6.10 : Recognition System

Question 1

what does recognition systems include ?

Answer 1

OMR , QR code reader , barcode reader , OCR , RFID and biometrics recognition systems

Question 2

what are some uses of OMR ?

Answer 2

• in school for attendance records

- for reading multiple choice questions

Question 3

how is an OMR used for reading school registers

Answer 3

other digital methods are used in some schools for example magnetic stripe reader and biometrics reader , but there is still a lot of schools which use a paper-based system which is then most probably scanned by an OMR so it can be entered onto the computer and then is stored into a central data base

Question 4

how are OMR used in reading multiple choice questions (MCQ) papers ?

Answer 4

the forms have timing marks coming down one side , these are used to locate the question , these timing marks are scanned by the first column sensor , Using OMR software , they map a template of the X-Y coordinates of each lozenge , a value is then assigned to the lozenge , as each question is scanned , a light passes through the scanner which picks up which location has been fiiled by ink/pencil and then is compared to the corresponding value on the mark scheme paper, if the position matches the X-Y coordinates , then the answer is recorded as being correct . the scanned results are then exported to a database or a spreadsheet , if more than one lozenge is filled then the software will simply discard the question , marking MCQ papers is more accurate and quicker than doing it manually.

Question 5

what is meant by lozenge ?

Answer 5

are which is filled by ink/pencil or left blank.

Question 6

what are the advantages of OMR ?

Answer 6

• it is a very fast way of inputting result of a survey , the document are fed in automatically so there is no manual input
• it is more accurate , because there is no typing
• they are more accurate than OCR

Question 7

Disadvantages of OMR ?

Answer 7

• the forms should be accurately designed to make sure the shading are correctly positioned to gather accurate data
• they mostly do not work with anything other than pencil or black pen
• there could be problems if not shaded correctly and sometimes needs to be checked manually which is both time consuming and expensive
• they are only limited to the questions on the paper there is no way of expansion to the answer sin a questionnaire

Question 8

what does OCR stand for ?

Answer 8

Optical character recognition

Question 9

what are the uses of OCR ?

Answer 9

• one of the most recent uses is the processing of passports and identity cards
• turning hand-written documents to electronic form that can be stored nto a computer
• used in auto number plate recognition (ANPR) system in car parks
• digitising historic newspapers and rare books so they can be archived and used by researchers preventing damage to the originals

Question 10

Advantages of OCR ?

Answer 10

• they are faster way of inputting data

- they reduce errors as there is no manual inputing data

Question 11

Disadvantages of OCR ?

Answer 11

• still cant read some handwritings

- still not a very accurate technique

Question 12

What does ANPR stand for ?

Answer 12

automatic number plate recognition

Question 13

what is ANPR ?

Answer 13

systems that reads the number plate on cars in a number of applications

Question 14

explain how is ANPR used when a car park enable entry and exit to be automatically controlled ?

Answer 14

• step 1 : the sensors detect if there car and sends signals to instruct a camera to take a picture of the front of the vehicle ( often it is an infra-red camera so it can still see at night
• step 2 : then an algorithm is used to locate and isolate the the place of the number plate from the image taken by the camera , the algorithm takes account the size of the number and any damage or orientation
• the brightness and contrast of the number plate is adjusted
• each character on the number plate is then segmented
• each character is the recognised using OCR software , the characters are converted int a string of editable text by the software
• the text string is then stored on a database
• step 3 :
  once all this happen , the user would be issued a ticket and the barrier would open up , the ticket shows the date and time that the car entered the car park
  step 4 ;
  when to motorists return to the car park they insert their ticket into the machine which c the calculates the charges , the payment is registered on the database , the motorist then drives to the exit barrier and the ANPR system again reads the plate number and check its database , if the plate is recognised and the payment is done then the barrier is opened

Question 15

what are the advantages of ANPR ?

Answer 15

• can be used to automatically monitor average speed of vehicles over a stretch of a road and can be used in smart traffic management
• there is no need to employ security guard and save money
• it is much faster system than having to check a ticket at the exit , car parks can issue tickets om entry , but this ticket is simply used for payment purposes by the motorists before leaving the car park and is not used at the exit sine payment will now be linked to the number plate on the car
• it can be used to automatically control the entry and the exit to a car parks or private roads
• it can e used as a security system , preventing illegal parking and preventing unauthorised access to private car parks
• it can be used to analyse diver behaviour ( that is , route choice and destinations) to help in transport planning
• it can be used in inner-city congestion charging systems , it is possible to automatically charge a motorist if they enter a congestion zone , but also allows in permitted vehicles without charge ( emergency vehicles

Question 16

disadvantages of ANPR ?

Answer 16

• there is a lack of manned security car park surveillance which could lead to vandalism ( and other crimes ) , because no body is checking on a regular basis , CCTV are often used after the event happens
• there is a lack of privacy as the driver’s number plate keeps getting recorded
• when a numbers have a lot of dirt or damage the system will not be able to read it
• plate cloning , as the system only records the number plate and not the car , so if they have a cloned number plate thus by-passing car park security

Question 17

uses of RFID ?

Answer 17

• tracking of stock
• passports
• automobiles
• contactless payment

Question 18

advantages of RFID ?

Answer 18

• they can be read from a distance
• they are robust and reliable
• they are much more difficult to alter and forge than barcode reader
• bulk reading ( reading several RFID tags at once)
• very fast rate of reading ( usually < 100ms)
• it allows bi-directional transfer ( it allows read and write operation to take place)
• RFID tags can reduce the number of staff needed in a wharehouse because tracking is automatic

Question 19

disadvantages of RFIDS ?

Answer 19

• tag collision , is when two or more signals of RFID overlap , interfering with each other
• their signals/ data transmitted are easily to hack
• because they are radio waves it easy to interrupt or jam
• though saves cost as the need for employees decrease but the initial system setup for RFID is high compared to its similar barcode system

Question 20

what are the components of an RFID tag ?

Answer 20

• antenna to allow receiving and transmitting data or information
• chip to store and process data

Question 21

what is the difference between passive and active RFID tags ?

Answer 21

passive tags uses the readers energy to relay information , while active tags have a battery inside them to power the RFID , passive tags are widely used as they are cheaper and smaller than active ones , but because the active tag has it own power source it can reach 50m away

Question 22

what does tracking of stock using RFID involves ?

Answer 22

• livestock tracking

- retail make use of RFID tags

Question 23

what are the uses of livestock tracking ?

Answer 23

keep track about the whereabouts of the animals using active tags

• to let famers know which animals are to which owners , specially because when the gaze freely they can stray into neighbouring lands
• to keep records of each animal ( medical records , age , identification number , and so on)

Question 24

what are the uses of RFID tags in retail ?

Answer 24

• similar to barcodes but can store so much more information such as the price description and so on , and doesn’t need to be scanned at checkout , it can be read on its own , and the main advantage is that multiple tags can be scanned at once thus speeding the process of checkout
• used in distribution centers as they can locate the exact location of the item as it is stored on the tag
• allow automatic tracking of an item from warehouse to customer , the customer can be informed at all stages where the item is

Question 25

how are RFID tags used in passports ?

Answer 25

• Tiny RFID chip and antenna are now embedded in the passport , the tags do not have a battery which means they are passive form of tags , when the passport is presented to the scanner , the scanning device provides enough energy so the chip can broadcast its data and information
• the information is sent to the computer , the tiny chips can contain security data which makes it impossible to falsify your identity , for example : photographs , fingerprints can be encoded on the chip , the data sent to the computer is encrypted
• the RFID tags on a passport can be read from 6 meters away which of course does pose a security risk but it is mitigated against by encrypting the data

Question 26

how is RFID used in vehicles ?

Answer 26

• the tags allow or deny a car access to a secure private car park
• used in lorries and delivery vehicles at the weigh in stations to ensure they are not holding more weight than allowed
• used on the toll road , where vehicles register the number then attaches the card to the windscreen of the vehicle , so when the car is moving towards it, it reads the tag using a device called ( transponder) and if the number is valid the gate will open without them having to stop .
• can be used to track the progress of a car through the production stages

Question 27

how is RFID tags used in contactless payments ?

Answer 27

• the chip in the RFID tag is a passive tag and emits low-power when it comes in contact with the reader
• the chip contains an antenna to allow the connection to be made with the contactless reader
• then the RFID reader picks up a signal from the chip and initiates the payment process

Question 28

what does NFC stands for ?

Answer 28

near field communication

Question 29

how can NFC be used in smartphones ?

Answer 29

• NFC can be used by smartphones when making payments , as NFC is a subset of RFID operating at a particular frequency , and is another standard for wirless data transmissions , inc contrast to the general RFID , both the phones should be in close proximity which makes the connection even more secure , and it can act as a sender ( active) and a receiver ( passive) , these are the features that separtes it from genreal RFID

Question 30

what is peer-to-peer mode ?

Answer 30

• this allows two NFC enabled devices to exchange data such as ( photographs , links , contacts with each other by tapping them together
• both devices switch between sending ( active ) and receiving ( passive )

Question 31

what is READ / WRITE mode ?

Answer 31

• this is a one-way transmission of data
• the passive device links up with another device and reads data from it
• this is used for example when an active tag is sending adevrtising data to other devices

Question 32

card emulation mode ?

Answer 32

• in this mode the NFC device functions as a smart or contactless card
• this allows it to make contactless payments
• it is mostly used to gain access to for example public transportation station as the device is held to proximity with the reader and it allows or denies access .

Question 33

what does biometrics include ?

Answer 33

• face recognition
• IRIS and Retina recognition
• thumb and finger recogintion
• hand recognition
• voice recognition

Question 34

what is retina and how is it used for recognition ?

Answer 34

• the retina is a light sensitive area at the back of the eye which has unique blood vessels pattern
• the retina cannot be seen without special equipment which makes it expensive to implement and that it is a secure technology
• the special equipment is used to take infra-red photograph of the retina
• it is quite invasive , as you have to set and stare directly at the light source
• slow way of verifying identity
• it is only used in very high-security settings

Question 35

Iris recognition ?

Answer 35

the Iris is the colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil

• a digital camera is utilised which is vissible and near an infra-red light to take a sharp photo of the iris
• the method produces a unique pattern of a persons iris by locating and taking an image of :
• the edge of the pupil
• the edge of the iris
• the center of the pupil
• the eyelids and eyelashes
• all of these features and the fact that it is a secure and a fast way of identifying a person ( less than 5 seconds) also works with eye glasses contact lenses and with blind people, they are used now in these settings :
• immigration control( in some countries )
• some banks have added it to some branches as a security feature