automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is a monitoring technique that automatically detects and evaluates license plates while the vehicle is in motion. This technology is also known as Automatic License-plate Recognition (ALPR), Automatic Vehicle Identification( AVI), Car Plate Recognition( CPR) and License Plate Recognition( LPR).

ANPR technology can be used equally for checking or collecting tolls, Electronic Toll Collection( ETC), speeding, motor vehicle theft, and individual motor vehicle movement profiling.

APNR technology usually uses flash or infrared light to capture the license plate number and possibly the driver's face during the day, at dusk, and in the dark. The captured license plate is often of poor quality, it has low contrast, is noisy, has low resolution and is difficult to read. The captured photo is prepared using image processing so that the image analysis system can identify the license plate using optical character recognition( OCR).

Depending on the data protection guidelines of the respective country, these systems are only allowed to perform limited functions.