Integration Example of NetPing and Eocortex Using the Instance of Controlling a Barrier in License Plate Recognition

  • Published In: Tutorial
  • Created Date: 2018-09-29
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Russian innovational company Eocortex that develops software for the IP video surveillance systems integrated devices NetPing IO v2 and UniPing v3 with its software product. This allowed expanding the usability of NetPing monitoring units on the basis of developed scenarios.

  • start of video recording when a door sensor or a glass break sensor triggers;
  • activation of a siren alarm when there is movement detected at the surveillance object;
  • switching a lightening system on at the object to record video and when motion sensor triggers;
  • opening/closing a barrier when license plates are recognized;
  • notifying an operator on duty with a sound or signal indication and when finding abandoned items in public places;
  • organization of access to a room by identification of an individual's face;
  • informing about the crowding of people in public places using such methods as e-mail notifications, through SNMP notifications to a control panel, sound or signal indication;
  • implementing features of camcorder washer when it gets dirty;
  • following and guarding moving objects when they surpass the entrance to a specified zone with a lengthy stay at this zone;
  • preventing and detecting fire situations in the moment of triggering a smoke sensor by switching off the equipment that works and activating video recording 

A benefit of this integration is a significant enlargement of software features for the systems of IP video surveillance Eocortex on the basis of NetPing devices for remote monitoring that are inexpensive, stable and easily integrable with different information systems.

Requirements

To implement the software features listed above for the systems of IP-video surveillance Eocortex, there is a need to have:

List of NetPing Monitoring Units Officially Supported by Eocortex:

DeviceInteraction MethodControl Interfaces
NetPing IO v2HTTP protocol1-4 IO lines in the operation mode «input», «output», «logic output»
UniPing v3HTTP protocol1-16 IO lines in the operation mode «input», «output» /1-4 IO lines in the operation mode «logic output» / 
Relays 1-2
UniPing RS-485 (out of production)HTTP protocol1-16 IO lines in the operation mode «input», «output» /1-4 IO lines in the operation mode «logic output» / 
Relays 1-2

List of Officially Not Supported but Working with Eocortex NetPing Monitoring Units:

DeviceInteraction MethodControl Interfaces
UniPing server solutionHTTP protocol1-16 IO lines in the operation mode «input», «output» /1-4 IO lines in the operation mode «logic output» / 
Relays 1-2
UniPing server solution v4/SMSHTTP protocol1-8 IO lines in the operation mode «input», «output» /1-4 IO lines in the operation mode «logic output» / 
Relays 1

NetPing monitoring units that are not on the list of "officially supported devices", can also work with Eocortex using the fact that these models are built on the same platforms as the officially supported ones.

When working with NetPing monitoring units, there is always a need to choose a NetPing device as a device in Eocortex Configurator.

Installing and Configuring Eocortex

A detailed user guide on installing and configuring software for systems of IP video surveillance is available at the Eocortex official website: http://eocortex.com/en/assets/documentation/eocortex/2.4/EX_userguide_2_4.pdf

In this article, the example of configuring automatic recognition and recording license plates that got into the field of view of an IP camera with a possibility of manual and automatic opening of a barrier by a NetPing device controlling entry or exit on the basis of the Eocortex software will be examined.

To install Eocortex software, there is a need to launch a previously downloaded distributive and select components necessary for installation:

Eocortex Server and Client installation

After this, the installation process goes in a standard way, as a result of which we have a ready video server.

In this article, Eocortex software is installed in the  Server + Client mode. In this mode, both the computer and server will be installed on a computer. This means that a server will not only process data and save the archive, but also choose video streams in a real time. Launch video surveillance shortcut «Eocortex Ultra status (x64)» from a desktop or the menu «Start»:

Eocortex icon

A window will appear, where basic parameters of a server and menu configuration will appear, using which it is possible to launch the Eocortex Configurator and start/stop the server:

Eocortex Server Part of a Control Panel

When clicking the menu item «Configurator», an Eocortex configurator opens, where a video surveillance system is configured:

  • configuring cameras;
  • configuring servers;
  • configuring users' permissions;
  • configuring object plans;
  • configuring views (display profiles);
  • saving a current configuration in a file;
  • downloading a previously configured configuration from a file;
  • a possibility to install a license. 

Eocortex configurator

At this stage, it is sufficient to add only one camera located at the entrance to the object. To add a camera, it is possible to address documentation.

To add a NetPing device, there is a need to choose an existing security object or create a new one at the tab «1. Cameras» in an Eocortex configurator, where a new channel will be created. In this example, we will add a new channel for a NetPing device to a common list:

Eocortex adding a channel

Before using, a new channel must be configured. The first thing to do is to fulfill the next actions in the area «Channel connection settings»:

  • choose a brand – NetPing;
  • choose a device model – NetPing Device;
  • enter IP address (IP address or URL) of a device;
  • check a checkbox «I/O ports» (processing events);
  • enter a username and a password for connecting to a device;
  • rename a new channel, for example, UniPing v3

Eocortex connecting a UniPing v3 monitoring device

In the area «Channel connection settings», it is possible to check the interaction of  IO lines and relays of a NetPing device with Eocortex software using a component «I/O port testing». To do this, there is a need to click the button «…»:

Eocortex testing IO lines of a UniPing v3 device

A window «I/O port testing» will be opened: when signals are sent to inputs, corresponding indicators in the row «Inputs» will light green (1-16 IO lines of a NetPing device are supported). To send a signal to the output, there is a need to click a mouse on a corresponding indicator in the line «Outputs» (1-16 IO lines of a NetPing device are supported, 17 and the next ones are relay management):

Eocortex testing IO lines of a UniPing v3 device

To configure a module for a license plate recognition, there is a need to download a module distributive from the official website and install it on the server. Using this module requires purchasing a license. Perhaps, it is possible to get a timely license through addressing Eocortex technical support. In the context of this article, a Complete module for the license plate recognition is used.

To enable the module, go to the tab «1. Cameras» in the Eocortex configurator. In a channel list (left), select a channel, the video image from which will be used to recognize license plates. Open the section «Entry» and enable an Eocortex motion detector:

Eocortex enabling a motion detector

In the section «Intelligence analysis system settings», check a checkbox «Use external intelligence modules», after which the list of available modules will appear below, including «License plate recognition (Complete)» that must also be checked:

Eocortex enabling a license plate recognition module

After the module is activated, the button «Settings» will appear:

Eocortex License Plate Recognition

When clicking this button, a window «License plate recognition configurator» will open, where it is necessary to enable the features of «License plate recognition» and «Barrier control». Also, there is a need to select a country and license plate templates for recognition. A barrier will be controlled in a manual mode when an operator clicks a button and automatically in case if a license plate that is added to a specific list is recognized:

Eocortex configuring a license plate recognition module

Continue to the real-time settings: set the minimal and maximal size of license plates. To do this, there is a need to click the button «Real time…» (see the picture below), and in the window «Plate size settings», there is a need to set the size of license plates recognized by changing a line length for the minimal and maximal size of recognized license plates:

Eocortex setting a license plate size

When a readable license plate that coincides with recognition patterns, gets into the field of a camera view, this will look like this:

Eocortex Example of a license plate in the field of camera view

The same way, there is a need to specify the zones for searching license plates and click the button «Save»:

Eocortex setting the recognition zones

To watch how the license plate recognition module works, there is a need to run an Eocortex client:

Eocortex client icon

On a screen, we see barrier control buttons and the zone where the recognized license plates will be displayed.

Eocortex Client interface

To implement a possibility to control a barrier, a barrier must be connected with an IO line in the «output» mode of a NetPing device.

To configure a whitelist of license plates that will cause opening a barrier when recognized, there is a need to call an additional interface of a license plate recognition module and a license plate database:

Eocortex license plate database

Add a license plate, fill in necessary fields and add to the group Barrier opening. Repeat these actions for all license plates for which automatic opening of a barrier is necessary:

Eocortex adding a license plate to a group for automatic barrier opening

Now, when recognizing a license plate from such a group, a barrier will be opened automatically. At this point, a configuration of a license plate recognition module is completed.

Eocortex and a barrier interact through signal channel outputs, in our case, through IO lines in the «output» mode of a NetPing device. A signal output of an IO line is connected with a signal input of a barrier. A connection diagram depends on how contacts are made in a NetPing device and a barrier.

To control a barrier, there is a need to

1. Connect an IO line in the «output» mode of a NetPing device to a signal input of a barrier;
2. Configure a scenario for controlling a barrier in Eocortex configurator

A barrier can be opened in two modes: manual and automatic.

In a manual mode, a barrier opens (closes) according to the operator's command using a screen interface to control a barrier. When clicking a screen button with a picture of an open barrier, a system generates the event «Request to open a gate», when clicking a button with a picture of a closed barrier - «Request to close a gate»:

Eocortex elements of a manual barrier control

In the automatic mode, a barrier opens is a license plate is recognized as the one included into a group with a label «Barrier opening». When such license plate is recognized, a system, generates the event «Request to open a gate», and if at the same time the option «Open and close in ХХ sec» is activated, then after a specified number of seconds after the request to open a barrier, the event «Request to close a gate» will be generated.

For a signal to be sent to an IO line in the «output» mode of a NetPing device as a response to the generated event «Request to open/close a gate» there is a need to configure a corresponding scenario.

A scenario will perform the next actions when the event «Requirement to open/close a barrier» is generated in the system:

  • a signal output of an IO line of a NetPing device is switched on;
  • a short pause is maintained;
  • a signal output of an IO line of a NetPing device is switched off.

To configure a scenario «Open a barrier» for manual control when clicking a corresponding button or automatic control when recognizing license plates, there is a need to:

1. Choose a channel, at which a screen interface for controlling a barrier will be enabled. In our example, the channel is «Entry»:

Eocortex choosing a channel for automatic control

2. Go to the section «Scenarios». In the event list (left) choose «Request to open gate». In a dropdown list for choosing actions (top right) choose «Send signal to Camera output». Click the button «+» - an action will be added:

Eocortex scenario for opening a barrier

3. Expand a description of an action and configure corresponding parameters (see a picture above):'

  • run in channels - a current channel is selected by default. If signal outputs of another camera/device are used for connecting a barrier, then there is a need to change the value of this field. To do this, select the item  "Selectively…" from the drop-down menu and specify a channel to which in our case a UniPing v3 is considered to send signals for opening/closing a barrier.
  • output number - there is a need to indicate a number of an IO line on a UniPing v3 device. In our case, there is a need to indicate IO line 2, through which a barrier is controlled.
  • output value - shows a status of an alarm output: 1 (Activated) / 0 (Deactivated). Set the value: «1 (Activated)».

4. In a dropdown list of an action selection, choose «Pause». Click the button «+» to add the action. In the settings of the action, in the field «Pause Interval (in seconds)», specify «5»:

Eocortex pause between opening and closing a barrier

5. In a dropdown list of action selection, choose «Send signal to Camera output» and click the button «+» to add the action. In the settings of the action, in the field «Output value», set the value: «0 (Deactivated)», other settings are the same as the settings in the point 3:

Eocortex scenario of closing a barrier

A scenario «Close a barrier» is configured the same as the scenario «Open a barrier», only for the event «Request to close a gate».

After all performed configurations, there is a need to save a configuration. Go to the tab «6. Configuration Application» and click the button «Apply»:

Eocortex applying a configuration

The last configuration step is configuring an IO line on a UniPing v3 device. To do this, there is a need to go to a web interface of a device and select the tab «DISCRETE IO 1..8». Indicate the IO line operation mode «output» for the line 2. After changing the settings, click the button «Apply changes»:

Configuring UniPing v3 for working with Eocortex

At this point, the configuration step of controlling a barrier for recognizing license plates using Eocortex software and a UniPing v3 device is totally complete.

Therefore, NetPing devices integrated into the Eocortex IP video surveillance system allow significant expanding of the basic functionality without a notable increase in the cost of the system, which, in turn, makes such devices and systems more demanded and universal.


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