.

  The transmission apparatus further includes a determination unit that determines whether the aircraft is moored, and the transmission control unit determines whether the aircraft is moored by the change amount of the altitude and the determination unit. In accordance with the above, the timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit may be controlled.

  The transmission control means may cause the transmission unit to transmit the position information when it is determined that an impact of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied based on the acceleration of the flying object measured by the accelerometer.

  According to the present invention, even when the aircraft lands slowly, it is possible to specify the location where the aircraft landed.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of surveillance system 1 concerning an embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the transmission device. It is a figure which shows an example of a function structure of the transmitter 13. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the transmission timing of positional information. It is a figure which shows the other example of the transmission timing of positional information. It is a figure which shows the other example of the transmission timing of positional information. It is a figure which shows the other example of the transmission timing of positional information.

Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment. The monitoring system 1 is used, for example, to monitor suspicious objects in an event performed outdoors. The suspicious objects include not only objects but also people.

  The monitoring system 1 includes an aircraft 10, a ground facility 20, and a monitoring device 30. The flying object 10 and the ground facility 20 are connected via the mooring cord 2, the power supply line 3 and the communication line 4. The mooring cord 2 is used for mooring the aircraft 10. The mooring cord 2 is formed of, for example, a lightweight and strong fiber. The power supply line 3 and the communication line 4 are attached to, for example, the mooring cord 2. In addition, the number of the mooring cord 2, the power supply line 3, and the communication line 4 may be singular or plural. Further, the ground facility 20 and the monitoring device 30 are connected via the communication line 5. The communication line 5 is, for example, the Internet. A relay device such as a router may be provided between the ground facility 20 and the communication line 5 and between the monitoring device 30 and the communication line 5, respectively.

  The flying object 10 flies in the air while being connected to the mooring cord 2 and moored to the ground by the mooring cord 2. The flying object 10 is, for example, a balloon. The balloon has, for example, a flat shape or a shape close to a sphere, and ascends and floats in the air using helium gas. The balloon may have a double membrane structure to make it difficult for helium gas to escape. In addition, the balloon may have a curtain-like skirt 10a that receives the wind under the balloon in order to stabilize the attitude in the air. The flying height of the balloon is, for example, up to 60 m. An imaging unit 11, a support unit 12, and a transmission device 13 are mounted on the flying object 10.

  The imaging unit 11 captures a plurality of images in time series. The imaging unit 11 is, for example, a digital video camera, and shoots a moving image by forming an image on an imaging device using an optical system. The power supply line 3 and the communication line 4 are connected to the imaging unit 11. The imaging unit 11 is rotatably supported by the support unit 12.

  The support unit 12 is a pedestal that rotates the imaging unit 11. The support unit 12 rotates the imaging unit 11 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction about an axis by, for example, a gimbal mechanism. The power supply line 3 and the communication line 4 are connected to the support 12.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the transmission device 13. As shown in FIG. The transmitter 13 transmits position information indicating the position of the aircraft 10. The transmitting device 13 includes a processor 131, a memory 132, a transmitting unit 133, an accelerometer 134, an altimeter 135, and a power supply unit 136. These devices are connected via a bus 137.

  The processor 131 executes various processes by reading the program into the memory 132 and executing the program. For example, a central processing unit (CPU) may be used as the processor 131. The memory 132 stores a program to be executed by the processor 131. For example, a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM) may be used as the memory 132.

  The transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the flying object 10, and transmits position information indicating the measured position. The transmitting unit 133 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and measures the three-dimensional position of the flying object 10 based on GPS signals received from a plurality of satellites. The accelerometer 134 measures the acceleration of the flying object 10. The accelerometer 134 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and may measure acceleration in three axis directions. The altimeter 135 measures the altitude of the flying object 10. The altimeter 135 may measure altitude based on, for example, GPS signals. Alternatively, the altimeter 135 may measure the altitude by means of a barometer in response to changes in barometric pressure.

  The power supply unit 136 supplies power to each unit of the transmission device 13. The power supply unit 136 is, for example, a battery, generates power, and supplies the power to each unit of the transmission device 13.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the ground facility 20 includes a fixed base 21, a winding device 22, a power supply device 23, an environment sensor 24, and a terminal device 25. The power supply device 23, the environment sensor 24, and the terminal device 25 may be installed indoors, such as a tent or a wagon.

  The fixed base 21 is a pedestal for fixing the flying object 10 in a non-flying state. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the mooring cord 2 is fixed at a position corresponding to the fixing base 21. In this case, this position is the mooring position of the aircraft 10.

  The winding device 22 performs unwinding and winding of the mooring cord 2. The winding device 22 is, for example, an electric winch, and performs unwinding and winding of the mooring cord 2 by rotating a drum by a motor. For example, when the flying object 10 ascends into the air, the winding device 22 feeds out the mooring cord 2. While the flying object 10 is floating in the air, the winding device 22 controls the tension of the mooring cord 2 by unwinding or winding the mooring cord 2. When the aircraft 10 descends to the ground, the winding device 22 winds up the mooring cord 2.

  The power supply device 23 supplies power to each part of the flying object 10 and the ground facility 20. The power supply device 23 is connected to the imaging unit 11, the support unit 12, the transmission device 13, the winding device 22, the environment sensor 24, and the terminal device 25 via the power supply line 3. In addition, in FIG. 1, in order to prevent that a drawing becomes complicated, illustration of a part of power supply line 3 which connects these apparatuses and the power supply device 23 is abbreviate | omitted. The power supply device 23 includes, for example, a generator, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), and a transformer, and supplies power generated by the generator to these devices via the power supply line 3. At this time, the power supply device 23 may supply power after converting it into a voltage according to the supply destination of the power by the converter.

  The environment sensor 24 detects environment information used to determine whether or not the flight of the flying object 10 is possible. The environment sensor 24 includes, for example, an anemometer and a lightning sensor. An anemometer measures the wind speed. A lightning sensor detects lightning.

  The terminal device 25 has a function of transferring an image captured by the imaging unit 11 to the monitoring device 30. In addition, the terminal device 25 may output the image captured by the imaging unit 11 so that the surveillance staff can view the image. The terminal device 25 is an electronic device such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 25 includes a processor and a memory, as with the transmitter 13. In addition, the terminal device 25 includes a communication interface, a storage, an input device, and a display device.

  The communication interface is connected to the imaging unit 11, the support unit 12, and the environment sensor 24 via the communication line 4, and performs data communication with these devices. In addition, in FIG. 1, illustration of a part of communication line 4 which connects these apparatuses and the terminal device 25 is abbreviate | omitted. The communication interface is also connected to the monitoring device 30 via the communication line 5 and performs data communication with the monitoring device 30. The storage stores various data and programs. For example, a hard disk or flash memory may be used as the storage. The input device is used to input various information. As the input device, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a physical button, a touch sensor constituting a touch panel, or a combination thereof may be used. The display device displays various information. For example, a liquid crystal display may be used as the display device.

  The monitoring device 30 outputs the image transferred from the terminal device 25. The monitoring device 30 may be a server device or an electronic device such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal. The monitoring device 30 has a configuration similar to that of the terminal device 25. The monitoring device 30 may be provided, for example, in a monitoring center, which is a facility for monitoring suspicious objects, and may be used by a monitoring staff. The surveillance personnel monitor suspicious objects by viewing the image output from the surveillance device 30.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the transmission device 13. The transmission device 13 functions as a transmission control unit 101, a determination unit 102, and an impact detection unit 103. In this example, these functions are realized by the cooperation of the program stored in the memory 132 and the processor 131 executing this program.

  The transmission control means 101 controls the timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit 133 based on the amount of change in altitude of the aircraft 10. Here, it is assumed that the mooring cord 2 of the moored aircraft 10 comes off and free flight. The flying object 10 may fly as a result of wind or the like, but gradually descends and eventually lands on something that lands or stops. The flying object 10 can determine that the flying object 10 is still flying when the amount of change in altitude is larger than a predetermined amount. On the other hand, when the amount of change in the altitude of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to the predetermined amount, it can be determined that the flying object 10 is stopped by being caught on a landing or a tree.

  The amount of change in altitude is indicated by, for example, the amount of change in altitude of the flying object 10 measured by the altimeter 135. In addition to the amount of change in altitude, it may be measured by the accelerometer 134 because the flight force of the flying object 10 may remain sufficiently or the amount of change in altitude may be small under the influence of wind or the like as described above. It is desirable to determine the stop state of the flying object 10 based on the acceleration. For example, when the amount of change in the altitude of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined amount and the acceleration of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined acceleration, it is determined that the flying object 10 is at rest, and position information is transmitted. Control to The predetermined acceleration is, for example, an acceleration that makes it possible that the flying object 10 lands and stops. This predetermined amount is, for example, the amount of change in altitude such that the flying object 10 can be considered to have landed and stopped.

  In addition, the transmission control means 101 may switch the time interval at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit 133 based on the amount of change (and acceleration) of the altitude of the aircraft 10. For example, the time interval at which position information is transmitted may be switched between a first time interval and a second time interval longer than the first time interval.

  The determination means 102 determines whether the aircraft 10 is moored. For example, the determination means 102 may determine whether the aircraft 10 is moored in accordance with the tension of the mooring line 2. In this case, the transmitter 13 is provided with a device for measuring the tension of the mooring cord 2. If the tension of the mooring cord 2 measured by this device falls below a predetermined value, it may be determined that the aircraft 10 is not moored. This predetermined value is, for example, a value that indicates the magnitude of tension such that the aircraft 10 can be considered not to be anchored by the mooring line 2. Alternatively, the transmission device 13 may monitor the state of the power supply line 3 or the communication line 4 and determine the mooring state by power off or communication disconnection.

  In another example, when the position of the flying object 10 measured by the transmitting unit 133 deviates from the predetermined range, the determining unit 102 may determine that the flying object 10 is not anchored. The predetermined range is, for example, a range where the aircraft 10 moored by the mooring cord 2 can move. In another example, the determination means 102 is configured such that the difference between the length of the mooring cord 2 fed out by the winding device 22 and the length of a straight line connecting the position of the aircraft 10 and the mooring position of the aircraft 10 is predetermined. If it is longer than the length, it may be determined that the aircraft 10 is not moored. In this case, the winding device 22 may be provided with a device for measuring the feeding length of the mooring cord 2.

  The impact detection means 103 detects an impact applied to the flying object 10. For example, based on the acceleration of the flying object 10 measured by the accelerometer 134, the impact detection means 103 may detect an impact of a predetermined size or more applied to the flying object 10.

Operation The aircraft 10 is usually moored by the mooring line 2. However, if the mooring cord 2 is cut off or comes off, the flying object 10 may not be moored and may be blown by the wind. In this case, in order to search for the aircraft 10, it is necessary to specify the location where the aircraft 10 landed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of transmission timing of position information. For example, when the transmission control unit 101 is in a state of satisfying a predetermined condition that the acceleration of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to the predetermined acceleration and the change amount of the altitude of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to the predetermined amount, the first time The position information may be transmitted to the transmitting unit 133 at intervals. In this case, the transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the flying object 10 at first time intervals under the control of the transmission control means 101, and transmits position information indicating the measured position.

  Here, it is assumed that the aircraft 10 is not moored at time t1 and the aircraft 10 lands at time t2. In this case, in the period TA before time t1, the flying object 10 flies in the air in a moored state. When the flying object 10 is not anchored at time t1, the flying object 10 flies in the air without being anchored in a period TB from time t1 to time t2, and then descends gradually. When the flying object 10 lands at time t2, the flying object 10 stops at the landing point in a period TC after the time t2. The place where the flying object 10 lands may be on the ground or on an object such as a building or a tree.

  In this example, in the periods TA and TB, the flying object 10 receives wind and the like, and the acceleration of the flying object 10 measured by the accelerometer 134 is larger than a predetermined acceleration, and the altitude of the flying object 10 measured by the altimeter 135 The change amount of is larger than a predetermined amount. In this case, the position information is not transmitted from the transmitting unit 133 because the predetermined condition is not satisfied. When the flying object 10 lands and stops at time t2, the acceleration of the flying object 10 measured by the accelerometer 134 becomes zero below the predetermined acceleration, and the amount of change in the altitude of the flying object 10 measured by the altimeter 135 Becomes 0 less than a predetermined amount. In this case, since the predetermined condition is satisfied, at time t2, the transmitting unit 133 starts measuring the position of the flying object 10 and transmitting the position information at the first time interval. The transmission of the position information is continued, for example, until the power supply by the power supply unit 136 is stopped in the period TC after the time t2.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the transmission timing of position information. For example, in a period in which the transmission control unit 101 does not satisfy a predetermined condition that the acceleration of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined acceleration and the change amount of the altitude of the flying object 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined amount The position information may be transmitted to the transmitting unit 133 at intervals, while the position information may be transmitted to the transmitting unit 133 at first time intervals shorter than the second time interval in a period satisfying a predetermined condition. In this case, the transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the aircraft 10 at the first time interval or the second time interval under the control of the transmission control unit 101, and transmits the position information indicating the measured position.

  In this example, in the periods TA and TB, since the predetermined condition is not satisfied as described above, the transmitting unit 133 performs the measurement of the position of the aircraft 10 and the transmission of the position information at the second time interval. At time t2, as described above, since the predetermined condition is satisfied, the time interval at which measurement of position and transmission of position information are performed by the transmitting unit 133 is switched from the second time interval to the first time interval. Thus, in the period TC after the time t2, the transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the aircraft 10 and transmits the position information at the first time interval. The transmission of the position information is continued in period TC until, for example, the power supply unit 136 stops supplying power.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of transmission timing of position information. In the situation where the flying object 10 is moored, there may be a rare case of complete windlessness. In this case, the amount of change of the altitude of the flying object 10 is almost zero, and the acceleration may be almost zero. Therefore, the timing of transmitting the position information may be controlled in consideration of whether or not the aircraft 10 is moored. For example, when the determination unit 102 determines that the aircraft 10 is moored, the transmission control unit 101 does not cause the transmission unit 133 to transmit the position information even when the predetermined condition described above is satisfied. On the other hand, when the determination means 102 determines that the flying object 10 is not anchored, the transmission control means 101 causes the transmission unit 133 to transmit the position information at the second time interval, and when the predetermined state is satisfied. The position information may be transmitted to the transmitter 133 at a first time interval. In this case, the transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the aircraft 10 at the first time interval or the second time interval under the control of the transmission control unit 101, and transmits the position information indicating the measured position.

  In this example, in the period TA before time t1, since the determination means 102 determines that the flying object 10 is moored, the position from the transmitting unit 133 is satisfied even when the predetermined condition described above is satisfied. Information is not transmitted. At time t1, it is determined by the determination means 102 that the flying object 10 is not moored, so that the transmitting unit 133 starts measuring the position of the flying object 10 and transmitting the position information at the second time interval. And in period TB from time t1 to time t2, measurement of a position and transmission of position information in the 2nd time interval are continued. At time t2, it is determined that the flying object 10 is not anchored by the determination means 102, and as described above, it becomes a state that satisfies the predetermined condition. The time interval to be switched is switched from the second time interval to the first time interval. As a result, at time TC after time t2, measurement of position and transmission of position information are performed by the transmitting unit 133 at the first time interval. The transmission of the position information is continued in period TC until, for example, the power supply unit 136 stops supplying power.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the transmission timing of position information. For example, the transmission control unit 101 may cause the transmission unit 133 to start transmitting position information at the first time interval even when the shock detection unit 103 detects a shock. In this case, the transmitting unit 133 measures the position of the flying object 10 at first time intervals under the control of the transmission control means 101, and transmits position information indicating the measured position.

  Here, it is assumed that the flying object 10 collides with an object such as a building or a tree at time t3. In this case, an impact is detected by the impact detection unit 103 at time t3. The time t3 may be earlier than the time t2 described above, or may be later than the time t2. In this example, at time t3, the transmitting unit 133 starts position measurement and transmission of position information at a first time interval. The transmission of the position information is continued, for example, until power supply from the power supply unit 136 is stopped in a period TD after time t3.

  The position information transmitted from the transmission unit 133 is received and output by a receiver (not shown). This receiver may be provided in the ground facility 20 or may be provided in the monitoring center. The surveillance officer can specify the location where the aircraft 10 landed by viewing the position information output from the receiver.

  According to the above-described embodiment, when the predetermined condition using the acceleration and altitude of the flying object 10 is satisfied, the positional information of the flying object 10 is transmitted. The location where 10 landed can be identified. In the above-described embodiment, when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the position information is not transmitted, or the position information is transmitted at a longer time interval than when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, as compared with the case where position information is always transmitted at the same time interval, a period during which the position information is transmitted becomes longer, and the possibility of finding the flying object 10 becomes high.

Modifications The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications may be made to the embodiment described above. For example, at least two of the examples shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 described above may be implemented in combination. Also, the following modifications may be implemented in combination.

  In the embodiment described above, the accelerometer 134 and the altimeter 135 are used as a measurement device that measures the stop state of the flying object 10. However, the amount of change in the altitude of the flying object 10 may be measured from the component in the vertical direction by using an acceleration sensor with three or more axes as the accelerometer 134. In this case, the predetermined condition may be that the component in the axial direction of the acceleration sensor provided in the flying object 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined acceleration. Also, instead of the acceleration of the flying object 10, the velocity of the flying object 10 may be used. In this case, the transmitter 13 is provided with a speedometer for measuring the speed of the flying object 10.

  In the embodiment described above, the predetermined condition may not necessarily include both the condition related to acceleration and the condition related to the amount of change in altitude. The predetermined condition may include only one of these conditions. For example, the predetermined condition may be only the condition that the change amount of the altitude of the flying object 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined amount. Alternatively, the predetermined condition may be only the condition that the acceleration of the flying object 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined acceleration.

  In the embodiment described above, the time interval at which position information is transmitted may be gradually shortened in the periods TA to TC shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the time interval at which position information is transmitted may be different between the case where an impact is detected by the impact detection means 103 and the case where a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, when an impact is detected, position information may be transmitted at a second time interval, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, position information may be transmitted at a first time interval.

  In the embodiment described above, the impact detection means 103 may be realized by an impact sensor that detects an impact.

  In the embodiment described above, the vehicle 10 is not limited to a balloon. The flying object 10 may be an airship.

  A target for implementing the function of the monitoring system 1 is not limited to the example described in the above embodiment. For example, at least a part of the functions of the transmission device 13 may be implemented in the terminal device 25.

  The timing of the process performed in the transmission device 13 is not limited to the example described in the above embodiment. The timing of this process may be switched as long as there is no contradiction. Further, the present invention may be provided as a transmission method including the steps of processing performed in the transmission device 13.

  The present invention may be provided as a program executed by the transmission device 13, the terminal device 25, or the monitoring device 30. This program may be downloaded via a communication line such as the Internet. In addition, this program is provided in a state of being recorded on a computer readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disc etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor memory, etc. May be

1: monitoring system 2: 2: mooring cord 10: flying object 13: transmission device 101: transmission control means 102: determination means 103: impact detection means 133: transmission portion 134: accelerometer 135: altimeter

Claims (6)

A transmitting unit mounted on an aircraft and transmitting position information indicating the position of the aircraft;
An altimeter for measuring the altitude of the aircraft;
A transmission control unit configured to control timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit, based on the amount of change in the height measured by the altimeter. It further comprises an accelerometer for measuring the acceleration of the flying object,
The transmission control means uses the condition that the acceleration measured by the accelerometer is equal to or less than a predetermined acceleration, and the change amount of the height measured by the altimeter is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. The transmission device according to claim 1, which controls The transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the transmission control unit causes the transmission unit to transmit the position information when the state satisfying the condition is satisfied. The transmission control means causes the transmission unit to transmit the position information at a first time interval in a first period that satisfies the condition, and is longer than the first time interval in a second period in which the condition is not satisfied. The transmitting device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the position information at a second time interval. The apparatus further comprises a determination unit that determines whether or not the aircraft is moored.
The transmission control unit controls the timing at which the position information is transmitted from the transmission unit, in accordance with the amount of change in the height and whether or not the flying object is determined to be moored by the determination unit. The transmitter according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The transmission control unit causes the transmitting unit to transmit the position information when it is determined that an impact of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied based on the acceleration of the flying object measured by the accelerometer. The transmitter according to any one of 5.

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