System Settings

• System Settings
• Setting Device to Auto-Update
• Reset Settings for OPSCOM Parking Enforcement
• OPSCOM Parking Enforcement Admin System Settings
• Categories

System Settings

The System Settings area in the legacy OPS-COM Android application provides centralized control over the handheld's hardware integrations and local behaviors. Its primary purpose is to allow administrators and officers to configure mobile printers, adjust License Plate Recognition (LPR) camera inputs, and customize ticket formatting directly on the device. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and field enforcement personnel configuring their handheld units.

Setup and Configuration

While the handheld device offers extensive local customization, several foundational settings must be established in the core administrative portal first.

Admin Side: Administrators must manage the core organization details, unique device identifiers, and the Next Offence Number through the OPS-COM web portal.

LPR Authorization To successfully use the LPR features on a handheld unit, an administrator must first toggle the LPR functionality on within the System Settings of the main Admin Portal.

User Side (Enforcement Staff): Tap the main application menu icon, then tap System Settings to open the configuration interface on the mobile device.

Using this Feature

The system settings are divided into four main categories. Enforcement personnel can interact with these menus to tailor the application's performance.

Local Device Settings

This section displays read-only device information pulled directly from the admin portal, including the organization name, country of operation, and the device's unique identifier.

Printer Settings

Tap any item in this list to modify how the device communicates with mobile printers and formats physical tickets.

• Bluetooth print driver: Tap to select the specific printer driver (e.g., Star Micronics).

• Bluetooth Printer: Tap to select the physical paired printer hardware.

• Characters per line: Tap to set the width limit of text on the ticket.

• Lines Before Ticket: Tap to adjust the blank buffer space below the printed company logo.

• Lines per Ticket: Tap to set a maximum length for the printed citation.

• Ticket Footer: Displays the footer message (this is not editable locally and must be changed via the admin web tool in the Handheld Common area).

• Include Client Name: Enable to print the client name if the organization's logo does not already include it.

• Include Dotted Header: Enable to print a dotted line separator beneath the company logo.

• Include Warning Value: Enable to display what the fine would be if a warning ticket were an actual violation.

• Include Discount Value: Enable to show the early-payment discount amount.

• Include $0.00 Towing Charge: Enable to display a placeholder towing cost on the ticket.

• Include Barcode: Enable to print the specific violation number as a scannable barcode.

LPR Settings

Tap these options to configure camera connections and virtual chalking rules.

• LPR Proxy IP Address: Tap to enter the IP address. The default IP is 192.18.8.1, which is used to connect to a PL8RDR.

• LPR Proxy Port: Tap to enter the proxy port number. The default is 32000.

• Include NOREAD Results: Tap to set the acceptable read score percentage. Setting the level to greater than 50% ensures the system only includes reads with a 50% or greater confidence score.

• Auto Chalk Vehicles: Enable to automatically chalk vehicles in the background while reading plates.

• Trigger on Inactive Vehicle: Enable to trigger an alarm when scanning a vehicle marked as inactive in the system.

• Time until chalked vehicle in violation: Tap to set the grace period duration before a chalked vehicle is officially flagged for a violation.

• Chalk Units: Enable to display virtual chalking distances in meters.

Advanced Settings

Tap these options to adjust backend synchronization and interface behaviors.

• Next Offence Number: A read-only display of the next sequential ticket number assigned to this device by the admin portal.

• Show Hyphen in Ticket: Enable to insert a hyphen between the device ID and the ticket number.

• Auto Synchronization Frequency: Tap to select how often the handheld automatically pushes and pulls data from the main database.

• Temp Permit Barcodes: Enable the temporary parking barcode scanning function.

• System Debugging: Enable to put the device into debug mode for testing and support diagnostics.

• Reset Settings: Tap to re-sync all settings with the core OPS-COM server, returning the handheld to its default state.

• Preference settings: Enable to hide multi-menus for chalking and evidence photos, streamlining the user interface.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Match printer drivers to hardware: Always ensure the Bluetooth print driver matches the exact Bluetooth Printer selected. If these two settings do not align, the printer will fail to connect or will print unreadable code instead of a formatted ticket.

• Leverage Auto Synchronization cautiously: Carefully consider your Auto Synchronization Frequency based on your field network reliability. Setting the sync frequency too high in areas with poor cellular reception can drain the device battery as it repeatedly attempts to connect to the database.

Setting Device to Auto-Update

The Setting Device to Auto-Update process allows organizations to configure their Android handheld devices to automatically download and install application updates. Its primary purpose is to ensure that the legacy OPS-COM Parking Enforcement app, along with other critical device software, remains on the latest version without requiring manual intervention from field staff. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and IT personnel responsible for provisioning enforcement devices.

Setup and Configuration

This configuration is performed directly within the native Google Play Store on the Android operating system. It does not require any backend adjustments within the OPS-COM administrative portal.

Admin Side: Administrators configuring the field devices prior to deployment should ensure the device is connected to a stable network and logged into an active Google account to access the Play Store settings.

User Side (Enforcement Staff): Generally, field officers do not need to configure this setting if the device was pre-provisioned by administration. If manual configuration is required in the field, follow the steps below.

Using this Feature

Administrators interact with the native Google Play Store settings to dictate how the device handles application updates.

Configuring Auto-Update Settings

1. Open the Google Play Store application on the handheld device.

2. Tap the Menu icon (represented by three horizontal lines) located in the top-left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Settings from the slide-out menu.

4. Tap Auto-update apps to open the configuration prompt.

5. Select Auto-update apps at any time to enable automatic updates, or select Do not auto-update apps to strictly disable the automatic updating process.

Data Charges and Connectivity When selecting the option to update apps at any time, be aware that the device will utilize whatever network connection is currently active. If the device is not on Wi-Fi, cellular data charges may apply based on your organization's mobile carrier plan.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Maintain up-to-date software: Organizations should establish a business rule to keep auto-updates enabled whenever possible. Allowing the device to update automatically ensures field officers always benefit from the latest bug fixes, security patches, and feature enhancements for the OPS-COM application.

• Monitor cellular data usage: If your organization uses strict or limited cellular data plans, consider using the Wi-Fi only update option if available on your device's Android version. This prevents large app updates from exhausting your monthly cellular data allowance while officers are actively patrolling.

Reset Settings for OPSCOM Parking Enforcement

The Reset Settings feature within the legacy Android application allows users to clear local device configurations and force the handheld to pull fresh data from the server. Its primary purpose is to troubleshoot and resolve synchronization or configuration issues on the mobile device. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and field enforcement personnel acting under the guidance of support staff.

Setup and Configuration

This troubleshooting feature is natively built into the application and does not require any backend configuration to activate.

Admin Side: Before initiating a reset, ensure the handheld device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi or cellular network, as the application will need to download a fresh batch of data upon the next login.

Using this Feature

Enforcement personnel should only use this feature when experiencing specific device issues and only under direction from the support team.

Resetting the Application Settings

1. Log in to the OPS-COM Parking Enforcement app.

2. Tap System Settings from the main menu.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the settings list and tap the Reset Settings checkbox to select it.

4. Tap the device's back button and log out of the application completely.

5. Fully close the application from the Android recent apps menu.

6. Restart the tablet or handheld device.

7. Log in to the OPS-COM Parking Enforcement app. The system will automatically re-download all system settings and related data during this initial login.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Ensure a stable network connection: Always verify your device has a strong cellular or Wi-Fi signal before logging back in. Because the reset clears local data, a stable connection is required to successfully pull the fresh settings from the database and resume normal operations.

Authorized Use Only Do not perform a settings reset as a standard troubleshooting step. The reset settings function should only be performed if you have been explicitly told to do so by an OPS-COM Support representative.

OPSCOM Parking Enforcement Admin System Settings

The OPSCOM Parking Enforcement Admin System Settings feature allows administrators to configure core global variables that synchronize directly to the mobile enforcement handhelds. Its primary purpose is to ensure all printed tickets and app interfaces consistently display the correct organizational details, locations, and legal footers. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.

Setup and Configuration

These foundational settings must be configured within the core administrative portal before the handheld units can be properly deployed to the field.

Admin Side: Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings to access the main configuration portal.

User Side (Enforcement Staff): No configuration is required on the handheld device to receive these settings. The mobile enforcement units will automatically download these core variables during their next routine synchronization with the server.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use this interface to update the organization's core identity details and customize the legal text that prints at the bottom of physical citations.

Setting the Organization Name and Country

1. Click General System Settings from the list of components on the left side of the screen.

2. Type your organization's official title into the Organization Name field.

3. Type your location into the Country field.

4. Click Save Settings to apply the changes to the database.

Editing the Handheld Footer

1. Click Violations from the list of components on the left side of the screen.

2. Locate the Handheld Footer field in the top portion of the configuration form.

3. Type the exact legal or instructional text you want printed at the bottom of all physical parking tickets.

4. Toggle the appearance of the pin numbers on the violation in this same area, depending on your organization's payment portal requirements.

5. Click to save your configuration changes.

Example Footer Message A standard and effective ticket footer message should look something like this: This parking ticket is due within 14 days. Failure to settle this parking ticket will result in the account becoming delinquent and subject your vehicle to collections and/or towing.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Configure across proper environments: Administrators must be aware that settings pushed to a specific site environment (preview or production) do not automatically sync to the other. If you configure a handheld device while connected to the production site, it will not be configured for the preview site, and vice versa.

• Follow the recommended device setup sequence: Always add and configure the handheld device through the preview environment first, and then set it up on the production environment. This specific deployment sequence ensures that the device settings are properly written to the PA_Common tables for both environments simultaneously, preventing future synchronization conflicts.

Categories

The Incident Categories feature allows organizations to classify and organize different types of incidents, such as security events, parking violations, or maintenance requests. Its primary purpose is to help administrators standardize reporting and dispatching by defining a structured hierarchy of categories and sub-categories. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is managed entirely within the core OPS-COM administrative portal. No configuration is required on the mobile handheld devices, as they will automatically inherit the category lists during their regular synchronization.

Admin Side: Hover over Admin Options, click Incidents, and then click Categories. This will open the Edit Categories and Sub Categories main page.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use this interface to build a custom list of incident types, create granular sub-categories, and define operational rules such as checklist requirements.

Adding a New Category

1. Scroll to the bottom of the Edit Categories and Sub Categories main page.

2. Click Add New Category.

3. Enter a descriptive name in the Category Name text field.

4. Enable the In-House checkbox if this incident type is handled strictly internally.

5. Enter a GIS number if applicable for spatial tracking and mapping integration.

6. Enable the option to include this category in system reports, if desired.

7. Click Save Incident Category to finalize and add the new category to the system.

Editing an Existing Category

1. Locate the specific category in the listed items on the main page.

2. Click the pencil icon next to the category to open the edit screen.

3. Update the category name or specific configuration details as needed.

4. Click Save Incident Category to apply your changes to the database.

Managing Sub-Categories

Sub-categories allow you to break down broad incidents into highly specific events.

1. Click Sub next to an existing category on the main list to view its associated sub-categories.

2. Enter a new name in the provided text field to add a new sub-category.

3. Click Required under the checklist column if a formal checklist must be completed by the officer when this specific sub-category is selected in the field.

4. Click Include if you want this specific sub-category to be visible in statistical reports.

5. Click Save SubCategory to add the new sub-category to the parent group.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Standardize your naming conventions: Organizations should establish a clear and consistent naming convention for all categories and sub-categories. This prevents duplicate entries and ensures dispatchers and field officers can quickly select the correct option during an active, high-stress incident.

• Utilize checklists for complex incidents: Enable the checklist requirement for sub-categories that involve multi-step procedures or critical safety protocols. This ensures field officers follow standard operating procedures when responding to specific incident types, reducing organizational liability.