The guard house screen and handling exceptions at the gate

When the system runs normally, devices recognise users, barriers open and records are saved without the guard stepping in. The guard's work centres on the passes that do not match, and how well they are handled depends on what the guard house screen shows.

This post lists the information the screen should display, the common exceptions at the gate and how Sol26 Access and Sol26 Parking software help guards deal with them.

What the guard house screen should show

In the Sol26 reference gate layout, the guard house has a 40 inch LCD screen showing results from each lane. The station software displays the following groups of information.

• Vehicle entry and exit status
• Plate number and recognition images
• Owner of the card or face, with the vehicle number
• Number of vehicles currently inside
• Alerts waiting to be handled

On exit, the screen shows the image and plate captured at entry so the guard can compare them with the vehicle in the lane.

Common exceptions at the gate

Plate mismatch

The plate on exit does not match the entry record. The software allows manual handling, a plate search inside the car park when there is no automatic match, and approval or rejection of the exit case by case.

Vehicle not recorded inside

A vehicle is leaving but the system has no entry record for it. The software raises an alert so the guard can check before letting it out.

Duplicate plate and overcapacity

The system detects when a plate already inside is recorded entering again, and alerts when the number of vehicles exceeds the permitted limit.

Face ID rejection or stranger detected

The Face ID terminal distinguishes registered staff from strangers. With a false rejection rate of 4% in the terminal specification, some passes by genuine staff will not be accepted at once and need a retry or verification by the guard.

Camera or device fault

The software alerts when a camera fails or cannot recognise a plate, and monitors the operating status of Face ID terminals. The guard switches to manual handling until the device is working again.

Every manual action must leave a trace

Manual handling is necessary but is also where errors creep in. Parking history records in and out status, time, images and the approver, and flags vehicles that left through manual handling.

Each guard logs in with a personal account and assigned permissions. Administrators add, edit, activate or deactivate guard accounts, so every manual approval is tied to a specific person.

Operational mistakes to avoid

• Sharing one account across a guard shift, which loses the approver information
• Ignoring camera fault alerts and lifting the barrier by hand without recording it in the software
• Not updating the staff list when someone leaves
• Not reviewing manual handling records in the history on a regular basis

Review after each shift

Managers can search history by name or plate, download lists and view vehicle traffic statistics by period in charts. For businesses with several gates, the central software manages multiple stations at once.

Frequently asked questions

Can one screen monitor several lanes?

Yes. The station software supports several vehicle lanes on one computer.

Can a guard let a vehicle out when the plate does not match?

Yes. The guard approves or rejects manually case by case, and the approval is saved with the approver in the history.

What happens when the camera cannot read a plate?

The software shows an alert that the camera has failed or could not recognise the plate. The guard searches for the plate inside the car park and handles the case manually.

Can managers review manual handling afterwards?

Yes. The history stores status, time, images and approver, and flags vehicles that left through manual handling.