This application is a National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/JP2006/304154, filed Mar. 3, 2006, which claims the priority of Japan Patent Application No. 2005-080671, filed Mar. 18, 2005. The present application claims priority from both applications and each of these applications is herein incorporated in their entirety by reference.
This invention relates to a communication circuit and a design method of an impedance-matching circuit, especially it relates to a communication circuit having an impedance-matching circuit with a transmission line, and so on.
In an information-oriented society in recent years, the system using radio, such as mobile communications and satellite communications, has spread quickly. Along with that, more miniaturization has been required of communications systems in addition to high performance and high efficiency. The size of communications systems is highly dependent on the size of an antenna. Therefore, in order to miniaturize communications systems, it becomes important to miniaturize an antenna, without lowering its performance.
A sufficiently small antenna, as compared with the wavelength of the radio signal used in communications systems, is called a miniaturized antenna. Various design methods have been proposed as a miniaturized antenna (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1, Patent Literature 2, and Non Patent Literature 1).
The conventional antenna is a resonance type. The resonant antenna requires to adjust resonance frequency to center frequency. Therefore, the size is determined by the resonance frequency and so it is difficult to design the size freely. Such difficulty also exists for loads in general other than an antenna.
Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide the communication circuit and the design method of impedance-matching circuit which suit the miniaturization requirement of an antenna etc.
The first aspect of the present invention is the communication circuit including a nonresonant antenna and an impedance-matching circuit connected to the nonresonant antenna, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has a transmission line whose electric length and characteristic impedance are determined by resonance frequency or resonance frequency band in which the nonresonant antenna and the transmission line resonate.
It may be the communication circuit according to the first aspect, wherein the nonresonant antenna is in-series nonresonant or parallel nonresonant. In this case, the electric length and characteristic impedance of the transmission line may be determined based on the internal impedance of the antenna, when the antenna is in-series nonresonant. Or the electric length and characteristic impedance of the transmission line may be determined based on the internal admittance of the antenna, when said antenna is parallel nonresonant.
Further, it may be the communication circuit according to the first aspect, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has an inverter. In this case, matching can be realized by adjusting the shape of the inverter and changing a parameter, even when the rate of impedance conversion is very large.
Further, it may be the communication circuit according to the first aspect, wherein the transmission line is a distributed element line formed in dielectric substrates such as, for example, a coplanar waveguide.
Further, it may be the communication circuit according to the first aspect, wherein the transmission line may be meander shape. In this case, the transmission line is not formed straight line but bent line, which realizes the miniaturization of the whole length. Further, if it is possible to form a transmission line inside an antenna, for example, in such a case that an antenna is parallel nonresonant, the size of the whole circuit can substantially be as small as the size of an antenna.
Further, the communication circuit according to the first aspect may be made using high-temperature superconductor, which shows a very low conductive loss. In this case, the communication circuit can be less affected by conductive loss, which is one of the main cause of decreasing efficiency of miniature communication circuit.
Further, the communication circuit according to the first aspect may be a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, or a transceiver circuit.
The second aspect of the present invention is a communication circuit, comprising a nonresonant antenna and an impedance-matching circuit connected to the nonresonant antenna, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has a transmission line, electric length θ0 and characteristic impedance Z1 of the transmission line are calculated by equation (eq1) using external Q Qe1 and reactance Xa and radiation resistance Ra of the nonresonant antenna.
The third aspect of the present invention is a communication circuit, comprising a nonresonant antenna and an impedance-matching circuit connected to the nonresonant antenna, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has a transmission line, electric length θ0 and characteristic admittance Y1 of the transmission line are calculated by equation (eq2) using external Q Qe1 and susceptance Ba and conductance Ga of the nonresonant antenna.
The fourth aspect of the present invention is a communication device including the communication circuit of the first, second or third aspect.
The fifth aspect of the present invention is a design method of an impedance-matching circuit to be connected to a nonresonant antenna, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has a transmission line one of ends of which is connected to the nonresonant antenna, the design method comprising a step of determining electric length θ0 and characteristic impedance Z1 of the transmission line by equation (eq3) using external Q Qe1 and reactance Xa and radiation resistance Ra of the nonresonant antenna.
The sixth aspect of the present invention is a design method of an impedance-matching circuit to be connected to a nonresonant antenna, wherein the impedance-matching circuit has a transmission line one of ends of which is connected to the nonresonant antenna, the design method comprising a step of determining electric length θ0 and characteristic impedance Z1 of the transmission line by equation (eq4) using external Q Qe1 and susceptance Ba and conductance Ga of the nonresonant antenna.
The seventh aspect of the present invention is a method of producing an impedance-matching circuit by using the design method of the fifth or sixth aspect.
According to the invention in this application, it becomes possible to design a resonator with an impedance-matching circuit and a nonresonant antenna etc. combined. For example, as for a nonresonant antenna, it is not necessary to adjust resonance frequency to center frequency. Therefore, it becomes possible to miniaturize an antenna which allows further miniaturization of the whole communications systems. Further, the change of characteristic impedance of a transmission line can broaden bandwidth.
Performance prediction was performed by the electromagnetic field simulator about the resonator with a slotted dipole antenna and a matching circuit combined on a high-temperature superconductivity thin film substrate. The size of the obtained antenna is 3100 [μm]×1900 [μm], including the matching circuit. This size can be found very small when compared with wavelength λ (about 26000 [μm]). The size of its antenna section only is 3070 [μm]×600 [μm]. The typical half wavelength rectangle patch antenna used for wireless LAN is about 13000 [μm]×13000 [μm] for the same center frequency and dielectric constant of the substrate. Therefore, as compared with the typical antenna, the area of the obtained antenna is about 1/91, which is remarkable miniaturization.
a) is a figure showing the miniaturized slotted dipole antenna which is an example of antenna section 3 of
In this embodiment, matching section 5 of
The design formula of equation (1) is explained focusing on the derivation using
First, a band-pass filter is explained. A filter is a device which passes the signal of a certain required frequency band, and intercepts the signal of an unnecessary frequency band. An example of a commonly used band-pass filter is a Chebyshev filter. Below, a design formula for a Chebyshev filter is described. The design formulas for filters other than a Chebyshev filter, such as butterworth filter for example, can be similarly derived.
For the fractional bandwidth of the desired band-pass filter w and center frequency ω0, the fractional bandwidth w and center frequency ω0 have a relationship expressed in equation (2). Here, ω1 and ω2 are cutoff angular frequency.
The n step band-pass filter has a LC series resonator and LC parallel resonator (For example, refer to G. L. Matthaei, “Microwave Filters, Impendence-matching Networks, and Coupling Structures”, Artech House, 1980, p.429). Lk and Ck of LC series resonator are expressed by equation (3), and Lj and Cj of LC parallel resonator are expressed by equation (4). Here, gi is a normalization device value, which is expressed by equation (5) for the reflection coefficient RLr at the point where the ripple of a pass band reaches the maximum. β, γ, ak, and bk are expressed by equation (6) and equation (7).
In a two-terminal pair network, a reflection coefficient and a transmission coefficient are used as parameters for evaluating propagation of electric power and a signal wave. These are obtained by equation (8) from an S matrix. Here, they are S11=(reflection electric power)/(input power) and S21=(transmission electric power)/(input power).
In general, the performance of a receiving antenna is evaluated using a transmission coefficient. In the case where a conductor loss can be ignored, |S11|2+|S21|2=1. Then, the design of the transmission coefficient can be performed simultaneously with the design of reflection coefficient which is the characteristics of a matching circuit. When it comes to the gain which is the characteristics of an antenna, transmitting gain and receiving gain are equivalent. And in the electromagnetic field simulator described later, analysis of a reflection coefficient is conducted based on the characteristics of the gain. Therefore, in the following, the performance is evaluated using a reflection coefficient.
Then, the slope parameter showing the characteristics of resonators, such as a series resonator and a parallel resonator, is explained. First, as for a series resonator, reactance slope parameter xk is defined by equation (9) for the reactance of a series resonator, Xk. Reactance Xk and resonance frequency ω0 of a series resonator is shown in equation (10). Therefore, reactance slope parameter xk is expressed by equation (11). Reactance Xk of a series resonator is expressed by equation (12).
As for a parallel resonator, susceptance slope parameter bj is similarly defined by equation (13) for susceptance Bj. Susceptance Bj and resonance frequency ω0 of a parallel resonator are expressed by equation (14). Therefore, susceptance slope parameter bj is expressed by equation (15). Susceptance Bj of a parallel resonator is expressed by equation (16).
Then, the composition of the filter having an inverter is explained. Inverters include J inverter and K inverter. Each of these inverters is an element whose image phase quantities differ by ±π/2 or an odd multiple of ±π/2 between at its input terminal and at its output terminal. Therefore, seen from the input terminal of an inverter, load impedance seems as if it is reversed. The cascade matrix (matrix which determines the output voltage and the output current when the input voltage and the input current of a circuit) of an inverter is expressed using equation (17) by definition. Here, K and J in the matrix are called K parameter and J parameter, respectively, and the relation K=1/J holds.
Then, a circuit provided with a parallel resonator and J inverter is examined. Suppose a circuit where a parallel resonator whose susceptance B′ is connected to the exterior via J inverter. As the cascade matrix is expressed by equation (18), this circuit becomes equivalent to the series resonator of reactance X, if B′ is set to B′=J2X. Therefore, the series resonator is equivalent to a circuit having a parallel resonator and J inverter. Therefore, n step band-pass filter can be designed with only parallel resonators and J inverters. Susceptance Bi and J parameter of the parallel resonators are expressed by equation (19) and equation (20), respectively.
Then, a distributed element line is explained with reference to
The circuit shown in
Real part α of complex notation of the propagation constant γ is called an attenuation coefficient, and imaginary part β is called a phase constant. Since R<<ωL and G<<ωC hold in a general transmission line, α and β can be expressed by equation (24).
Then, the cascade matrix showing the transmission line of length 1 is considered. If V(0)=V1 and I(0)=I1, the boundary condition of equation (25) is obtained from equation (22). By using this boundary condition and the relation expressed by equation (26) in equation (22), equation (27) is derived. Therefore, voltage V2 and current I2 at z=1 are expressed by equation (28). If equation (28) is expressed using an inverse matrix, the cascade matrix of the transmission line of characteristic impedance Z0 and length 1 is expressed by equation (29). In the case of α<<1, equation (29) is expressed by equation (30) for electric length corresponding to length 1, θ, using γ1=j β1=j θ.
The above filter theory is applied to derive the design theory of matching section 5 of
a) is a figure showing the circuit in which load impedance Za is connected to the lossless transmission line of electric length θ and characteristic impedance Z1. From equation (30), input impedance Zin seen from terminal a-a′ is expressed by equation (31).
b) is a figure showing the parallel resonant circuit of center frequency ω0 which the circuit of
c) is a figure showing a circuit where the circuit of
From equation (19) and equation (20), prototype 1 stage filter is comprised as shown in
In order that the matching circuit of
Then, characteristic impedance Z1 and electric length θ0 of the transmission line will be derived so that the circuit of
Since the susceptance of a parallel resonator becomes zero at center frequency, θ0 should just be taken as the electric length so that an imaginary part becomes 0 in equation (41). Therefore, θ0 satisfies equation (42).
Here, when the numerator is replaced by h(θ) and the denominator is replaced by H(θ) in equation (41), h(θ) and H(θ) are expressed by equation (43) and equation (44), using equation (42), respectively.
Therefore, conductance Gin at center frequency ω0 is expressed by equation (45). Here, x0 is a value of x at center frequency, and x0=ω0La/Z1. Susceptance Bin is expressed by equation (46).
As for equation (46), frequency dependency is given by equation (47). Then, susceptance slope parameter b is given by equation (48). When d/dx(tan−1x)=1/(1+x2) is used, susceptance slope parameter b is expressed by equation (49) based on equation (48).
Using the definition of equation (50) for conductance Gin, external Q of a resonator can be calculated from equation (45) and equation (49). Since this external Q satisfies equation (38), equation (51) holds.
By solving equation (51) and equation (42) as a set of simultaneous equations, the design formula of Z1 and θ0 is obtained. Here, r=Ra/Z1<<1 and x holds for a miniaturized antenna. Therefore, equation (42) and equation (51) can be approximated by equation (52) and equation (53), respectively. Equation (54) is obtained from equation (52). If equation (40) is used for equation (53) and equation (54), equation (55) and equation (56) are obtained. Here, Xa is the value at center frequency.
Equation (56) is expressed by equation (57), when equation (54) is substituted and arranged. And when function Sinc(θ)=sin θ/θ is introduced, equation (58) is obtained. Here, since function Sinc(θ) has a waveform as shown in
As mentioned above, the design formula of a matching circuit are given by the equation (55) and the equation (58).
Next, realization of a matching circuit with a coplanar waveguide is described.
If the thickness of an electrode is assumed to be the infinitesimal, effective dielectric constant εeff and characteristic impedance Z0 are given by equation (59). When a substrate has a limited thickness h, effective dielectric constant εeff and characteristic impedance Z0 are given by equation (60). Here, k1 and k2 are expressed by k1=a/b and k2=sin h(πa/2h)/sin h(πb/2h), respectively. εr denotes the relative permittivity of a substrate and K denotes first-sort complete elliptic integral and is approximated by equation (61).
Then, the composition of J inverter using a coplanar waveguide is explained. If the gap of the suitable length is made in the central conductor of a coplanar waveguide, an adjoining central conductor will have capacity and the effect of in-series capacitance is obtained. Capacity also exists between the gap portion of the central conductor and ground, and the effect of parallel capacitance is also considered. Therefore, the gap portion of a coplanar waveguide is considered to be π form circuit of capacitance. If the transmission line of the both ends of a gap is set to electric length Φ/2, a cascade matrix including a transmission line is expressed by equation (62) for characteristics admittance Y0. Here, it is supposed that a transmission line is lossless.
In equation (62), this circuit becomes equivalent to J inverter in the case of A=D=0 and C/B=J2 (for example, K C. Gupta, et al., “Microstrip Lines and Slotlines”, Artechhouse, 1996, p.444). In this case, Equation (63) and equation (64) hold. Equation (63) shows that actual Φ/2 becomes negative length. As mentioned above, J inverter is realizable with the gap provided in CPW, and CPW of electric length Φ/2 at the both ends of the gap.
An inverter is realizable with the gap provided in the transmission line, and the transmission line having electric length Φ/2 at the both ends of the gap. However, as for the inverter of the first step, the transmission line of electric length Φ/2 at the input side cannot be realized, and it becomes L type inverter. This L type inverter serves as a circuit where a resistance connects with the exterior via an inverter. If input admittance Y of this L type inverter is expressed by equation (65) for internal admittance to Y0 and the parameter of an inverter J. And as for a circuit where internal admittance Y0 and susceptance Bb′ are connected in series, and susceptance Ba′ is connected to them in parallel, the input admittance Y′ of this circuit is expressed by equation (66). Equation (67) is obtained by supposing Y=Y′ in equation (65) and equation (66).
Here, in order that J parameter of L type inverter equals Bb′, this J parameter should be the value expressed by equation (68).
Then, the design of the miniaturized antenna with impedance matching circuit using an electromagnetic field simulator is explained. The electromagnetic field simulator used for the design calculates the S parameter of general planar circuits, such as a micro stripe, a slot line, a strip line, and a coplanar line, based on method of moments. As for the setup of this simulation, a center frequency is 5.0 GHz, Mesh Frequency is 7.5 GHz, and the number of cells per wave is 30.
By equation (38), it is required for the value of external Q of a resonance part to be small to realize a large fractional bandwidth by an impedance-matching circuit. The value of external Q can be lowered by lowering the value of impedance Z1. In addition, in order to enlarge radiation resistance, it is necessary to take the shape of an antenna section into consideration.
First, CPW is analyzed.
Next, the method of computing phase constant β by an electromagnetic field simulation is explained. Since the S matrix of the lossless transmission line of length 1 can be expressed by equation (70), β can be calculated by equation (71) from [2, 1] component of the S matrix obtained from the simulation.
In order to lower the value of external Q, small characteristic impedance of CPW is desirable.
Then, a miniaturized slot antenna is analyzed. The miniaturized slotted dipole antenna of
There is a limit to the value of the characteristic impedance of CPW. Therefore, in order to increase the fractional bandwidth w, it is necessary to raise radiation resistance Ra of an antenna to some extent.
Then, the design method of J inverter is explained. As mentioned above, J inverter can be realized by the gap provided in the signal line, and CPW of electric length Φ/2 at the right and left side of the gap. The shape of the gap has two kinds, a simple gap and an interdigital gap, which can be selected according to the desirable value of J parameter. Since big J parameter was needed, the interdigital gap was adopted this time. The equivalent circuit of J inverter using an interdigital gap differs from the case of a simple gap. The equivalent circuit has an ambiguous boundary between the discontinuous part of a transmission line and a pure transmission line. Therefore, π type circuits of susceptance Ba and Bb concentrate on the center line of a gap, and the transmission line of electric length Φ/2 are added to the right and left.
Since Φ/2 is negative electric length, J inverter is designed by the following methods. Suppose the circuit where the transmission line of characteristic impedance Z1 and electric length θ are connected to the both ends of an inverter. If θ is about π/2 by weak combination (J/Y1<<1), the cascade matrix between the both ends of this circuit is expressed by equation (72). By replacing with −Z1 sin θ=X, the cascade matrix can be expressed by equation (73). Here, X=0 when there is no diffrence between a resonance point and center frequency. Therefore, J inverter can be designed by changing the S matrix obtained by the simulation into a cascade matrix, and by adjusting the line length of the both ends of the gap so that the [1, 1], and [2, 2] components become 0, the design of J inverter can be performed. J parameter is given as the [2, 1] component of the cascade matrix.
Then, the design of a miniaturized antenna with impedance matching circuit is explained. First, the analysis of external Q of a resonator is explained.
Parallel resonance can be realized by adjusting the length of the transmission line connected to the antenna. A band design is performed by adjusting so that external Q of this resonator may fill equation (38).
External Q is expressed theoretically by equation (51) based on the circuit model. When an antenna is small, the value of Ra obtained from the analysis of the antenna section is unreliable. Therefore, there may be some difference between a circuit model and an electromagnetic field simulation. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate external Q correctly by a simulation. External Q is computable from conductance Gin and susceptance parameter b around resonance point, obtained from the simulation. When an antenna is small, conductance Gin becomes a very small value. Therefore, we use the following method in order to compute external Q more correctly.
Letting the external Q of a resonator being Qe, input admittance Zin is expressed with equation (74). Then, the value of |Zin|2 is expressed by equation (75). Therefore, external Q is obtained from equation (76) for frequencies ω1 and ω2 where the value of |Zin|2 is half of that at center frequency. What is necessary is just to design so that this external Q fills equation (38).
Then, the design of a matching circuit is explained. The antenna of length 1500 [μm] and width 600 [μm] is designed under the condition of the number of section n=1, reflection coefficient RLr=3 dB, and fractional bandwidth w=4.0%. In this case, a normalization device value is calculated as g0=g2=1 and g1=2.0049 from equations (5)-(7). For the parallel resonance obtained at the characteristic impedance of CPW 29.9 [Ω] and the length of CPW, LCPW, of 3140 [μm], conductance Gin, susceptance parameter b and external Q at the center frequency are calculated to be 0.000441 [s], 0.0221 and 50.06, respectively.
By using equation (39), the designed value of J parameter is acquired from conductance Gin. Although J inverter is designed with the aforementioned design method, since the inverter of a first step does not have a transmission line at the input side, it is necessary to perform adjustment of J parameter and resonator length. J inverter is attached to a parallel resonant circuit, and the length of the transmission line is adjusted so that series resonance is obtained when seen from the outside. What is necessary is just to make the reactance component of input impedance Zin2 set to 0 at the center frequency. And gap length G of J inverter is adjusted so that Zin2 equals to Z0 (=50 [Ω]). As a result, electric length θ=2925 [μm] and gap length G=315 [μm] were obtained.
Although a miniaturized antenna with a matching circuit can be designed as mentioned above, miniaturization is difficult if the transmission line has a shape of a straight line because the whole length of the antenna is long. Then, a transmission line is bent to form a meander shape. When a transmission line is made into meander shape, the susceptance parameter of the resonant circuit changes. And also, J parameter of the inverter changes a little. Therefore, the resonance length and the gap length of J inverter should be adjusted similarly as the above. As a result, the gap length G was calculated to be G=290 [μm].
In
The designed antenna has the similar directivity with a magnetic current dipole. The magnetic current is also similar and flows through the right and left slot in the same direction, and is considered to operate as a magnetic current dipole.
In the design method described so far, the number of element n=1 is assumed. However the design is also possible for the number of steps of two or more.
An impedance-matching circuit can be designed for the antenna called parallel nonresonant as well as for in-series nonresonant. Below, the outline is explained.
a) is a figure showing the circuit which connected K inverter to the antenna equivalent circuit with a matching circuit. In
In
On the other hand,
In this circuit, when left-hand side is seen from terminal e-e′, the input impedance Zin′ is expressed by equation (81). Therefore, the input admittance Yin2′ when left-hand side is seen from terminal f-f′ is expressed by equation (82).
What is necessary is just to calculate external Q of resonance and K parameter of K inverter in equation (79) and equation (82), so that Yin2=Yin2′ holds. As a result, the designed values are given by equation (83) and equation (84).
Then, the characteristics admittance Y1 and the electric length θ0 of the transmission line are derived so that the circuit when the left side is seen from terminal e-e′ in
In equation (77), when g and b are defined by equation (85), electric length θ0, derived similarly with equation (42), fills equation (86). The input reactance Xin and the internal resistance Rin are expressed by equation (87) based on the calculation similar with equation (45) and equation (46). The reactance slope parameter x is expressed by equation (88) based on the calculation similar with equation (49).
For the external Q, equation (89) is obtained by deriving similarly with equation (51).
By solving equation (89) and equation (88) as a set of simultaneous equations, the design formulas of Y1 and θ0 are obtained. Here, since g<<1, b holds for a miniaturized antenna, equation (88) and equation (89) are converted into equation (90) and equation (91), respectively.
Equation (92) is drawn by converting equation (90) and equation (91) using equation (85).
Finally, the design formula of a matching circuit is given by equation (92).
The embodiment of the present invention can be applied, for example, to MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) communication technology.
As another embodiment of the present invention, for example, the application to UWB (Ultra Wideband) method communication is possible. It is impossible to cover a wide band (3 GHz-7 GHz) with a single antenna. Therefore, it is necessary to cover the wide band by putting two or more antennas corresponding to different wavelengths, which is UWB method communication.
As another embodiment of the present invention, the application to RFID or a noncontact IC card is possible. Since the size of the whole device depends greatly on the size of an antenna, the present invention which can miniaturize an antenna suits these devices. In particular, the present invention can miniaturize the whole device further by using CPW and meander structure, which make the present invention more adequate for these devices.
As another embodiment of the present invention, plural miniaturized antennas may contribute to simultaneous transmissive communication in a plural number of frequencies. For example, the communication of simultaneous and both directions or the communication of one way and transmitting different information on different frequencies are possible.
As another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to provide a communication circuit including two or more matching circuits with different center frequencies corresponding to different frequency bands. Such a circuit can adjust its channels to the different frequency bands or cover wide band width.
In
In
Plural matching circuits maybe corresponding to plural antennas. Or, as shown in
Here, the feature of the communication device obtained from
It is a communication device provided with plural matching circuits linked to an antenna. At least two frequency bands by matching circuits with neighboring center frequencies among the plural matching circuits are either set distinctly from one another without overlapping to make it possible to input signals of different frequencies to the matching circuits, output from the matching circuits or both of them, or set overlapped into wide band to make it possible to input signals of different frequencies to the matching circuits or output from the matching circuits.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-080671 | Mar 2005 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2006/304154 | 3/3/2006 | WO | 00 | 5/21/2009 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/126320 | 11/30/2006 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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