Our bullet series cameras can perform license plate recognition. This guide will take you through the requirements and steps to ensure LPR delivers the best results. For a more detailed explanation of how LPR works navigate to this guide.
Note: You must be an organization admin to enable LPR Mode.
Note: After enabling LPR mode on a camera and configuring it, it will take up to 5 minutes for results to populate.
Installing the LPR camera
Before installing your LPR Camera, there are a few considerations to keep in mind for the best results.
Lane Monitoring
The CB51 & CB61 cameras should be positioned to face a single lane of traffic for vehicles traveling 20 MPH or less, such as an entrance or drive-thru.
The CB52 cameras can be positioned to face a single lane of traffic for vehicles traveling 80 mph / 128 kph
The CB62 cameras can be positioned to face multiple lanes of traffic for vehicles traveling 80 mph / 128 kph
Optimal Plate Detection
To ensure optimal license plate detection with the CB51-E & CB61-E cameras, it is recommended that vehicles be within 60ft / 18m of the camera.
To ensure optimal license plate detection with the CB52-TE & CB62-TE cameras, it is recommended that vehicles be within 115ft / 35m of the camera. However, it is possible to detect license plate details from up to 164ft / 50m away or further.
To ensure optimal license plate detection with the CB52-E & CB62-E cameras, it is recommended that vehicles be within 46ft / 14m of the camera. However, it is possible to detect license plate details from up to 66ft / 20m away or further.
Proper Positioning Improves Accuracy
The CB51 & CB61 cameras should be positioned no more than 20º horizontally and/or 40º vertically from the location of the license plate.
The CB52 & CB62 cameras should be positioned less than 30° vertically or horizontally from the location of the license plate. It is acceptable to have a larger angle for lower speeds (e.g. 45° for parking lot deployments) and recommended to have a smaller angle for fast speeds (e.g. 15° for highway deployments). The camera may still be able to capture adequate images outside of these angles, but with a lesser degree of accuracy.
Lighting
If the area where license plates will be captured is far away and not well lit, it is strongly recommended to use an external IR illuminator to improve the visibility of the license plates.
Enabling LPR feature
Note: You must be an organization admin to enable LPR feature.
Navigate to All Products > Admin > Privacy & Security
Select Feature Manager
Enable Licence Plate recognition
Once License Plate Recognition has been enabled this will be available to be activated on applicable cameras.
Enabling LPR on a camera
Note: You must be an organization admin to enable LPR Mode.
To enable LPR Mode
Navigate to the designated LPR Camera
Select Settings
Select Analytics
Next to License Plate Recognition (LPR) Mode select Enable
Once LPR has been enabled the camera will go through a firmware update which may take five minutes or more to finish.
Configuring the LPR camera
Once LPR mode has been enabled on a camera follow the prompts to complete the setup.
Ensure that the camera image is set to the recommended mounting angles then click Next.
Configure the Optical Zoom so that the passing vehicle takes up more than half of the frame. Use Auto Focus or Manual Focus if the image becomes blurry after using the Optical Zoom then click Next.
Click and drag a region of interest over the area that license plates will pass through then click Next. The selected area must be less than half of the entire frame.
Optional: Add a context camera to capture the scene for the full view of vehicle events then click I'm done.
Note: You can also get back to this menu by clicking the cogwheel to the right of a license plate event on the Events page.
Viewing License Plates on the Events Page
Viewing license plates captured
Once a camera has been enabled for LPR and Vehicle analytics mode a new section of Command will be available to view under the Vehicles page of all captured license plates. This area will show all the captured license plates along with a clip of when the capture happened.
Filtering for specific license plates
You can use the search bar to find a specific license plate. Entering the license plate will bring up the exact clip(s) of when it was seen. You are also able to filter for a specific camera along with a specific day.
Enable License Plates of Interest Alerts
First, ensure you have alerts enabled for license plates. Navigate to Events and click the bell icon next to the License Plates of Interest button.
Next, select the methods you wish to use to receive notifications.
To enable license plates of interest, select the license plate you wish to add.
Select '+ License plate for interest' in the top right
This will add the entry to your 'license plate of interest list'
Note: Any plate added as a license plate of interest affects all other users. If you add a plate, any other user configured to receive alerts will be notified if that plate is detected.