Average speed cameras - detecting a registration mark?
Average speed cameras - detecting a registration mark?
Author
Discussion

Chicken_Satay

Original Poster:

2,513 posts

233 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
I've received a NIP for 40 in a 30 via a pair of average speed cameras. In the online media section, the "Primary Image" has a photo from the entry and exit camera.

The entry image is particularly dull and blurred and I seriously don't know how anybody could accurately decipher the registration from that photo. The exit image is slightly better.

Do the "Camera Processing Services" use some sort of software to resolve the registration mark from very blurred images, and if so, is it considered to be reliable?

Is it possible that the registration mark was only identified in the second image, but they have made assumptions that the entry image must have been me, based on the shape and size of the vehicle, for example? If so, would this type of evidence be acceptable in court?

I'm not suggesting I intend to take it to court, though I would very much like to understand how they worked out my registration from the entry image.

Pica-Pica

16,558 posts

113 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
Are you saying you were never there?

Chicken_Satay

Original Poster:

2,513 posts

233 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Are you saying you were never there?
Here we go...



Getragdogleg

10,201 posts

212 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
Having received a spurious fine for speeding when I'd never been to the location of the alleged offence I too am curious if there is any enhancing or even an actual human involved in the process.

A lot like this :




Edited by Getragdogleg on Sunday 10th April 18:30


Edited by Getragdogleg on Sunday 10th April 18:30

OutInTheShed

14,429 posts

55 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
Chicken_Satay said:
I.....

Do the "Camera Processing Services" use some sort of software to resolve the registration mark from very blurred images, and if so, is it considered to be reliable?
......
As I understand it, ANPR works from a live video feed, so it is correlating every frame with possible reg marks.


each frame contains some information (the reg no) and some random noise.
The reg no is the same in each frame, the noise changes.

Crudely, it's got a lot more info to work with than just the single image.
The actual live feed to the processing ls likely much higher resolution than the screen grabs they send out.

It's only looking at what it thinks are reg no's.
It's not infallible, but it's pretty reliable.

Yes, it's pretty clever software.
Friend of mine worked on an early system, lot of years ago now, I'd guess these things only get more sophisticated.
Concepts behind it were touched on in my uni course 40-odd years ago, in those days you'd have wanted an expensive mainframe to do the work.

Chicken_Satay

Original Poster:

2,513 posts

233 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
As I understand it, ANPR works from a live video feed, so it is correlating every frame with possible reg marks.


each frame contains some information (the reg no) and some random noise.
The reg no is the same in each frame, the noise changes.

Crudely, it's got a lot more info to work with than just the single image.
The actual live feed to the processing ls likely much higher resolution than the screen grabs they send out.

It's only looking at what it thinks are reg no's.
It's not infallible, but it's pretty reliable.

Yes, it's pretty clever software.
Friend of mine worked on an early system, lot of years ago now, I'd guess these things only get more sophisticated.
Concepts behind it were touched on in my uni course 40-odd years ago, in those days you'd have wanted an expensive mainframe to do the work.
This is quite interesting. Having watched crime documentaries, I know that this type of software is used to enhance CCTV images (and I also know someone who worked in that department in the Met police) to solve serious crimes. I suspect the tech works for ANPR too and what you've said makes sense around the frame by frame information.

littleredrooster

6,360 posts

225 months

Sunday 10th April 2022
quotequote all
AIUI, ANPR is used to identify the car, photo image is merely a backup to assist. ANPR is much more sophisticated, as has already been mentioned.