Configuring SharpV analytics - SharpV OS 14.3

AutoVu™ SharpV Administrator Guide 14.3

Product
SharpV
Content type
Guides > Administrator guides
Version
14.3
Language
English
Last updated
2024-08-19

You can configure the analytics performed by the SharpV, such as which plates the SharpV will read, and whether the SharpV should attempt to read the plate origin and the vehicle make and model.

What you should know

  • For best results, consider the following when using the analytics for vehicle color, vehicle accessories, vehicle make and model, vehicle orientation, and vehicle type:
    • Vehicle analytics are most effective during the day.
    • The entire vehicle should be in the field of view.
    • A back or back-side view of the vehicle is optimal.
    • When two vehicles overlap in the context image, vehicle analytics are less effective.
  • AutoVu MLC™ (Machine Learning Core), which performs video analytics on SharpV cameras, is retrained on a regular basis. As SharpV OS updates are released over time, you will notice improvements in the effectiveness of certain analytics.
  • For more information on the analytics supported by SharpV units, see Supported ALPR analytics.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the Sharp Portal.
  2. From the Configuration menu, click Analytics > ALPR settings.
  3. From the Context menu, select which license plates will be most commonly read by the SharpV.
    NOTE: For more information on the available regional contexts, see Supported ALPR contexts.
    Tip: To help us improve the performance of regional contexts, click Configuration > Connectivity > Product improvement and register this camera to participate in the Product improvement program .
  4. Under Camera orientation, select the pictograph that describes how the road appears from the camera's perspective. This helps the system to determine the direction that vehicles are traveling.
  5. To ignore parked vehicles, signs, and other static objects, select the Optimize for static image background check box.
    IMPORTANT:
    • Not recommended if only a small part of the image background is static, for example, if many moving trees are visible. This is less likely to happen in installations where the camera is tilted downwards.
    • It is not recommended to use this feature in conjunction with Virtual Loop when vehicles are traveling at speed above 50 km/h (30 MPH).
  6. If a compatible regional context is selected, the Zones field is displayed, which lets you configure the SharpV for single or dual-lane plate reading. For more information, see Configuring the SharpV to monitor dual lanes.
  7. From the Reading mode drop-down list, select one of the following reading modes:
    Continuous
    Select this for plates to be captured continuously. This is the default setting.
    Conditional
    When this option is selected, the SharpV captures plate reads continuously as long as the selected input signal meets the condition defined (high/low). You must select an input and specify whether the state is high or low.
    Continuous with virtual loop:
    This option is automatically selected when you enable the virtual loop feature. With this option, a parking lot gate can still be activated for vehicles with damaged or dirty license plates which cannot be detected by the SharpV ALPR camera.
    Single read on trigger
    Select this option so the SharpV captures a plate read after a signal is received from an electrical trigger, or after a Security Center event-to-action or hot action. This configuration is useful for controlling vehicle access to gated parking lots. You can configure the plate read capture to occur before or after the trigger is activated.
  8. (Optional) If you selected Single read on trigger, click Add trigger and configure the following:
    1. Under Trigger, select when an input (A or B) triggers a plate read based on its state (Low or High). For example, you can specify that Input A triggers a plate read when it transitions to a Low state. You can also select an External input such as a Security Center event-to-action or hot action.
    2. Under Capture window, specify when the SharpV starts capturing (in milliseconds) and whether to do it before or after the trigger. You also need to specify the Duration (in milliseconds) that the SharpV will attempt to capture a plate read.
    3. Under If no plates, indicate how long (in milliseconds) to wait after a trigger before capturing a context image of the vehicle. Select the Use the ALPR image as context image option, when you want an image from the ALPR camera to be used for the no plate read.
  9. From the Read strategy list, select a read strategy. The following tables gives general recommendations based on the installation type. For more information, see About Sharp read strategies
  10. Under Analytics, select the contents of the plate you would like the SharpV to attempt to read. You can select the following:
    NOTE: You can add the state, vehicle make and model, and confidence score as annotation fields in Security Center to query for this information in Security Desk reports.

    For more information about the analytics that are available in SharpOS, see Supported ALPR analytics.

    State
    Select this option if you want the SharpV unit to attempt read the license plate origin. Depending on the region, this can refer to the issuing state, province, or country.
    Vehicle make and model
    Select this option if you want the SharpV unit to attempt to identify the vehicle's make and model, for example, Honda Civic.
    Confidence score
    The SharpV assigns a confidence score percentage to each license plate read. This value indicates how confident the SharpV is in the accuracy of the read.
    NOTE: License plates that contain similar characters such as 8 and B are more difficult to read and generally produce reads with a lower confidence score.
    Vehicle type, color, and orientation
    Select this option if you want to include the vehicle type, color, and orientation with plate reads. Based on the context image, Sharp analytics can detect if the vehicle is, for example, a light yellow bus, or a dark green passenger vehicle. In addition, Sharp analytics can detect the vehicle orientation, for example, back, or front side.
    NOTE: If you have not previously configured the cameras field of view when enabling one of the available analytics, you are prompted to configure it before enabling Vehicle type and color. Click Configure field of view, and follow the on-screen instructions.
    Vehicle accessories
    Select this option if you want license plate reads to indicate the presence of items such as hitches, spare tires, and other vehicle accessories.
    NOTE:
    • To enable this feature, contact your AutoVu representative.
    • Hitches must be at least 20 px high in the image for detection. Hitch detection can be affected by environmental factors such as snow and ambient lighting.
    • Using the vehicle accessories feature increases CPU usage and can affect the frame rate.
  11. Click Save.