1/59 HIGH SPEED CAMERAS (ASD) 3 September 12, 2005 Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 1 of 59
5/59 1. GENERAL 1.1.Overview The Violation Enforcement System (VES) Solution will be provided to CTV to accommodate the need for consistent, real time License Plate Recognition (LPR) for vehicles passing through the all tolling lanes. The system, referred to as the VES, will interface with the Toll Collection System to provide a take-and-discard methodology for the vehicles video and license plate data. 1.2.VES System Types The VES is based on two primary systems: SeeRamp Single lane LPR systems. These systems operate in low/medium speed (0-50MPH) traffic. There are a total of 48 such systems, installed in the following points: ETCS (3.9M/50MPH entry or exit ramp), ETC/ACM (3.2M/40MPH toll lanes), ETC/CFM (4.3M/30MPH oversized lanes) and ETC/CMA (3.2M/50MPH toll lanes). SeeWay Multiple lane LPR systems for the high-speed (up to 100MPH). These systems support the high-speed, open flow nature of the thru traffic. These systems are installed in the ETCM lanes, a total of 4 double-width (7.5M) lanes for. Both systems share common elements, such as the LPR engine SeeCar Dynamic Link Library (DLL) which is used to convert images to an identified plate string. However, the systems differ in the hardware and software due to the different requirements of the sites (especially width of the lane and the traffic speed). The next two sections will detail both the operation of the VES and its interface with the Toll Collection System. Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 5 of 59
8/59 1.4.VES Data Output Data will initially be acquired and kept for every vehicle, and the CCS will determine which images to keep and which to discard. The data for each vehicle will include: 1) Image - A stand alone, human readable monochrome JPEG image with a resolution of approximately 1380 pixels by 512 pixels (for SeeWay) or 768 pixels by 288 pixels (for SeeRamp). This image will display the detected plate on the best recognized image within the set of images that are captured for that event. For SeeRamp an additional color jpg image 768 by 288 pixels, used for optional manual review. It will share the same file name as the plate image, but will have an additional prefix letter. 2) VES Optical Character Recognition Data: Lane/Plaza unique ID integer number License Plate string TCS Synchronization Code (for SeeWay only) and Time of Image Capture File Name ( a link to the name of the resulting.jpg file stored in the VES server) Confidence of the recognition result California plate flag The data will be transmitted to the TCS in two forms: a) Windows DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) Message - sent to the CCS server over the TCPIP network. The DDE will contain the VES Optical Character Recognition Data as described above. b) Image file - which will be stored on the VES server, then transmitted to the CCS over the NCS via a dedicated transfer service running on the Trip Processing Server. Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 8 of 59
9/59 1.5.OCR Engine All of the systems (SeeWay and SeeRamp) employ the same SeeCar OCR engine, which will run on the local processing units. The OCR engine processes images, locates the relevant license plate ID in the image, and produces an alphanumeric result for each image processed. The OCR engine is based on neural network technology and can be trained to recognize different fonts, characters and syntax. The systems supplied for the are specially trained to recognize license plates in USA, and focus on the local California plates. 1.6. System stability The systems (SeeWay and SeeRamp) are based on proven applications that are running in many installations worldwide - in hundreds of lanes and many diversified applications. The newly developed systems share most of the common modules in these systems (such as the recognition DLL), and are tested in various types of tools and methods that are used by HTS development for years. Thus, their stability is guaranteed by the experience in such systems, the development and test methodologies, and in the proven components that build these systems, Nevertheless, additional mechanisms are used to ensure the stability of the systems. These are part of HTS utilities, which ensure that if the systems will fail, they will be reactivated and also report their failure to external monitor systems. These utilities include: SeeService a watchdog utility that periodically checks the aliveness of the application. In case the application does not respond, the application will attempt to rerun the application. If this fails, the utility resets the PC. In any such case the event is written to the Windows event log. SeeMonitor this tool resides on a central server, and monitors the state of each system by checking the Windows event log. It will alert external systems in case of a fatal error. It can also show soft errors (warnings) status, and display a set of graphs of past recognition results, which is a very important diagnostic tool. SeeCleaner This utility cleans the old images directories after a specified time has elapsed, and also cleans local diagnostics files. Thus, the system will not grow endlessly in size, a common source of problem in other Windows based systems (which will not happen here). Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 9 of 59
41/59 3. SeeWay Multi Lane (ETCM) VES System 3.1. General The ETCM Multi-Lane solution is a state-of-the art, uniquely designed system to accommodate the vehicles in a high speed free flow environment. The system will work in concert with the TCS to detect and capture the license plate information for every vehicle passing through the ETCM lanes. It will be the responsibility of the TCS to determine vehicle presence, via the overhead scanning laser s digital outputs. When vehicle presence is determined, a solid state relay will be set HIGH for approximately 1ms. The VES Camera will then capture a set of images. Figure 15: Overhead view of ETCM VES Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 41 of 59
44/59 3.3.Mounting The cameras will be mounted on the gantry as illustrated in the following figure, which shows the side cross section: Side View of System with distance requirements illumination Point of Vehicle Presence Detection 31.42 Rear cameras 16.00 27.00 Figure 16: SeeWay ETCM VES with recommended mounting dimensions 3.3.1. Camera Settings Each camera will have a field of view of about 2.8M (horizontally) by 2.1M (vertically), with an overlap of about 0.5M between the cameras (so a 30cm plate will not be cut on both overlapping cameras). The image size in full resolution is 1380 X 1024 pixels, which will yield plate sizes of 150 X 60 pixels at full resolution. Each camera is utilizing a single interlaced frame of 1380 X 512 pixels. With the overlap of the three cameras, the number of pixels covering the lane is 3260 x 512. The JAI cameras have different capture modes and the system will enable different settings of the cameras in order to optimize the recognition versus the throughput. The shutter speed is also adjustable, and the system can handle the speed requirements (100MPH) at 1/2000. Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 44 of 59
45/59 3.3.2. Illumination SeeWay illumination solution is different from the SeeRamp slow-speed lane solution. The higher speed and the longer range from the camera to the plate require a different illumination solution: a) Higher speed requires increased shutter speeds in order to keep the image sharp and at a high contrast. Since the shutter open time is smaller, it requires more than twice the amount of illumination. b) Longer range the range from the camera to the plate is almost double. This requires about 4 times more illumination. c) Camera sync the higher resolution required a progressive scan and higher resolution camera, and this camera type is more complex to synchronize with the pulsed IR illumination. The combined result is a requirement for almost 8 times more illumination. Rather than support this increased illumination with a very large array of IR LEDs (as implemented in the SeeRamp systems), a permanent white light solution was selected for SeeWay. This light will be mounted on the gantry structure at the top and/or sides of the cameras and cover the entire vehicle presence zone. The following illumination levels will be provided at ground level in the vehicle presence zone: Horizontal Luminance: Average Minimum Maximum 2.95 foot candles (31.7 lux) 0.36 foot candles (3.9 lux) 9.24 foot candles (99.4 lux) Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 45 of 59
46/59 3.3.3. Video flow After the cameras have acquired the images data, they will be transferred to a corresponding iport video to IP unit. Each iport unit corresponds one-to-one with each camera. The iport units convert the camera-link interface to data that will be transmitted on the VES Gigabit, a closed Gigabit LAN (separate from the NCS) whose sole function is to transfer image data from the cameras to the VES servers, and to send and receive commands to/from the lane controller. All cameras are connected via a Gigabit switch (8 ports), so the VES server can actually interface with each of the iport units to all the lane cameras. This is useful in case one of the VES servers is down, and the other VES server can be commanded to handle the other camera as well. When the VES Server receives the image data, it will convert the data to arrays of images. It then proceeds to perform image enhancement and recognition. It will select the best result out of the captured images. 3.3.4. Transaction number The VES Server and the Master Lane Controller (LC32 Lane Controller) shall synchronize each picture with a transaction. To do this, the lane controller will feed the SYSTEM TIME and the TRANSACTION SEQUENCE NUMBER to the VES Server (the machine doing the OCR) at the precise moment it triggers the camera, over the solid state relay, to take a picture. The communications will take place over a UDP connection to the VES Server. The VES Server client application will hold this information, and when the OCR is finished for a particular snapshot, will apply a FIFO rule for each request. The message shall have the following format: STX-BB-HHMMSS-BBBBBBBBB-ETX Where: STX BB = Lane ID HHMMSS = System Time BBBBBBBBB = Transaction Sequence Number ETX Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 46 of 59
47/59 3.4.Hardware 3.4.1. Components description 3.4.1.1 JAI Cameras The cameras for this system will be state-of-the art mega pixel digital cameras that will enable easy remote control via communication cable. Following is a specification of the camera:model - JAI CV-M4+ or equivalent Digital 2/3" monochrome progressive scan CCD camera 1392 (h) x 1040 (v) 6.45 µm square pixels Extended IR sensitivity 10 bit video output as Camera Link LVDS version with 8 bit video output Full 1380 (h) x 1030 (v) frame readout in 1/24 second Higher frame rates with partial scanning or binning Partial scan to 1/8 and vertical binning Edge pre-select (EPS) and pulse width control (PWC) trigger modes Restart continuous trigger (RCT) mode Analog video output for controlling auto iris lenses Shutter speeds from 1/24 to 1/10,000 second in 10 steps Trigger and timing signals as LVDS or via Camera Link Setup by switches or serial control (short ASCII commands) Windows 98/NT/2000/XP setup software Figure 17: JAI camera Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 47 of 59
48/59 3.4.1.2 IPort PT1000-CL IP Engine The IP engine interfaces the JAI cameras and transfers the images and control over the Gigabit link. Its main features: Model : Pleora PT1000-CL or equivalent High-performance, ultra-efficient connectivity between camera link cameras and Gigabit Ethernet Links or LANs acquires images from a wide range of cameras, including JAI delivers long-distance bi-directional links over inexpensive CAT-5 copper LAN cable serial RS232 control over camera free-running or externally triggered flexible acquisition modes Inputs : 2 TTL inputs, 1 LVDS, 1 optically isolated input Outputs : 2 TTL outputs, 1 optically isolated output Power supply: 4.5V 16V @ 4.5 Watt CE certified and FCC Figure 18: IPort PT1000-CL IP Engine Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 48 of 59
49/59 3.4.2. Installation 3.4.2.1 Quantities The following table shows the number of SeeWay units and subsystems in the project # System Lane type Quant. Subsystem Quantity per Subtotal lane type 1 SeeWay Wide 4 Jai cameras 3 12 7.5M iport 3 12 Switches 1 4 VES server 2 8 Table 5: SeeWay devices{ XE BOM:LPR devices }{ XE LPR:BOM }{ XE LPR:devices } Figure 19A: SeeWay Camera Assy. Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 49 of 59
50/59 3.4.2.2 SeeWay Typical Layout The following illustration shows a typical layout of the SeeWay solution: Figure 20: See Way Typical Layout Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 50 of 59
51/59 3.4.2.3 See Way Typical Layout Side view The following illustration shows a typical layout of the SeeWay solution: Figure 21: See Way Typical Layout side view Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 51 of 59
52/59 3.5.Wiring 3.5.1. See Way Schematic Diagram The following diagram defines the main components and the technology connectivity. Figure 22: See Way Schematic Diagram Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 52 of 59
53/59 3.5.2. See Way Connection Drawing The following diagram defines the details connectivity between the main components of See Way system. Figure 23: See Way Connection Drawing Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 53 of 59
54/59 3.5.3. JAI Camera Pins Description The following diagram defines pins connectivity description of JAI camera: Figure 24: JAI Camera Pins Description Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 54 of 59
55/59 3.5.4. See Way Connection table No. FUNCTION END 1 END 2 Type / Color/PIN From Type / Color/PIN To 1. Power Power (4.5V-16V) Power supply 1 Power Pin PT 1000-CL #1 2. Power Power (4.5V-16V) Power supply 2 Power Pin PT 1000-CL #2 3. Power Power (4.5V-16V) Power supply 3 Power Pin PT 1000-CL #3 4. Power Power (12VDC) Power supply 1 DC-IN JAI Camera #1 5. Power Power (12VDC) Power supply 2 DC-IN JAI Camera #2 6. Power Power (12VDC) Power supply 3 DC-IN JAI Camera #3 7. Network Eth cable (LAN) PT 1000-CL #1 Eth cable (Cat -5) Eth Switch 8. Network Eth cable (LAN) PT 1000-CL #2 Eth cable (Cat -5) Eth Switch 9. Network Eth cable (LAN) PT 1000-CL #3 Eth cable (Cat -5) Eth Switch 10. Network Eth cable (Cat -5) PC # 1 Eth cable (Cat -5) Eth Switch 11. Network Eth cable (Cat -5) PC # 2 Eth cable (Cat -5) Eth Switch 12. Control MDR -26 Pins MDR -26 Pins PT 1000-CL #1 Cable Cable PT 1000-CL #1 13. Control MDR -26 Pins MDR -26 Pins PT 1000-CL #2 Cable Cable PT 1000-CL #1 14. Control MDR -26 Pins MDR -26 Pins PT 1000-CL #3 Cable Cable PT 1000-CL #1 Table 6: SeeWay Connection Table Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 55 of 59
56/59 3.6.One Lane component & Accessories Quant Serial number Description 3 130000115M15000 JAI Camera+Iport 3 522018 Power Supply:12V Power 3 560006 Net card:1 Gb Intel 1 508065 Switch 1 560044 License Software Plug Table 7: SeeWay component Table Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 56 of 59
57/59 3.7.Detailed Design Notes The following tables show the characteristics of the images captured on the SeeWay system. # Topic Value Note 1 Camera Resolution 1380 x 512 Per Field 2 Image type B&W 3 Bits per pixel 10 (only 1 byte will be used) 4 Capture rate [per second] 44 Per field, using Vbinning 5 Typical jpg image [KB] 15-25 (night/day) High compression 6 Typical size of plate [width in pixels] 150 7 CCD size 2/3 8 Typical lens About 34mm 9 Shutter speed About 1/2000 10 Illumination spectrum Visible (white) 11 Typical number of images captured 3-5 Will be optimized 12 Number of illumination levels 1 13 Field of view (width x height) 2.5M x 1.8M 14 Typical range camera to plate 31feet (10M) Max number of images at top speed 2 100MPH is 1M per field Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 57 of 59
58/59 3.8.Testing and Installation references The SeeWay Equipment will be installed and tested according to the following installation manuals and preference: APPENDIX 1 - INTERFACE CONTROL DOCUMENT APPENDIX 2 FAT PLAN DOCUMENT APPENDIX 4 SEE WAY INSTALLATION MANUAL Doc. No. Ver Rev. B 12/09/05 Page 58 of 59