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172 | PARKING
Smart made simple
Reliability and usability go hand in hand
as ALPR technologies become more
intelligent and web connected
Words | Sílvia Vilanova, Quercus Technologies, Spain
Having made continuous strides to improve
algorithm performance in order to provide
highly reliable results, current trends in
ALPR technology focus on also providing
easy-to-use and technologically advanced
features that are in line with the principles
of automation and smart mobility present
in parking lot design.
Quercus Technologies is able to use
its extensive experience as a developer
and provider of ALPR technologies to
renovate its units to better compete in
the growing technologically advanced
parking environment. The company’s
new SmartLPR Access unit combines
a small and stylish camera with user-friendly
hardware and software. The camera is based
on plug-and-play and is configured for the
web, making installation easy. The simplified
system architecture avoids the need to
open the camera, and contributes to the
straightforward installation and sealing
of the unit.
The unit is set up via an internal web
server. Using a common browser, the
operator can connect to the unit and adjust
the motorized lens so that license plates can
be seen from different angles. The hosted
configuration enables the user to set the
zoom and focus of the unit remotely so that
plates are perfectly centered, ready for the
optical character recognition (OCR) process.
The operation can be checked instantly to
see if any readjustments are needed.
Worldwide reach
As cities continue to grow, the demand for
parking also grows. Parking operators are
required to control more facilities, and to
monitor more vehicles entering and exiting
the same building. Increased automation
and centralization of car lot management
is a trend reflected in solutions such
as cloud-based parking systems
and automatic payment solutions.
The SmartLPR configuration tool enables
the configuration of multiple devices in the
Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2015
(Left) The
simple
and stylish
SmartLPR
Access unit
same facility simultaneously. All of the units
are detected automatically and the settings
of one unit are automatically applied to all, or
to those chosen by the user. The initial setup
and further changes can be accessed from
any web browser. No additional software
needs to be installed, and this is reflected
in cost efficiency and a short setup time.
The easy-to-use hardware is controlled
by advanced algorithms that provide
optimum reliability for license plates
worldwide. Within one unit, SmartLPR
Access can recognize license plates
from numerous different countries in
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America
and the USA. The challenges associated with
being able to read such a wide variety of
plates have been overcome with complex
heuristic algorithms that can cope with
complex plates.
SmartLPR Access captures detailed
images at any time of day or night and
provides optimum accuracy for Arabic
characters, double-lined or color-coded
plates. It can also recognize differences
between license plates from different
states within the same country. It is able
to cope with the diversity of US number
plates by capturing color images and
using customized algorithms to recognize
the license plate pattern and correctly
identify the state and the text number.
Smart mobility
As more consumers are going mobile
and pay-by-plate solutions are evolving,
information collected through license
plate recognition can be integrated into
various systems that support those tools
and contribute to smart mobility. Using
LPR technologies, applications can be
developed to prebook parking spaces
online; use traditional payment methods
such as pay-on-foot and pay-on-exit; and
accommodate cashless payment methods.
Moreover, data could be used to help
make business decisions based on
customer behavior.
The ALPR sector has experienced
some of the most advanced developments
PARKING | 173
(Left) Quercus
SmartLPR
Access
software
in ITS. However, many of these developments have
focused on parking differentiation and improving
the end-user experience. ALPR should also address
the need for reliable and user-friendly software and
hardware architecture. Therefore, technical features
such as plug-and-play connectivity, easy-to-use
back-office tools with smart preset options and web
server configuration for easy, and remote setup
and maintenance, should be also integrated
in the holistic approach of ALPR solutions.
Within a ‘smart city’ concept, parking
lots are no longer just simple garages; they
have evolved into comfortable spaces that
contribute to making mobility as smooth
and as automated as possible.
While achieving maximum reliability for all
the license plates in each country remains the
focus of Quercus’s LPR units, the new SmartLPR
Access is a great example of what advanced
21st century LPR technology should deliver. n
Annual Showcase 2015 | Intertraffic World