Abstract
Cost effective image capture of license plates, both front and rear, of vehicles moving at high speed is possible 24 hours-a-day. Using pulsed IR illumination from an LED array in conjunction with a shuttered IR-sensitive CCTV camera gives 24 hour license plate capture, including front license plates at night with the vehicle head lamps illuminated. The video signal from such a camera can be analysed to locate a license plate, which is then read automatically by a computer, which itself can be based on PC technology. Camera technological innovations and increased computing power at reduced cost have made automatic license plate reading both practical and affordable. (A*)