Conceptual Model of a Parking System with Automatic License Plate Recognition

Automating the process of managing the entrance and exit in parking lots is particularly important not only from a scientific point of view, but also in order to facilitate our everyday life. This paper describes our proposed conceptual model of a parking system based on a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and algorithms for automatic license plate text recognition. The individual modules of the system are described in detail, along with their functions, and an algorithm of the model’s operation is proposed and described. For the implementation of a test prototype, infrared sensors were used for the entrance and exit, which, when a car is detected, transmit a signal to the raspberi pie module. It activates a camera that captures an image of the front of the car. The Python implemented software part of the system receives this image and, after preprocessing, returns the recognized registration number as text. This text, together with other information forms a record in a relational database. To improve the performance of the system, it would be good to add to recognition of the text from the registration plate also recognition of the make, model, type and color of the car.