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Integration of the AK-R20A with Uniview and Safire Smart LPR Cameras

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Visiotech Academy
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The Akuvox AK-R20A video door phone can open the door by reading a vehicle's license plate using an LPR camera from Uniview or Safire Smart. The camera reads the license plate and sends it to the AK-R20A via API; the AK-R20A compares it with its users’ license plates, and if there is a match, it activates the relay.

Prerequisites

  • AK-R20A with firmware 320.30.112.57, which includes LPR integration.
  • Uniview LPR camera with firmware ANPR-B1107.1.5.C00102.251024, or Safire Smart LPR camera with firmware 5.3.1.
  • The camera and the AK-R20A must be on the same network, and the camera must be able to access the AK-R20A’s IP address via port 80.

Step 1: Register license plates

License plates can be registered directly on the AK-R20A (Option A) or, if the device is managed via the Akuvox cloud, directly through the cloud (Option B).

Option A: on the AK-R20A (local projects)

  1. Access the AK-R20A website and go to Directory > User.
  2. Click Add to create a user, or the edit icon for an existing user.
  3. Enter the license plate number in the License Plate field (for example, 1234BCD). Each user can have up to 5 license plates.
  4. Select the relay that opens the door and the time during which the user has access, then click Submit.

The list shows the license plate associated with each user:

01_r20a-users-registration-number.png

Option B: from the Akuvox cloud (community projects)

In a community, license plates are registered by the property manager through their cloud portal and are synchronized with the AK-R20A.

  1. In the side menu, go to Resident (1) and click the View icon for the resident (2).

02_cloud-residente.png

  1. In the Access Type section, open the Registration Number tab (3) and click New (4).

03_cloud-access-type-registration.png

  1. Enter the license plate number (5) and click Submit (6).

04_cloud-add-license-plate.png

  1. At the bottom of the resident’s record, under Access Group, verify that the Device column shows AK-R20A. The example screenshot shows another device from the test community.

05_cloud-access-group.png

In single-family home projects, according to Akuvox documentation, the user adds the license plate number via the SmartPlus app.

Step 2: Configure the Uniview camera

If you are using a Safire Smart camera, proceed to step 3.

  1. Access the camera’s website and go to Setup > System > Photo Server > Platform 1.
  2. Check Enable and select the HTTP protocol.
  3. In Server IP, enter the IP address of the AK-R20A.
  4. In Server Port, enter 80. The port is fixed and cannot be changed.
  5. Leave the rest of the fields, including the paths under Advanced Settings, at their default values and click Save.

06_uniview-photo-server.png

Step 3: Configure the Safire Smart camera

  1. Access the camera's website and go to Settings > Network > Advanced > HTTP Notification.
  2. Add an entry or edit an existing one, and check Enable.
  3. Configure Protocol Type: HTTP, HTTP Request Method: POST, Domain/IP: the AK-R20A’s IP address, and Server Port: 80.
  4. In Path, enter exactly /api/lpr/safire.
  5. Leave Username and Password unchecked: you do not need to enter AK-R20A credentials.
  6. Under Smart Alarm Data and Smart Alarm Types, check Select All so that License Plate Detection is included, and click Save.

07_safire-http-notification.png

Check the list to ensure the entry appears with the Connection Status: Online.

08_safire-http-notification-online.png

Note: After restoring the Safire Smart camera to factory settings, refocus it from Settings > Image > Zoom/Focus; otherwise, it may not focus correctly.

Step 4: Test Operation

With the setup complete, have a vehicle or an image of a registered license plate pass in front of the camera. The AK-R20A activates the relay and logs the access in Status > Access Log as License Plate with status Success and the user’s name.

09_r20a-access-log-success.png

If the license plate is not registered, access appears as Visitor with status Failed and the relay does not activate.

10_r20a-access-log-failed.png

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to enter the AK-R20A username and password on the camera?

No. You only need to configure the AK-R20A’s IP address on the camera. The camera sends the captured license plates, and the AK-R20A is responsible for authorizing access.

Can a port other than 80 be used?

No. The AK-R20A receives readings via port 80, which is fixed.

Can a user have multiple license plates?

Yes, up to 5 per user. In the user list, they are separated by semicolons (;).

The camera reads the license plate, but the gate does not open

  • Check Status > Access Log on the AK-R20A to see if the reading appears. If it is listed as Visitor · Failed, the license plate is not registered or does not exactly match the user’s.
  • If no entry appears, check the IP address and port configured on the camera and, in Safire Smart, verify that the path is /api/lpr/safire and the connection status is Online.
  • Check the firmware versions: 320.30.112.57 on the AK-R20A, ANPR-B1107.1.5.C00102.251024 on the Uniview camera, and 5.3.1 on the Safire Smart camera.
  • Verify that the user has been assigned the correct relay and schedule.

How do I know if the camera is reading license plates?

In the live view of the Uniview camera, each license plate that is read appears in the list at the bottom. On the Safire Smart camera, the vehicle icon in the upper-right corner of the live view flashes when a license plate is detected.

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