ANPR Software: Lists, Rules and Integration
Once the gate camera has read a plate, the rest of the job is done by ANPR software: which list is this plate on, what should happen at this gate at this time, and where should the record go? ALGI's ANPR software answers these three questions and then opens the barrier, notifies the security desk or quietly logs the passage. List management, time- and gate-based rules, passage reports and API output sit in the same dashboard. The full installation, including cameras, IR lighting and barrier wiring, is covered on the ANPR system page; this page explains what the software layer does, how it is configured and how it is licensed.
What is ANPR software?
ANPR software is the layer that converts the plate characters in a camera image into text, compares that text with defined lists and with time and gate rules, and ties the result to an action. Reading, comparison and logging happen in one piece of software; there is no separate OCR product, list program or reporting tool. Each read is stored with a confidence score, a region estimate and plate and vehicle crops.
Video is processed either on an Algi Edge device installed on site or on ALGI AI servers. With an on-site device, live video stays on your premises, only the plate text, timestamp and read frame leave the site, and reading and barrier control continue during internet outages. The software is built to run many cameras on modest hardware: a motion gate keeps frames away from OCR while nothing moves, two-stage OCR calls the slower model only when the fast one is below its threshold, and analysis settings are tuned per camera. One Algi Edge device can serve many gate and yard cameras, even without a GPU.
ALGI does not sell a standalone plate reader. ANPR runs as a rule set on the Algi Edge platform: the core rule covers reading, list comparison and the barrier action, including the time-on-site report that matches entry and exit. Adding rules such as after-hours entry checks grows the rule set, not the platform.
The software looks at the vehicle, not the driver. The driver's face is not processed and no one is identified; only plate characters are read.
How is ANPR software configured?
Configuration follows four steps in the dashboard.
The reading zone is drawn. The area where vehicles slow down or stop is marked on the camera image, and reading happens only there. The Turkish plate format is the default; for mixed traffic at border crossings and ports, foreign formats are added and reported as a separate type.
Lists are defined. Staff vehicles, registered suppliers and hauliers, visitors and the daily appointment list, and a blacklist are kept separately. Lists are entered in the dashboard, imported by CSV, or fed through the API, for example when appointments come from your ERP.
Rules are written. Each list gets an action: open the barrier, notify the security desk or only log. Rules are tied to time and gate, such as admitting only registered vehicles outside working hours. The default for unknown plates is chosen per site, and alerts are raised for vehicles that stay longer than a set time.
Outputs are connected. The barrier action uses the dry-contact output of the Algi Edge device, and passage records go to your security software, ERP or visitor system via API and webhook. As an experimental option, a passage frame can also be sent for AI analysis that returns make, model, colour, damage and trailer fields as JSON, offered as suggestions.
A new installation first runs in observation mode: it reads and compares every passage and records what it would do, without triggering the barrier. The barrier output is enabled once reading is reliable.
Which industries use it?
Frequently asked questions
- What is ANPR software and how does it work?
- ANPR software converts plate characters in a camera image into text, compares them with defined lists and time and gate rules, and ties the result to an action: open the barrier, send a notification or only log. Every passage is stored with a timestamp and read frame, and entry and exit are matched to show time on site.
- Does ANPR software need extra hardware?
- Not necessarily. Your existing gate camera is used if it sees the plate head-on, with any RTSP-capable IP camera accepted; for night reading, lighting is added if the camera has no IR. Video can be processed on ALGI AI servers, or on an Algi Edge device on site if you want processing to stay on your premises. Barrier control uses the dry-contact output of the on-site device.
- How long does setup take, and when does it go live?
- At a single gate, the connection, reading zone, lists and rules are completed on the same day. For the first days the software runs in observation mode: it reads, compares and logs, but does not trigger the barrier. Once reading is reliable, the barrier output is enabled and the system goes live. Further gates reuse the first gate's list and rule configuration.
- Is ANPR software GDPR and KVKK compliant?
- The software looks at the vehicle; the driver's face is not processed and no one is identified. With an on-site Algi Edge device, live video stays on your premises and only plate text and the read frame leave the site; with server processing, video is processed on ALGI AI servers. Retention periods are set in the dashboard, expired records are deleted and access is role-based.
- Can ANPR software be bought on its own, and how is it licensed?
- ALGI sells no standalone plate reader or boxed software; ANPR is a rule set on the Algi Edge platform. You can start with the plate rule alone. The licence is calculated per camera and paid monthly with the chosen rule set; list management, time and gate rules and passage reports are included. The analysis, data, modelling and proof-of-concept steps before installation are free of charge.
- Does it connect to my security software or ERP?
- Yes. Passage records and reports are exported via API and webhook: shipment records to your ERP, passage records to your security software and visitor records to your reception system, all from the same read. Data such as the appointment list can flow in the other direction too. The work needed on the receiving system varies by site and is quoted as a separate line.
- Does ANPR software keep working if the internet goes down?
- With an on-site Algi Edge device, yes. Reading, list comparison and barrier control run on the device, and the internet is only used to send data to the dashboard. During an outage the gate keeps working with the same rules and stored records are transferred when the connection returns. With server processing, reading depends on the connection, so gates that must work offline use on-site processing.
- Can it read foreign number plates?
- Yes. The Turkish plate format is the default; for mixed traffic such as border crossings, ports and international haulage, foreign plate formats are added to the definition set and reported as a separate type. Which countries' plates will be read is agreed before installation and verified against real passages in observation mode.
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