ABSTRACT
Many facilities, including banks and convenience stores, are “protected” by having surveillance video cameras and recorders installed. Sometimes, as in most commercial establishments, these are prominently visible as a deterrent to would-be thieves. In other cases, they may be well hidden with only a peephole lens mounted somewhere high on a wall or concealed in decorations. In all cases, there is the expectation that the recorded images will be useful for the identification of persons, objects, and actions recorded on the tape. This goal of identification actually has several levels. In cases of robberies, the images are often shown on local TV news in hopes that someone will recognize the perpetrator and call police with the information. Once a suspect has been arrested, the videotape images may convince him or her to admit guilt. Failing that, perhaps the videotape images will convince a jury that the correct person has been apprehended and secure a conviction. In other applications, surveillance video may be used to capture license plate images (e.g., to issue speeding tickets or perform security checks at protected installations). This latter application will become significantly easier when all states change the paints used to provide a clear image of the numbers in the near infrared, which can be detected well by solid-state cameras. At present, some of the design graphics used by states obscure the numbers.
