Genetec Inc., a leading technology provider of parking enforcement, unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, announced Plate Link, a new feature for its AutoVu automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) solution. Designed to allow vehicles to share license plate data while out on patrol, Plate Link acts as a force multiplier for parking enforcement officers (PEOs), allowing them to administer shared permits and time-limited parking bylaws across multiple zones more efficiently.

Managing shared parking permits (where several vehicles share a single permit) can be a complex and time-consuming task. To identify a shared permit violation, a single parking enforcement vehicle would typically need to see both cars sharing a permit to detect that they were both in the lot at the same time. This can prove challenging, if not impossible, for large facilities that employ multiple enforcement vehicles. With AutoVu Plate Link, any patrol vehicle can detect violations using license plate data collected by other connected vehicles. This helps increase the rate of detection and simplifies the assignment of patrol routes.

"In an effort to provide the best experience possible to their patrons, parking organizations have adapted their services to provide more flexibility. Shared permits have become a frequent and popular solution to encourage carpooling and accommodate households with multiple vehicles. This has placed a heavier burden on enforcement officers who must ensure compliance with parking rules," said Charles Pitman, AutoVu Product Marketing Manager at Genetec. "Our goal is to empower officers by making it easier for them to organize their routes and efficiently enforce those rules, without having to worry about the way their ALPR system works," he added.

AutoVu Plate Link provides similar benefits to officers enforcing time-limited parking bylaws. It allows two separate patrol vehicles to be assigned to a zone and work in unison, as if they were a single vehicle. Each license plate scanned by a vehicle is automatically transferred to the next vehicle that enters the zone. By working together, the first patrol vehicle captures the license plate information initially, and should a violation occur, it will be detected by the second patrol vehicle making a subsequent pass. The first patrol vehicle doesn't have to circle back after the time-limit has elapsed. Using the same vehicle data eliminates the need to circle back to an assigned zone, and boosts capture rates.

Available immediately from any AutoVu Mobile certified dealer, AutoVu Plate Link is included within AutoVu Managed Services and available as a license for customers with Security Center AutoVu on premises.