Plate Search Main Icons and Dot Colours:

You see a red or green dot on the plate when you query them in the legacy HH to visually indicate the "active" status of the vehicle/plate in the results. Specifically:

• Green dot: The plate has one or more permits, and the vehicle is "active" (likely meaning the permit is currently valid).

• Red dot: The plate does not have a valid permit or is not marked as active.

Red X

• Red X is shown if none of the “valid” cases match, i.e., the plate/vehicle is not associated with a valid permit, not chalked, not expired-but-valid, etc.

• The red/green dot is a secondary indicator, shown in addition to the main icon of a Red X or a Green Checkmark

How They Work Together

• If the main image is a red X: The vehicle/plate is not valid (no valid permit, expired, invalid, etc.).

• The dot will also be red in this case, reinforcing the lack of a valid/active permit.

• If the main image is a green check: The vehicle/plate is valid (matched, permitted, and active), so the dot will be green.

In summary:

• Red X = The main, immediate "invalid" indicator.

• Red dot = No valid/active permit (often shown with the red X).

• Green dot = Has at least one active permit (usually shown with green check).

The dot is for "permit/active" status; the main icon (red X, green check, etc.) is for overall plate/vehicle state.

Plate Search Result Icon & Dot Status Mapping

Note:

• The “Dot” is always shown in addition to the main icon for meta results (database-backed, or with active permits).

• If a result is not a plate in your DB (for example, a suggestion to add a new vehicle), the red X icon may appear with no dot.

• Main Icon: Shows overall status (valid, invalid, chalked, notification, etc.)

• Dot: Shows permit+active status (green = good, red = not good)

Audibles

• buzz sound (0): Played when a plate/vehicle is not found or not valid (corresponds to red X, red dot).

• bing sound (1): Played when a plate/vehicle is found and valid (corresponds to green check, green dot).

• swoosh sound (2): Played when a plate/vehicle is auto-chalked (chalk icon, red dot).Auto chalk means the Mobile LPR is the only time you get the Swoosh.

After validation, the code calls playAlarm() if:

• The plate has an alert or permit misuse.

• The plate is not valid and a ticket should be issued.

Mapping: Audible, Icon, Dot

The audible is always synchronized with the result of plate validation, which also controls the main icon and dot color.

Legend

• Main Icon/Symbol: Quickly shows what kind of result was found (valid, invalid, chalked, not found, etc.).

• Dot (Status):

  • 🟢 Green Dot: At least one valid and active permit (good standing).

  • 🔴 Red Dot: No valid/active permit (not in good standing).

  • (No Dot): For non-database results (e.g., "Add new vehicle"), the dot is not shown.

• Audible:

  • Bing: Positive feedback for a valid plate/permit.

  • Buzz: Negative feedback for invalid, not found, or partially valid (e.g., wrong lot).

  • Swoosh: Special feedback for chalked (timed) plates with no valid permit.

  • None: No sound for unlisted/new vehicles (plus icon).

Example Combinations

Chalking

Absolutely! Here’s a clear summary of how and when the chalking icon appears, how it relates to the "Time until chalked vehicle in violation" system setting, and the "chalk expiry" picklist in Virtual Chalking, all in the context of searching for a plate:

1. When Do You See the Chalking Icon?

Chalk Icon:

You see the chalk icon in plate search results when:

• The vehicle/plate has been chalked (i.e., a chalk record exists).

• The vehicle does not have any valid/active permit.

• The chalk status is relevant—meaning you are within the chalk timing window (see below).

Code logic:

• If a plate is found (meta result), but the veh.isValid() returns Permit.INVALID_CHALKED, the icon is set to icon_permit_chalk.

• The red dot is also shown, since there is no valid/active permit.

2. How Does "Time Until Chalked Vehicle in Violation" Affect This?

• This is a system setting (sometimes called “Chalk To Violation” or mChalkToViolationSecs in your code).

• It specifies the grace period (in seconds or minutes) after a vehicle is chalked before it can be considered in violation (i.e., before a ticket can be issued).

• If you search for a plate that has been chalked, you will see:

  • The chalk icon (if no valid permit),

  • The system checks how long since it was chalked,

  • If still within the “grace period,” it’s just chalked (icon shows as chalk),

  • If the grace period has expired, the system may prompt for a violation/ticket.

3. How Does the "Chalk Expiry" Picklist in Virtual Chalking Affect This?

• When you use Virtual Chalking on a vehicle, you choose a "Chalk Expiry" from a picklist/dropdown.

• This sets a custom expiry time for that chalking event (overriding or supplementing the system-wide "Chalk To Violation" value).

• The chalk expiry defines until when the vehicle is considered "just chalked"—after that, it can be flagged for violation.

4. Typical Search Scenarios

5. In summary:

• Chalk icon appears after a plate was chalked, no permit is valid, and the time since chalking is within the allowed "grace period" (from system setting or picklist).

• Once the chalk grace expires, the icon will change (usually to a red X) and the system may allow issuing a violation.

• The chalking status and icon are suppressed if a valid permit is found—the permit status always takes precedence.

Great follow-up! Here’s how auto-chalking works, how it relates to the chalk icon, and its interaction with system settings and search results:

What is Auto-Chalking?

Auto-chalking refers to the system automatically creating a "chalking" event for a vehicle, without manual entry by a user.
This usually happens:

• When an LPR scan (license plate recognition) detects a plate that is not valid (no valid/active permit) and not already chalked within the grace period.

How Does Auto-Chalking Affect Icons, Dots, and Audibles?

System Settings Involved

• Chalk To Violation (mChalkToViolationSecs):

  • This setting defines how long after a chalk event (manual or auto) a plate remains in the "chalking" status before it becomes eligible for a violation.

  • For auto-chalks, the same timer applies: after the LPR triggers an auto-chalk, this timer starts.

How Does This Work in a Search?

1. LPR/Auto-chalk Event:

   • Plate is scanned, no valid permit found.

   • System checks if the plate is already chalked and if the grace period (mChalkToViolationSecs) has expired.

   • If not chalked recently, auto-chalk is triggered (status and timestamp updated).

2. User Searches for Plate:

   • If within grace period:

     • Chalk icon appears

     • Red dot (no valid permit)

     • Swoosh sound

   • If grace period expired:

     • Red X icon

     • Red dot

     • Buzz sound

     • Plate is now eligible for violation

Key Points

• Auto-chalking is indistinguishable in UI from manual chalking—the icon, dot, and audible are the same.

• The difference is in who/what created the chalk event (LPR vs manual).

• The "chalk expiry" and "chalk to violation" settings affect both manual and auto-chalked plates.

Plate Search UI: Main Icons, Dots, and Audibles Matrix

This chart provides a comprehensive overview of how the main icon, status dot, and audible combine for all major plate search and chalking scenarios in your system.