License plate binarization method based on fuzzy classification

Many conditions can make it difficult to binarize license-plate image such as nonuniform illumination, degraded license plates and so on. Almost all the threshold-based binarization method did not consider the color feature of gray level license-plate image. According to the color and brightness characteristics, this paper proposes a license plate binarization method based on the fuzzy c-means cluster algorithm using multi-layer classification of the plate. Experimental results show that this algorithm is robust in dealing with nonuniform illumination, degraded license plates. With the proposed method, the recognition rate of the system can be improved significantly.

[1]  Amir Sedighi,et al.  A new and robust method for character segmentation and recognition in license plate images , 2011, Expert Syst. Appl..

[2]  Jing-Ming Guo,et al.  License Plate Localization and Character Segmentation With Feedback Self-Learning and Hybrid Binarization Techniques , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology.

[3]  Arnold W. M. Smeulders,et al.  Color Based Object Recognition , 1997, ICIAP.

[4]  Babak Rezaee,et al.  A cluster validity index for fuzzy clustering , 2010, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[5]  Wei Pan,et al.  Fuzzy-based algorithm for color recognition of license plates , 2008, Pattern Recognit. Lett..

[6]  N. Otsu.  A threshold selection method from gray level histograms , 1979 .

[7]  Hyunchul Kang,et al.  Adaptive Local Binarization Method for Recognition of Vehicle License Plates , 2004, IWCIA.

[8]  Qingming Huang,et al.  A configurable method for multi-style license plate recognition , 2009, Pattern Recognit..

[9]  Figen Özen,et al.  A New License Plate Recognition System Based on Probabilistic Neural Networks , 2012 .

[10]  James C. Bezdek,et al.  On cluster validity for the fuzzy c-means model , 1995, IEEE Trans. Fuzzy Syst..

[11]  James C. Bezdek,et al.  Pattern Recognition with Fuzzy Objective Function Algorithms , 1981, Advanced Applications in Pattern Recognition.

[12]  Wang Hai.  A Fast Algorithm for Two-dimensional Otsu Adaptive Threshold Algorithm , 2007 .

[13]  Jing-Ming Guo,et al.  License Plate Localization and Character Segmentation with feedback self-learning and hybrid-binarization techniques , 2008, TENCON 2007 - 2007 IEEE Region 10 Conference.