License Plate Cameras for Vehicle Monitoring: CCTV Systems for Tracking Cars and Trucks

Security Cameras for Monitoring Vehicle Traffic

One of the basic principles of video security is to monitor choke points. Choke points are areas that funnel people or vehicles. Entrances are a good example. Monitoring vehicle traffic into a parking lot or neighborhood is one of the most productive methods. The camera used for vehicle monitoring is sometimes called a "License Plate Camera" (LPC). These systems create a video record of each car and truck visiting your property.

Private communities, hotels and casinos, private estates, banks, and critical infrastructure are all logical markets for license plate recorders. LPC systems offer a security enhancement in an unobtrusive form.

Camera Requirements

Generally, LPC systems are be designed to capture the image of the rear of the vehicles. Currently 19 States do not require a front license plate. This number is likely to grow because of our economic environment which is straining state budgets (each plate can cost a little more than $1 to produce).

The viewing angle, both horizontal and vertical, from the camera to the automobile should be less than 40 degrees (less is better). Larger angles will distort the view and make recognition difficult.

A day and night camera delivers color images during the day, but as light diminishes, the camera will automatically switch to night mode to make use of near infrared (IR) light to deliver high-quality, black and white images (Black and White results in superior performance in low-light conditions because of the improved contrast).

Near-infrared light, which spans from 700 nanometers (nm) up to about 1000 nm, is outside the human eye’s range. During the day, a day and night camera uses an IR-cut filter. IR light is filtered out so that it does not distort the colors of images as the human eye sees them. When the camera is in night (black and white) mode, the IR-cut filter is removed.

This improves color reproduction in daylight and imagery at night. Featuring 30 IR LEDs, the true day/night camera works in complete darkness, and offers a visibility distance up to 164’ (50m). The OSD (On-screen Display) menu enables operation and control of the digital control functions built-in to the camera.

B.V. Technology License Plate Camera Specifications

· Model Number: IC50-38

· Wide Dynamic Range: More than 48 dB. The camera can record simultaneously bright and dim features (more information on wide dynamic range cameras),