A License Plate Recognition and Speed Detection System - Index of

I. Abstract
Since the 1980’s law enforcement has deployed traffic enforcement camera systems to
monitor roadways for traffic violations. There are a variety of commercially available systems
today that can capture images of vehicles running red lights, passing toll booths without paying,
speeding, or traveling on restricted lanes. “In many cases the LPR unit is added as retrofit in
addition to existing solutions, such as a magnetic card reader or ticket dispenser/reader, in order
to add more functionality to the existing facility (Ref 32)”. Basic systems capture images of
passing vehicles and require human intervention to decipher license plate numbers. A person will
have to analyze the picture containing the traffic violation, decipher the license plate number of
the violating vehicle, and generate the fine for the violation. More advanced systems use image
processing techniques to extract license plate numbers from camera images. This allows traffic
fines to be automatically generated and sent to the appropriate violator without the need for
human intervention. These types of systems are called license plate recognition (LPR) systems or
automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems.
The technology for these systems has advanced over the generations. Now whole
networks of traffic cameras are being deployed across cities to continually monitor vehicles on
city roads. Several cities in the United Kingdom including Northampton, Bradford, Stoke and the
City of London have deployed ANPR systems. A push is being made to have all roadways in the
United Kingdom be monitored by ANPR cameras. Currently, information from all traffic
cameras in the United Kingdom is stored in one central repository called the National ANPR
Data Centre. The data stored at this central repository is used in a multitude of ways. Data can
be accessed in real time by police providing a way to locate suspected vehicles in real time. Data
mining techniques are also applied against the central repository providing an endless flow of
3