Why you shouldn’t use a video security camera as an ALPR camera

Many of the larger and know smaller security camera manufactures are now jumping on the ALPR bandwagon and producing so called LPR capable surveillance cameras. What does that mean, LPR capable?

Security Camera

Capable meaning, the camera is equipped with some feature to see a license plate. This could mean many things including IR lights, low light sensitive and so forth. LPR or ALPR or ANPR, which is all of the same, are very specialized cameras. While at ISC West a gentleman from Boeing approached and sales person whom was selling an ALPR solution. I happen to over hear the conversation. The scientist, I’m assuming the gentlemen from Boeing was a scientist, asked the sales person what makes the camera or ALPR so special.  The response was; well that’s not important at this time. 

So what is so special about an ALPR camera? IPVM.com published an article about License Plate Capture Shootout. In the natural selection process to determine which product to test IPVM.com only testest and write about sponsor provided equipment and then try to provide an unbiased report, they’ve selected 3 cameras. One from each of the IPVM self created categories. These categories are Super Low Light Cameras, Integrated IR Cameras, and finally the Purpose Built License Plate Cameras. Now, take into account only one camera claims to be an actual LPR camera. The other two are compromises for ALPR cameras and do not claim to be ALPR cameras but can be used as such.

In my experience, LPR cameras are typically a two-lens system. IPVM.com only tested cameras with single lens; the purpose built license plate camera also only has one lens, a monochrome or Black and White lens. The testing criteria developed by IPVM.com were based on daytime performance, nighttime performance and speed below 10mph and above 40mph. As a disclaimer, having many years of actual ALPR experience design and deploying systems, this article was very difficult to read. I felt it missed the point of LPR but then soon realized the good information it provided. 

The test does not specify the software used only cameras. Ahh, but let me tell you the cameras selected would make impressive cameras for a video surveillance deployment. Camera one which is a bullet style camera has a specification of 1080p resolution. Camera two has a resolution of 1.3 MP and camera three a resolution of 720p. Very impressive, but do you see the issue here?  It’s apparent that the cameras that are surveillance cameras (1,3) trying to be LPR camera will fail miserably at night capture. Experienced integrators that have deployed HD cameras outdoors can tell you all about it.  So it’s no surprise to see results like this:

Picture Courtesy of IPVM.com

Video cameras have one purpose and that is to function as a video camera. Going back to the Boeing Scientist ‘s question, “ What makes the ALPR camera so special”? The short answer is it reads license plates very well, because it’s sole purpose is to read license plates day or night and with a high level of accuracy. 

Picture Courtesy of IPVM.com

At ISC West 2014 I saw it with my own eyes a camera that will change all of what I just said. It will make me eat my words that a video camera cannot be a LPR camera. A company by the name of Image Sensing Systems has developed a dual purpose LPR camera. Dual purpose in that it can function as a surveillance camera and LPR camera with PTZ functionally. I’ll have more on this camera once it’s released.

Like all good things, this article must also come to an end. Thanks to the research that IPVM.com released regarding using video surveillance cameras as LPR camera. The result in my opinion is that video cameras will fail miserably as LPR cameras.  A video camera is not suited to meet the higher demands of the outdoor environment for such a precision task of scanning and identifying the digits of a license plate.  Specialized ALPR camera is made for that very reason.

In closing I leave you with this. I attended a workshop for filmmakers. Making movies is a hobby of mine. The presenter was the Director of Photography for Saturday Night Live. When I walked in to the room that was arranged as a movie set with cameras from small to impressive posed on tripods.  The presented started with this, “ I’m showing you my tools. Every camera you see here I have operated, there is no magical camera that does it all, each camera in this room has it’s purpose, and is good for that purpose only.”

What Heroes and Villains Teach Us about Business

As a child I loved watching cartoons staring my favorite super hero. For me the allure of watching every episode religiously was not to see if the hero will save the world, but if the hero will finally realize whom the villain was behind the mask. See, I knew the true identity of the anti-hero. I wanted to see if others would catch on and see the villain for who he really is. As time passed and I grew older I realized that the folks in the cartoon would for one slight moment figure out the true Identity of the scoundrel. Once they did the allure slowing faded as the truth revealed itself.  The cartoon was no longer attractive to me. 

I believe it is important for ALPR OEM’s to focus on the task of creating, developing the best ALPR technology. A technology that makes a difference, creates efficiency in a process and ultimately saves lives. I believe the authentic use of ALPR in Law Enforcement is to make efficient a process that is already in use. The courts have regularly held that police officers are allowed to randomly type license tags into their computer as they pass by. ALPR systems are just a version of that process but on steroids. 

Where I see the industry turning into a dark corner is the blurred lines between law enforcement collected data and civilian collected data. I have a problem when a commercial business has access to the same data law enforcement has access too. When is it right for a repo companies to gain access to the same data local law enforcement has? So, it’s alright for law enforcement to collect license plates for insurance companies, banks, etc.. and then pay to see the data they just collected using tax payers money. Law enforcement tools are meant for law enforcement so is the data they collect.  Law enforcement collected the data they should not be charged to see their own data.

My anti-hero analogy holds very true for many ALPR companies in this day and age. hiding behind a mask anti-heros claim to be one thing but their actions prove to be the latter. "Actions Speak Louder Than Words", hold true for some companies in the ALPR industry.  Disguising the fact that Law enforcement collects the data, then have to turn around and pay to see the data just does not set right with tax payers.  

Best of ISC West 2014

This week at ISC West 2014 I visited many ALPR booths. This year there are lots of new exciting products that will revolutionize ALPR industry and in contrast many of the same old products just revamped.

Image Sensing Systems EX 140

At ISC West 2014 I was looking for ALPR products that was thrilling, innovative and revolutionary. I am glad to report that I found it. Image Sensing Systems (ISS) from Saint Paul Minnesota had the most innovative ALPR camera. The ES-140 which is all IP full HD ALPR camera. What makes this product exciting is it’s a PTZ ALPR camera.

I’ve deployed many ALPR systems and from a stand point of an installer, PTZ ALPR will shorten my installation time. But the biggest advantage of this PTZ ALPR camera is that it serves dual purpose. The camera can function as an IP PTZ camera as well as and overview camera for the ALPR image capture. Other features that got us excited was the built in processor. What this means is that the processing of the images are done right at the edge so are the analytics. Making this camera a true edge device product as well as an intelligent LPR camera. It also has a built-in (optional) 64GB SSD drive for those times connection to the server is lost, and 1.6GHz T56N Dual Core Processor. Plenty of horse power to preform advance analytics at the edge. The focal length of 10mm to 40mm zoom at 1080p with a frame rate of 50 fps is also something impressive and worth mentioning.

By the way, have I commented that this camera is a progressive scan camera? With progressive scan, an entire image frame is sent over a network and when displayed on a computer monitor, each line of an image is put on the screen one at a time in perfect order. Moving objects are, therefore, better presented on computer screens. Connecting this IP ALPR camera to your network is easy. First pick your communication. ISS covers everything from your basic RJ45 to wireless, WiFi, and serial connection. Configuration is simple and straight forward the staple of Image Sensing Systems.

ISS Ex 140

We were very impressed with what this IP ALPR camera has to offer on paper. We are looking forward to getting our hands on one of these to see how it preforms. Image Sensing Systems say is due to be released late 3rd quarter. List price is somewhere around 15k and 20k per unit.

Companies like Image Sensing Systems and others whom I met at ISC West 2014 are what gets me excited. Pushing the envelope of technology, product improvements, challenging themselves to solve the true issues and developing products that are solution driven. This is what makes ISC West.