Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 23 (4): 729-734, 2015

ISSN 1990-9233
IDOSI Publications, 2015
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2015.23.04.22166

Tracking of Number Plate Symbols Using Dynamic

Image Processing and Genetic Algorithm
1
Dhandapani Samiappan and 2K. Subathra

1
Department of ECE, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai, India
2
Applied Electronics, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai, India

Abstract: This design is proposed for locating number plate (NP) text and symbols by genetic algorithm (GA)
and image processing method. In this research the color image is converted into binary by means of adaptive
threshold method which is applied in overcoming dynamic changes of illumination condition. Pixel connectivity
in candidate object inside the unknown image is detected by connected component analysis technique (CCAT).
Geometric relationship matrix is defined for adaptability of number plate layout in same or different countries.
Then the speed of the system is improved based on sorting by using two crossover techniques. The fitness
value function is reached by CCAT problems which is applied to dirt occluded or broken bodies that is
minimized by modifying genetic algorithm by comparing it with Partial matching of symbols. MATLAB software
is mainly used for implementing the image samples which is experimented for the distinction of the proposed
system. Here mainly the shape, color, NP location are detected successfully by distorted plate images.

Key words: Genetic algorithm (GA) Image processing Number plate location Road vehicle identification
Sorting crossover

INTRODUCTION symbols not to detect NP. Another group of researchers

A wide and new computational and evolutionary
algorithm (Genetic algorithm) and image processing
technique is applied by means of locating number plate
(NP) symbols and identification using camera surveillance
and automatic vehicle identification system [1]. Each and
every country will have different shapes, color, fonts in
number plate (NP) .The selected features will be based on
different developing countries that belongs to detection
of algorithm itself and specific plates built fixed colors.
Color based system will have different colors and fonts.
Rectangular shape is developed by edge based
technique [2]. Research in [3] and [4] was based on the
intensity distribution in the plates area with respect to
its neighborhood where the plate is considered
maximally stable extremal region. Many researchers
have combined different features in their systems the
applied detection algorithms ranged from window-based
statistical matching methods to highly intelligent-based
techniques that used neural networks [5, 6] or fuzzy
logic [7]. GA was used in [8] to recognize the NP
differentiate between text and other image types by
manipulating the problem from texture perspective
[9, 10]. GA mainly will have high computational needs
and the research at different constraints to minimize
the search space. From here a simple optical character
recognition algorithm has an easy task of converting
these number plate characters to letters, symbols and
numbers. Pressumbly this algorithm would be used
for law enforcement purposes. Many number plates
are taken as photo and these samples are tested by
using GA. The texture perspective to differentiate
between text and other image type problems are
manipulated by another group of researchers. The
segmentation technique was their intensive computation
demands and are sensitive to the text styles, bumper
sticker or model identification. Detection of Number plate
text is compared with similar pattern based on GRM.
Sensitivity to the presence of more identification of
number plate text above or below the vehicle that can
disturb the texture histogram is the main drawback of the
system.

Corresponding Author: Dhandapani Samiappan, Department of ECE, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai, India.
729
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (4): 729-734, 2015

orientation, shadows and camera position. GA phase

is prepared by using a fitness formulation in the
genetic algorithm. Image processing finally leads to GA
phase.
In section II overview of system is explained with
applied algorithm. Image processing phase where number
plate overall color change is depicted in section III.
GA in section IV and results and future work
discussions are carried out in section V.

System Overview: This proposed system composed

of two phases: image processing phase and GA phase.
This phase is mainly composed of many stages where the
binary image finally processed and moves inside the GA
phase. The input GRM mainly depends on GA which
selects the optimum number plate symbol location.
This flowchart depicted in Fig. 1 is the overall system
Flowchart on number plate symbols that produces image
into GA phase.
Fig. 1: Overall system flowchart for tracking of NP
symbols Image Processing Phase: In this phase the sequence of
image is extracted by 2-D objects which constitutes the
number plate (NP) symbols. This system begins with color
image of the identified number plate.

Color to Grayscale Conversion: The input image is the

color image where RGB is converted into grayscale (Gs)
by eliminating hue and saturation and retains luminance.
Fig. 2: Raw color image of Number Plate
Gs = 0.299 * R + 0.587 * G + 0.114 * B (1)

Gray to Binary Image Conversion: Converting the

Fig. 3: Grayscale image of Number plate.
converted grayscale image is converted into binary by
means of adaptive threshold, which uses neighborhood
gray levels to classify pixels as foreground or background
.This results in a high accuracy rate in different
illumination condition.

Morphological Operation: Next a morphological operation

is applied for removing noisy region by means of dilation
and erosion operation .first the dilation followed by
erosion is the closing operation used for filling noisy
holes inside candidate object. Next erosion followed by
Fig. 4: Morphological closing using 3-pixel disk-elements dilation is applied for removing thinner object than
to reduce noise. number plate (NP) symbols.
Three pixel disk element is used for closing
Finally a new technique is introduced in number plate operation in our system that fills the spaces where the
detection technique where the number plate information symbols in the number plate is broken. In some countries
internal color, shape or color distortion based on number plate experiment is carried out by light gray
capturing conditions such as poor lightening, watermark for authentication process.

730
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (4): 729-734, 2015
(a)
(b)
Fig. 5: Connected component analysis of processed
binary image.
Fig. 6: Binary image after applying size filtering (M=64)
Fig. 7: Seven genes in a chromosome representing
number plate.
Fig. 8: Layout of two objects, 01 and 02.
Connected Component Analysis (CCA) and Object
Extraction: A Connected component analysis then
extracts objects from the processed binary image based
on pixel connectivity.
The output is array of N objects.
Size Filtering Stage: Size filtering is applied because
objects that are extracted from CCA stage are filtered on
the basis on widths Wobj and Hobj where the NP dimension
lie between the thresholds.
731
Wmin = Wobj = Wmax and Hmin = Hobj = Hmax (2)
where Hmin and Wmin are the values below which a
symbol cannot be recognized (8 pixels for example) and
Wmax can be set to the image width divided by the
number of symbols in the license number. Hmax is
calculated as Wmax divided by the aspect ratio of the
used font.
Genetic Algorithm Phase: This phase is mainly
helpful to resolve compound 2-D object detection problem
will be in developed which indicates chromosome
encoding, population setup, selection method, Mutation,
crossover finally fitness and parameter setting is
evaluated.
Chromosome Encoding: The constituting objects which
are accomplished in encoding the compound objects such
as detection in number plate symbols are encoded here.
After the detection of number plate in image processing,
Next step is to identify numbers and text which is included
as minimum.
For example we take Seven gene in number plate as
example it contains four numbers and three English letters.
It contains seven genes in a chromosome are much
helpful in detecting the NP numbers. For the output of M
objects from size filtering stage encodes a scheme
selected where each gene i is assigned an integer j.
Bounding the object by upper left coordinates (X, Y)
of the rectangle
The rectangle is bounded by the height (H) and
width (W) of the bounding object.
Fitness Function: Between these prototype chromosome
and the current chromosome is the proposed fitness
selected as the inverse of the calculated objective
distance. Parameter adaptation and geometrical
relationship between the object inside the compound
object are represented.
Compound Object Representation: Two types of
relationship is found that follows:
Position relationship: X and Y are the relative
distances between the bounding boxes of two object.
Size relationship: height and widths are the relative
differences in their bounding boxes
01 and 02 are the objects where two relationships are
found that follows:
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (4): 729-734, 2015
Fig. 9: Rectangular bounding represent symbols in Saudi
number plate.
Fig. 10: a) Substitution operator b) swap operator
Fig. 11: Proposed Crossover steps
Position relationship is found by:
RX 2,1 = X2 - X1 / H1
RY 2,1 = Y2 - Y1 / H1
Size relationship is found by:
RH 2,1 = H2 - H1 /H1
RW2,1 = W 2- W1 /H1
These representations will mainly preserves the GRM
between the rectangle bounding the objects and they are
not known in the case of unknown plate. So the aspect
ratio for fixed width fonts as follows
AS1 = W1 / H1 (7)
In one relationship different values are placed in a
matrix is geometrical relationship matrix (GRM). General
formula to represent compound object is 4(L-1)
relationship. We represent 7 genes in Saudi number plate
so (L=7). Totally 4 digits and 3 letters represent the
license number as
(4(L-1)+1) (8)
Objective Distance (OD) and Fitness Formulation:
Five distance values are calculated by the distance
between the prototype chromosome p,
Corresponding GRM and chromosome k. Global
objective distance function ODK,,p combines five OD
between chromosome k and prototype chromosome p is
performed by
ODK,P = wx RXK,P+ wy RYK,P +wh RHK,P +
ww RWK,P + was ASK,P
(9)
The maximized function is fitness function where
global objective distance is related to fitness of
chromosome K(Fitk ) function as follows:
Fitk = -Odk,p (10)
Adaptation of NP Detection Problem: Almost all NPs
detects the NP number in he following form
ODK,P = RXK,P + 4 RY K,P+ 4 RHK,P (11)
During Production of new generation selection of
(3) weighing parameters affects and guides the genetic
search space and hence affects both speed and accuracy
(4) of the system
By substituting from (11) into (10) fitness of the
chromosome as follows
(5) Fitk = RXK,P - 4 RY K,P - 4 RHK,P (12)
(6) Selection Method: Selection of offspring in the new
generation is adopted by stochastic universal sampling
(SUS ) method. Percentage of individual to be selected by
number of equally spaced pointers over the line. Mutation
and Crossover operator is selected by means of 90% of
population size.
732
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (4): 729-734, 2015
(a)
(b)
Fig. 12: a) Image with objective distance and back clutter
angle b) OD convergence graph for
corresponding image.
Mutation Operator: Some aspects of genetic material is
needed for mutation to remove successive less fit
members. In chromosome GA ensures new part of search
space reaches mating pool variety.
Interchanging of two mutation operators are used
substitution and swap operator.
Substitution operator objects : Chromosome is
selected from M available objects and the
corresponding allele is changed by new random
object.
Swap operator objects : Two genes are randomly
selected and swapped by reciprocal of exchanged
mutation. Fitness is improved in the way of
reordering of the internal objects by the operator and
has the advantage of mutated chromosome.
Crossover Operator: Many crossover are present by it
can be used so the alternate method in case of NP is the
genetic search space in placing X and Y positions.
Objective Distance (OD) Calculated Using Crossover
and Graph:
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
By using MATLAB this experiment is carried out by
NP detection. In this paper have took the 4 digits and 3
letters in NP as example and in my work have implemented
by taking Tamilnadu number plate as image captured by
camera and implemented in image processing technique
733
and GA. The results were encouraging and in the
genetic algorithm number plate is worked with 7 genes
including number and text. Whereas in Tamilnadu number
plate it has 9 to 10 characters or genes (TN 09 A-1156).
The system proved to be invariant to object distance
(scaling), insensitive with respect to perspective
distortion within a reasonable angle interval and
immutable, to a large extent, to the presence of other types
of images in vehicle background. A very important
achievement is overcoming most of the problems arising
in techniques based on CCAT by allowing the GA to skip
gradually and randomly one or more symbols to reach to
an acceptable value of the objective distance. This
algorithm works quite well. Their algorithm has a sublinear
algorithmic complexity.
Finally, it shows around a hundred instances of
applying their algorithm. Even with highly-variable
lighting and positional conditions, as well as highly-
variable license plate designs, their algorithm works very
consistently and in a reasonable amount of computational
time.
In future, by using ANFIS (adaptive neuro fuzzy
inference system) will detects the number plate location
and the characters present in the number plate.
CONCLUSION
Geometric relationship matrix is defined for
adaptability of number plate layout in same or different
countries. Then the speed of the system is improved
based on sorting by using two crossover techniques.
The fitness value function is reached by CCAT problems
which is applied to dirt occluded or broken bodies that is
minimized by modifying genetic algorithm by comparing
it with Partial matching of symbols. MATLAB software is
mainly used for implementing the image samples which is
experimented for the distinction of the proposed system.
Here mainly the shape, color, NP location are detected
successfully by distorted plate images.
REFERENCES
1. Qiu, Y., M. Sun and W. Zhou, 2009. License plate
extraction based on vertical edge detection and
mathematical morphology, in Proc.Int. Conf. Comput.
Intell. Softw. Eng., pp: 1-5.
2. Tarabek, P., 2012. Fast license plate detection based
on edge density and integral edge image, in Proc. Int.
Conf. Appl. Mach. Intell. Inform., pp: 37-40.
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (4): 729-734, 2015
3. Wang, W., Q. Jiang, X. Zhou and W. Wan, 2011. Car
license plate detection based on MSER, in Proc.
Int. Conf. Consumer Electron. Commun. Netw,
pp: 3973-3976.
4. Lim, H.W. and Y.H. Tay, 2010. Detection of license
plate characters in natural scene with MSER and
SIFT unigram classifier, in Proc. IEEE Conf.
Sustainable Utilization Develop. Eng. Technol.,
pp: 95-98.
5. Carrera, L., M. Mora, J. Gonzalez and F. Aravena,
2009. License plate detection using neural
networks,in Proc. IWANN, 2: 1248-1255.
6. Chacon, M.I. and A. Zimmerman, 2003. License plate
location based on a dynamic PCNN scheme, in Proc.
Int. Joint Conf. Neural Netw., 2: 1195-1200.
734
7. Chang, S.L., L.S. Chen, Y.C. Chung and S.W. Chen,
2004. Automatic license plate recognition, IEEE
Trans. Intell. Transp. Syst., 5(1): 42-53.
8. De Araujo, V.P., R.D. Maia, M.F.S.V. DAngelo and
G.N.R. DAngelo, 2006. Automatic plate detection
using genetic algorithm, in Proc. 6th WSEAS Int.
Conf. Signal speech Image Process., pp; 43-48.
9. Kim, K.I., K. Jung, J.H. Kim, S.W. Lee and A. Verri,
2008. Color texture-based object detection : An
application to license plate localization, in Lecture
Notes on Computer Science, Berlin, Germany:
Springer-Verilag, 2388: 293-309.
10. Cano, J. and J.C. Perez-Cortes, 2008. Vehicle license
plate segmentation in natural images, in Lecture
Notes on Computer Science, Berlin, Germany:
Springer-Verlag, 2652: 142-149.