Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

ABSTRACT:
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the number plates on vehicles. They can use existing closed-circuit television or road-rule enforcement cameras, or ones specifically designed for the task. They are used by various police forces and as a method of electronic toll collection on pay-per-use roads and cataloging the movements of traffic or individuals. ANPR can be used to store the images captured by the cameras as well as the text from the number plate, with some configurable to store a photograph of the driver. Systems commonly use infrared lighting to allow the camera to take the picture at any time of the day. ANPR technology tends to be region-specific, owing to plate variation from place to place. Recent advances in technology have taken automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems from fixed applications to mobile ones. Scaled-down components at more cost-effective price points have led to a record number of deployments by law enforcement agencies around the world. Detection of number plate is an important process in intelligent transportation systems before number plate recognition. In this paper, we proposed an autonomous number plate detection system with computer vision instead of sensors. Using characteristics of dynamic images, our system rapidly identifies the number plate region. The system consists of two subsystems: car detection subsystem and plate extraction subsystem. Plate extraction subsystem uses the characteristics of the plates and plate searching algorithm to extract plate image. Experimental results show that our system can effectively detect vehicles and locate the plates under different environments.

CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION:
The system of ANPR is an image processing technology used to identify the vehicles through their license plates. This technology is used in various security and traffic applications. One is for the parking system license plate is used for admission to subscribe automatically and calculates a parking ticket for not subscribe (to see the time in and out). The existing license plate detection and recognition systems can be divided into two major categories: on lane and on road. On lane applications, it is often used at car park or entrance of place. Many of those are using some sensors to determine the car has been stopped in the appropriate place before capturing image, and then detect plate on predefined area. The plate would not be detected if the car is not at proper position. The main problem of this system is how to recognize and read the vehicle license is automatically. The first step should be done in automatic vehicle identification license is to identify the area (region) from the license plate itself, so the system can distinguish which is the license plate area and the area that is not license plates. The second step is to read the letters and numbers from license plates of vehicles that are the vehicle license automatically. Research to identify the location of license plates of vehicles mostly uses edge detection and Hough transform, and use connected component analysis. Acosta in his research found that for license plates that have a background color (background) the same color as the vehicle difficult to identify by using edge detection and Hough transformation. Acosta found that recognition method using spectral analysis have a higher success rate and a faster computation time to recognize license plates of vehicles in the USA. In this study, a real-time APNR system for parking access that consists of two subsystems: car detection subsystem and license plate detection subsystem is proposed. The car detection subsystem uses a detector distance circuit using distance sensor PING. Microcontroller Basic stamp will count the time needed to receive the ultrasonic waves and determine the distance to the car. License plate detection subsystem has two modules: license plate location detection using Fourier Transformation that based on research of Acosta, and character segmentation and character recognition uses Hidden Markov Model. In the character segmentation stage, a preprocessing technique was proposed to determine the type of vehicle license plate. This study used an experiment with the plate number of private vehicles (a white background and black

characters), the government vehicle (a white background and red characters) and public transportation (yellow background and black characters). The research is expected to contribute in the field of ANPR, which will be developed and applied to a system of border controls access, parking system, or automatically to help solve traffic problems and security in Indonesia.

CHAPTER-2 Development History:

The Automatic number plate recognition ANPR was invented in 1976 at the Police Scientific Development Branch in the UK. Prototype systems were working by 1979, and contracts were let to produce industrial systems, first at EMI Electronics, and then at Computer Recognition Systems (CRS) in Wokingham, UK. Early trial systems were deployed on the A1 road and at the Dart ford Tunnel. The first arrest through detection of a stolen car was made in 1981.

CHAPTER-3 Components & Technology:

The software aspect of the system runs on standard home computer hardware and can be linked to other applications or databases. It first uses a series of image manipulation techniques to detect, normalize and enhance the image of the number plate, and then optical character recognition (OCR) to extract the alphanumeric of the license plate. ANPR systems are generally deployed in one of two basic approaches: one allows for the entire process to be performed at the lane location in real-time, and the other transmits all the images from many lanes to a remote computer location and performs the OCR process there at some later point in time. When done at the lane site, the information captured of the plate alphanumeric, date-time, lane identification, and any other information that is required is completed in somewhere around 250 milliseconds. This information, now small data packets, can easily be transmitted to some remote computer for further processing if necessary, or stored at the lane for later retrieval. In the other arrangement, there are typically large numbers of PCs used in a server farm to handle high workloads, such as those found in the London congestion charge project. Often in such systems, there is a

requirement to forward images to the remote server, and this can require larger bandwidth transmission media. ANPR uses optical character recognition (OCR) on images taken by cameras. When Dutch vehicle registration plates switched to a different style in 2002, one of the changes made was to the font, introducing small gaps in some letters (such as P and R) to make them more distinct and therefore more legible to such systems. Some license plate arrangements use variations in font sizes and positioningANPR systems must be able to cope with such differences in order to be truly effective. More complicated systems can cope with international variants, though many programs are individually tailored to each country. The cameras used can include existing road-rule enforcement or closed-circuit television cameras, as well as mobile units, which are usually attached to vehicles. Some systems use infrared cameras to take a clearer image of the plates.

CHAPTER-4 ALGORITHMS:
There are six primary algorithms that the software requires for identifying a license plate: 1. Plate localization responsible for finding and isolating the plate on the picture. 2. Plate orientation and sizing compensates for the skew of the plate and adjusts the dimensions to the required size. 3. Normalization adjusts the brightness and contrast of the image. 4. Character segmentation finds the individual characters on the plates. 5. Optical character recognition. 6. Syntactical/Geometrical analysis check characters and positions against countryspecific rules. The complexity of each of these subsections of the program determines the accuracy of the system. During the third phase (normalization), some systems use edge detection techniques to increase the picture difference between the letters and the plate backing. A median filter may also be used to reduce the visual noise on the image.

CHAPTER-5 HARDWARE FOR ANPR:

At the front end of any ANPR system is the imaging hardware which captures the image of the license plates. The initial image capture forms a critically important part of the ANPR system which, in accordance to the Garbage In, Garbage Out principle of computing, will often determine the overall performance. License plate capture is typically performed by specialized cameras designed specifically for the task. Factors which pose difficulty for license plate imaging cameras include speed of the vehicles being recorded, varying ambient lighting conditions, headlight glare and harsh environmental conditions. Most dedicated license plate capture cameras will incorporate infrared illumination in order to solve the problems of lighting and plate reflectivity.

Many countries now use license plates that are retro reflective. This returns the light back to the source and thus improves the contrast of the image. In some countries, the characters on the plate are not reflective, giving a high level of contrast with the reflective background in any lighting conditions. A camera that makes use of active infrared imaging (with a normal color filter over the lens and an infrared illuminator next to it) benefits greatly from this as the infrared waves are reflected back from the plate. This is only possible on dedicated ANPR cameras, however, and so cameras used for other purposes must rely more heavily on the software capabilities. Further, when a full-color image is required as well as uses of the ANPR-retrieved details it is necessary to have one infrared-enabled camera and one normal (color) camera working together. To avoid blurring it is ideal to have the shutter speed of a dedicated camera set to 1/1000 of a second. Because the car is moving, slower shutter speeds could result in an image which is too blurred to read using the OCR software, especially if the camera is much higher up than the vehicle. In slow-moving traffic, or when the camera is at a lower level and the vehicle is at an angle approaching the camera, the shutter speed does not need to be so fast. Shutter speeds of 1/500 of a second can cope with traffic moving up to 40 mph (64 km/h) and 1/250 of a second up to 5 mph (8 km/h). License plate capture cameras can now produce usable images from vehicles traveling at 120 mph (190 km/h). To maximize the chances of effective license plate capture, installers should carefully consider the positioning of the camera relative to the target capture area. Exceeding threshold angles of incidence between camera lens and license plate will greatly reduce the probability of obtaining

usable images due to distortion. Manufacturers have developed tools to help eliminate errors from the physical installation of license plate capture cameras.

CHAPTER-6 WORKING SYSTEM OF ANPR:

The following diagram show how this system works.

Working steps includes: 1. Images captured from a video camera are sent to the module responsible for license plate recognition based on DTK ANPR Engine.

2. The vehicle license plate number is recognized from the video stream.

3. The results are sent to the module, which performs validation according to database of registered vehicles.

4. This module decides whether to allow or deny entry to the vehicle and send a signal to a special device to open a barrier. The ANPR process is divided into three steps. The detection of the vehicle, the capture of the images and the process of recognition. Next, we will detail step by step how it works and depending on each case what the advantages and disadvantages are:6.1 Detection of the vehicle: The first step is to take an image of the vehicle at the right time. Thus, the number plate of the vehicle will be visible in the image. Nowadays, three kind of trigger control exist
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Hardware trigger: The ANPR equipment controls physically a sensor directly installed in the lane. Whenever a vehicle has been detected by the sensor, the ANPR equipment will know its presence, and then the process of the capture begins.

Software trigger: The ANPR equipment communicates with the client application, which physically controls a sensor directly installed in the lane. Whenever a vehicle has been detected by the sensor, the client application knows the presence of the vehicle and communicates it to the ANPR equipment. At this moment the process of the capture begins.

Free flow: The ANPR equipment does not need to receive signal from any external sensor. The ANPR equipment takes images continuously and it is able to detect the vehicles automatically.

6.2 Capture of the images: Once the vehicle is detected, the following step is the capture of the vehicle. In order to take a right image, the following points will have to be considered.

Type of cameras:

Interlace camera: The capture of the images is made in two steps. First uneven lines and later the even lines. This type of cameras are cheaper but its use is not recommended for ANPR because if the vehicle is in movement, the number plate appears defocused .

Progressive cameras: The capture of imagines is made at once. The use of this type of cameras is totally recommended because if the vehicle is in movement the number plate always appears focused.

Type of light: Infrared light is used generally for the ANPR equipment. Although some ANPR equipment are able to use the daylight and the infrared light during the night.

Infrared light: The ANPR systems use infrared light because the human eye cannot detect it without other devices. One infrared filter located in the camera allows emphasizing the number plate, but, in the other hand, the rest of elements of the image are darkened.

There are the examples:

Daylight: It is perceived by the human eye. It allows taking images in which the vehicle is distinguished.

Light management: The type of light is as important as how it is managed. It is possible to use any typical technique of photography, but the ANPR manufacturers have chosen two great ways: To control the light emitted by the focus To control the light that enters in the camera

6.3 Number plate recognition process: Each ANPR manufacturer has developed its own recognition algorithms, although, these are the main ones and the common ones. Following steps are being followed: 1. To locate and to isolate the number plate in the image 2. To correct the brightness and the contrast of the number plate 3. To separate each character of the number plate 4. To recognize each character of the number plate

CHAPTER-7 APPLICATION AREAS OF ANPR:

Automatic Number Plate Recognition has a wide range of applications since the license number is the primary, most widely accepted, human readable, mandatory identifier of motor vehicles. Here are some of the application areas of ANPR have been discussed. Some important are as follows: 7.1 ANPR IN MOBILE SYSTEMS: Recent advances in technology have taken automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems from fixed applications to mobile ones. Scaled-down components at more cost-effective price points have led to a record number of deployments by law enforcement agencies around the world. Smaller cameras with the ability to read license plates at high speeds, along with smaller, more durable processors that fit in the trunks of police vehicles, allow law enforcement officers

to patrol daily with the benefit of license plate reading in real time, when they can interdict immediately. Despite their effectiveness, there are noteworthy challenges related with mobile ANPRs. One of the biggest is that the processor and the cameras must work fast enough to accommodate relative speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h), a likely scenario in the case of oncoming traffic. This equipment must also be very efficient since the power source is the vehicle battery, and equipment must be small to minimize the space it requires. Relative speed is only one issue that affects the camera's ability to actually read a license plate. Algorithms must be able to compensate for all the variables that can affect the ANPR's ability to produce an accurate read, such as time of day, weather and angles between the cameras and the license plates. A system's illumination wavelengths can also have a direct impact on the resolution and accuracy of a read in these conditions. Installing ANPR cameras on law enforcement vehicles requires careful consideration of the juxtaposition of the cameras to the license plates they are to read. Using the right number of cameras and positioning them accurately for optimal results can prove challenging, given the various missions and environments at hand. Highway patrol requires forward-looking cameras that span multiple lanes and are able to read license plates at very high speeds. City patrol needs shorter range, lower focal length cameras for capturing plates on parked cars. Parking lots with perpendicularly parked cars often require a specialized camera with a very short focal length. Most technically advanced systems are flexible and can be configured with a number of cameras ranging from one to four which can easily be repositioned as needed. States with rear-only license plates have an additional challenge since a forward-looking camera is ineffective with incoming traffic. In this case one camera may be turned backwards. 7.2 PARKING: One of the main applications of ANPR is parking automation and parking security: ticketless parking fee management, parking access automation, vehicle location guidance, car theft prevention, "lost ticket" fraud, fraud by changing tickets, simplified, partially or fully automated payment process, amongst many others. 7.3 ACCESS CONTROL:

Access control in general is a mechanism for limiting access to areas and resources based on users' identities and their membership in various predefined groups. Access to limited zones, however, may also be managed based on the accessing vehicles alone or together with personal identity. License plate recognition brings automation of vehicle access control management, providing increased security, car pool management for logistics, security guide assistance, event logging, event management, keeping access diary, possibilities for analysis and data mining. 7.4 BORDER CONTROL: Border Control is an established state-coordinated effort to achieve operational control of the country's state border with the priority mission of supporting the homeland's security against terrorism, illegal cross border traffic, smuggling and criminal activities. Efficient border control significantly decreases the rate of violent crime and increases the society's security. Automatic number plate recognition adds significant value by event logging, establishing investigate-able databases of border crossings, alarming on suspicious passings, at many more. 7.5 JOURNEY TIME MEASUREMENT: Journey Time Measurement is a very efficient and widely usable method of understanding traffic, detecting conspicuous situations and events, etc. A computer vision based system has its well known downfalls in Journey Time Measurement, while Automatic Number Plate Recognition has provided its viability: vehicle journey times can be measured reliably by automatic number plate recognition-based systems. Data collected by license plate recognition systems can be used in many ways after processing: feeding back information to road users to increase traffic security, helping efficient law enforcement, optimizing traffic routes, reducing costs and time, etc. 7.6 LAW ENFORCEMENT: Automatic number plate recognition is an ideal technology to be used for law enforcement purposes. It is able to automatically identify stolen cars based on the up-to date blacklist. Other very common law enforcement applications are red-light enforcement and over speed charging and bus lane control.

CHAPTER-8 USES OF ANPR SYSTEM:

Several companies and agencies use ANPR systems. These include Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Police Information Technology Organization (PITO) and Transport for London. ANPR systems may also be used for/by:

Section control, to measure average vehicle speed over longer distances. Border crossings Automobile repossessions. Filling stations to log when a motorist drives away without paying for their fuel. A marketing tool to log patterns of use. Traffic management systems, which determine traffic flow using the time it takes vehicles to pass two ANPR sites. Drive through Customer Recognition, to automatically recognize customers based on their license plate and offer them the items they ordered the last time they used the service, improving service to the customer. To assist visitor management systems in recognizing guest vehicles.

Two major areas where there ANPR system can be effectively used are: 8.1 TRAFFIC CONTROL: Many cities and districts have developed traffic control systems to help monitor the movement and flow of vehicles around the road network. This had typically involved looking at historical data, estimates, observations and statistics such as:

Car park usage. Pedestrian crossing usage. Number of vehicles along a road.

Areas of low and high congestion. Frequency, location and cause of road works.

CCTV cameras can be used to help traffic control centers by giving them live data, allowing for traffic management decisions to be made in real-time. By using ANPR on this footage it is possible to monitor the travel of individual vehicles, automatically providing information about the speed and flow of various routes. These details can highlight problem areas as and when they occur and help the centre to make informed incident management decisions. Some counties of the United Kingdom have worked with Siemens Traffic to develop traffic monitoring systems for their own control centers and for the public.[34] Projects such as Hampshire County Council's ROMANSE provide an interactive and real-time web site showing details about traffic in the city. The site shows information about car parks, ongoing road works, special events and footage taken from CCTV cameras. ANPR systems can be used to provide average driving times along particular routes, giving drivers the ability to choose which one to take. ROMANSE also allows travelers to see the current situation using a mobile device with an Internet connection (such as WAP, GPRS or 3G), thus allowing them to be alerted to any problems that are ahead. The UK Company Traffic master has used ANPR since 1998 to estimate average traffic speeds on non-motorway roads without the results being skewed by local fluctuations caused by traffic lights and similar. The company now operates a network of over 4000 ANPR cameras, but claims that only the four most central digits are identified, and no number plate data is retained.

IEEE transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems (IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society) published some papers on the plate number recognition technologies and applications.

8.2 ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION: Ontario's 407 ETR highway uses a combination of ANPR and radio transponders to toll vehicles entering and exiting the road. Radio antennas are located at each junction and detect the transponders, logging the unique identity of each vehicle in much the same way as the ANPR system does. Without ANPR as a second system it would not be possible to monitor all the traffic. Drivers who opt to rent a transponder for C$2.55 per month are not charged the "Video Toll Charge" of C$3.60 for using the road, with heavy vehicles (those with a gross weight of over 5,000 kg) being required to use one. Using either system, users of the highway are notified of the usage charges by post.

There are numerous other electronic toll collection networks which use this combination of Radio frequency identification and ANPR. These include:

Bridge Pass for the Saint John Harbor Bridge in Saint John New Brunswick Quick pass at the Golden Ears Bridge, crossing the Fraser River between Langley and Maple Ridge City Link & East link in Melbourne, Australia Gateway Motorway and Logan Motorway, Brisbane, Australia Fastback in California, United States Highway 6 in Israel Tunnels in Hong Kong Utopists Central in Santiago, Chile (site in Spanish) E-Zaps in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts (as Fast Lane), Virginia (formerly Smart Tag), and other States. Maryland Route 200 uses a combination of E-Zaps and ANPR. Toll Tag in North Texas. I-Pass in Illinois Pike Pass in Oklahoma. OGS (Automatic Geri Systemic) used at Bosporus Bridges and Trans European Motorway entry points in Istanbul, Turkey. M50 West link Toll in Dublin, Ireland Hi-pass in South Korea Northern Gateway, SH 1, Auckland, New Zealand