Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Discovering Computers
CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION
Apple iPad 3
Keeping up with Technology: It’s Essential!
A Brief Look at the Future
Accelerating technology will continue Accelerating number of computers in the world Dramatically more powerful computers by 2031 2089: Singularity achieved: Computers imitate the
human brain. Designing, developing, programming robots Robots may take over many jobs !
A Brief Look at the Future
“At some point in the future, machines will be able to do the jobs of a large percentage of the “average”people in our population, and these people will not be able to find new jobs.”
Radiologist’s job could be automated using imaging technology; computers could read/interpret X-rays.
Housekeeper’s job would be difficult to automate out of existence. Auto mechanic, carpenter, roofer
Nanotechnology applications will emerge in the not too distant future.
Book Source: “The Lights in the Tunnel” by Martin Ford 2009
How is a computer defined?
What Is a Computer?
p. 1.04
Produces and stores results
Next
An extremely fast electronic device operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory which processes data into useful
information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer
Processes data into information
Data that is organized, meaningful, and useful
Accepts dataRaw facts, figures, and symbols
What Is a Computer?
What is the information processing cycle?
p. 1.04 Fig. 1-2 Next
Input Process Output Storage Communication
The Components of a Computer
What is an input device?
p. 7 Fig. 1-3
Hardware used to enter dataand instructions
Next
The Components of a Computer
What is an output device?
p. 8 Fig. 1-3
Hardware that conveys information to one or morepeople
Next
Which devices areboth input & output ?(Modem, sound card, Smart Board [Nova] )
The Components of a Computer
What is the system unit?
p. 8 Fig. 1-3 Next
Casecontainingelectroniccomponentsused to processdata
The Components of a Computer
What are two main components on the motherboard?
p. 1.06
Central Processing Unit (CPU)Also called a microprocessor
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) & Control Unit
Carries out instructions that tell computer what to do
Next
Memory (RAM)Temporary holding place for data and instructions
Current Microprocessors
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3634
45nm Quad Core, Core i7
Nehalem: backside of
chip
DDR3 RAM Memory (newest type)
The primary benefit of DDR3 is the ability to transfer I/O data at eight times the speed of the memory cells it contains, thus enabling faster bus speeds and higher peak throughput than earlier memory technologies.
There is no corresponding reduction in latency, which is therefore proportionally higher.
In addition, the DDR3 standard allows for chip capacities of 512 megabits to 8 gigabits, effectively enabling a maximum memory module size of 16 gigabytes.
Processor
Control Unit
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
What is the central processing unit (CPU)?
p. 4.05 Fig. 4-5 Next
InputDevices
StorageDevices
OutputDevices
Interprets and carries out basic instructions that operate a computer
MemoryData Information
InformationDataInformation
InformationDataInformation
Control Unit
Control unit directs and coordinates operations in computer
Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs arithmetic, comparison, and logical operations
Also called the processor
The Components of a Computer
What is storage?
p. 1.06
Storage mediaPhysical material on which data, instructions, and information are stored
Storage mediaPhysical material on which data, instructions, and information are stored
Storage devicesRecords and retrieves items to and from a storage medium
Storage devicesRecords and retrieves items to and from a storage medium
Next
Holds data, instructions, and information for future use (RAM vs Hard Disk Drive)
Storage: Hard Disk Drives
What is a hard disk ?
(Capacity: >= 4 Terabytes: 4 trillion characters)
p. 1.07 Fig. 1-5 Next
Provides much greater storage capacity than a USB flash drive or DVD-ROM
Housed inside the computer’s system unit
in an internal bay.
Newer Storage Tech: Solid State Drives
SSDs have no moving parts.Mass production began in May 2008.Capacities: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256 GB, 512 GBForm factors: 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch sizesMax read speed: 100MBpsMax write speed: 40 MBpsLife span: 1 million hoursManufacturer: Toshibahttp://gizmodo.com/gadgets/solid-state-drives/toshiba-introduces-3-new-ssd-flavors-128gb-is-the-tastiest-332171.php
Storage: Solid State Drives
OCZ Technology (>= 512 GB capacity) http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drive
s/ocz_sata_ii_2_5-ssd
512 GB Solid State Drives
http://www.supertalent.com/products/ssd_detail.php?type=MasterDrive%20SX
512 GB Solid State Drives Fast, rugged, quiet, no moving parts MTBF >= 1 million hours 10 year data retention Cost: as much as $1500.00 ! Somewhat expensive
The Components of a Computer
What is a USB or U3 flash drive? > 100 Gigabytes of storage
p. 9 Fig. 1-5 Next
Provides much greater storage capacity than a floppy disk or Zip® disk
Small and lightweight Can be transported on a keychain or yourin a pocket. Sometimes called a “thumb drive”
www.portableapps.com (Run programs from U3 drive)
The Components of a Computer
What is a compact disc? (CDs & DVDs)
p. 1.07 Fig. 1-6 Next
Flat, round, portable metal disc CD-ROM CD-R, CD-RW DVD-ROM DVD+R, DVD-R DVD+RW DVD-RW DVD-RAM Blu-Ray
Miniature Storage Media
What is miniature storage media?
p. 1.07
Digitalcameras
Digitalcameras
Handheldcomputers
Handheldcomputers
Portable, thin memory cards used in:
Portable, thin memory cards used in:
Next
Cell phonesCell phones
Optical & Tape Storage Media
Optical discsCD-ROMCD-RCD-RWDVD-ROMDVD-RDVD+RDVD-RWDVD+RWDVD+RAM Blu-Ray (BD)
Tape
Advantages & Disadvantages of Computers
Advantages Disadvantages
SpeedReliability
Consistency
Storage
Communications
Violation of Privacy
Public Safety
Impact on Labor Force
Health Risks
Impact on Environment
Green Computing
• Green computing involves reducing the electricity consumed and environmental waste generated when using a computer
• Strategies include:– Recycling– Regulating manufacturing processes– Extending the life of computers– Properly disposing of obsolete computers
Green Computing Actions
• Power-down the CPU and all peripherals during extended periods of inactivity. • Try to do computer-related tasks during contiguous, intensive blocks of time,
leaving hardware off at other times. • Power-up and power-down energy-intensive peripherals such as laser printers
according to need. • Use liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitors rather than cathode-ray-tube (CRT)
monitors. • Use notebook computers rather than desktop computers whenever possible. • Use the power-management features to turn off hard drives and displays after
several minutes of inactivity. • Minimize the use of paper and recycle waste paper. Pay bills online.• Dispose of e-waste according to federal, state and local regulations. • Employ alternative energy sources for computing workstations, servers, network
s and data centers.
modem, router
Networks and the Internet
What is a network?
p. 1.08
Enables a connection
between computers
Enables a connection
between computers
Cables, wireless
Cellular radio
Telephone lines
Satellites
Next
Communications Media
Communications Media
Communications Device
Communications Device
Collection of computers and devices connected together
To shareTo share
Networks and the Internet
Reasons to network:
p. 1.08
ResourcesResources
Hardware devices
Hardware devices
Software programs
Software programs
DataDataTo save
time and
money $$
To save time and
money $$InformationInformation
Next
Networks and the Internet
What is a server?
p. 1.08 Fig. 1-7 Next
Manages the resources on a network
A client computer accesses the resources on the server
29
Networks and the Internet(Facebook & Twitter) Web 2.0
• A social networking Web site encourages members to share their interests, ideas, stories, photos, music, and videos with other registered users
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 1Page 14 Figure 1-9
30
LinkedIn: (for professionals)
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 1
Networks and the Internet
What is the Internet?
p. 1.09 Fig. 1-8 Next
A worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of computers.
The world’s largest WAN (Wide Area Network)
Networks and the Internet
What is the Web?
p. 12 - 14
A Web site is a collection of
related Web pages
A Web site is a collection of
related Web pages
A Web page contains text, graphics, audio, video, and links to
other Web pages
A Web page contains text, graphics, audio, video, and links to
other Web pages
You can share information on a social
networking Web site or a photo sharing
community
You can share information on a social
networking Web site or a photo sharing
community
Next
Billions of documents, called Web pages, available to anyone connected to the Internet
A blog consists of time-stamped articles in
a journal format
A blog consists of time-stamped articles in
a journal format
A podcast is recorded audio
stored on a Web sitethat can be
downloaded
A podcast is recorded audio
stored on a Web sitethat can be
downloaded
Networks and the Internet
What is the World Wide Web (WWW)?
p. 1.11 Fig. 1-10
A Web site is a collection of
related Web pages
A Web site is a collection of
related Web pagesA Web page contains text, graphics, sound,
video, and links to other Web pages
A Web page contains text, graphics, sound,
video, and links to other Web pages
You can share information by
creating Web pages or posting photos on a photo community
You can share information by
creating Web pages or posting photos on a photo community
Next
Billions of documents, called Web pages, available to anyone connected to the Internet
The World Wide Web (WWW)
Computer Software (Windows is a GUI)What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?
p. 1.12 Fig. 1-13
Allows you to interact with the software using graphics and icons
Controls how you enter data and how the screen displays information
Windows 7
Computer Software (OS & Utilities)
What is system software?
p. 1.13
Operating System (OS)is a set of programs that coordinates all activities among computer hardware devices and allows users to run application software
Operating System (OS)is a set of programs that coordinates all activities among computer hardware devices and allows users to run application software
Utility Programs allow the user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices or its programs
Utility Programs allow the user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices or its programs
Next
Programs that control the operations of the computer and its devices
Computer Software (Applications Software)What is application software?
p. 1.14 Fig. 1-14 Next
Presentation Graphics
Spreadsheet
Database
Word Processing
Programs that perform specific tasks for users Suite
Popular software applications bundled together as a single unit
Microsoft Office 2010Access 2010 (Relational database manager)
Communicator 2010 (Communicate thru different time zones…)
Excel 2010 (Spreadsheets, financial tracking…)
Groove 2010 (Collaboration software)
InfoPath 2010 (Deploy electronic forms solutions)
OneNote 2010 (Digital notebook…)
Outlook 2010 (Email, calendar, appointments…)
PowerPoint 2010 (Presentations…)
Project 2010 (Project management…)
Publisher 2010 (Desktop publshing…)
SharePoint Designer 2010 (Automate business processes…)
Visio 2010 (Flowcharting…)
Word 2010 (Word processing)
Note: Office 2010 (similar to Office 2007) was released June 2010
Computer Software
What is a programmer?
p. 1.15 Fig. 1-15 Next
HTML/Javascript program
Resulting Internet application
Someone who developsapplication or system software Programmer writes
instructions todirect computer toprocess data intoinformation
Simple Web Page in HTML <html> <! -- ElmerFuddHomePage.txt ElmerFuddHomePage.htm -- > <head> <title> Sample Test Web Page at NVCC Woodbridge Campus </title> </head> <body> <p> <h1> <center> Northern Virginia Community College </center> </h1> <b><center> NVCC Web Page designed by Elmer Fudd </center> </b> <center><img src="ElmerFudd.jpg"> </center> <marquee><b><h3> Hey, Shirley, I am going to find that Wacky Wabbit! </h3></b> </marquee> <center><img src="BugsBunny.jpg"> </center> </p> <p align="center"><i><b><a href="ElmerFuddsCourseList.htm">College Course
List</a></b></i></p> <p align="center"><i><b><a href="ElmerFuddsGradeList.htm">College Grade
List</a></b></i></p> </hr> <p> <center> <b> Woodbridge Campus is at 15200 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191</b>
</center> </p> <center><img src="woodbridge.gif"> </center> </body> </html>
Java Source Program
import javax.swing.JOptionPane; // JOptionPane class from swing package
public class Exercise2_1 { // Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius
public static void main(String[] args) {
while (true) {
// Enter a temperature in degrees Fahrenheit String fahrenheitString = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, "Enter a temperature in Fahrenheit: Enter -5000 to Quit", "Fahrenheit - Celsius", JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE); // Displays ? mark
// Convert from a string to double number double fahrenheit = Double.parseDouble(fahrenheitString); if (fahrenheit == -5000.0) break; // Break out of while loop // Convert Fahrenheit temp to Celsius double celsius = (5.0 / 9.0) * (fahrenheit - 32); // Display the resulting Celsius temperature String output = "The Fahrenheit temperature is " + fahrenheit + "\n" + "The Celsius temperature is " + celsius + "\n"; JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, output, "Exercise2_1", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE); } // End of while loop } // End main method } // End class Exercise2_1
42
Categories of Computers
Embedded computers
Supercomputers
Mainframes
Servers
Game consoles
Mobile computers and mobile devices
Personal computers
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 1Page 19
Handheld Computers
What is a tablet PC?
p. 20 Fig. 1-21
Especially useful for taking notes
Resembles a letter-sized slate Some allow you to write on
the screen using a digital pen
Handheld Computers: Smart Phones
What are Web-enabled handheld computers?
p. 1.19 Fig. 1-24
Allow you to check e-mail and access the Internet
Next
Web-enabled telephone is a “smart phone”
Apple iPhone 4g
Blackberry Curve
Apple iPhone 4g (June 2010)
Features:
(1) Video calling(2) 960 x 640 resolution(3) HD video recording(4) 5-megapixel camera(5) Had minor antenna
problem
Apple iPhone 4 FaceTime Video Calling
Apple iPhone 4S (Oct 2011)
http://zunited.net/2011/08/sprint-to-sell-iphone-5-in-october-what-that-means-for-windows-phone/
iPhone Virtual Assistant: (some foul language!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eLELOBuT-Q
&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Apple iPhone 4 S (Siri uses up bandwidth)
Siri is the Virtual Assistant (ask her a question) http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57353702-17/de
vour-data-much-apples-siri-surely-does/
iPad
Jan. 27, 2010 :Apple CEO Steve Jobs, announced the release of the much anticipated iPad. As with most Apple products, the iPad was kept in secrecy until the release.
At first glance, the iPad looks like an iPhone or iPod touch. It's much larger thanboth devices, yet it is smaller than a notebook computer.
What exactly is the iPad? The iPad is a digital media
tablet. It has a high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display on iPad.
The screen is crisp and very vivid. The vivid screen makes it perfect for web browsing, watching movies, or viewing your photos.
Because it uses a display technology called IPS (in-plane switching), it has a wide, 178° viewing angle. This allows you to hold it almost any way you want and still get a Excellent picture, with excellent color and contrast.
Start Screen of ipad
Multi-Touch
The Multi-Touch screen on iPad is based on the same technology as used on the iPhone. But the technology has been completely redone for the larger surface of the iPad, making it extremely precise and responsive. So whether you’re zooming in on a map, flicking through your photos, or deleting an email, iPad responds with great accuracy. And it does what you wan it to do.
The Look Of Ipad
Its sleek finished and unique look is just like the ipod. One of the first noticeable things about the iPad is how thin and light it is. The screen is 9.7 inches measured diagonally. In Contrast it’s a bit smaller than a magazine. The ipad is 1.5 pounds and 0.5 inch thin, you can use it anywhere. To make it easier to pick up and more comfortable to hold a slight curve was added.
iPad takes advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. It automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks, which can be joined with a few taps. iPad also comes with Bluetooth, letting you connect to devices like wireless headphones or the Apple Wireless Keyboard.
iPad will soon be available in a 3G model with superfast data speeds. So if you’re traveling or you happen to be somewhere without a Wi-Fi network, you can still get a fast connection for surfing the web, downloading email, or getting directions.
Wireless and 3G
iBook
The iBook on the new iPad is a innovated way to read and buy books.
You can download the iBooks app free from the App Store Tap the iBooks icon and your bookshelf appears. In the upper-left corner, you’ll find the Store button. Tap it and the bookshelf flips around like a secret passageway to reveal the iBookstore, where you can browse tens of thousands of book many of them are free. When you find a book you like, you tap it to see more details, even read a sample. Once you download the book it automatically appears on your bookshelf. You can start reading right away.
Battery Life
The ipad holds up to 10 Hoursof battery life. To maximize battery life, Apple engineers took the same lithium-polymer battery technology they used for Mac notebook computers and used it for the ipad. As a result of the lithium battery, you can use iPad for up to 10 hours while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.
10 hours before recharging !
Performance
The A4 chip inside iPad was custom-designed by Apple engineers to be extremely powerful yet extremely power efficient for the ipad. Which makes iPad fantastic for everything from work apps to games. At the same time, the A4 chip is so power efficient that it helps iPad get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. There is a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage, when picking an ipad, giving you plenty of room for your photos, movies, music, apps, and more.
Negatives: iPad
You can't replace the iPad's battery
Should you get to the end of the iPad battery's lifespan, by which Apple estimates is around five years, you would have to send your device to Apple for a replacement at a cost of $99.
That may not be to bad, since batteries are usually expensive for portable devices and five years is much longer than you'd get out of many batteries in other devices.
Apple's unwillingness to incorporate Adobe Flash in the gadget meaning you won't be able to view many videos on the Internet.
You can't run multiple tasks like you can with a Mac or PC
iPad Pricing
Consumers say that the iPad is a reasonable price for a new device from Apple.
Full pricing: The 16GB, Wi-Fi-only version costs $500, while the 32GB is $600 and 64GB is $700. Pricing increases by $130 to add 3G.The Wi-Fi-only models ship in 60 days, while 3G models will ship in 90 days.
Game Consoles
What are game consoles?
p. 22 Fig. 1-21 Next
Mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer video
games
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 & Sony’s PlayStation 3, Nintendo Game CubeNintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS
Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor
Kinect for Xbox 360, or simply Kinect (originally known by the code name Project Natal),[7] is a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform, and may later be supported by PCs via Windows 8.[8] Based around a webcam-style add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands.[9]
Electronic Books (E books) from Amazon.com
The Kindle E-book from Amazon.com (about: $359.00)
Books are not dead: Some book are just going digital !
The Kindle Ebook from Amazon.com
Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute. More than 90,000 books available, including more than 95 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA?ie=UTF8&tag=medforltd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FI73MA
Kindle DX E-Book
Kindle DX: Amazon's 9.7" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation) $489.00
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-DX-Amazons-Wireless-Generation/dp/B0015TCML0
Embedded Computers
What is an embedded computer? A special-purpose computer that functions as a
component in a larger product. Some new cars have up to 100 microprocessors on board.
p. 24 Fig. 1-26 Next
Servers, Mainframes, & SupercomputersWhat types of servers are there?
p. 1.20 and 1.21 Figs. 1-25–1-27
Midrange server Powerful, large computer that supports up to a few thousand computers; controls access to network resources.
Mainframe Very powerful, expensive computer that supports thousands of computers
Supercomputer The fastest, most powerful, most expensive computer. Used for applications requiring complex mathematical calculations
Next
69
Servers
• A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network– Provides a centralized
storage area for programs, data, and information
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 1Page 25 Figure 1-25
70
Mainframes
• A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 1Page 25 Figure 1-26
Supercomputers (IBM, Cray)
p. 1.20 and 1.21 Figs. 1-25–1-27
Supercomputer The fastest, most powerful, most expensive computer. Used for applications requiring complex mathematical calculations; Can store20,000 times more data than a PCIBM Blue Gene/Q20 Petaflops (1000Trillion floating point operations / second OS: Linux Weight: > 100 tons
Next
New IBM Supercomputer for 2012
p. 1.20 and 1.21 Figs. 1-25–1-27
New Supercomputer !IBM’s new Blue/Gene Qwill be able to perform 20 petaflops 1,000 trillion calculations per second (that’s a quadrillion)It would take a tower of laptop computers 1.5 miles high to match the power of this new supercomputer.
Next
IBM Supercomputer: Sequoia
In the year 2012, Sequoia, should become the
world’s fastest supercomputer at a cost of $208 million.
The computer will operate at speeds of 20 petaflops
[ 1,000-trillion floating point operations per second ]
It will be housed at the University of Illinois’ National
Center for Supercomputing Applications in Urbana,IL
IBM’s Blue Gene/Q Sequoia
According to the document, which stretches over 649 pages, IBM describes a BlueGene/Q system that is based on 524,288 processing nodes with 16-core PowerPC A2 processors that are able to handle 64 threads each. The system would include almost 8.4 million processing cores that are organized in 512 racks. The targeted performance is a peak of 107 PFlop/s.
The BlueGene/Q Sequoia supercomputer IBM is currently building for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will use about 1.6 million A2 processing cores in 96 racks. The patent claims that each processing node will consume about 30 watts of power, which puts the 107 PFlop/s system at only 15.7 MW. That is rather impressive for a system with more than 8 million CPU cores.
Supercomputer Applications
A supercomputer is able to solve complex problems in
science, engineering, the environment, industry,
finance, and national security from the atomic to the
cosmic level.
It can model the activity of electrons in an atom, and
simulate the birth and death of the universe.
Touch & Surface Computing
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.htmlExcerpt from article:He took out a digital camera and placed it on the Surface. Instantly, digital pictures spilled out onto the tabletop. As he touched and dragged each picture, it followed his fingers around the screen. Using two fingers, he pulled the corners of a photo and stretched it to a new size. Then, he put a cellphone on the surface and dragged several photos to it — just like that, the pictures uploaded to the phone. It was like a magic trick. He was dragging and dropping virtual content to physical objects.
http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Boards/default.htm
Microsoft Research Projects
Network World Magazine:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120108-10-microsoft-research-projects.html?page=1
Click the numbered square buttons to view slide show.
AUTOMOBILE LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION
License Plate Recognition got its start in the 1990’s when the British responded to a series of bomb attacks by members of the Irish Republican Army. By developing London’s “Ring of Steel.” They used mounted cameras in strategic locations for the plate code of every vehicle entering London.
Immediately after that, state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States have begun deploying vehicle based systems. With current systems, police cars can be equipped with up to four cameras running simultaneously and checking the results from each plate against a criminal record base.
What is License Plate Recognition (LPR) Technology?
It is the method used by a computer to convert digital images of vehicle license plates into electronic text.
It is a technology that can recognize letters from a digitized license plate image and convert them into ASCII characters into an editable text.
How Does LPR Work ?
• LPR technology involves cameras that feed information into a central processing unit (CPU) that then "reads" the license plate, converts it into optical character recognition (OCR), and then attempts to match it with "hot" plates listed in a state or national database. Currently, the systems usually do not conduct live inquiry into a government database.
Elements of a Typical LPR System• Camera(s) - that take the images of the car (front or rear side) .
• Illumination - a controlled light that can brighten the plate, and allow day and night operation. In most cases the illumination is Infra-Red (IR) which is invisible to the driver.
• Frame grabber - an interface board between the camera and the PC, allows the software to read the image information .
• Computer - normally a PC running Windows or Linux. It runs the LPR application which controls the system, reads the images, analyzes and identifies the plate, and interfaces with other applications and systems.
• Software - the application and the recognition package. Usually the recognition package is supplied as a DLL (Dynamic Link Library).
• Hardware - various input/output boards used to interface the external world (such as control boards and networking boards) .
• Database - the events are recorded on a local database or transmitted over the network. The data includes the recognition results and (optionally) the vehicle or driver-face image file .
The following illustration shows a typical configuration of a LPR system (for example, for 2-lanes-in and 2-lanes-out access control system). The system
("SeeLane") is a typical example of such system.
Typical Applications of LPR Systems:
LPR applications have a wide range of applications, which use the extracted plate number and optional images to create automated solutions for various problems. These include the following sample applications:
Access Control & Border Control Parking Fee Automation Paying at the toll booth
Parking - the plate number is used to automatically enter pre-paid members and calculate parking fee for non-members (by comparing the exit and entry times). The optional driver face image can be used to prevent car hijacking.
In this example, a car is entering a car park in a busy shopping center. The car plate is recognized and stored. When the car will later exit (through the gate on the right side) the car plate will be read again. The driver will be charged for the duration of the parking. The gate will automatically open after payment - or if the vehicle has a monthly permit.
Access Control - a gate automatically opens for authorized members in a secured area, thus replacing or assisting the security guard. The events are logged on a database and could be used to search the history of events.
In this example, the gate has just been automatically raised for the authorized vehicle, after being recognized by the system. A large outdoor display greets the driver. The event (result, time and image) is logged in the database.
Tolling - the car number is used to calculate the travel fee in a toll-road, or used to double-check the ticket.
In this installation, the plate is read when the vehicle enters the toll lane and presents a pass card. The information of the vehicle is retrieved from the database and compared against the pass information. In case of fraud the operator is notified.
Border Control - the car number is registered in the entry or exits to the Country, and used to monitor the border crossings. It can short the border crossing turnaround time and cut short the typical long lines.
This installation covers the borders of the entire Country. Each vehicle is registered into a central database and linked to additional information such as the passport data. This is used to track all border crossings.
Airport Parking - In order to reduce ticket fraud or mistakes, the LPR unit is used to capture the plate number and image of the cars. The information may be used to calculate the parking time or provide a proof of parking in case of a lost ticket - a typical problem in airport parking which have relatively long (and expensive) parking durations.
This photo shows the gate of a long term airport parking. The car is recognized on entry and the data is later used to track the real entry time in case of a lost ticket.
PROS:
Getting the word out about Amber alerts and missing children, car jackings and robberies.
Cameras are affordable and easily installed .
Can be monitored via the Internet.
Replaces the tedious task of manually entering in license plates.
Accuracy of the current systems run in the 90% range.
LPR PROS AND CONS:
CONS Images from the camera can be affected
by damaged or dented license plates.
The time of day and weather can lead to blurred images.
Snow and dirt can obscure the license plate numbers and letters.
Summary: Intro to Computers
The importance of computer literacyThe importance of computer literacy
The computer and its componentsThe computer and its components
Why is a computer so powerful?Why is a computer so powerful?
What is a network?What is a network?
The Internet and the World Wide Web
The Internet and the World Wide Web
Installing and running a programInstalling and running a program
Types of softwareTypes of software
Categories of computersCategories of computers
Elements of an information systemElements of an information system
Types of computer usersTypes of computer users
Computer applications in societyComputer applications in society
Chapter 1 Complete
