Car park management system with automated login and log-out process using digital image processing

• Main Authors: Chan, Chino Jeddison, Chua, Gerlad Timothy, Gomez, William, Tan, Kevyn Aldrich Lim, Ylagan, Roen Ivan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/14829
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Car Park Management System (CPMS) developed in this study aims to alleviate the problems caused by the increasing number of cars using the parking facility. Due to the increasing number of cars, the time for processing the check in and check out of cars in the current manual parking system has increased. At the same time, the management and accessibility of information on the daily transactions of the facility becomes hard to handle. The CPMS developed aims to solve these problems by automating the check in and check out processes of the present manual parking system. The CPMS is composed of three basic processes: (1) Login Process, (2) Database Process and (3) Logout Process. The login process starts with the car detection algorithm. First, a log range IR sensor installed in the check-in station detects the presence of a car. Once a car is detected, the sensor sends a signal to the PC that it should now take a picture of the car plate. The signal outputted by the sensor is sent through the use of serial communication. After capturing the image, the system now uses the image captured and converts it into a form more suitable for storage, which in this case is text. The database handles the data outputted by the digital image processing and records necessary information about the transaction. The printer then generates a ticket with a unique barcode that will later on be used for the retrieval of data in the logout station. The user of the CPMS will also find it easier to look for a parking space as the group has added a Slot availability checker that aids the drivers in looking for an available slot. Aside from this, parking space will be easier to find because the LED Display installed in the login station that informs customers of the number of slots available will prevent entry of car when the parking is full thus avoiding clogging inside the parking premises. The logout process of the CPMS begins with the car detection algorithm as well. The long range IR sensor detects the presence of the car and sends a signal, through the use of serial communication, to the PC that it should now take a picture of the plate of the car. After the image has been captured, the image is now converted to text and the outputted data is then compared to the received data through the use of the barcode in the parking ticket. If it matches, it will check the car out. If it does not, operating procedure for suspicious transactions is applied. The CPMS was tested and deployed in a Open Lot Area in Quezon City, Philippines. The system has obtained a 100% efficiency in detecting car presence, generating tickets with a unique barcode, capture the image of the car plate and database storage. While the process of converting images to text has obtained an average accuracy of 92%. The car plates used in this study uses the Standard 2004 Philippine Car plate which contains three letters, three numbers, and the Rizal monument in between. The car plate should have a font color of green and the plate should be in a good condition and is not tampered, dirty or destroyed. The lighting environment of the testing place should also be well lit.