JP2019126154A - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method, which can reduce power consumption required for posture control of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes: a detection section; an acquisition section; and a control section. The detection section detects inclination of a vehicle provided with a tilting driving section for displacing the posture of the vehicle between an upright state and a tilted state. The acquisition section acquires gravitational torque acting in a direction for tilting the vehicle and frictional torque against the gravitational torque in an operation section in the tilting driving section. The control section causes the tilting driving section to perform return control for returning the vehicle to the upright state if the frictional torque is equal to/less than the gravitational torque when inclination is detected during linear advancement or stop of the vehicle, and stops the return control if the frictional torque is larger than the gravitational torque.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

  Conventionally, when a vehicle provided with a vehicle body tilting mechanism for tilting the vehicle body and an actuator for operating the vehicle body tilting mechanism performs drive control of the actuator, the vehicle body tilting mechanism stabilizes the posture of the vehicle body by tilting the vehicle body. There is a control device of the vehicle.

  According to such a control device, for example, when the vehicle body is inclined due to a disturbance while the vehicle is stopped or going straight, the posture of the vehicle body can be maintained upright by controlling the drive of the actuator (for example, patent) Reference 1).

JP, 2011-046273, A

  However, if the control device frequently performs control to maintain the posture of the vehicle body in the upright state while the vehicle is at rest or going straight, power consumption increases. One aspect of the embodiment is made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can reduce power consumption required for attitude control of the vehicle.

  A vehicle control device according to an aspect of the embodiment includes a detection unit, an acquisition unit, and a control unit. The detection unit detects the tilt of the vehicle including a tilt drive unit that displaces the posture of the vehicle between an upright state and a tilt state. The acquisition unit acquires a gravity torque acting in a direction to tilt the vehicle on the operation unit in the tilting drive unit, and a friction torque against the gravity torque. When the inclination is detected while the vehicle is going straight or stopped, the control unit performs return control to return the vehicle to the upright state by the tilt drive unit if the friction torque is equal to or less than the gravity torque. If the friction torque is larger than the gravity torque, the return control is stopped.

  A vehicle control device and a vehicle control method according to an aspect of the embodiment can reduce power consumption required for attitude control of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a rear view of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle provided with the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of friction torque map information according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a method of calculating a gravity torque according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of regenerative torque control according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the processing unit according to the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below. First, with reference to FIG. 1, a vehicle on which the vehicle control device 1 according to the embodiment is mounted will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a rear view of a vehicle 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in the upper view of FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes two front wheels 102 and 103 and one rear wheel 104. A motor (in-wheel motor) is provided inside each of the two front wheels 102 and 103, and they are rotated by the motor and become driving wheels. The rear wheel 104 is interlocked with a steering wheel (not shown) and serves as a steered wheel to be steered according to the operation of the steering wheel.

  Vehicle 100 also drives a lean mechanism 51 and a link mechanism (hereinafter referred to as "lean mechanism 51") that displaces the attitude of car body 101 between the upright state and the inclined state inside car body 101. And an actuator (hereinafter referred to as "lean ACT 52").

  Furthermore, the vehicle 100 is provided with a vehicle control device 1 that generally controls the entire vehicle 100. When the vehicle 100 makes a left turn, the vehicle control device 1 operates the lean mechanism 51 by the lean ACT 52 as shown in the lower left view of FIG. 1 so that an appropriate tilt angle according to the traveling speed and steering angle is obtained. The vehicle body 101 is tilted leftward to stabilize the posture of the vehicle 100.

  In addition, when the vehicle 100 makes a right turn, the vehicle control device 1 operates the lean mechanism 51 by the lean ACT 52 as shown in the lower right view of FIG. 1 to set an appropriate tilt angle according to the traveling speed and steering angle. Thus, the vehicle body 101 is tilted to the right to stabilize the posture of the vehicle 100.

  In the vehicle 100, for example, the vehicle body 101 may be unnecessarily tilted when receiving a disturbance such as a crosswind while traveling straight or stopping. Therefore, when the vehicle body 101 is unnecessarily tilted while the vehicle 100 is traveling straight or stopped, the vehicle control device 1 drives the lean ACT 52 to operate the lean mechanism 51 to bring the vehicle body 101 into an upright state. Perform return control to return.

  However, when the vehicle control device 1 frequently performs return control for keeping the vehicle body 101 upright while traveling straight or stopping, the power consumption is increased, and the cruising distance when the vehicle 100 is, for example, an electric vehicle Is shortened.

  For this reason, in the present embodiment, noting that the frictional force is generated in the operating portion itself of the lean mechanism 51 and the lean ACT 52, the vehicle is controlled by stopping the drive control of the lean ACT 52 in a situation where the frictional force overcomes the disturbance. Reduce the power consumption required for attitude control of 100.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the configuration of the vehicle control device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle 100 provided with the vehicle control device 1 according to the embodiment.

  In addition, about the component same as the component shown in FIG. 1 among the components shown in FIG. 2, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching the code | symbol same as the code | symbol shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle speed sensor 41, a tilt angle sensor 42, a tilt drive unit 43, an L motor 44, an R motor 45, and the vehicle control device 1.

  Although not shown here, the vehicle 100 also includes a steering mechanism that steers the rear wheel 104 in accordance with the operation of the steering wheel, an actuator that drives the steering mechanism, an electrical system device, a battery, and the like.

  The vehicle speed sensor 41 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle 100 and outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 1. The tilt angle sensor 42 detects the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 in the left-right direction with respect to the upright state, and outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 1.

  The tilt drive unit 43 includes the above-described lean mechanism 51 and lean ACT 52, and an angular velocity sensor 53. The angular velocity sensor 53 detects the angular velocity (hereinafter referred to as “lean angular velocity”) of the rotation axis at which the vehicle body 101 tilts in the left-right direction, and outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 1. The angular velocity sensor 53 detects, for example, a lean angular velocity calculated based on the rotational velocity of the drive shaft in the lean ACT 52 and outputs the detected angular velocity to the vehicle control device 1.

  The lean ACT 52 performs drive control of the lean mechanism 51 based on a control signal input from the vehicle control device 1. The lean mechanism 51 operates according to the drive control of the lean ACT 52 to displace the posture of the vehicle body 101 between the upright state and the inclined state.

  The L motor 44 is provided inside the left front wheel 103 and operates based on a control signal input from the vehicle control device 1. The R motor 45 is provided inside the right front wheel 102 and operates based on a control signal input from the vehicle control device 1.

  The L motor 44 and the R motor 45 are individually controlled by the vehicle control device 1, and generate a drive torque in the drive mode to rotate the corresponding front wheels 103 and 102. In the power generation mode, the L motor 44 and the R motor 45 generate regenerative torque, convert the rotational force of the corresponding front wheels 103 and 102 into electric power, and generate electric power. Further, the L motor 44 and the R motor 45 run idle in the free mode.

  The vehicle control device 1 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and includes a processing unit 2 and a storage unit 3. The processing unit 2 includes a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an input / output port, and various circuits.

  The processing unit 2 includes a detection unit 21 that functions by executing a program stored in the ROM by the CPU using the RAM as a work area, an acquisition unit 22, and a control unit 23. Even if the detection unit 21, the acquisition unit 22, and the control unit 23 included in the processing unit 2 are partially or entirely configured by hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). Good.

  The storage unit 3 is, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as a RAM or a flash memory, and stores the friction torque map information 31. Here, an example of the friction torque map information 31 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the friction torque map information 31 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the friction torque map information 31 is map information in which a lean angular velocity (rad / s) measured in advance and a friction torque (N · m) are associated with each other. Here, the friction torque is a torque due to the friction force generated in the operation mechanism of the lean mechanism 51 and the lean ACT 52 included in the tilting drive unit 43.

  The friction torque is a torque that resists a torque due to gravity acting in a direction to tilt the vehicle body 101 (hereinafter referred to as "gravity torque"). The friction torque is a torque that resists the driving force of the lean ACT 52 when the lean mechanism 51 is operated by the driving force of the lean ACT 52.

  The absolute value of the friction torque rapidly increases with the increase of the absolute value of the lean angular velocity until the absolute value of the lean angular velocity reaches a predetermined angular velocity ω (rad / s) immediately after the vehicle body 101 starts to tilt. Thereafter, when the absolute value of the lean angular velocity becomes larger than the predetermined angular velocity ω (rad / s), the absolute value of the friction torque gradually increases with the increase of the absolute value of the lean angular velocity.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the description of each processing unit included in the processing unit 2 will be continued. The detection unit 21 detects the traveling state and the posture of the vehicle 100 based on the detection results input from the vehicle speed sensor 41 and the tilt angle sensor 42, and outputs the detection results to the acquisition unit 22.

  For example, when the inclination of the vehicle body 101 is detected, the detection unit 21 outputs information indicating that to the acquisition unit 22 and the control unit 23. At this time, the detection unit 21 combines information indicating whether the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 and the tilt of the vehicle body 101 are in the upright range and outputs the information to the acquisition unit 22 and the control unit 23.

  The upright range here is a range in which the occupant of the vehicle 100 does not feel uncomfortable about the upright state, and, for example, the tilt angle in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 101 with respect to the upright state is 3 (deg) or less.

  Further, when detecting that the vehicle 100 is stopped, the detection unit 21 outputs information indicating that to the control unit 23. In addition, when detecting that the vehicle 100 is traveling straight, the detection unit 21 outputs information indicating that to the control unit 23. At this time, if the vehicle 100 is decelerating, the detection unit 21 outputs information indicating that the vehicle is decelerating to the control unit 23 together with the information indicating that the vehicle 100 is traveling straight.

  When the acquisition unit 22 detects the tilt of the vehicle body 101 from the detection unit 21 and inputs information indicating that the tilt is in the upright range, the direction in which the operation unit in the tilt drive unit 43 tilts the vehicle body 101 Gravity torque acting on and friction torque against gravity torque are acquired.

  At this time, the obtaining unit 22 obtains the friction torque by calculating based on the lean angular velocity input from the angular velocity sensor 53 and the friction torque map information 31. Further, the acquisition unit 22 calculates and acquires a gravity torque based on the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 input from the tilt angle sensor 42.

  Here, the method of calculating the gravity torque will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a method of calculating a gravity torque according to the embodiment. Here, among the components shown in FIG. 4, the same components as the components shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals as the reference symbols shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, for example, when the vehicle body 101 is tilted to the right with respect to the upright state at a tilt angle θ, gravity Fg acting vertically downward acts on the center of gravity P of the vehicle body 101. In such a case, the acquiring unit 22 can acquire the gravitational torque Fa by multiplying the gravity Fg and sin (the tilt angle θ) by the height of the center of gravity P in the upright state.

  At this time, the friction torque Fb acts on the vehicle body 101 in the direction opposite to the direction of the gravity torque Fa. The acquisition unit 22 outputs the gravity torque Fa and the friction torque Fb acquired as described above to the control unit 23.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the description of the control unit 23 is continued. The control unit 23 operates the lean mechanism 51 by outputting a control signal corresponding to the posture and the traveling state of the vehicle 100 to the lean ACT 52 based on the information input from the detection unit 21 and the acquisition unit 22. Stabilize your posture.

  For example, as described with reference to FIG. 1, when the vehicle 100 makes a left turn, the control unit 23 performs operation control of the lean ACT 52 to obtain an appropriate tilt angle according to the traveling speed and the steering angle. The vehicle body 101 is tilted to the left to stabilize the posture of the vehicle 100.

  In addition, when the vehicle 100 turns right, the vehicle control device 1 performs operation control of the lean ACT 52 and tilts the vehicle body 101 to the right so as to be an appropriate tilt angle according to the traveling speed and the steering angle. The attitude of the vehicle 100 is stabilized.

  In addition, when the vehicle 100 is stopping or going straight, the control unit 23 reduces the power consumption required for the attitude control of the vehicle 100 by suppressing the operation control performed on the lean ACT 52 to the necessary minimum. .

  Specifically, when the vehicle 100 is stationary or traveling straight at an extremely low speed (for example, 4 to 5 km / h), the occupant feels uncomfortable when the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 exceeds the upright range. Therefore, when the inclination of the vehicle body 101 is detected while the vehicle 100 is stopped or going straight, the control unit 23 uses the lean ACT 52 if the friction torque Fb input from the acquisition unit 22 is equal to or less than the gravity torque Fa. A return control is performed to return the vehicle body 101 to the upright state.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is stationary or traveling straight at very low speed (for example, 4 to 5 km / h), the inclination angle of the vehicle body 101 is within the upright range even if the vehicle body 101 is slightly inclined. If so, the occupant does not feel uncomfortable. At this time, if the above-mentioned friction torque Fb is larger than the gravity torque Fa, the vehicle body 101 will not be further inclined even if the return control by the lean ACT 52 is not performed.

  Therefore, when the inclination of the vehicle body 101 is detected while the vehicle 100 is stopped or going straight, the control unit 23 performs lean ACT 52 if the friction torque Fb input from the acquisition unit 22 is larger than the gravity torque Fa. Return control for returning 101 to an upright state is stopped.

  That is, the control unit 23 instructs the lean ACT 52 not to generate the driving torque. Thereby, the vehicle control device 1 can reduce the power consumption required for the attitude control of the vehicle 100.

  Further, when the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 exceeds the upright range while the vehicle 100 is decelerating straight, the control unit 23 performs the regenerative torque control of the L motor 44 and the R motor 45 instead of the return control by the lean ACT 52. Thus, the vehicle body 101 approaches the upright state.

  Next, such regenerative torque control will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of regenerative torque control according to the embodiment. When inclination is detected during linear deceleration of the vehicle 100, the control unit 23 generates regenerative torque of one of the L motor 44 and the R motor 45 that drives the wheel on the side opposite to the tilting direction of the vehicle 100. Regeneration torque control is performed so as to be larger than the regeneration torque of the other motor.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the control unit 23 detects that the vehicle body 101 is inclined to the right with respect to the upright state during straight-ahead deceleration of the vehicle 100, the inclination angle exceeds the upright range. The R motor 45 and the L motor 44 are controlled in the power generation mode.

  At this time, the control unit 23 performs regenerative torque control so that the regenerative torque of the L motor 44 becomes larger than the regenerative torque of the R motor 45. As a result, a force Fc acts on the vehicle 100 to sink the left side of the vehicle body 101.

  Thus, the vehicle control device 1 can bring the vehicle body 101 inclined to the left side closer to the upright state without operating the lean ACT 52, so the power consumption of the lean ACT 52 can not only be reduced, but the regenerative torque is increased. The power generation of the L motor 44 can be increased.

  When the vehicle body 101 leans to the left with respect to the upright state during straight-ahead deceleration of the vehicle 100, the control unit 23 performs regenerative torque so that the regenerative torque of the R motor 45 becomes larger than the regenerative torque of the L motor 44. Take control.

  Thus, the vehicle control device 1 can bring the vehicle body 101 inclined to the right side closer to the upright state without operating the lean ACT 52, so the power consumption of the lean ACT 52 can not only be reduced but the regenerative torque is increased. The power generation of the R motor 45 can be increased.

  In addition, when the control unit 23 brings the vehicle body 101 close to an upright state by the control of the R motor 45 and the L motor 44, the regenerative torque control is performed in a range where the vehicle 100 does not turn Do. Thus, the vehicle control device 1 can bring the vehicle body 101 close to the upright state without interfering with the straight traveling of the vehicle 100.

  Further, the control unit 23 performs the above-described regenerative torque control on the R motor 45 and the L motor 44 that drive the two front wheels 102 and 103. Thus, when the vehicle control device 1 performs regenerative torque control, the vehicle control device 1 effectively applies the vehicle weight to one of the R motor 45 and the L motor 44 with a larger regenerative torque. The other side can be sunk effectively.

  Next, processing performed by the processing unit 2 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the processing unit 2 according to the embodiment. The processing unit 2 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 6 when the inclination of the vehicle body 101 is detected while the vehicle 100 is stopped or going straight.

  Specifically, the processing unit 2 first determines whether the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 is within the upright range (step S101). Then, when the processing unit 2 determines that the tilt angle is not within the upright range (Step S101, No), the processing unit 2 shifts the processing to Step S106.

  When the processing unit 2 determines that the tilt angle is within the upright range (Yes at step S101), the processing unit 2 calculates and acquires the friction torque (step S102), and then calculates and acquires the gravity torque ((step S102) Step S103). Subsequently, the processing unit 2 determines whether the absolute value of the friction torque is larger than the absolute value of the gravity torque (step S104).

  Then, when it is determined that the absolute value of the friction torque is larger than the absolute value of the gravity torque (Yes at Step S104), the processing unit 2 stops the return control by the lean ACT 52 (Step S105), and ends the process. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 is stopping or going straight, the processing unit 2 starts the process from step S101 again.

  Further, when it is determined that the absolute value of the friction torque is equal to or less than the absolute value of the gravity torque (No at Step S104), the processing unit 2 determines whether or not deceleration is in progress (Step S106). Then, when it is determined that the vehicle is not decelerating (No at Step S106), the processing unit 2 moves the process to Step S109.

  Further, when it is determined that the vehicle is decelerating (step S106, Yes), the processing unit 2 performs regenerative torque control (step S107), and determines whether the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 has returned to the upright range. (Step S108).

  Then, when the processing unit 2 determines that the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 has returned to the upright range (Yes in step S108), the processing ends. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 is stopping or going straight, the processing unit 2 starts the process from step S101 again.

  Further, when it is determined that the tilt angle of the vehicle body 101 does not return to the upright range (No at step S108), the processing unit 2 performs return control with the lean ACT 52 (step S109), and ends the processing. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 is stopping or going straight, the processing unit 2 starts the process from step S101 again.

  As described above, the vehicle control device 1 according to the embodiment includes the detection unit 21, the acquisition unit 22, and the control unit 23. The detection unit 21 detects the tilt of the vehicle 100 including the tilt drive unit 43 that displaces the posture of the vehicle 100 between the upright state and the tilt state. The acquisition unit 22 acquires a gravity torque acting in the direction of tilting the vehicle 100 to the operation unit in the tilting drive unit 43, and a friction torque against the gravity torque.

  When the inclination is detected while the vehicle 100 is going straight or stopped, if the friction torque is equal to or less than the gravity torque, the control unit 23 causes the tilt drive unit 43 to perform return control to return the vehicle 100 to the upright state. If it is larger than the gravity torque, the return control is stopped. Thereby, the vehicle control device 1 can reduce the power consumption required for the attitude control of the vehicle 100.

  In the embodiment described above, the case where the vehicle 100 includes two front wheels 102 and 103 and one rear wheel 104, the front wheels 102 and 103 are drive wheels, and the rear wheel 104 is a steered wheel However, the vehicle control device 1 can also perform similar control to other vehicles.

  For example, in the case of a vehicle including a lean mechanism that tilts the vehicle body and an actuator that operates the lean mechanism, the vehicle control device 1 includes a front wheel serving as a steered wheel and a rear wheel serving as a driving wheel for two wheels. It is also applicable to vehicles.

  In addition, the vehicle control device 1 includes a front wheel serving as two steered wheels and a rear wheel serving as two driving wheels if the vehicle includes a lean mechanism for tilting the vehicle body and an actuator for operating the lean mechanism. It is also applicable to vehicles.

  Further, in the case of a vehicle provided with a lean mechanism for tilting the vehicle body and an actuator for operating the lean mechanism, the vehicle control device 1 is provided with a front wheel serving as two drive wheels and a rear wheel serving as two steered wheels. It is also applicable to vehicles.

  Even when the vehicle control device 1 is applied to various vehicles in this manner, the above-described return control, the stop of the return control, and the regenerative torque control are performed to reduce the power consumption required for the attitude control of the vehicle. be able to.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments represented and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Reference Signs List 1 vehicle control device 2 processing unit 3 storage unit 21 detection unit 22 acquisition unit 23 control unit 31 friction torque map information 41 car speed sensor 42 tilting angle sensor 43 tilting drive unit 44 L motor 45 R motor 51 lean mechanism 52 lean ACT
53 angular velocity sensor 100 vehicle 101 vehicle body 102 front wheel 103 front wheel 104 rear wheel Fa gravity torque Fb friction torque Fc sinking force Fg gravity P gravity center of gravity θ tilting angle ω predetermined angular velocity

Claims (5)

A detection unit for detecting an inclination of the vehicle, including a tilt drive unit for displacing the posture of the vehicle between an upright state and a tilt state;
An acquisition unit configured to acquire a gravitational torque acting in a direction to cause the vehicle to tilt on the operation unit in the tilting drive unit, and a friction torque that opposes the gravitational torque;
When the inclination is detected while the vehicle is going straight or stopped, if the friction torque is equal to or less than the gravity torque, the tilt drive unit performs return control to return the vehicle to the upright state, and the friction torque And a controller configured to stop the return control if the torque is larger than the gravity torque. The vehicle is
A motor for driving the right wheel and a motor for driving the left wheel
The control unit
When the inclination is detected during straight-ahead deceleration of the vehicle, the regenerative torque of one of the motors for driving the wheel opposite to the tilting direction of the vehicle is greater than the regenerative torque of the other motor among the motors. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein regenerative torque control is performed so as to be large. The control unit
The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the regenerative torque control is performed in a range in which the vehicle does not turn due to a difference between a regenerative torque of the one motor and a regenerative torque of the other motor. The vehicle is
It has two front wheels and one rear wheel.
The control unit
The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the regenerative torque control is performed on the motor that drives the two front wheels. A detection step of detecting an inclination of the vehicle including an inclination drive unit for displacing an attitude of the vehicle between an upright state and an inclined state;
An acquisition step of acquiring a gravity torque acting in a direction to cause the vehicle to tilt on the operation unit in the tilting drive unit, and a friction torque against the gravity torque;
When the inclination is detected while the vehicle is going straight or stopped, if the friction torque is equal to or less than the gravity torque, the tilt drive unit performs return control to return the vehicle to the upright state, and the friction torque A control step of stopping the return control if the torque is larger than a gravity torque.

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