The Evolution of License Plate Recognition: From ANPR to ALPR+

Advanced Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) for Tolling, Parking & Security

The Journey from ANPR to ALPR and Beyond

Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) uses advanced optical character recognition (OCR) to detect, read, and interpret vehicle license plates in real time. Once a vehicle enters the camera’s field of view, smart video analytics immediately isolate the plate and decode its characters, sending this data to backend systems for processing.

This technology might seem seamless today, but when Inex Technology’s founders began developing LPR in the 1990s, the landscape was vastly different. At the time, systems could only reliably read highly standardized European license plates, while struggling with the more diverse and complex plates found in the United States.

This challenge marked the distinction between ANPR (Automated Number Plate Recognition)—effective with uniform designs—and ALPR, built to decode variable formats in North America, the Middle East, and beyond.

ALPR+ — Next-Generation Vehicle Intelligence

Our technology has evolved into ALPR+, offering far more than just plate reading. ALPR+ identifies:

Vehicle make, model, color, and generation
Axle count and presence of trailers or towed vehicles
Passenger detection
Visible damage, vehicle stickers, USDOT numbers and other vehicles identifiers

These enhancements provide critical data for security, parking access control, and tolling systems, supporting better enforcement, analytics, and customer service.

High-Accuracy License Plate Recognition for U.S. and Global Markets

Designed for Diverse Plate Designs

Operating in over 20 countries, our ALPR systems are engineered for the most demanding conditions. The U.S. and Middle East, in particular, pose challenges due to inconsistent plate layouts, stacked text, vanity plates, and regional graphics. Our solution addresses:

Character disambiguation (e.g., B vs 8, O vs 0)
State-specific syntax
Plate type classification (e.g., dealer vs. commercial vs. personal)
Fraud pattern detection

Our cameras are built for high-resolution, multi-frame capture, ensuring accurate reads under varied lighting and motion conditions.

Toll Road Optimization: Driving ALPR Accuracy Forward

Ground Truth Data Powers Machine Learning

Tolling applications are among the most data-rich ALPR environments. Because they often include verified “ground truth” data, they enable us to retrain neural networks, validate improvements, and drive unmatched accuracy.

Video tolling now supplements transponders on most major U.S. toll roads.
Up to 10% of vehicles experience transponder failures, making ALPR essential for revenue collection.
Even a single percent improvement in accuracy can reduce operational costs and increase revenue recovery significantly.

Our AI engine is continuously updated with regional data and optimized for confidence thresholds to minimize manual reviews and billing errors.

ALPR Technology That Powers Parking, Access Control & Security

Our high-accuracy ALPR platform extends to:

Parking access control with real-time vehicle authentication
Security checkpoints with vehicle and driver verification
Audit logging to track entries and exits for compliance

By combining ALPR with access control systems, we deliver robust automation and data integrity for gated communities, corporate campuses, and government facilities.

Beyond Plates — Comprehensive Vehicle Imaging

Vehicle Classification and Axle Counting

For toll roads, where rates vary by vehicle class and axle count, our multi-spectral imaging systems replace costly ground sensors. These systems:

Accurately detect drop axles, trailers, and car carriers
Provide visual verification for billing disputes
Monitor toll system accuracy to reduce leakage

Driver and Passenger Facial Imaging

We’ve also pioneered near-infrared camera systems for facial imaging through windshields, under all lighting conditions. This breakthrough enables: