Your number's up

In some respects, ANPR technology has lead the way in the introduction of 'intelligence' in CCTV systems. As one of the earliest technologies that sought to do more than simply offer surveillance and monitoring, it proved that automated 'add-ons' to current camera systems could find a healthy position in the marketplace.

And, as with other security sectors, innovative manufacturers, operating on feedback from installation companies and users, have made inroads into other areas of business. Initially, ANPR was used primarily for road traffic management and by police forces. Increasingly, however, it is being employed in car parks, both for information and access, and for revenue generation through links to payment systems.

Corporate end users are now able to specify systems which not only allow access to gated car parks for authorised vehicles, but also generate a 'welcome' sign tailored to the individual arriving.

Companies are also using the systems to gather information on customer visits – and, of course, ANPR is a vital tool in enforcing London's well-known congestion charge, as well as policing its bus lanes.

Here we offer a round up of some of the current systems available ...

Catching tax evaders

PIPS Technology has supplied NCP with its ANPR camera system as part of a contract awarded by the DVLA to help catch the many thousands of motorists who do not tax their vehicles.

PIPS has supplied 35 mobile ANPR systems, comprised of PIPS' P362 ANPR cameras and the PAGIS – or Police ANPR Graphic Information System – software. Four P362 cameras are externally mounted to each of the specially marked vans, which are connected to the onboard computer. Results from the number plate match are cross-checked with the DVLA computer database, revealing information on car tax evaders. The vans will be deployed throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the objective of catching up to 100,000 offenders during the first year of operation.

Reader Service No 102

In the wash-up

GeoVision's GV-LPR system has been selected by Carecar, a car wash company in Strovolos, Cyprus. It is using the system to monitor each customer's car plate numbers, calculating the washing time for different types of cars, and generating statistic on car washes on a daily basis. The system can record drivers' faces along with the number plates and allows Carecar to figure out how often each customer utilises their services.

Using this data, Carecar has been able to assess usage habits, preferences and the visit frequency of each customer. With the ability to view the driver's image and name along with their captured number plates, the system successfully helps Carecar identify multiple-visit customers, and offer value-added service to loyal customers.

Reader Service No 103

Cars on film

Videofit has developed what it says are "the first ANPR movies" – or ANPR-M, where the "recognition records themselves can store an image sequence specific to that vehicle capture".

Using this technology, users can select the number of pre and post-event frames they wish and these will be captured automatically for every vehicle that is recognised. The video clips are automatically played back on review and may be analysed frame-by-frame, exported or printed.

Videofit comes in three versions. Videofit Kit is a single camera, out-of-the-box system, which is simple to install and shares the features of the range. Videofit Lite can support up to four ANPR cameras, with up to 12 associated overview cameras. Videofit Network is designed to be fully scalable and can accommodate 255 computers serving over 4000 cameras.

Reader Service No 104

Star of the road

Ganz's new Roadstar series is a compact, integrated number plate capture camera designed for high performance, long life and low maintenance. The cameras capture number plate images on a 24-hour basis. Roadstar is available in 10m or 20m versions and is designed for quick and easy installation in an environmental housing. Adaptive Illumination is supplied as standard. The camera comes with a three year warranty.

Reader Service No 105

Stealthy operator

The Cleartone Stealth ANPR system is designed to provide a simple to operate total solution for the monitoring and checking of vehicles.

Available in mobile, static or portable configurations, Stealth delivers extremely high accuracy in demanding conditions with vehicles passing in excess of 150mph.

Rapid checking of the on-board and remote databases (including PNC) results in the efficient identification of suspect vehicles.

Reader Service No 106

A head of its time

Vista's VNPR camera head has been developed specifically for its demanding role, carefully integrating camera, optics and infrared illumination. the unit is operational 24 hours a day.

Features include long bulb life image capture at up to 50m distances; number plate recognition speeds in excess of 100mph; simultaneous operation of up to four separate lanes; multi-lingual number plate recognition; control of barrier gates; calculation of car parking charges; activation of LED display signs, such as corporate welcomes; and fully automated operator prompts, in response to known or suspect vehicles.

Reader Service No 107

Helping the force

Warwickshire Police has been given a helping hand in its fight against crime from ADT, which is providing the force with a new car that is fitted out with the latest ANPR technology.

For the next three years, Warwickshire Police's ANPR team will benefit from exclusive use of the ADT sponsored car, which is fitted with both day and night vision cameras and an onboard computer that allows the team to access local and national databases to quickly identify vehicles that need to be intercepted.

Sergeant Andy Smith, of the Southern Area ANPR Intercept Team for Warwickshire Police, said: "This vehicle is a wonderful addition to our team's resources.

"We are now able to monitor crime hot spots in the area at all times of day and night."

Reader Service No 108

Gaining Latitude

Latitude's ALPR system can be used in surveillance mode to send an appropriate alarm in real time when a vehicle of interest is recognised.

It also creates a log of every vehicle that passes that can be searched later for investigative purposes.

It can also operate the same way in an access control mode.

This requires a much higher degree of accuracy to validate the identity of a vehicle, and the system must usually interface with a gate control system.

Reader Service No 109

Completely parking

Alfia claims its Optipark is "one of the most technically advanced and secure parking systems available".

"It is especially suited to large sites and sensitive areas, providing instantaneous recognition of vehicle registration plates, to discern between authorised and unauthorised users," Alfia says.

The systems features 'hot list' alerts, entry/exit transaction log with time/date and owner ID, alerts on vehicles exceeding user-defined stay periods, revenue collection integrated with other Alfia products, ticketless revenue collection, and additional cameras for supplementary images.

Reader Service No 110

Added Tensor

Tensor's ANPR system takes photographs of all vehicles that approach a gate or barrier, even when they are denied access, giving the user visual evidence of any vehicle trying to enter the site without permission.

The TANPR software makes it easy to add and remove number plates from its database. Gates are automatically opened for approved vehicles to enter a site.

Reader Service No 111

One-box Siemens

The Siemens ANPR outstation is a one-box solution that is designed to be easy to install and maintain. The outstation provides IR illumination, video image capture, character recognition and transmission of data, within a single enclosure.

It can be mounted on any suitable item of street furniture, such as a bridge, walkway, lighting column, traffic signal pole or similar.

The Siemens ANPR instation runs on a PC using the latest Windows operating systems and a relational database.

Reader Service No 112

Hooked on Bigfish

The Genesis 'Bigfish' CCTV/ANPR system is simple for operators to use but can provide valuable management and intelligence information, the company says. Information can be accessed from anywhere on the network.

The system is integrated into the CCTV control room to allow the CCTV operators the ability to view hits as they happen and react in time to follow the vehicle.

It allows an unlimited number of users to access the system at anyone time. Alerts can be received anywhere on the network.

Reader Service No 113

Caught by the Talon

Appian's Talon ANPR system is an accurate and reliable security tool for a wide range of static and mobile applications – from access control to motorway surveillance, the company says.

Available with both conventional CCTV and pulsed infrared cameras for high speed situations, the system is widely used by police and site security professionals, as well as highways and transportation organisations.

Reader Service No 114

Dynamic monitoring

Neurodynamics' ANPR system has been designed for uses including monitoring access to car parks, automated toll payments and as a deterrent to 'drive-offs' on petrol station forecourts.

It captures number plates at speeds over 100mph, and can read international plate formats. It is able to record associated multiple overview and side view cameras along with the ANPR camera plate image.

The system offers real time plate matching, fuzzy search matching, unlimited local and/or remote data sources, and black and white lists.

Reader Service No 115

Get Smart

Smart CCTV Ltd says its SNPR technology "moves automatic number plate recognition away from the problems associated with supporting Windows-based PCs and embeds the algorithm into a smart camera".

The fully embedded system comes in all-in-one, durable housing, and can read up to 20 number plates a second.

It is able to read number plates up to 20m away, and Ethernet interface and web browser set up comes as standard.

The plate reading is done onboard the camera, which itself is viewable over the internet from any PC. A memory of up to 20,000 plates can be stored in the smart camera.

Reader Service No 116

Check it out

CheckPlate from The ANPR Company features a car park management application which is used at public and private car parks, both paying and non-paying, where control of car park usage is required. The application consists of two software applications, which may be combined in complex parking operations.

The ANPR Company says: "A camera will monitor each of the car park entry/exit lanes and the video will be sent to the appropriate control room for recognition and processing."

Reader Service No 117

In the CitySync

CitySync has launched several new ANPR products. The Jet RoadRunner Commander is a robust mobile ANPR system designed for vehicle or temporary fixed site use. Rapidly deployed, it will read plates from up to four lanes of fast moving traffic simultaneously.

The Jet Blackbird remote processor unit is a powerful and compact PC that is suited to usage where a small, robust unit is required, capable of withstanding the rigours of an industrial environment.

The JetCam iQ Wasp camera is designed for use in mobile applications where it can easily be fitted to a police vehicle.

Reader Service No 118