TW202030005A - Grabbing machine and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A grabbing machine and a control method thereof are provided. The grabbing machine includes a body, a grabbing unit driving a claw to make a grab, a ball path unit having a housing and a plurality of stopper members, a plurality of sensing elements respectively generating a plurality of sensing signals, and a processing element setting a score for each sensing element. The housing of the ball path unit is coupled with a ball path area of the body of the grabbing machine. The stopper members are spaced from each other and located in the ball path area. The sensing elements are mounted in the ball path area. The processing element controls the claw to move according to an instruction and obtains the corresponding score according to the sensing signals, thereby generating a total score through calculations. The processing element outputs a rewarded game.

Description

Grab machine and its control method

The invention relates to a grabbing game machine, especially a grabbing machine with multiple entertainment effects and a control method thereof.

Please refer to Figure 1, which is a conventional grab game machine 9, the conventional grab game machine 9 has a machine 91, a fetching mechanism 92 and a light-emitting element 93, the machine 91 has a The accommodating space 94 has a shelf 95. The retrieval mechanism 92 has a base 92a and a retrieval member 92b. The base 92a is set on the machine table 91, and the retrieval member 92b is disposed on the base 92a, and can move toward the placement table 95 along a first direction. mobile. The light-emitting element 93 is disposed on the base 92 a and projects a light on the table 95. In this way, when the player manipulates the object 92b, the light projected by the light emitting element 93 can align the object 92b with the gift. The game machine 9 similar to this known object has been disclosed in the Republic of China Announcement No. M567658 "Game Machine" patent case.

The above-mentioned conventional grabbing game machine 9 has a relatively monotonous and simple game mode and lacks game diversity, which easily causes players to feel bored and lose interest in playing the game machine.

In view of this, there is indeed still a need to improve the conventional grabbing game machine.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a grabbing machine capable of having multiple entertainment effects.

The second objective of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling the grabbing machine, which increases the uncertain factors in the playing process of the grabbing machine, so as to increase the difficulty of the operation of the grabbing machine, so that players are more enthusiastic about challenging and playing the grabbing machine. Machines.

The directionality described in the full text of the present invention or its similar terms, such as "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up (top)", "down (bottom)", "inner", "outer" , "Side", etc., mainly refer to the directions of the attached drawings. The directional or similar terms are only used to help explain and understand the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

The elements and components described in the full text of the present invention use the quantifiers "one" or "one" for convenience and to provide the general meaning of the scope of the present invention; the present invention should be interpreted as including one or at least one, and single The concept of also includes the plural, unless it clearly implies other meanings.

The approximate terms such as "combination", "combination" or "assembly" mentioned in the full text of the present invention mainly include the types that can be separated without destroying the components after being connected, or the components can not be separated after being connected, which are common knowledge in the field Those can be selected based on the materials of the components to be connected or assembly requirements.

The grabbing machine of the present invention includes: a machine body with a chamber, an operating component, and an output component; a gripping kit, which is arranged in the chamber, and has an actuating component and a gripper, the gripper The claw is combined with the actuation assembly, and the actuation assembly is used to drive the clamping jaws to move along the XY plane, and to drive the clamping jaws to move up and down along the Z axis and to produce a gripping action; a ballway kit with a cover and a A stopper, the cover is combined with an inner side wall of the chamber, and a fairway area is formed between the cover and the inner side wall, the fairway area has a ball entrance, and the several stoppers are located in the fairway area at intervals Inside, a passage is formed between any two adjacent stoppers among the several stoppers, and the passage is used to provide an object to be clamped through; several sensing kits are scattered in the fairway area, and each sensing The package has a sensing element for generating a sensing signal; and a processing element electrically connected to the operating element, the output element, the clamping package and the plurality of sensing elements, and the processing element is for the plurality of sensing elements. The sensing elements respectively set a game score, control the action of the gripper according to an operation instruction set generated by the operation component, receive and obtain the corresponding game score according to the sensing signal, to generate a total game score statistically, and control the output component A game bonus is output based on the total game score.

The control method of the gripper of the present invention is applied to control the above-mentioned gripper. The steps of the control method include: the processing element drives the actuation assembly to act according to the operation instruction set to control the gripper along the XY plane Move and move up and down along the Z axis and generate a gripping action; when the gripper grips at least one object to be gripped, the processing element controls the gripper to move above the ball entrance to control the gripper Release, so that the at least one object to be clamped falls into the fairway area; when the at least one object to be clamped triggers the sensing signal generated by any one of the plurality of sensing elements, the processing The component obtains the game score set by the sensing component, and generates the total game score statistically; and controls the output component to output the game reward according to the total game score.

Accordingly, the grabbing machine and control method of the present invention can generate the fairway area by setting the fairway kit, so that the object to be gripped by the gripper can further fall into the fairway area, and through the setting Several stoppers in the fairway area make the object to be clamped randomly pass through several channels generated by the several stoppers, and are generated by triggering the sensing elements arranged in the several channels To obtain the corresponding game score and thereby obtain the game reward. In this way, the grabbing machine and its control method of the present invention can have the effect of enhancing entertainment effects.

Wherein, the several stoppers are combined with the cover body or the inner side wall. In this way, according to the type of the main body of the machine, a suitable combination position of the plurality of stoppers can be selected, so as to improve the convenience of installing or repairing the plurality of stoppers.

The grabbing machine of the present invention may further include a storage kit located at the bottom of the chamber and having a storage tray and a drive assembly. The storage tray is used to place the object to be clamped. The drive assembly is electrically The processing element is connected and used to drive the tray to rotate. In this way, by rotating the tray, the object to be clamped placed on the tray can change its orientation relative to the position of the gripper, so that the player has to spend more skills to grasp the selected object to be clamped. It has the function of enhancing the entertainment of the grabbing machine.

Wherein, the bottom of the chamber is in the shape of a funnel with an outer periphery that slopes downward toward the center, and an opening is formed at the center of the chamber for setting the article holding kit. In this way, the bottom of the chamber has the effect that the object to be clamped falling out of the ball outlet can easily fall into the tray and not stay outside the tray.

The grabbing machine of the present invention may further include a sensing element, the sensing element is located in the chamber and electrically connected to the processing element, the sensing element is used for sensing to obtain a bonus score, the bonus score is stored In an electronic tag, the electronic tag is combined with the object to be clamped. In this way, the electronic tag on the clamped object to be clamped can be sensed by the sensing element, and the effect of the reward points stored in the electronic tag can be obtained.

Wherein, a storage kit is provided at the bottom of the chamber, the storage kit has a storage tray and a drive assembly, the storage tray is used to place the object to be clamped, the drive assembly is electrically connected to the processing element, and the processing element is set to When the grabbing machine is started, the driving assembly is driven to drive the storage tray to rotate. In this way, by rotating the tray, the object to be clamped placed on the tray can change its orientation relative to the position of the gripper, so that the player has to spend more skills to grasp the selected object to be clamped. It has the function of enhancing the entertainment of the grabbing machine.

Wherein, the processing element is electrically connected to a sensing element, the sensing element is located in the chamber and used for sensing to obtain an award score, the award score is stored in an electronic tag, the electronic tag is combined with the to-be-clamped When the gripper grabs the object to be gripped and releases the gripper, the processing element controls the gripper to move to the sensing element for sensing to obtain the reward score. The processing element will The bonus score and the game score are added together to generate the total game score. In this way, the electronic tag on the clamped object to be clamped can be sensed by the sensing element, and the effect of the reward points stored in the electronic tag can be obtained.

Wherein, the size of the opening of the ball inlet is larger than the size of the object to be clamped, the processing element controls the gripper to move above the ball inlet and makes the gripper move back and forth along the X axis direction. The component controls the clamping jaw to release only when it receives a claw release signal from the operating component. In this way, the player can first select the position of the gripper relative to the goal opening, and then control the operating component to issue the claw release signal, so that the object to be gripped can fall into the fairway area according to the selected goal opening position .

Wherein, each of the sensing kits has a marking element for marking the game score obtained when the corresponding sensing element is triggered, and the processing element sets the game score as a random value in an interval and gives a time The sequence is used as a random number seed to continuously generate different game scores and display them on each of the indicator elements. The processing element stops changing after the operating element receives a claw release signal. In this way, the player can judge the game score displayed on each indicator element according to his own eyesight, and when a higher game score is displayed in each indicator element, manipulate the operating element to generate the claw release signal to make the processing element The game score set for each sensor element can have a higher score value, which has the effect of improving the challenge of the grab machine.

In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

Please refer to Figure 2, which is an embodiment of the grab machine of the present invention, which includes a machine body 1, a gripping kit 2, a fairway kit 3, several sensing kits 4, and a processing element 5. The clamping kit 2, the fairway kit 3 and the plurality of sensing kits 4 are respectively located on the machine body 1, and the processing element 5 is electrically connected to the clamping kit 2 and the plurality of sensing kits 4.

The main body 1 of the machine has a chamber 11 for holding at least one object B to be clamped. In this embodiment, the appearance of the object B to be clamped is spherical, for example, a spherical shape. Gacha. The machine body 1 may have an operating component 12, and the operating component 12 may be a touch screen, a physical rocker, a physical button, or a combination of the above that controls related components (such as grippers) of the machine body 1. Preferably, the operating component 12 may be an operating device with functions such as a network connection and a man-machine interface, so that the player can remotely control the main body 1 through the network.

The machine body 1 has an output component 13 for outputting a game reward (such as a physical ticket or virtual points). Preferably, the output component 13 can be used to output a game score. For example, when the output component 13 is used to output the game reward, the output component 13 may be a lottery machine, a ticket dispenser or a wireless communication module. On the other hand, when the output component 13 is used to output the game score, the output component 13 can be a display component, and the display component can also be used to display a remaining number of games and/or a remaining number of game seconds.

The clamping kit 2 is disposed in the chamber 11, and the clamping kit 2 has an actuating component 21 and a claw 22. The actuating component 21 is used to drive the clamping claw 22 to move along the XY plane, and Lift along the Z axis and produce a gripping action. The clamping jaw 22 is combined with the actuation assembly 21. For example, the size of the clamping jaw 22 can be a large jaw, a middle jaw, a small jaw or a mini jaw, and the number of jaws 22 can be two jaws or three jaws. , Four claws or other number of claws. In this embodiment, the clamping claw 22 is illustrated as a middle claw with three claws. The size of the clamping jaw 22 and the shape of the number of jaws are not meant to limit the technical features of the present invention.

It is worth mentioning that when the clamping jaw 22 is closed, the space formed by the feet of the clamping jaw 22 can accommodate at least one object B to be clamped, that is, the clamping jaw 22 can clamp at least one object to be clamped at a time. The clip B can be understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 3, the fairway kit 3 has a cover 31, which can be made of a transparent acrylic plate, but is not limited to this. The cover body 31 is combined with an inner side wall of the chamber 11 and forms a fairway area A between it and the inner side wall. The fairway area A has a ball inlet H1, and the opening of the ball inlet H1 faces the top of the chamber 11. Preferably, the fairway area A may also have a ball outlet H2, the ball outlet H2 is connected to the ball inlet H1, and the opening of the ball outlet H2 may face both sides or the bottom of the chamber 11. In this embodiment, the opening of the ball outlet H2 faces the bottom of the chamber 11. The opening size of the ball inlet H1 and the ball outlet H2 is capable of allowing at least one object to be clamped B to pass through.

The fairway assembly 3 has a plurality of stoppers 32 spaced apart in the fairway area A, the plurality of stoppers 32 are combined with the cover 31 or the inner side wall, and the distance between the plurality of stoppers 32 is greater than the to-be-clamped The maximum size of the object B is such that the object B to be clamped can enter and leave the fairway area A as a principle. A passage is formed between any two adjacent stoppers 32 of the plurality of stoppers 32, and the passage is used to allow the object to be clamped B to pass through. In this embodiment, the plurality of stoppers 32 may be a plurality of nails. Column, at least two baffles or a combination of the above.

The plurality of sensing kits 4 are dispersedly arranged in the fairway area A, and preferably embedded in the inner sidewall of the fairway area A, so as to prevent the object B to be clamped from getting stuck in the fairway area A. Each of the sensing kits 4 has a sensing element 41 for generating a sensing signal. The sensing signal is generated when the sensing element 41 is triggered by the object B to be clamped. For example, the sensing element 41 can be an infrared transceiver or a proximity switch, but it is not limited to this. In view of the above, when the plurality of stoppers 32 are at least two baffles, the sensing element 41 may be located between the channels formed by two adjacent baffles, so as to reduce the ability of the object B to be clamped to trigger the sensing element 41 Probability. Preferably, each of the sensing kits 4 may also have a marking element 42 for marking the game score or a multiplier value obtained when the corresponding sensing element 41 is triggered, for example, but not limited to, The marking element 42 may be a display panel.

The processing element 5 is electrically connected to the operating element 12, the output element 13, the clamping set 2 and the plurality of sensing elements 41. The processing element 5 can be any electronic device with data storage, calculation, and signal generation functions. , Such as: programmable logic controller (PLC), digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller (MCU) or circuit board with the above functions. The processing element 5 is used for controlling the movement, lifting and clamping action of the clamping jaw 22 according to an operation instruction set generated by the operation assembly 12. The processing element 5 respectively sets a game score for the plurality of sensing elements 41, controls the gripper 22 to act according to the operation command set generated by the operating component 12, receives and obtains the corresponding game score according to the sensing signal for statistical purposes A total game score is generated, and the processing element 5 controls the output component 13 and outputs the game award according to the total game score.

Preferably, the grabbing machine of the present invention may further include a sensing element 6 located in the chamber 11 and electrically connected to the processing element 5. In this embodiment, the sensing element The 6 series is set above the entrance H1. The sensing element 6 is used for sensing to obtain an award score, the award score is stored in an electronic tag T, the electronic tag T is combined with the object to be picked B, in this embodiment, the electronic tag T and The sensing element 6 may be a near field communication (NFC) module. It is worth mentioning that the reward score of each electronic tag T may be different. Preferably, the player can also directly distinguish the value of the reward score stored in each electronic tag T.

Preferably, the grabbing machine of the present invention may further include a storage kit 7 located at the bottom of the chamber 11, the storage kit 7 having a storage tray 71 and a drive assembly 72, the storage tray 71 is used for To place the object B to be clamped. The driving assembly 72 is electrically connected to the processing element 5 and used to drive the tray 71 to rotate. Furthermore, the bottom of the chamber 11 can be in the shape of a funnel with an outer periphery that slopes downward toward the center, and an opening is formed at the center of the chamber 11 for setting the storage kit 7 so that the ball outlet H2 can fall The outgoing object B to be clamped can easily fall into the tray 71 rather than stay outside the tray 71.

The grabbing machine control method of the present invention can be applied to control the aforementioned grabbing machine. The steps of the control method include a setting step, a grabbing step, a placing step, a statistics step, and an output step. Specifically, in the setting step, the processing element 5 can respectively set a game score or a multiplier value for the plurality of sensing elements 41. Preferably, the plurality of game scores may have a grand prize score (such as: Jackpot ). For example, but without limitation, the jackpot score is equal to the sum of other game scores.

Please refer to Figures 3 and 4, the grasping step is that the processing element 5 drives the actuating assembly 21 to act according to the operation instruction set generated when the player manipulates the operating assembly 12 to control the gripping jaw 22 It moves along the XY plane, and moves up and down along the Z axis to produce a gripping action. Preferably, the storage kit 7 can be provided at the bottom of the chamber 11. Specifically, the processing element 5 can be set to drive the drive assembly 72 of the storage kit 7 to actuate the storage tray 71 when the grabbing machine is activated. The processing element 5 can set the rotation direction of the tray 71 to be clockwise, counterclockwise, first counterclockwise, then clockwise, or first clockwise and then counterclockwise, but it is not limited to this.

Please refer to Figures 5-7, the placing step is when the gripper 22 grabs at least one object B to be gripped, the processing element 5 controls the gripper 22 to move to the ball inlet H1 It can also control the clamping jaw 22 to move to the sensing element 6 for sensing, so as to obtain a bonus score. The processing component 5 adds up the bonus score and the game score to generate a total game score. Preferably, when the opening size of the ball inlet H1 is greater than the size of the object B to be clamped, the processing element 5 can also control the clamping jaw 22 above the ball inlet H1 to reciprocate and translate along the X axis . When the processing element 5 receives a claw release signal sent by the operating assembly 12, the processing element 5 controls the clamping claw 22 to release, so that the object B to be clamped can be based on the goal H1 selected by the player The part falls into the fairway area A.

It is worth mentioning that in the setting step, the game scores respectively set for the plurality of sensing elements 41 can be continuously changed before the processing element 5 receives the claw release signal, and then The processing element 5 stops changing after receiving the claw release signal. For example, the processing element 5 may set the game score as a random value in an interval, and give a time sequence as a random number seed to continuously generate different game scores, which are displayed on the opposite of each sensing element 41 Mark the element 42 on.

Please refer to Fig. 8, the statistical step is that when the at least one object B to be clamped triggers the sensing element 41 to generate the sensing signal, the processing element 5 can obtain the game score set by the sensing element 41 , And generate a total game score. For example, the game score can also be a multiplier value. For example: when the magnification value set by the sensing element that generates the sensing signal is 2 times, the processing element 5 can multiply the game score obtained by the object B to be clamped by twice, or the current total game count The score is multiplied by 2 times, but not limited to this.

In the output step, the processing element 5 controls the output component 13 to output a game reward according to the total game score. For example, when the output component 13 is the lottery machine, it can be used to output game tickets equivalent to the game score; when the output component 13 is the ticket dispenser, it can be used to output a redemption prize A receipt, the redemption receipt can have a digital bar code (such as: Quick Response Matrix Code, QR Code), and the digital bar code can store the game score or digital information for direct redemption of prizes; when the output component is 13 series In the case of the wireless communication module, it can be used to output virtual points equivalent to the game score or digital information of rewarded goods to a mobile application (App) installed on a mobile device of the player.

In summary, the grabber and control method of the present invention can generate the fairway area by setting the fairway kit, so that the object to be gripped by the gripper can further fall into the fairway area, and Through the several stoppers arranged in the fairway area, the object to be clamped can randomly pass through several channels generated by the several stoppers, and the sensing elements arranged in the several channels according to trigger The generated induction signal can obtain the corresponding game score and thereby obtain the game reward. In this way, the grabbing machine and its control method of the present invention can have the effect of enhancing entertainment effects.

Although the present invention has been disclosed using the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone who is familiar with the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention may make various changes and modifications relative to the above-mentioned embodiments. The technical scope of the invention is protected. Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention shall be subject to the scope of the attached patent application.

﹝this invention﹞ 1: Machine body 11: Room 12: Operating components 13: output components 2: gripping kit 21: Actuating components 22: gripper 3: Fairway kit 31: Hood 32: stop 4: induction kit 41: Sensing element 42: marking components 5: Processing components 6: Sensing element 7: Storage kit 71: storage tray 72: drive components A: Fairway area B: Object to be picked H1: Goal H2: Outlet H3: Notch H4: Through hole T: electronic label ﹝Used ﹞ 9: Grab game machine 91: Machine 92: Picking agency 92a: Pedestal 92b: Take object 93: Light-emitting element 94: accommodation space 95: table

[Picture 1] A combined three-dimensional view of a conventional grabbing machine. [Figure 2] A perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A perspective view of a partial structure of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A diagram of the jaws of the present invention descending. [Figure 5] A side view of the partial structure of the present invention. [Figure 6] A front view of the partial structure of the present invention. [Picture 7] The operation situation diagram shown in Fig. 6. [Picture 8] The operation situation diagram shown in Fig. 7.

1: Machine body

11: Room

12: Operating components

13: output components

2: gripping kit

21: Actuating components

22: gripper

3: game kit

31: Hood

32: stop

4: induction kit

41: Sensing element

42: marking components

5: Processing components

6: Sensing element

7: Storage kit

71: storage tray

A: Fairway area

B: Object to be picked

H1: Goal

H2: Outlet

T: electronic label

Claims (10)

A grabbing machine, including: A machine body with a chamber, an operating component and an output component; A gripping kit is arranged in the chamber and has an actuating component and a clamping jaw. The clamping jaw is combined with the actuation assembly. The actuation assembly is used to drive the clamping jaw to move along the XY plane and drive the The clamping jaws rise and fall along the Z axis and produce a gripping action; A fairway kit has a cover body and a plurality of stoppers. The cover body is combined with an inner side wall of the chamber and forms a fairway area with the inner side wall. The fairway area has a ball entrance. Two stoppers are located in the fairway area at intervals, and a passage is formed between any two adjacent stoppers in the plurality of stoppers, and the passage is used to provide a passage to be clamped through; A plurality of sensing kits are dispersedly arranged in the lane area, each of the sensing kits has a sensing element, and the sensing element is used for generating a sensing signal; and A processing element is electrically connected to the operating element, the output element, the clamping kit, and the plurality of sensing elements. The processing element sets a game score for the plurality of sensing elements respectively, based on an operation generated by the operating element The instruction set controls the action of the gripper, receives and obtains the corresponding game score according to the sensing signal, generates a total game score based on statistics, and controls the output component to output a game reward according to the total game score. The grabbing machine described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plurality of stoppers are combined with the cover body or the inner side wall. For example, the grabbing machine described in item 1 of the scope of patent application further includes a storage kit, which is located at the bottom of the chamber and has a storage tray and a drive assembly, and the storage tray is used to place the object to be clamped, The driving component is electrically connected to the processing element and used to drive the tray to rotate. According to the third item of the scope of patent application, the bottom of the chamber is in the shape of a funnel with an outer periphery that slopes downward toward the center, and an opening is formed at the center of the chamber for setting the holding kit. For example, the grabbing machine described in item 1 of the scope of patent application further includes a sensing element, the sensing element is located in the chamber and electrically connected to the processing element, and the sensing element is used for sensing to obtain a reward point, The reward score is stored in an electronic tag, and the electronic tag is combined with the object to be picked up. A control method of a grabbing machine is applied to control the grabbing machine described in item 1 of the scope of patent application. The steps of the control method include: The processing element drives the actuating assembly to act according to the operation instruction set, so as to control the clamping jaws to move along the XY plane, and to rise and fall along the Z axis to generate a gripping action; When the clamping claw grabs at least one object to be clamped, the processing element controls the clamping claw to move above the ball entrance, and controls the clamping claw to loosen so that the at least one object to be clamped falls Into the fairway area; When the at least one object to be clamped triggers a sensing signal generated by any one of the plurality of sensing elements, the processing element obtains the game score set by the sensing element, and generates the total game score by statistics; and The output component is controlled to output the game award according to the total game score. For example, the control method of the grabbing machine described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein a storage kit is provided at the bottom of the chamber, and the storage kit has a storage tray and a drive assembly, and the storage tray is used for placing the to-be-clamped The drive assembly is electrically connected to the processing element, and the processing element is set to actuate the drive assembly to drive the tray to rotate when the grabber is started. According to the control method of the grabbing machine described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein the processing element is electrically connected to a sensing element, and the sensing element is located in the chamber and used for sensing to obtain a reward score, the reward The score is stored in an electronic tag, the electronic tag is combined with the object to be gripped, when the gripper grips the object to be gripped and releases the gripper, the processing element controls the gripper to move to the The sensing element performs sensing to obtain the bonus score, and the processing element adds up the bonus score and the game score to generate the total game score statistically. The control method of the grabbing machine described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein the opening size of the ball inlet is larger than the size of the object to be grabbed, and the processing element controls the gripper to move above the ball inlet , And make the clamping jaw reciprocate and translate along the X-axis direction, and control the clamping jaw to loosen only when the processing element receives a jaw release signal sent by the operating assembly. For example, the control method of the grabbing machine described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein each of the sensing kits has a marking element for marking the game score obtained when the corresponding sensing element is triggered, and the processing The component sets the game score as a random value in an interval, and gives a time sequence as a random number seed to continuously generate different game scores and display them on each of the indicator components. The operating component receives a release of the claw It stops changing after the signal.

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