Layout-Independent License Plate Recognition via Integrated Vision and Language Models

Abstract

This work presents a pattern-aware framework for automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), designed to operate reliably across diverse plate layouts and challenging real-world conditions. The proposed system consists of a modern, high-precision detection network followed by a recognition stage that integrates a transformer-based vision model with an iterative language modelling mechanism. This unified recognition stage performs character identification and post-OCR refinement in a seamless process, learning the structural patterns and formatting rules specific to license plates without relying on explicit heuristic corrections or manual layout classification. Through this design, the system jointly optimizes visual and linguistic cues, enables iterative refinement to improve OCR accuracy under noise, distortion, and unconventional fonts, and achieves layout-independent recognition across multiple international datasets (IR-LPR, UFPR-ALPR, AOLP). Experimental results demonstrate superior accuracy and robustness compared to recent segmentation-free approaches, highlighting how embedding pattern analysis within the recognition stage bridges computer vision and language modelling for enhanced adaptability in intelligent transportation and surveillance applications.