I am looking for software that will enhance (make sharply visable)
part of a larger picture.  Example, a picture of a street, that will
home-in on a license plate of a passing car to make it readable.  I've
seen it used on TV shows, usually in connection with a video taken
from a secuity camera.  It is obviously professional software that
goes beyond anthing that program sucvh as "Photoshop" can do.

hiya ace333,

I have found two applications -- I hope one is suitable...
_________________________________________________________
 
THOLE ID
"The Thole ID product is unique because it can identify and provide
entry to 10,000 persons/vehicles. In combination with transponders in
vehicles, proximity cards for use more than once and ID-coins for
once-only authorisation, this identification product is well suited
for use as a selective control system in the pedestrianisation of
inner cities. The system can be expanded with extra entry provision
for emergency services such as fire brigade, police, etc. The reading
distance for the proximity card is about 70 cm., and for the
transponder a read-out of  100 cm. is guaranteed. The associated
software package is freely programmable and runs under Window 95 among
other operating systems. For application as entry control we have
supplied this product to various cities such as Amsterdam, Enschede,
Roermond and Hilversum in Holland. The product can also be used by
large waste transports wanting to register their vehicles and
accompanying containers. For this application, we have supplied the
product to RHD Utrecht NL. (one of the largest waste collection
services in the Netherlands) and an other user Rouwmaat Groenlo."
http://www.intertraffic.com/marketplace/mypage/pressreleases_detail.asp?mypageid=298&newsid=208
 
Company details:
Thole Parkeersystemen bv., 
 P.O.Box 30, NL-7500 AA Enschede-Holland. 
T: +31 534285700
F : +31 534285710
E-mail: sales@thole.nl
Website : http://www.thole.nl

_________________________________________________________ 
 
VIS-3X ("MAZ-VIS") 	 	
The LPR system VIS-3X, manufactured by I-TO-I, is supplied to a global
marketplace to high profile car park management, security companies
and independant distributors. The intelligent VIS-3X software is able
to recognise license plates from nearly every country in the world.
Applications are integration with revenue control systems (RCS) in
public car parks, or access control solutions for company car parks,
power plants, military, airport security etc. VIS-3X can be integrated
into various RCS systems.  I-TO-I's vehicle identification system has
established its market position over the last years, and VIS-3X
("MAZ-VIS") has been successfully installed in countries like USA,
Dubai, UK and Saudi Arabia. For more info click here:
http://www.i-to-i.de/en/maz-vis/index.htm
 
Company details:
I-TO-I GmbH
Harburger Schloß-Str. 24
channel harburg 
21079 Hamburg
Germany 
 
Phone: +49 (0)40 767 950-0
Fax: +49 (0)40 767 950-90
Email: info@i-to-i.de
Webiste: http://www.i-to-i.de 
 
Sales
Phone: +49 (0)40 767 950-50
Email: sales@i-to-i.de 
_________________________________________________________
 
Sources --
http://www.intertraffic.com/marketplace/mypage/products_detail.asp?mypageid=232&productid=360
http://www.intertraffic.com/marketplace/mypage/pressreleases_detail.asp?mypageid=298&newsid=208
http://www.intertraffic.com/marketplace/mypage/products_detail.asp?mypageid=298&productid=1096
Search terms used on Google:
"home in" "number plate" software
"i-to-i" -courses
"i-to-i" -courses technology
"i-to-i" "vehicle identification"
thole id
_________________________________________________________
 
I hope this is what you are looking for!!  If you need additional info
or something clarified, please 'request clarification' before rating
answer.
Thanx. --JB

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Request for Answer Clarification by ace333-ga on 12 Mar 2003 11:43 PST

I'm sure these are very good programs to identify license plate.  I
was only using this as an example, however.  A better example of what
I really want to do is home in on a person's face in an otherwise
unidentifiable picture and bring it into focus.

---

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 12 Mar 2003 17:53 PST

ace333,
I will look into this again for you, and let you know what i find.
 
But for future reference,
".....Please remember that you cannot revise your rating. Therefore,
you should only rate an answer after you have completed the "Answer
Clarification" process and are satisfied with the researcher's work."
http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html#ratequestion

---

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 13 Mar 2003 04:52 PST

This may be "more" what you're looking for:
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"CCTV Software  specialise in the supply of software products for the
CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) market. Some products are written in
house, others written to specification or by third parties. All
products are supported by software engineers with CCTV hardware
experience. CCTV Software brings CCTV ( Closed Circuit Television )
products and computers together. CCTV software runs on standard PC's.
 
It works in one of two ways:-
Firstly, by controlling a CCTV product from the PC, this is achieved
by connecting the product via the RS232 port at the back of the PC.
Many CCTV products are now designed with an RS232 port allowing them
to be controlled by a PC. All that is needed is software, to give the
PC user control of their CCTV products.
Secondly, by manipulating CCTV images imported into a PC. Images can
be imported from the video out connector on any CCTV product, via a PC
video card. This enables the images to be manipulated by the CCTV
software running on the PC. Such image manipulation applications
include image motion detection, storage, enhancement or transmission."
http://www.cctvsoftware.com/whoarewe.htm 
 
Products page:
http://www.cctvsoftware.com/products.htm
 
CCTV Software Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1704 548675
Fax: +44 (0)1704 548679
mailto:sales@cctvsoftware.co.uk
 
List of Distributers:
http://www.cctvsoftware.com/distrinf.htm#
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
".....The resulting Video Image Stabilization and Registration
software stabilizes camera motion in the horizontal and vertical as
well as rotation and zoom effects; produces clearer images of moving
objects; smoothes jagged edges; enhances still images; and reduces
video noise or "snow." Once NASA's new software improves the video
quality, it is possible to use existing software to sharpen and
"de-blur" images, thus further enhancing video clarity. Hathaway and
Meyer have produced sample videos showing how a blurry, "busy" video
can be cleared up to reveal a person in a crowd, or how a jittery
video can be enhanced, allowing a license plate to be read.
http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/new/law.html"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
You may also be interested in the "i-Catcher" products:
http://www.icode.co.uk/icatcher/
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
I hope this helps !

---

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 13 Mar 2003 11:26 PST

.. if you are interested in contacting Hathaway and Meyer (re. VISAR
and similar technology), you can contact them here...
David Hathaway's email address is: david.hathaway@msfe.nasa.gov. 
Paul Meyer's e-mail address is: paul.meyer@msfe.nasa.gov

Good research but off the mark.

Keep in mind that the image-enhancing technology that is often seen on
TV and in the movies is highly fictionalized.

The FBI, the CIA, and other large law-enforcement agencies use image
enhancement techniques, but their software is not available to the
public. The actual results from these image manipulations is generally
not nearly as remarkable as the enhancements depicted in television
shows such as "The Agency."

Somebody makes it.  A lot of fiction becomes real.

That answer is probably a good one if you can find the question to go
with it.

From http://www.beyond2000.com/news/Sep_00/story_760.html :

"Video made with a handheld camcorder from police cars chasing
criminals can result in shaky footage, making license plates
unreadable (top). When enhanced with the VISAR software, a clear,
sharp image, (bottom) results, allowing the license plate to be read."

Links I've found interesting:
http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/news/photos/2000/photos00-257.htm
http://www.nasasolutions.com
http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/tech_ops/visar.pdf

If I find anything else I'll post it here.