WO1999013643A1 - Arrangement for a category controlled channel scanning - Google Patents
Arrangement for a category controlled channel scanning Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1999013643A1 WO1999013643A1 PCT/SE1998/001559 SE9801559W WO9913643A1 WO 1999013643 A1 WO1999013643 A1 WO 1999013643A1 SE 9801559 W SE9801559 W SE 9801559W WO 9913643 A1 WO9913643 A1 WO 9913643A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- information
- program
- programs
- category
- cable
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
- H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
- H04N21/2665—Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
- H04N21/262—Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists
- H04N21/26283—Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
- H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
- H04N21/6106—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
- H04N21/6118—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
- H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
- H04N21/6106—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
- H04N21/6137—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
- H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
- H04N21/6106—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
- H04N21/6143—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via a satellite
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/24—Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation
- H04N7/52—Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an arrangement for category controlled channel scanning. More exactly the arrangement makes possible showing of a program table and assorting of this according to the category which respective program belongs to. The user can easily scan through the table, which facilitates for the user to select program in a wanted category.
- the table can show transmission times and program category.
- the programs in the table are sorted according to channel, i.e. according to TV-company, frequency or the like.
- channel i.e. according to TV-company, frequency or the like.
- the present invention solves the problem by sorting the program table according to the category which respective TV-program belongs to, for instance music, news or sport etc.
- the program table by that will be more clearly arranged and it will be easier for the user to select program.
- the present invention provides an arrangement for category controlled channel scanning.
- the arrangement includes program suppliers which provide TV- programs and/or information to at least one cable-TV- supplier which in his/her turn delivers the cable television to subscribers equipped with respective signal decoder and TV-set.
- the cable-TV-supplier has a program guide unit which contains information about the TV-programs from the program suppliers.
- the cable-TV supplier is arranged to transmit the information from the program guide unit together with the TV-programs to the subscribers.
- the signal decoder at respective subscriber is arranged to, at request, arrange the information about the TV-programs according to category, show this information on the TV-set and scan through to a selected program.
- the information about the TV-programs from the program guide unit can be applied to each program channel together with the program signal itself, or on a separate channel.
- FIG. 1 is shown a scheme over the arrangement according to the invention.
- the TV-programs which finally are distributed to the customer are produced by a number of more or less independent TV-companies, here called program suppliers 1, such as "Sveriges Televison" (The public Swedish TV-company) , TV4 etc.
- program suppliers also shall be included pure databases, for instance with stock exchange rates, and databases via the Internet.
- the different TV-programs and the information is collected by a cable-TV supplier 2 for further distribution to the customers/subscribers.
- the cable-TV supplier 2 may have own applications 5, for instance games, which are also supplied to the subscribers.
- Each subscriber has a decoder 3 and a TV-set 4.
- the decoder 3 is especially adapted according to the present invention, whereas the TV-set 4, can be a common analog TV.
- the cable-TV supplier in addition has a so called Electronic Program Guide (EPG) 6, which contains information about the different TV-programs.
- the information includes category, transmission times, for instance when the programs start, the lenght of the programs, and also a text which briefly describes the TV- program.
- EPG Electronic Program Guide
- the output signal from the "cable-TV supplier" can be transmitted via cable, satellite or telephone.
- the transport flow of the output signal can be analog or digital. Preferably digital transport flows will be used. Compared with an analog transport flow, which carries one analog TV-channel, the digital transport flow of the same size can carry about five TV-channels, plus other information.
- each digital transport flow transmits information about present and next coming program on all channels.
- Channel for instance "SVT2"
- Title for instance "Report”
- Category for instance
- the subscriber's decoder 3 is preferably controlled by a remote control (not shown) .
- the remote control is equipped with the ordinary keys and controls, and in addition has special keys or functions so that the subscriber can request showing of a program table on the TV-screen, at the same time as the program is viewed, sorting of the table in different ways, according to TV- company, category, starting-times etc.
- the remote control also has arrows up and down for scanning up and down in the table and select wanted program. Superimposed on the ordinary TV-picture consequenly is presented information about which programs which just at that moment are transmitted on all channels.
- information about the category of the program for instance news, film or sport.
- the information can be shown about one program at a time, or as a table.
- the subscriber also can expand a table line to get the further describing text. It is supposed to be within the normal field of an expert to show a table on the TV-screen in this way.
- the TV-programs which are running are shown, sorted according to channel, i.e. in traditional way.
- the framed line indicates the information which is supposed to be shown in the TV-picture just now, or which is viewed just now. If the user presses "pile up" on the remote control three times, information about the program "Concert of the month" is shown on SVT1. By that the subscriber is scanning through to that channel . Alternatively, information about the channel is shown, and the scanning to the channel is made only when another pressing on a selection key for selection is made.
- the TV- programs instead are sorted according to which category they belong. This is done by for instance pressing a certain key on the remote control. A possible arrangement is shown in the table below. This results in that for instance all news programs will be arranged beside each other, and if the user presses "arrow up", information about the program "Report” SVT2 is shown instead, because this is a program of the same category and is on the line above. In this way it will be easy to scan among for instance sport programs irrespective of which channels that are transmitting sport at present .
Abstract
The invention relates to an arrangement for category controlled channel scanning and makes possible showing of a program table and sorting of this according to the category to which respective program belongs. The user can easily scan through in the table, which facilitates for the user to select program in a wanted category. The arrangement includes program suppliers (1) who supply TV-programs and/or information to at least one Cable-TV supplier (2) who in his/her turn supplies Cable-TV to subscribers equipped with respective signal decoder (3) and TV-set (4). According to the invention, the Cable-TV supplier has an Electronic Program Guide (6) which contains information about the TV-programs from the program suppliers. The Cable-TV supplier is arranged to transmit the information from the Electronic Program Guide together with the TV-programs to the subscribers .The signal decoder at respective subscriber is arranged to, at request, arrange the information about the TV-programs according to category, show this information on the TV-set and scan through to a selected program.
Description
TITLE OF THE INVENTION: ARRANGEMENT FOR A CATEGORY
CONTROLLED CHANNEL SCANNING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an arrangement for category controlled channel scanning. More exactly the arrangement makes possible showing of a program table and assorting of this according to the category which respective program belongs to. The user can easily scan through the table, which facilitates for the user to select program in a wanted category.
PRIOR ART
It is previously known to show a table with program information on a screen, see for instance WO 97/18670. The table can show transmission times and program category. Usually the programs in the table are sorted according to channel, i.e. according to TV-company, frequency or the like. When the number of channels is growing, as is expected when digital TV is introduced, the number of available channels may amount to a hundred or more, and it will be difficult for the user to select program if they are not sorted according to a logic order.
The present invention solves the problem by sorting the program table according to the category which respective TV-program belongs to, for instance music, news or sport etc. The program table by that will be more clearly arranged and it will be easier for the user to select program.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consequently the present invention provides an arrangement for category controlled channel scanning. The arrangement includes program suppliers which provide TV- programs and/or information to at least one cable-TV-
supplier which in his/her turn delivers the cable television to subscribers equipped with respective signal decoder and TV-set.
According to the invention, the cable-TV-supplier has a program guide unit which contains information about the TV-programs from the program suppliers. The cable-TV supplier is arranged to transmit the information from the program guide unit together with the TV-programs to the subscribers. The signal decoder at respective subscriber is arranged to, at request, arrange the information about the TV-programs according to category, show this information on the TV-set and scan through to a selected program.
The information about the TV-programs from the program guide unit can be applied to each program channel together with the program signal itself, or on a separate channel.
The invention is defined in enclosed patent claim 1, whereas advantageous embodiments are given in the subclaims .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to enclosed drawing, the only figure of which is a system sketch of the arrangement according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
It is expected that digital TV will be introduced in a foreseeable future. This means that there will be more TV- channels because there will be room for five, six digital TV-channels on the same bandwidth as one analog TV-channel. The large amount of TV-channels probably will result in that it will be more difficult to find right TV-program, beacause of the large supply and that the TV-programs will have a more specialized audience.
The invention intends to facilitate for the TV-viewer to find interesting TV-programs. Even if the invention is described in connection with digital TV, the discussion and the invention also can be applied to the analog systems of today. The invention is described with reference to that a cable-TV supplier provides the programs to the subscribers. An person skilled in the art, however, will realize that the distribution can as well be made via satellite or the telephone network as via cable, and the invention is not restricted to any special distribution means.
In Figure 1 is shown a scheme over the arrangement according to the invention. The TV-programs which finally are distributed to the customer are produced by a number of more or less independent TV-companies, here called program suppliers 1, such as "Sveriges Televison" (The public Swedish TV-company) , TV4 etc. In the concept program suppliers also shall be included pure databases, for instance with stock exchange rates, and databases via the Internet. The different TV-programs and the information is collected by a cable-TV supplier 2 for further distribution to the customers/subscribers. In addition to the programs from the program suppliers 1, the cable-TV supplier 2 may have own applications 5, for instance games, which are also supplied to the subscribers. Each subscriber has a decoder 3 and a TV-set 4. The decoder 3 is especially adapted according to the present invention, whereas the TV-set 4, can be a common analog TV.
The cable-TV supplier in addition has a so called Electronic Program Guide (EPG) 6, which contains information about the different TV-programs. The information includes category, transmission times, for instance when the programs start, the lenght of the programs, and also a text which briefly describes the TV- program. The output signal from the "cable-TV supplier" can be transmitted via cable, satellite or telephone. The transport flow of the output signal can be analog or
digital. Preferably digital transport flows will be used. Compared with an analog transport flow, which carries one analog TV-channel, the digital transport flow of the same size can carry about five TV-channels, plus other information.
One variant of the invention is that each digital transport flow transmits information about present and next coming program on all channels. For each program there is the following information: Channel (for instance "SVT2"), Title (for instance "Report"), Category (for instance
"News"), Starting-time (for instance "19.30"), Length (for instance "30 minutes"), and a text which can describe the program. All this information is collected from the Electronic Program Guide 6. Irrespective of which channel the subscriber has set on his/her decoder, i.e. the channel which the subscriber is watching, the decoder can collect all information about all other channels.
It is also possible to apply the information from the Electronic Program Guide 6 to a separate channel. The subscriber's decoder 3 is preferably controlled by a remote control (not shown) . The remote control is equipped with the ordinary keys and controls, and in addition has special keys or functions so that the subscriber can request showing of a program table on the TV-screen, at the same time as the program is viewed, sorting of the table in different ways, according to TV- company, category, starting-times etc. The remote control also has arrows up and down for scanning up and down in the table and select wanted program. Superimposed on the ordinary TV-picture consequenly is presented information about which programs which just at that moment are transmitted on all channels. In addition to the name of the channel and the program is also shown information about the category of the program, for instance news, film or sport. The information can be shown about one program at a time, or as a table. The subscriber also can
expand a table line to get the further describing text. It is supposed to be within the normal field of an expert to show a table on the TV-screen in this way.
In the table below, the TV-programs which are running are shown, sorted according to channel, i.e. in traditional way. The framed line indicates the information which is supposed to be shown in the TV-picture just now, or which is viewed just now. If the user presses "pile up" on the remote control three times, information about the program "Concert of the month" is shown on SVT1. By that the subscriber is scanning through to that channel . Alternatively, information about the channel is shown, and the scanning to the channel is made only when another pressing on a selection key for selection is made.
THE TV-PROGRAMS, SORTED ACCORDING TO CHANNEL
1 SVT Concert of the month Music
2 SVT2 Report News
3 TV3 Football: Sweden-Scotland Sport
4 TV4 News News
5 Channel 5 Fresh Prince in Bel Air Series
6 TV6 Still waters run deep Series
7 ZTV Parasol Entert .
8 MTV The Grind Classics Music
9 Eurosport Tennis, ATP Sport
10 TV1000 Roswell Film
11 TVlOOOCinema The fireworks of love Film
12 FilmNetl FilmNet US Top Ten Culture
13 FilmNet2 Dolores Claiborne Film
14 Discovery What is told Facts
15 Hallmark Wojeck Film
16 FTV News News
In order to utilize the present invention, the TV- programs instead are sorted according to which category they belong. This is done by for instance pressing a
certain key on the remote control. A possible arrangement is shown in the table below. This results in that for instance all news programs will be arranged beside each other, and if the user presses "arrow up", information about the program "Report" SVT2 is shown instead, because this is a program of the same category and is on the line above. In this way it will be easy to scan among for instance sport programs irrespective of which channels that are transmitting sport at present .
THE TV-PROGRAMS, SORTED ACCORDING TO CATEGORY
14 Discovery What is told Facts
10 TV1000 Roswell Film
11 TVlOOOCinema The fireworks of love Film
13 FilmNet2 Dolores Claiborne Film
15 Hallmark Wojeck Film
12 FilmNetl FilmNet US Top Ten Culture
1 SVT1 Concert of the Month Music
8 MTV The Grind Classics Music
2 SVT2 Report News
4 TV4 The News News
16 FTV News News
7 ZTV Parasol Entert .
5 Channel 5 Fresh Prince in Bel Air Series
6 TV6 Still waters run deep Series
3 TV3 Football: Sweden-Scotland Sport
9 Eurosport Tennis, ATP Sport
It is regarded to be in the ability of an ordinary expert to collect and store information about TV-programs in the Electronic Program Guide 6. There also are known methods of sorting the information according to categories according to the present invention. These different methods are regarded to be in the scope of the invention which is only limited by the patent claims below.
Claims
1. Arrangement for category controlled channel scanning including program suppliers (1) which supply TV- programs and/or information to at least one cable-TV supplier (2) which in his/her turn provides cable television to subscribers equipped with respective signal decoder (3) and TV-set (4), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cable-TV supplier has an Electronic Program Guide (6) which contains information about the TV-programs from the program suppliers (1) , that the cable-TV supplier (2) is arranged to transmit information from the Electronic Program Guide (6) together with the TV-programs to the subscribers, that respective signal decoder (3) is arranged to, at request, arrange information about the TV-programs according to category, show this information on the TV-set (4) an to scan through to a selected program.
2. Arrangement according to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the information about the TV-programs in addition to category includes transmission times and describing text for respective TV-program.
3. Arrangement according to patent claim 1 or patent claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the information from the Electronic Program Guide (6) is applied to each program channel together with the program signal itself.
4. Arrangement according to patent claim 1 or patent claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the information from the Electronic Program Guide (6) is applied to a separate channel .
5. Arrangement according to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the Cable-TV supplier (2) is arranged to transmit the information via cable, satellite or telephone network.
6. Arrangement according to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that respective signal decoder (3) is arranged to be controlled by a remote control which has controls to request showing of program table, sorting according to category, sorting according to TV-company, and/or sorting according to starting-time, and scanning up an down in the table .
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
SE9703271-8 | 1997-09-08 | ||
SE9703271A SE522598C2 (en) | 1997-09-08 | 1997-09-08 | Arrangements for a category controlled channel browsing |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1999013643A1 true WO1999013643A1 (en) | 1999-03-18 |
Family
ID=20408209
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/SE1998/001559 WO1999013643A1 (en) | 1997-09-08 | 1998-09-02 | Arrangement for a category controlled channel scanning |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
SE (1) | SE522598C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1999013643A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2000060854A1 (en) * | 1999-03-31 | 2000-10-12 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Remote control for program selection by genre |
FR2803965A1 (en) * | 2000-01-19 | 2001-07-20 | Sagem | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING TO A TELEVISION DECODER SIGNALS OF ADJUSTMENT PARAMETERS |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5550576A (en) * | 1995-04-17 | 1996-08-27 | Starsight Telecast Incorporated | Method and apparatus for merging television program schedule information received from multiple television schedule information sources |
US5589892A (en) * | 1993-09-09 | 1996-12-31 | Knee; Robert A. | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access |
US5592551A (en) * | 1992-12-01 | 1997-01-07 | Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. | Method and apparatus for providing interactive electronic programming guide |
US5629733A (en) * | 1994-11-29 | 1997-05-13 | News America Publications, Inc. | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with display and search of program listings by title |
-
1997
- 1997-09-08 SE SE9703271A patent/SE522598C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1998
- 1998-09-02 WO PCT/SE1998/001559 patent/WO1999013643A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5592551A (en) * | 1992-12-01 | 1997-01-07 | Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. | Method and apparatus for providing interactive electronic programming guide |
US5589892A (en) * | 1993-09-09 | 1996-12-31 | Knee; Robert A. | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access |
US5629733A (en) * | 1994-11-29 | 1997-05-13 | News America Publications, Inc. | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with display and search of program listings by title |
US5550576A (en) * | 1995-04-17 | 1996-08-27 | Starsight Telecast Incorporated | Method and apparatus for merging television program schedule information received from multiple television schedule information sources |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, 1996, MICHAEL EHRMANTRAUT et al., "The Personal Electronic Program Guide - Towards the Pre-Selection of Individual TV Programs", pages 243-250. * |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2000060854A1 (en) * | 1999-03-31 | 2000-10-12 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Remote control for program selection by genre |
US6445306B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2002-09-03 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Remote control program selection by genre |
FR2803965A1 (en) * | 2000-01-19 | 2001-07-20 | Sagem | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING TO A TELEVISION DECODER SIGNALS OF ADJUSTMENT PARAMETERS |
EP1119201A2 (en) * | 2000-01-19 | 2001-07-25 | Sagem S.A. | Method and apparatus for transmitting setting parameters signals to a decoder |
EP1119201A3 (en) * | 2000-01-19 | 2002-02-20 | Sagem SA | Method and apparatus for transmitting setting parameters signals to a decoder |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
SE9703271D0 (en) | 1997-09-08 |
SE9703271L (en) | 1999-03-09 |
SE522598C2 (en) | 2004-02-24 |
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