PHOTOPARK ASSISTANT

FAQ

Filming

How fast can you ride?

During the day 15 km / h. During the night 25 km / h.

Is there a minimum speed?

5 km / h. If the vehicle must stop it is advisable to suspend the acquisition (by disabling the two cameras).

Can you drive faster than 40 km / h?

Yes but this requires a special camera and lighting setting and an extremely powerful processor.

What is the recording speed?

On average 100 registrations per minute or 6000 registrations per hour.

Can we shoot vehicles parked in single file?

No because their plates are not visible to the camera. But it is possible to hit their registrations manually from the touch screen.

Can we shoot vehicles parked in the ear?

Yes. Photopark Assistant disposes of an engine that is the best to read registrations that are not in the axis of the camera.

What is the maximum distance between the plates and the camera?

7 m.

What is the maximum distance between the plates and the camera?

90 cm.

What should be done to save the best vehicle at an angle?

Reduce the speed to 5 km / h.

Is it possible to disable the registration of one camera?

Yes, clicking the off button located below the control of the camera.

Are the plates registered immediately after the passage of cameras?

No, there may be a delay of about ten seconds (because the reading engine has not completed its analysis of the images above).

Differences between night and day.

Is it necessary that the park is lit at night?

No, cameras are equipped with internal lighting.

Does Photopark Assistant perform better at night?

Yes, the pictures at night are processed much faster because there are less details. The driver can therefore ride faster.

Is it better to shoot at night to fight against the problem of lost tickets?

Yes. Because filming vehicles at night proves that they parked in the park for a long period of time and are more likely to travellers (who should be able to provide a ticket).

Can we distinguish the brand and model when filming at night?

Hardly. It is usually possible during the day.

Reader Slowdown

Can the reading engine cause hang?

No. The reading engine can slow down considerably if it has accumulated a big stamp of images to be analyzed. This problem is common to real-time applications requiring a high computing power and is called a "deadlock."

Can the "deadlock" make the reading engine crash?

This has not been noticed since the installation of new engine and new PC (January 2009).

When the problem of "deadlock" is likely to occur?

When the analysis is stopped. At this time the reading engine takes up to an analysis of all remaining images. It spends more time with each image stored in the buffer.

What are the symptoms of the "deadlock"?

The touch screen "keys" no longer function properly.

Is there a visual indicator of the "deadlock"?

There is a monitor of the CPU and RAM use, visible permanently.

Can a "deadlock" happen while filming?

No this has not been noticed.

Is the "deadlock" a bug?

No. The reading engine is designed to release buffer analysis once suspended. Otherwise, it would not be possible to drive as fast during the analysis without missing vehicles.

What should be done in the case of "deadlock"?

Wait the progressive freeing of the memory buffer. This doesn’t take more than 3 minutes. Don’t exit the application (by pressing the exit button) anyway because the application does not close until the "deadlock" ends.

The management of reading errors

Is it possible to enter registrations manually?

This can be done directly in the vehicle or in the operating software.

Is it possible to fix the reading errors manually?

Yes it can be done during the importation of a new record. The button "Start Correction" can browse all vehicles requiring validation or manual modification. The operating software shows the readings that need to be checked manually.

Is it necessary to validate all the registrations manually?

No. Even if the reading engine makes a mistake, the functions of the operating software are not depreciated. Experience shows that a difference between two characters (between the real registration and the one read by the Photopark Assistant) has no effect even if the database contains tens of thousands of vehicles.

Is there a wizard to select wrongly registered license plates?

Yes. The operating software visually highlights the readings that may contain an error.

What are the searching criteria available?

There are four searching criteria available, visible below. These criteria can be added together. The search can be done through the vehicles present in the parks (which is more interactive) or through all the vehicles that have been recorded (which is more complete).

Is it possible to search through the vehicle arrived before a certain date?

Yes. Check the button "before the vehicle arrived." Enter the desired date or alternatively choose an elapsed time in hours / days / weeks / months.

Does the operating software present several possibilities during a search?

Yes it associates to each registration stored in the database a probability coefficient that is used to order the records. All the answers are presented to the operator from the most probable.

Alerts

Is it possible to dig up an alert from the vehicle?

Yes.

Is it possible to dig up an alert from the operating software?

Yes.

Do the alerts trigger a sound signal?

Yes they activate a wav file. Wav file is the user's choice.

Is it possible that a registration recorded in the alerts list does not trigger?

Yes. This case occurs if the reading engine makes a reading error. But in this case it is still possible to find the vehicle once the import of the update done in the operating software. Thus the operating software is tolerant to reading errors.

The estimated stay time

Is a vehicle, that is not filmed, automatically removed from the list of vehicles present in the parking?

Yes. But its last picture and all its previous records are kept in the database history and can be retrieved if necessary. Moreover if the vehicle is seen during the next parking scan, the operating software is able to log it back. The stay time is then re-estimated from the date of arrival from the previous stay.

Is the estimated stay time exact?

No, because nothing can guarantee that customers have stayed in the park during two consecutive scans. Moreover, it could happen that the Photopark Assistant under estimates a duration of stay if it missed the vehicle during a scan.

Is the operating software able to match together registrations scanned during two consecutive stays (even if the registrations are slightly different)?

Yes.

If a customer has lost his ticket, what should be done?

Request its (approximate) registration, the date and (approximate) time of arrival. Make a search hitting "lost ticket". If the search is not successful then search through the history (all inputs and outputs are stored in the database with an image of the vehicle). Note the estimated arrival date and compare.

What can be seen in the history panel?

The history panel makes it possible to know, for each registration, the complete frequentation of the parking for a period of 90 days. Pictures are saved.

Is the history limited to 90 days?

This period is the default. It can be changed by the user.

Equipment

What are the specifics of the PC board?

High quality components. High Processor speed. High speed disk access. 12V power supply. Ant vibration system.

What are the specifications of the shooting?

Infrared lighting pulsed and synchronized with the camera. Special Shutter speed. Filter of visible light of professional quality.

Is the touch screen enough sensitive?

In 2009, we adopted a new touch screen. It is larger and very sensitive.

The database

What is the database of Photopark Assistant?

Microsoft SQL Server.

Is it necessary to purchase a license to Microsoft SQL Server?

No. Photopark Assistant can work with the Express version of Microsoft SQL Server.

Does The Express version of Microsoft SQL Server have any restrictions?

Yes. But they do not generally hurt a normal use of Photopark Assistant.

Is it possible to query the database other than through the operating software of Photopark Assistant?

Yes. This requires at most knowledge in database management.

What are the operating systems on which the Assistant Photopark has been successfully installed?

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista.

Training and maintenance

Does the LPReditor Company provide updates?

Yes. Every 18 months on average.

What is the pricing of updates?

Updates, that are developed by LPReditor, are provided free of charge. If new components are needed, costs are passed on.

Does the LPReditor Company provide training?

Yes. Training concerns installation, use, known faults and the procedures for updating.

What is the warranty period?

1 year.

In addition it is possible to order spare parts?

Yes.

Are there any components that wear out naturally?

Yes. It is sometimes necessary to change the LED panels (every 3 years on average). Is the LPReditor Company the 100% owner of the solution Photopark Assistant? Yes. All software has been designed by LPReditor. The cameras are assembled by LPReditor and are not available elsewhere.

Does the LPReditor Company plans improvements in the coming years?

Yes. End of 2009 there will be a new version of the reading engine plates and a version in English. End 2010 is expected to couple a second reading engine to overcome some reading errors.

Is Phtopark Assistant compliant with the new European plates?

Yes. The reading engine is already compliant with the new plates. Only a small update will occur in August 2009.

The testing opportunities

Is it possible to test the Photopark Assistant before purchasing?

Yes the LPReditor Company offers its customers multiple levels of testing. Some tests are free of charge. Is it possible to test the operating software? Yes. LPReditor assists to install thea operating software and provides a database already pre-filled. This level of test is free. The installation requires some computer skills (including SQL Server).

Is it possible to ask the LPReditor Company to process with a test onsite with a vehicle?

Yes. You may be asked to contribute to the travelling costs.

Is it possible to test the solution Photopark Assistant for several months to check if it suits our organization?

Yes. The LPReditor company will install the solution for a 4 months lease (the rental price is deducted from the selling price).

Is it possible to rent the solution Assistant Photopark for one year?

Yes.

Pricing

Is there a lite (reduced) version of Photopark Assistant?

Yes. The limitation concerns the number of registrations that can be imported during a 24-hour period.

Competitiveness

Why Photopark Assistant is competitive?

Because it is equipped with a reading engine that is more tolerant than others for the shooting of vehicles at an angle. Because it is designed with high quality components. Because it has an operating software very intuitive and responsive. Because the operating software tolerates reading errors (reading errors up to two characters don't depreciate its functionalities). Because it is designed to operate at 25 km / h without missing registrations.