JP7278700B2 - Communications system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to communication systems.

In a facility such as a factory or a plant located on a large site, many processes are carried out in parallel, and process control is important. For this reason, workers in each process use communication terminals such as tablet terminals to input work results, etc., and send them to the server, so that the server collects and manages production information such as the progress of each process. (for example, Patent Document 1 below).

In a communication system that communicates between a communication terminal and a server to manage such work results, a predetermined web browser is installed on the communication terminal in order to improve the convenience of the worker who performs input operations on the communication terminal. It is conceivable to input the above-mentioned work results on a web page that is stored and displayed by a web browser.

Furthermore, a single page application (SPA) is known as a configuration for reducing the amount of data communication between the server device and the communication terminal. SPA sends only the data necessary for the user's input on the web page to the server as operation signals, and the browser side processes the data sent from the server with JavaScript (registered trademark). and build the HTML (update the web page).

JP-A-2000-106570 JP 2008-304969 A

However, there are the following problems in applying SPA to a communication system for managing work results. In a facility such as a factory or plant located on a large site, there may be places where radio waves for communication are poor or where radio waves do not reach. For example, when such facilities are located in places with poor radio wave conditions, such as mountainous areas and coastal areas, outdoor communication may be difficult. Also, even if an environment in which wireless LAN communication is possible is established within a facility, there may be areas where the communication state is poor due to large obstacles such as large metal products manufactured within the facility.

On the other hand, the communication mode in the conventional SPA is based on the premise that communication is possible between the server and the communication terminal, and if the data cannot be transmitted due to poor communication, the transmitted data will be deleted. Therefore, when SPA is applied to a communication system for managing work results, in the conventional communication mode, even if work results and the like are input using a communication terminal under poor communication conditions, the input will not be sent to the server. It may not be reflected. Therefore, there is a problem that the process control using the communication terminal cannot be performed sufficiently. Such problems are not limited to data transmission. In other words, if a communication failure occurs when an operation signal for making a predetermined communication request is transmitted from the communication terminal to the server, there is a risk that the transmission contents will be lost.

In the above Patent Document 2, as a configuration for retaining input information before session timeout or server shutdown occurs in communication, the communication terminal sequentially requests storage according to the input in the input screen field. It is disclosed that the input data is issued, and the server receives successive storage requests and temporarily stores the sent input data. However, even in such a mode, it is still premised that communication with the server is possible at the time of input of the communication terminal, and the above problem cannot be solved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and provides a communication system capable of preventing erroneous loss of transmission contents when transmission of an operation signal is not successful due to communication failure. With the goal.

A communication system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is configured to be able to communicate with a server via a communication network, a storage device in which a web browser is stored, and processing based on a user's operation on the web browser. wherein the computing unit generates a signal to generate a predetermined operation signal to be transmitted to the server based on a user's operation on the web browser a signal storage unit that stores the operation signal in the storage device; a signal transmission unit that transmits the operation signal to the server; and a communication determination unit that determines whether transmission of the operation signal has succeeded. , wherein the signal transmission unit retransmits the operation signal stored in the storage device when transmission of the operation signal is unsuccessful.

According to the above configuration, the operation signal transmitted to the server based on the user's operation on the web browser is stored in the storage device. Therefore, even if an operation signal cannot be successfully transmitted due to communication failure due to an attempt to perform predetermined communication using a communication terminal in a location with poor radio wave conditions, the operation signal that was about to be transmitted may be lost by mistake. You can prevent it from being lost. In addition, since the user using the communication terminal does not need to worry about the radio wave condition each time an operation signal is transmitted to the server, user convenience can be improved.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent erroneous loss of transmission contents when transmission of an operation signal is not successful due to communication failure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a work record input screen in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of work performance data transmission processing according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the work record input screen.

An embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding elements throughout all the drawings, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A communication system 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication terminal 1 , a management terminal 2 and a server 3 . Communication terminal 1 and management terminal 2 are configured to be able to communicate with server 3 via communication network 4, respectively.

The communication terminal 1 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smart phone. The communication terminal 1 is carried by a worker engaged in a predetermined work at a predetermined place in a facility such as a factory or plant. The communication terminal 1 may be a commercially available (general-purpose) communication terminal or a communication terminal dedicated to facility work, as long as the function described later is exhibited by a predetermined web browser. The worker refers to the work content (work item) and work procedure downloaded to the communication terminal 1 and performs a predetermined work at a predetermined place in the facility. After completing a predetermined work, the worker communicates with the server 3 through the communication terminal 1 to transmit the work record.

For this reason, the communication terminal 1 can be connected to the communication network 4 via a base station or the like of the mobile phone network. Additionally or alternatively, communication terminal 1 may be connectable to communication network 4 via a wireless LAN.

The communication terminal 1 is configured as a computer device including an input device 11, a display device 12, a storage device 13, a calculator (processor) 14, a communication interface 15, and the like. The input device 11 and the display device 12 are configured by touch panels, for example. The storage unit 13 includes, for example, main memory such as RAM and ROM, and writable storage such as hard disk and flash memory. The calculator 14 is configured by, for example, a CPU. These components are communicatively connected to each other by a communication bus 16 .

Note that although only one communication terminal 1 is shown in FIG. 1 , the communication system 100 may include a plurality of communication terminals 1 . For example, when each of a plurality of workers possesses one communication terminal 1, the communication system 100 may include communication terminals 1 as many as the number of workers.

The management terminal 2 is, for example, a stationary terminal such as a personal computer. The management terminal 2 is a terminal operated by an administrator who gives instructions to the communication terminal 1 and browses the contents of the work management database stored in the server 3 . As with the communication terminal 1, the management terminal 2 is also configured as a computer device including an input device, a display device, a storage device, a computing device, a communication interface, and the like (all not shown). However, it is assumed that the management terminal 2 is installed in an office or the like of a facility with a good communication environment (communication environment by wired LAN or wireless LAN). Communication system 100 may include one or more management terminals 2 .

The server 3 is configured by a computer such as a data server having a storage device 30 that stores various data. For example, the server 3 includes a calculator, main memory (RAM), storage, communication interface, and the like.

It should be noted that the functionality of the elements disclosed herein may include general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), conventional circuits, and/or configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. , using circuits or processing circuits containing combinations thereof. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. As used herein, a circuit, unit or means (... part) is hardware that performs the recited functions or is hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be the hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. A circuit, unit or means is a combination of hardware and software where the hardware is a processor which is considered a type of circuit, the software being used to configure the hardware and/or the processor.

The storage device 30 of the server 3 stores work execution content data relating to work at the facility. For example, the work implementation data includes work item data, work procedure data, work instruction data, and the like. The work item data is data in which work names, work execution locations, work frequencies, etc. are listed for each work item (work number). The work procedure data is data that is associated with each work item of the work item data and shows the contents of the corresponding work in an easy-to-understand manner by means of illustrations or the like. The work instruction data is data indicating individual instructions from the manager who operates the management terminal 2 to the worker who operates the communication terminal 1 .

Work item data and work procedure data are stored in advance in the storage device 30 of the server 3 . The work instruction data is created by the manager using the management terminal 2 and uploaded to the server 3 in association with the corresponding work item or worker.

The worker downloads various data corresponding to work items to be performed by the worker from the server 3 to the communication terminal 1 of the worker. A predetermined web browser (application program) is stored in the communication terminal 1 . A worker can download and upload various data by accessing a predetermined work management web page that runs on a web browser and inputting operations on the web page.

The arithmetic unit 14 of the communication terminal 1 uses a web browser (application program) to perform operations such as a signal generation unit 41, a signal storage unit 42, a signal transmission unit 43, and a communication determination unit 44, which will be described later, based on operation input on the web browser. function. The signal generation unit 41 , the signal storage unit 42 , the signal transmission unit 43 and the communication determination unit 44 constitute functional blocks of the calculator 14 .

The web page for work management displayed on the web browser is composed of a single page application (SPA) that constitutes an application with a single web page. The SPA is stored in the storage device 30 of the server 3 . Note that the SPA may be stored in a web server (not shown) other than the server 3 .

In SPA, instead of generating the entire page (HTML) on the web server side like a normal web application each time, when the operator performs a predetermined operation (touch operation, etc.) on the web page, the web browser ( The computing unit 14) of the communication terminal 1 executing the web browser requests the server 3 for the partial data necessary for its operation, and the web browser receives the partial data sent from the server 3 using JavaScript (registered trademark). process and reflect the HTML on the communication terminal 1 side.

In this way, by configuring the web page for worker management by SPA, the update of the web page according to the operation of the worker becomes the minimum necessary data with the server 3, so the communication terminal 1 and The amount of communication with the server 3 can be reduced. In addition, since communication can be executed asynchronously using the cache on the communication terminal 1 side, the time required to update the web page can be shortened.

In the present embodiment, the worker operates the communication terminal 1 to transmit work result data indicating the details of the work performed to the server 3 when the execution of a predetermined work item is completed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a work record input screen in this embodiment. For example, when a worker inputs his/her own ID or the like into the communication terminal 1, information on at least one work item to be performed by the worker within a predetermined period (for example, one day today) is sent from the server 3 to the communication terminal 1. and stored in the storage device 13. The communication terminal 1 displays, on the web browser (SPA), a work record input screen 50 regarding the content of work to be performed by the worker from now on.

The work performance input screen 50 includes a current work content display field 51 , a work information display field 52 , and a work procedure display field 53 . The current work content display column 51 displays an overview or title of the work (current work) that the worker should currently perform. For example, the work items include work for mounting parts for manufacturing a predetermined product, work for adjusting the mounted parts, and the like. In addition, the work items include work related to the operation of a predetermined device (start, stop, adjustment, etc.), work to read predetermined measurement values (current, voltage, power, pressure, etc.), work to inspect and clean the device, etc. , the task of replenishing certain consumables, etc., may be included. In the vicinity of the current work content display field 51, the content of the next work (title, etc.) may be displayed.

In the work information display column 52, information associated with the current work (for example, identification code (ID) assigned to each work, product number, type of process, target time to complete the current work, worker name, etc.) ) is displayed. In the work procedure display column 53, when the work procedure data is acquired from the server 3, the contents thereof are displayed. If the work procedure data associated with the current work is stored in the server 3, the work procedure data is also downloaded when the work item information is downloaded.

Also, a virtual move-to-next-work button 54 is displayed on the work record input screen 50 . When the next work shift button 54 is operated (touched), the work result input screen 50 displays the details of the work to be performed next by the worker. Here, the next work shift button 54 functions as a virtual operation signal transmission button for transmitting work record data indicating the details of the current work to the server 3 .

Furthermore, the work record input screen 50 displays a virtual comment input button 55 for inputting a comment on the content of the current work. When the comment input button 55 is operated (touch-operated), a comment input screen (not shown) is displayed on the web browser, and the operator can input a comment. Note that the comment input screen may be provided with a work content input column for the content of the work to be performed according to the work item. For example, the work content input field may be provided with an input field for measurement values or the number of replenishment of consumables, etc., or a selection field in which a plurality of selection items are displayed (for example, a selection field for no abnormality or repair required, etc.) ) may be provided. Alternatively, the work record input screen 50 may be provided with a work content input field. Further, the work record input screen 50 is provided with a virtual button for transmitting a signal indicating that the work is stopped to the server 3 when the work is temporarily interrupted or when the worker takes a break. may

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of work performance data transmission processing according to the present embodiment. The signal generation unit 41 of the communication terminal 1 monitors whether or not the operator inputs an operation signal transmission operation while the work result input screen 50 is being displayed (step S1). The signal generation unit 41 determines that an operation signal transmission operation has been input when the worker operates the next work shift button 54 on the work result input screen 50 .

When it is determined that an operation signal transmission operation has been input (Yes in step S1), the signal generation unit 41 generates an operation signal including work performance data (step S2). The work record data includes work item identification number data such as the item number of a completed work item or a work item ID assigned to each work item, and data indicating the work content. The data indicating the work content may include information such as work start, work completion, date and time, measurement values, and the like.

For example, the data of the operation signal including the work result data includes date and time data at the time of input of the operation signal transmission operation, event code indicating work content (for example, 1: work start, 2: work end, etc.), work item recognition It contains number data and comment data (when a comment is entered).

The signal storage unit 42 stores the generated operation signal in the storage device 13 (step S3). At this time, the signal storage unit 42 generates attribute data associated with the data of the operation signal on a 1:1 basis, and stores the data of the operation signal in the storage unit 13 in association with the attribute data. The attribute data is data indicating whether or not transmission of the operation signal to the server 3 has been completed. At the time of attribute data generation (the state before transmission of the operation signal), the state of the attribute data is set to "incomplete". Moreover, the signal transmission part 43 transmits an operation signal to the server 3 (step S4).

The storage device 30 of the server 3 stores a work management database indicating the progress of a plurality of work items. The work management database includes data such as whether work has been completed for each work item, work content (measured values, etc.), update date and time, and the like. When the server 3 receives an operation signal including work performance data from the communication terminal 1, the server 3 updates the work management database based on the received work performance data. More specifically, the server 3 changes the work status of the work item corresponding to the received work result data from incomplete to completed, and if data indicating the details of the work such as measurement values is included, the data is changed. It performs processing such as storing data in association with work items.

The communication determination unit 44 of the communication terminal 1 that has transmitted the operation signal determines whether or not the operation signal has been successfully transmitted (step S5). Here, after receiving the operation signal (or after updating the work management database), the server 3 transmits a response signal to the communication terminal 1 that transmitted the operation signal. For example, the communication determination unit 44 determines that the operation signal has been successfully transmitted when the communication terminal 1 receives a response signal from the server 3 within a predetermined time after transmitting the operation signal. Further, the communication determination unit 44 determines that the transmission of the operation signal was not successful when the communication terminal 1 did not receive the response signal within a predetermined time after transmitting the operation signal.

When it is determined that the operation signal has been successfully transmitted (Yes in step S5), the signal storage unit 42 changes the content of the attribute data of the corresponding operation signal stored in the storage unit 13 to "transmission completed". and store it, and the transmission process for that operation signal ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the transmission of the operation signal has not succeeded (No in step S5), the communication terminal 1 performs processing on the web browser other than the transmission of the operation signal while the transmission of the operation signal is incomplete. to continue. Continuation of processing on the web browser is executed by JavaScript (registered trademark) as described above.

If the transmission of the operation signal is not successful, the signal transmission unit 43 reads the operation signal stored in the storage device 13 at a predetermined timing and retransmits it (step S6). For example, the timing of retransmission is when the next work transition button 54 is operated on the work result input screen 50 displaying the details of the next work (when the next work is completed). That is, if the signal transmission unit 43 fails to transmit the first operation signal including the work result data indicating the details of the execution of one work, the signal transmission unit 43 sends the second operation signal including the work result data indicating the details of the next work to be performed. , the first operation signal stored in the storage unit 13 is retransmitted. More specifically, when the next work shift button 54 is operated and input, the signal transmission unit 43 changes the state of the associated attribute data among the data of the operation signal stored in the storage unit 13 to "incomplete". ” and resends the data of the operation signal. If there is no next task, or if the time until the next task is completed is longer than or equal to a predetermined time, the signal transmitting section 43 may perform retransmission after a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous transmission. In this manner, the signal transmission unit 43 repeatedly executes the operation signal transmission process until the operation signal is successfully transmitted.

Note that while one operation signal is temporarily stored, another operation input can be performed on the web browser of the communication terminal 1 . Therefore, the communication terminal 1 (signal generation unit 41) can execute processing for generating an operation signal including work performance data for other work items, and the like. In this case, there is a risk that the transmission of operation signals for other work items will not succeed either. In this case, the storage device 13 can store data of a plurality of operation signals whose corresponding attribute data state is "incomplete". When a plurality of “incomplete” operation signals are stored in the storage device 13, the signal transmission unit 43 sequentially retransmits the plurality of operation signals at a predetermined timing.

Further, when an operation signal transmission operation is input, if the radio communication field strength received by the communication terminal 1 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (such as when it is determined to be out of communication range), the signal transmission unit of the communication terminal 1 43 does not transmit an operation signal. Also in this case, the communication determination unit 44 determines that the operation signal has not been successfully transmitted (No in step S5), and retransmits the operation signal at a predetermined timing.

According to the above configuration, the operation signal transmitted to the server 3 based on the user's operation on the web browser is stored in the storage device 13 . Therefore, when an attempt is made to request a predetermined communication using the communication terminal 1 in a place with poor radio wave conditions, and transmission of an operation signal fails due to communication failure, the operation signal to be transmitted is mistakenly transmitted. You can prevent it from disappearing. In particular, it is possible to prevent accidental loss of data to be managed by the server 3, such as work result data, and to prevent omission of updating the work result database stored in the storage device 30 of the server 3. . In addition, since the user using the communication terminal 1 does not have to worry about the radio wave condition each time an operation signal is transmitted to the server 3, user convenience can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the above aspect can be realized without changing the operating program of the server 3 . That is, when the server 3 receives an operation signal from the communication terminal 1, the server 3 performs processing according to the operation signal. Therefore, it can be easily applied to an existing system simply by introducing a predetermined web browser into the communication terminal 1 of the worker.

Further, according to the above configuration, the operation signal that has not been successfully transmitted is retransmitted when the operation signal for the next work is transmitted. As a result, it is possible to perform periodic retransmission processing while preventing frequent retransmission processing from being performed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the web page displayed by the web browser on the communication terminal 1 by the operator is composed of SPA. Communication can be performed asynchronously using the cache of communication terminal 1 . Therefore, it is possible to shorten the display update time of the web page.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements, changes, and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which an operation signal including work performance data is transmitted was shown, but any operation signal transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to the server 3 is not limited to this.

For example, in the above embodiment, the work procedure data displayed in the work procedure display field 53 of the work performance input screen 50 is downloaded together with the work item information. Alternatively, when a predetermined work procedure display operation is performed on the web browser, the work procedure for the corresponding work item may be individually downloaded and displayed in the work procedure display column 53 . In this case, a work procedure display request signal is transmitted from the communication terminal 1 based on the work procedure display operation. The above aspect can be applied to the case of transmitting such a work procedure display request signal as well. That is, when a work procedure display operation is performed, a work procedure display request signal is generated and stored in the storage device 13 . If the transmission of the work procedure display request signal is not successful, the signal transmission unit 43 may resend the work procedure display request signal stored in the storage device 13 at a predetermined timing.

Further, for example, when acquiring the content of the work instruction uploaded from the management terminal 2 to the server 3 based on the operation of the communication terminal 1, the signal generation unit 41 generates a work instruction content request signal as the operation signal. . In this case as well, if the work instruction content request signal is stored in the storage device 13 and the transmission of the work instruction content request signal is not successful, the signal transmission unit 43 transmits the work instruction content request signal stored in the storage device 13. It may be retransmitted at a predetermined timing. The work instruction content data acquired by successfully transmitting the work instruction content request signal is displayed on the web browser of the communication terminal 1 . Further, data of work instruction contents may be downloaded from the server 3 and stored in the storage device 13 of the communication terminal 1 .

In the above-described embodiment, the web browser of the communication terminal 1 does not notify that the operation signal has been successfully transmitted or that the operation signal has not been successfully transmitted. Instead of this, the web browser of the communication terminal 1 may notify that the transmission was successful and/or that the transmission was not successful. For example, the communication terminal 1 may display text data indicating completion of transmission of the operation signal on the work result input screen 50 when the transmission of the operation signal is successful. Further, for example, if the transmission of the operation signal is not successful, text data such as "Transmission failed, will be transmitted later" may be displayed on the work result input screen 50 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of work items to be performed by the worker are displayed in order of work on the work record input screen 50 (the work contents of the next work are displayed after the current work is completed). , but not limited to this.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the work record input screen. For example, the communication terminal 1 displays, on a web browser (SPA), a work record input screen 60 listing work items to be performed by the worker when the worker inputs his/her own ID or the like. good too.

The work record input screen 60 displays a list of item numbers and work contents (outline or title) for specifying work to be performed by the worker. The work record input screen 60 displays a virtual work completion button 61 for transmitting work record data indicating the content of the work to the server 3 when the work is completed for each work item. When the work completion button 61 is operated and input, the signal generation unit 41 generates an operation signal including work performance data of the corresponding work. Subsequent operation signal transmission processing is the same as in the above embodiment. In the work result input screen 60, the work completion button 61 of the work item whose transmission has been completed may be deleted, and a display indicating that the work is completed (display of "completed" in FIG. 4) may be performed.

Further, in the work result column where the work completion button 61 is displayed, a work content input column for the content of the work to be performed may be provided in addition to the work completion button 61 according to the work item. For example, the work content input field may be provided with an input field for measurement values or the number of replenishment of consumables, etc., or a selection field in which a plurality of selection items are displayed (for example, a selection field for no abnormality or repair required, etc.) ) may be provided. Note that, for example, in the case of work related to assembly of parts, operation of an apparatus, or the like, only the work completion button 61 may be displayed in the work record column. Further, the work record input screen 60 may display a virtual procedure acquisition button 62 for acquiring a more detailed work procedure for each work item.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure is useful for providing a communication system capable of preventing erroneous loss of transmission contents when transmission of an operation signal fails due to communication failure.

1 communication terminal 3 server 4 communication network 13 storage device 14 calculator 30 server storage device 41 signal generation unit 42 signal storage unit 43 signal transmission unit 44 communication determination unit 100 communication system

Claims (3)

a server, a communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with the server via a communication network, and comprising a storage device storing a web browser and a calculator that performs processing based on a user's operation on the web browser; A communication system comprising:
The calculator is
a signal generator that generates a predetermined operation signal to be transmitted to the server based on a user's operation on the web browser;
a signal storage unit that stores the operation signal in the storage device;
a signal transmission unit that transmits the operation signal to the server;
a communication determination unit that determines whether or not the operation signal has been successfully transmitted;
The user-operable web page displayed on the web browser is composed of a single page application that displays content on a single web page,
The storage device stores work item data and work procedure data for a plurality of work items to be performed by the worker within a predetermined period, which are downloaded in advance from the server to the communication terminal;
The communication terminal displays, on the web browser, a work result input screen regarding work content to be performed by the worker based on the work item data and the work procedure data stored in the storage device,
A virtual next work transition button is displayed on the work result input screen,
When the virtual next work transition button is operated, the communication terminal determines the work content to be performed next by the worker based on the work item data and the work procedure data stored in advance in the storage device. While displaying on the work result input screen on the web browser,
The signal generation unit generates the operation signal triggered by the operation of the virtual next work shift button,
the operation signal includes work record data indicating the content of the current work to be transmitted from the communication terminal to the server;
The communication system, wherein the signal transmission unit retransmits the operation signal stored in the storage device when transmission of the operation signal is unsuccessful. The server is
A storage device that stores a work management database showing the progress of a plurality of work items,
2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said work management database is updated based on said work performance data received from said communication terminal. If the transmission of the first operation signal including the work result data indicating the details of the execution of one work is not successful, the signal transmission unit sends a second operation signal including the work result data indicating the details of the next work to be performed. 3. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said first operation signal stored in said storage device is retransmitted when said operation signal is transmitted.

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