JP4573216B2 - Navigation device, navigation method, and navigation program. - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device, a navigation method, and a navigation program, and more particularly to route guidance.

Conventionally, a navigation device that searches a route to a destination using a map DB and guides a driver along the searched route is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that preferentially sets a route familiar to a driver as a guidance route by estimating the cost of a road with a large number of travels.
However, even if the driver is guided along a route that he / she is familiar with, the user cannot recognize how the route being guided is related to the current destination. Therefore, in such a case, the driver's driving burden on a familiar road traveling according to the guidance can be reduced, but the guidance information output from the navigation device can be output even when traveling on a familiar road. Always need attention.

JP 2002-181574 A

  The present invention was created to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device, a navigation method, and a navigation program that can reduce the driver's attention burden on guidance by the navigation device.

(1) A navigation device for achieving the above-described object includes an accumulating unit that accumulates past routes, an input unit that inputs a current destination, and the past route that passes through the vicinity of the current destination. Past route priority route generation means for generating a past route priority route that passes through the extracted past route, and a destination of the past route extracted to guide along the past route priority route Guidance means for informing information.
Tracing a route to a destination that has been in the past is easier than following a route that is not. In addition, information related to the destination itself, such as the name of the destination aimed at in the past, the name of the facility at the destination, and the name of the person living in the destination, is clearer than the name of the intersection or facility on the route to the destination. Remembered. Therefore, the navigation device informs the user that the route through the route to the destination that the user has performed in the past is guided, and the navigation device notifies the user of the route information. The burden on the user's attention can be reduced. The destination information is information that the user is aware of as a purpose or a target among information related to the destination itself, such as the name of the destination, the name of a facility at the destination, and the name of a person living in the destination. Even information related to the destination itself is not included in the destination information, such as latitude and longitude, which the user does not recognize as the purpose or target. Such destination information may be accumulated by the navigation device in association with the route actually passed through what is set by the user for each route search, or past information stored in the map database may be stored in the past. The navigation device may extract the final arrival point of each time as a search key. A current destination is a land that is heading to the present, or heading for the future, but has not yet reached.

  (2) The past route priority route generation means may acquire map data and generate the past route priority route using the map data.

(3) The navigation device obtains map data and uses the map data to generate a map data priority route generating means for generating a map data priority route to the current destination; the map data priority route or the map data priority route; Setting means for setting any of the past route priority routes may be further provided. It said guidance means, when said past route preference route is set, the may be notified of the destination information of the past routes via past route preference route.
For example, when the route length becomes unreasonably long by going through the past route, the value through the past route is low. Therefore, it is desirable to set the route according to the result of comparing the cost of the first route that passes through the past route and the cost of the second route that is generated independently of the past route. In addition, it is worth notifying the user of the past destination only when the first route passing through the past route is set. Note that the navigation device itself performs cost comparison between the past route priority route and the second route, and either route may be set according to the result, or the user is notified of the cost comparison result, and the user The navigation device may select any route according to the selection result, and the navigation device may set any route according to the selection result.

(4) The navigation device may further include a selection unit that selects the past route priority route in which a matching section length between the past route and the past route priority route satisfies a predetermined criterion. . In order to guide along the selected past route priority route, the guidance unit may notify the destination information of the extracted past route.
The shorter the matching section between the route to the current destination and the past route, the lower the value of the destination information of the past route. Therefore, the matching section length of the route to the past destination and the current destination is longer than a predetermined distance, for example, or exceeds a predetermined ratio with respect to the total length of the route to the current destination. It is desirable that the destination information of the past route is notified only when such a criterion is satisfied.

(5) The past route priority route generation means may extract the past route passing near the base point.
If the past route passes near both the current destination and the base point (current or departure point), the matching section length between the past route and the route to the current destination will be longer. The value of destination information is high. Therefore, the destination information of the past route may be notified to the user only in such a case.

(6) The past route priority route generation means may extract the past route having a large number of passes through the vicinity of the current destination.
It is easier to follow a route with more traffic. Therefore, when a plurality of past routes that pass through the vicinity of the current destination are accumulated, it is desirable to preferentially extract a route having a large number of passes. That is, it is desirable to select such a route.

(7) The past route priority route generation means searches for an intermediate route from the base point toward the past destination to the past destination on the past route, and the past route and the intermediate route are searched for. The past route priority route may be generated by connecting at an intermediate point.
The navigation device can shorten the search time by using the accumulated past route as a search result.

(8) The past route priority route generation means searches for an intermediate route from an intermediate point on the past route to the current destination, and connects the past route and the intermediate route at the intermediate point. By doing so, the past route priority route may be generated.
The navigation device can shorten the search time by using the accumulated past route as a search result.

(9) A navigation method for achieving the above purpose is a navigation method realized as a function of a computer, storing past routes, inputting a current destination, and detecting the vicinity of the current destination. Extracting the past route passing through, generating a past route priority route via the extracted past route, and for guiding along the past route priority route, the destination of the extracted past route Informing information.
Reducing a user's attention burden on guidance of a navigation device by allowing the user to recognize that the user is guided by a route to a destination that the user has visited in the past by notifying the destination information it can.

(10) A navigation program for achieving the above-described object includes an accumulation unit that accumulates past routes, an input unit that inputs a current destination, and the past route that passes through the vicinity of the current destination. Past route priority route generation means for generating a past route priority route that passes through the extracted past route, and a destination of the past route extracted to guide along the past route priority route The computer functions as guidance means for informing information.
The navigation device informs the user that the user is guided by a route to a destination that the user has visited in the past, thereby reducing the user's attention burden on the guidance of the navigation device. can do.

  Each function of the plurality of means provided in the present invention is realized by hardware resources whose functions are specified by the configuration itself, hardware resources whose functions are specified by a program, or a combination thereof. The functions of the plurality of means are not limited to those realized by hardware resources that are physically independent of each other. In addition, the order of each operation of the method described in the claims is not limited to the order of description unless there is a technical impediment, and may be executed in any order, and may be executed simultaneously. Also good. The present invention can also be specified as an invention of a recording medium on which a program is recorded.

Hereinafter, embodiments in which the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle navigation device will be described in the following order.
1. Configuration 2. Operation 2-1. Overview of overall operation 2-2. Route search ・ Overall overview ・ Past route extraction ・ Base point neighborhood route search ・ Destination neighborhood route search 2-3. Route selection 2-4. Route setting 2-5. Route guidance 3. Other embodiments

1. Hardware Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device 1 to which the present invention is applied.
The navigation device is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or a motorcycle.
The display 10 is configured by an FPD (Flat Panel Display), HUD (Head Up Display), or the like used for displaying guidance information or a map, and is driven by a display controller (DSPC) 12.

The speaker 40 is used to output guidance information and is driven by a speaker controller (SPC) 38. The speaker 40 may be shared with an audio speaker or may be dedicated for navigation.
The GPS unit 13 includes an antenna, an ASIC, and the like for receiving orbit data transmitted from three or four satellites used for satellite navigation and outputting latitude / longitude data of the current location of the vehicle.

The operation unit 36 as an input means includes a remote controller, an operation panel, etc. used for inputting a destination. The destination may be inputted by voice with a microphone, and the inputted destination may be recognized by voice.
The flash memory 16 is a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM that stores a boot program executed by the CPU 14.
The CPU 20 controls each part of the navigation device 1 by executing a boot program, a navigation program, and the like.
The interface (IF) 20 controls data transfer in the navigation device 1 and performs signal format conversion.

  The hard disk 24 stores software constituting a navigation program such as a map database (map DB) 32, a travel history database (travel history DB) 30, a UI module 26, a route search module 34, and a route selection module 28. The navigation program can also be stored in the navigation device 1 by downloading from a predetermined server via a network, reading from a computer-readable storage medium such as a removable memory (not shown), and the like. The navigation program may be stored in another non-volatile storage medium such as the flash memory 16. Further, instead of storing the map DB 32 in the hard disk 24 of the navigation device 1, the map information may be stored in the RAM 18 at any time by communication with the server, or held in another nonvolatile storage medium such as a DVD. May be. A hard disk controller (HDC) 22 reads data stored in the hard disk 24 and writes data to the hard disk 24.

  The map DB 32 is a database composed of data obtained by digitally representing a map in a graph format, and is used for route search, route guidance, vehicle location locating, and the like. In the map DB 32, intersections, junctions, turning points, dead ends, and the like are nodes, and roads are defined as links that connect nodes. In addition, distance, speed limit, number of lanes, road type (toll road, general road, etc.), width, etc. are defined as attribute information for each link, and latitude / longitude, intersection name, presence / absence of signal etc. for each node Is defined as In addition, the name of a nearby facility, the name of a resident, etc. can be registered in association with each node. An intersection name, a nearby facility name, a resident name, etc. can be used as destination information.

  The route search module 34 is a program component that causes the CPU 20 to function as a past route priority route generation unit and a map data priority route generation unit. The route search module 34 refers to the map DB 32 and searches for a route while following a link from the base point to the destination. As the basic search algorithm, any algorithm such as Dijkstra method can be adopted, dynamic information that can be acquired by communication with the traffic information center or probe car may be used for the search, and the route is searched by the traffic information center. May be. The base point is not limited to the current location and can be set at an arbitrary point. For example, the departure point may be set by the user in the house, and the departure point may be set as a base point, or the current location while stopping or running may be set as the base point.

The route selection module 28 is a program component that causes the CPU 20 to function as selection means. The route selection module 28 calculates the cost of each searched route based on the link length, the number of left / right turns, road type, road width, traffic regulation, and the like.
The locating module 29 calculates the position of the vehicle on the road network based on the latitude and longitude data of the current location of the vehicle input from the GPS unit 13 while performing correction by map matching using the map DB 32. Satellite navigation and autonomous navigation may be used in combination.

The travel history DB 30 is a program component that causes the hard disk 24 to function as storage means. The travel history DB 30 stores the travel route nodes and links of the vehicle tracked by the locating module 29 in a list format for each destination. The arrival point may be the vehicle position at the end of the navigation device 1 or may be a destination input by the driver. That is, a past destination that has not been explicitly input as a destination is considered to be an implicit destination, and can be treated as a past destination. The navigation apparatus 1 can access destination information on past routes such as intersection names, adjacent facility names, and resident names from past destinations stored in the travel history DB 30. The destination information may be held by the travel history DB 30 itself, or may be held in another area of the hard disk 24. Since it is assumed that the guide route and the travel route are substantially the same, the travel history DB 30 may store not the route actually traveled in the past but the route set as the guide route in the past. .
The user interface (UI) module 26 is a program component that causes the operation unit 36 to function as input means, causes the speaker 40 and the display 10 to function as guidance means, and causes the CPU 14 to function as setting means. The UI module 26 inputs the current destination via the operation unit 36, sets a guidance route, outputs guidance voice for guiding the driver along the guidance route, outputs guidance voice, A guide symbol or a map image is displayed on the display 10.

2. Operation 2-1. Overview of Overall Operation FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing the overall flow of route guidance processing by the navigation device 1.
In step S <b> 10, a destination (current destination) is input to the navigation device 1 in accordance with the operation of the operation unit 36 by the user.
In step S20, the CPU 14 searches for a route from the base point to the current destination. One or more viewpoints may be given priority in route search. For example, in addition to past route priority routes that prioritize past routes stored in the travel history DB 30, general road priority routes that avoid toll roads, toll road priority routes that pass through toll roads as much as possible, and ease of driving Other routes where priority is given may be searched. Non-past route priority routes, general road priority routes, toll road priority routes, and the like are map data priority routes generated using data stored in the map DB 32, and a past route is used for route generation. There is nothing.

In step S30, the CPU 14 selects one or more recommended routes from all the searched routes.
In step S40, a list of recommended routes is displayed on the display 10, and a guidance route is set according to the operation of the operation unit 36 by the user. In the list of recommended routes, the route length, required time, etc. are displayed for each route.
In step S50, the navigation device 1 guides the driver along the guidance route using voice, screen display, and the like.

2-2. Route Search Overall Overview FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of route search processing. The processing shown in FIG. 4 is executed when the route search module 34 is executed by the CPU 14.
In step S200, a general road priority route as the second route is generated by a search using the Dijkstra method or the like. In the search for the general road priority route, the cost of the general road link is estimated to be relatively low, and the cost of the toll road link is estimated to be relatively high.

In step S210, a toll road priority route as the second route is generated by a search using the Dijkstra method or the like. In the search for a toll road priority route, the cost of a general road link is estimated to be relatively high, and the cost of the toll road link is estimated to be relatively low.
The processing from step S220 to step S250 is processing for generating a past route priority route as the first route.

In step S220, a past route that can be used to generate a past route priority route is extracted from the travel history DB 30.
If a past route that can be used to generate a past route priority route has not been extracted from the travel history DB 30, the route search process ends (step S230).

When a past route that can be used to generate a past route priority route is extracted from the travel history DB 30, a route search (base point vicinity route search) from a base point such as the current location to a past destination is executed (step S240). .
In step S250, a route search from the past route to the current destination (destination vicinity route search) is executed.

Past Route Extraction FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of past route extraction processing. FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the geographical relationship between the past route, the base point, and the current destination accumulated in the travel history DB 30.
In step S221, an extraction range centered on the current destination is set according to the distance from the base point such as the current location to the current destination. The longer the distance from the base point to the current destination, the higher the value of passing the past route away from the current destination. Specifically, for example, when Nagoya City is the starting point and Aomori City is the destination, even if it is a past route with Utsunomiya City far from Aomori City as the destination, the user is notified to aim at Utsunomiya City. It is useful to do. For this reason, as the distance from the base point to the current destination becomes longer, the extraction range is set wider, and a past route away from the current destination is extracted.

  In step S222, a search for a past route that passes through the extraction range is performed on the travel history DB 30. Specifically, all the past routes in which nodes constituting the past route or destinations of the past route are registered within the extraction range are extracted. For the destination, for example, the past routes A, C, and D (see FIG. 6) in which the nodes constituting the past route or the destination of the past route are within the extraction range are extracted on the road, and the past route B that is not the destination is Not extracted. The destination of the past route may be on the road or outside the road. For destinations that are not on the road, the position can be stored in the travel history DB 30 in latitude and longitude. If one or more past routes are not hit as a result of the search, the past route extraction processing and past route priority route generation processing are completed.

In steps S223, 224, and 225, selection of the extracted past route is executed.
When the shortest distance from the base point to the past route is not within a predetermined range, that is, not within the exclusion determination reference distance, the past route is excluded (step S223).
In step S224, one past route is selected by comprehensively considering the number of travels, the shortest distance from the base point to the past route, the shortest distance from the past route to the destination, the road type of the past route, and the like. Specifically, for example, a past route with a large number of travels is estimated to have a higher utility value than a past route with a small number of travels. Further, for example, when the distance from the base point to the current destination is long, the utility value of the past route that has been passing through the highway for a long time is highly estimated. Two or more past routes may be selected. As a result of such processing, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the past route D that passes through the vicinity of the base point and has the vicinity of the current destination as the destination is selected, and the past route C and the past route A that have the shortest distance from the base point are selected. Is excluded.

Base Point Near Route Search FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of route search processing from the base point to the past destination. The past route referred to in this process is finally selected by the above-described past route extraction process.
In steps S241 and S242, the route search is executed from the base point toward the destination of the past route until the node (passing point) of the past route is reached. Specifically, for example, the search by the Dijkstra method is executed from the base point until the terminal node of the route with the minimum accumulated cost matches the node registered in the past route. As a result, for example, an intermediate route from the base point to the intermediate point 1 shown in FIG. 8 is generated.

A route search from the base point to the node (passing point) of the past route at the shortest distance may be executed. The route generated as a result is an intermediate route from the base point shown in FIG. In this case, there is a disadvantage that the total route length becomes longer compared to the case where the route search is executed toward the destination of the past route, but a route through which the past route is routed relatively long is set. There is an advantage of being.
In step S243, the past route and the route generated in step S241 are connected at the search end point determined in step S242. As a result, for example, a route from the base point shown in FIG. 8 to the destination of the past route (the end point of the arrow) is generated. As a result of searching in the past in this way (that is, as a result of traveling the searched guidance route), it is possible to shorten the route search time by diverting the accumulated past route to the route to the current destination. it can.

Destination Near-Route Search FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of route search processing from the past route to the current destination. The past route referred to in this process is, of course, finally selected in the past route extraction process described above.
In step S251, the route search is executed from the current destination toward the junction of the past route until the passing point of the past route is reached. The junction point to the past route is a node of the past route connected to the route searched in the base point vicinity route search process. Specifically, for example, the search by the Dijkstra method is executed starting from the current destination until the terminal node of the route with the minimum accumulated cost matches the node registered in the past route. As a result, for example, an intermediate route from the intermediate point 2 shown in FIG. 11 to the current destination is generated.

  Instead of searching for a route from the current destination to the junction of the past route, a route search may be executed from the passing point of the past route that is the shortest distance to the current destination toward the current destination. If the past destination is quite close to the current destination, a route search from the past destination to the current destination may be executed. The route generated as a result is, for example, the route from the past destination to the current destination shown in FIG. In this case, compared with the case where the route search is performed from the current destination toward the junction point to the past route, the total route length becomes longer, but the past route passes relatively longer. There is an advantage that a route to be set is set.

  In step S253, the route generated from the passing point of the past route to the current destination is connected to the route from the base point to the past destination that has been generated by the base point neighboring route search processing at the past passing point. . As a result, for example, the intermediate route from the base point to the intermediate point 1 shown in FIG. 11, the past route from the intermediate point 1 to the intermediate point 2 shown in FIG. 11, and the intermediate route from the intermediate point 2 to the current destination are connected. A past route priority route is generated. Thus, by diverting the past route accumulated as a result of searching in the past to the route of the current destination, the route search time can be shortened.

2-3. Route Selection FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of recommended route selection processing. The processing shown in FIG. 13 is executed by the CPU 14 executing the route selection module.
In step S310, selection of the past route priority route is performed based on whether or not the matching section length between the generated past route priority route and the past route through which the past route priority route passes satisfies a predetermined criterion. Executed. Specifically, if the section length of the past route through which the past route priority route passes is shorter than a predetermined distance, or the past route priority route of the section length of the past route through which the past route priority route passes When the ratio to the total length is smaller than a predetermined value, the past route priority route is excluded from the recommended route. As a result, for example, the past route priority route C shown in FIG. 14 is excluded from the recommended routes.

  In step S320, of the remaining generated routes, a route with a high cost is excluded from the recommended routes. As a result, for example, the past route priority route B with a long route length is excluded from the recommended route, and the recommended route to be selected by the user is the past route priority route A and the second route (past route priority route such as toll road priority route). Non-root route).

2-4. Route setting Here, any one of the selected recommended routes is set as a guidance route. A list of past route priority routes, general road priority routes, toll road priority routes, and other routes is displayed on the display 10 as selection candidates, and a guidance route is set according to the operation of the operation unit 36 by the user. At this time, the display 10 or the speaker 40 may display a text or voice guidance such as “I will pass the route that I took when I went to XX” for the past route priority route. “XX” is the destination information described above. In addition, the CPU 14 can automatically set a guidance route from the cost of each route without intervention by the user. In this case, the past route priority route is easily set as a guide route by multiplying the cost by a coefficient smaller than 1.

2-5. Route Guidance FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of route guidance processing. The process illustrated in FIG. 15 is executed by the CPU 14 executing the UI module.
In step S510, it is determined whether the guidance route is a past route priority route.
If the guidance route is not a past route priority route, route guidance that does not use past destination information is executed (step S530). Specifically, for example, route guidance is performed to notify the user of the traveling direction by voice or display at each intersection to turn left or right.

If the guidance route is a past route priority route, route guidance using past destination information is executed (step S530).
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the contents of the character display or guidance voice output by the navigation device 1 when the past route priority route is set as the guidance route, and the output timing thereof.

  In route guidance using past destination information, for example, immediately after a user selects a past route priority route, at the departure point that is the base point, “To the destination, follow the path that you took when you went to ○○ Is output from the speaker 40, or the characters are displayed on the display 10. “XX” is destination information. As described above, the destination information is stored in another area of the hard disk 24 in association with the map DB 32 itself or the past route, and can be accessed using the arrival point of the past route as a reference. Further, for example, immediately after joining the past route while driving on the guidance route, a voice “Please aim for XX until this point Δ △” is output from the speaker 40, or the character is displayed on the display 10. . “ΔΔ” is, for example, the name of an intersection or the name of a nearby facility of a point that branches from a past route to a new route. By notifying the user of the destination information in this way, the user's attention burden on guidance by the navigation device 1 is reduced on the past route. Furthermore, for example, immediately before or immediately after the point where the past route branches to the new route, a voice saying “Be careful about the future guidance because you are off the route to XX” is output from the speaker 40, Characters are displayed on the display 10. If the user recognizes in advance that such a guidance will be given, the user can travel to a past destination with peace of mind.

3. Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to a vehicle-mounted type, but can also be applied to a portable navigation device or the like.

The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Intermediate destination → past route destination S243. Other FC also added conditional branching The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: navigation device, 10: display (guidance means), 24: hard disk (storage means), 26: UI module (input means, guidance means, setting means), 28: route selection module (selection means), 34: route search Module (past route priority route generation means, map data priority route generation means), 36: operation unit (input means), 40: speaker (guidance means), 30: travel history DB, 32: map DB

Claims (10)

Accumulating means for accumulating past routes;
An input means for entering the current destination;
Past route priority route generating means for extracting the past route passing through the vicinity of the current destination and generating a past route priority route passing through the extracted past route;
Guidance means for informing destination information of the extracted past route in order to guide along the past route priority route;
A navigation device comprising: The past route priority route generating means acquires map data and generates the past route priority route using the map data.
The navigation device according to claim 1. Map data priority route generating means for acquiring map data and generating a map data priority route to the current destination using the map data;
Setting means for setting either the map data priority route or the past route priority route,
It said guidance means, when said past route preference route is set, notifies the the destination information of past routes via at the last route preferred route,
The navigation device according to claim 1. A selection means for selecting the past route priority route that matches the predetermined length of the past route and the past route priority route that satisfy a predetermined criterion;
The guidance means informs the destination information of the extracted past route in order to guide along the selected past route priority route.
The navigation device according to claim 1. The past route priority route generation means extracts the past route passing through the vicinity of a base point.
The navigation device according to claim 1. The past route priority route generation means extracts the past route having a large number of passes through the vicinity of the current destination,
The navigation device according to claim 1. The past route priority route generation means searches for an intermediate route from the base point to the destination of the past route to the intermediate point on the past route, and searches the intermediate route between the past route and the intermediate route. Generating the past route priority route by connecting at a point;
The navigation device according to claim 1. The past route priority route generation means searches for an intermediate route from an intermediate point on the past route to the current destination, and connects the past route and the intermediate route at the intermediate point. Generating the past route priority route,
The navigation device according to claim 1. A navigation method realized as a function of a computer,
Accumulate past routes,
Enter your current destination,
Extracting the past route passing through the vicinity of the current destination, generating a past route priority route via the extracted past route;
In order to guide along the past route priority route, the destination information of the extracted past route is broadcast.
A navigation method including that. Accumulating means for accumulating past routes;
An input means for entering the current destination;
Past route priority route generating means for extracting the past route passing through the vicinity of the current destination and generating a past route priority route passing through the extracted past route;
Guidance means for informing destination information of the extracted past route in order to guide along the past route priority route;
A navigation program that makes a computer function.

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