Automatic Data Capture and Processing (Automatic Identification)

[R.J. Rankin]

Dear Sir/Madam/Ms

I am looking for a Company, Research Institution, College, and or
a University that would appreciate my expertise as a former Bar
Code Systems Analyst/Designer turned Information Specialist. That
could use my talent for searching, identifying and evaluating
emergent technologies (Examples of emergent technologies: optical
encoding, spread spectrum digital signal synchronization using
neural networks, dot codes, holographic codes, embedded diag-
nostics and micro-tagging) worldwide. Their introduction and
application for use in Automatic Data Capture and Pocessing
(Automatic Identification ((Automatic Identification is a collec-
tive term for a group of technologies and techniques concerned
with the rapid, accurate capture of data in computer readable
form for identification, verification, validation or recognition
purposes. Bar coding is the most visible of these technologies,
but other technologies including magnetic stripe and SMART card
technologies, optical and magnetic character recognition, elec-
tronic tagging, vision and voice recognition and personal identi-
fication are having substantial impact in a wide range of indus-
tries and applications))). These technologies are of strategic
importance in process improvement, often with substantial bene-
fits, rapid pay-back and competitive advantage. Effective appli-
cation requires understanding and a foundation for economic and
technological justification. During my two years here at Keele
University I have been able broaden my foundation.

I will be in California provisionally from June 23 to July 22
(open ended ticket) and will be available for interviews during
that period. Currently I am contactable at Keele University;
Telephone (+44) 0782 621111 extn 3332 or (+44) 0782 583332;
Internet E-mail rra...@keele.ac.uk.cc.seq1 or auto-
i...@keele.ac.uk.cc.seq1.

Thanking you in advance.

Robert Rankin
--------------------------------------------------------------
RESUME

ROBERT JOVIS RANKIN
7 Mellard Street
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire ST5 2DN England
TELEPHONE (+44) 0782 612774


NATIONALITY: US Citizen

STATUS:Divorced

DATE OF BIRTH:06.09. 1948

EDUCATION

1991/92 Master of Science Degree Software Engineering Management
Luton College of Higher Education, England

1990/91 Post Graduate Diploma Software Engineering Management
Luton College of Higher Education, England

1966/70 Bachelor of Arts Degree Art and Design
St.Martin's College of Art, London, England

1965/66 Diploma of Interior Design & Decoration,
Inchbald School of Design

PROFESSIONAL BODIES

Member of the British Computer Society
Member of the Institute of Information Scientists
Member of the Institution of Analysts and Programmers

AWARDS AND BURSARIES

1992 British Telecomms Fellowship
Working at BT Laboratories on a pilot study into Software Project
Team Process Maturity Assessment in conjunction with the Software
Process Improvement and Capability Evaluation (SPICE) Initiative

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Bar Code Print Quality Control
Bar Code Verification & Validation Automatic Identification
(Automatic Data Capture, Bar Code, Magnetic Stripe, SMART Cards,
OCR, RFID, RFDC, MICR, Voice Data Capture, Machine Vision,
Biometric, EDI) as an essential part of Management Information
Systems.
Software Process Improvement and Capability Evaluation
Software Risk Management (Identification and Mitigation)

EXPERIENCE (Skills)

Languages:ADA, Turbo Pascal, Clipper 5.0,Turbo Basic, dBASE lll+

Systems: Unix, MS DOS, Mac

Structured Methods: Jackson Structured Programming, Jackson
Structured Design

Applications: Windows, PDF(JSD CASETool),Lotus123, Wordstar 6.0,
Ventura 2.0 Professional, CorelDraw, OmniPage, Excell, MacPro-
ject, MacPDF(JSD CASETool), PageMaker4.0, AldusFreeHand, MacDraw,
MacPaint, Word, MacBarcoda, MacBarcoder,

On-line Databases: ECHO (European Community Host (CORDIS, BIOREP,
DOMIS, EUREKA, EURISTOTE, TED, JUSTLETTER, MISEP)), DUNDIS,
KOMPASS, DIALOG etc.

Bar coding:
Structures and classification of codes, elements of a bar code
system and theory of operation. Bar code symbologies, charac-
teristic and principal examples. Symbology standards and selec-
tion for user specific applications. Bar code labels, substrate
and printing considerations. Bar code design and printing sys-

tems. Bar code scanners.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR):
Principles of character recognition, reader systems, page and
transaction readers, capabilities of recognition systems. Mag-
netic Ink Character Recognition (MICR), principles of character
recognition, systems and capabilities. Office System. Standards.

Magnetic stripe and SMART card technologies:
Structure, write/read principles, data integrity and security,
durability data content and standards. High coercivity cards and
"water mark" security. SMART card technology.

RF tagging:
RF tagging principles, active and passive tagging methods,
frequency and power considerations, systems capacity and selec-
tivity. Tags, readers/ interrogators, programmers. Modes of
communication, point-to-point, polling and contention modes, baud
rates and errors. Data management considerations.

Personal identification systems:
Biometric foundations for personal identification. Examples
and principles of operation of personal-ID systems, automatic
finger print recognition, speech recognition, signature recog-
nition, retinal and iris recognition.

Computer systems and interface facilities:
Operating systems and information management software. Inter-
facing auto-id devices to computer systems, data communication,
serial and parallel methods and standard interfaces, RS-232 and
RS-485. Modems and Hayes modem language, CCITT standards.
Network systems, local area networks (LANs), Token Ring and
Ethernet. Portable Data Terminals (PDT) and data communication
from PDTs to host computers.


Electronic data interchange;
Elements of an EDI system. Definitions of trading terms, codes
and syntax definitions of message formats. File transfer
protocols and data communication services. EDI software, appli-
cation link, translation and communication software, protocols
and EDI systems, ANSI standards. EDI standards, Automobile
industry - AIAG and ODETTE, Retail industry - VICS, Electrical
industry - EDX, Electronics industry - EIDX, Chemical indus-
try - CIDX, Office Products - ICOPS and EDIFACT.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1992-Present: Information Services Manager (Research Fellow),
Automatic Identification Technical and Business Information, and
the AXON Neural Projects Consortium, Automatic Identification
Research Group, Electronic Engineering, Keele University, Keele,
Staffordshire, England.

The on-line and desk research, and evaluation of emergent tech-
nologies worldwide their identification, introduction and appli-
cation for use in Automatic Identification (Bar Code, Magnetic
Stripe, RFID, RFDC, Voice Data Collection,Machine Vision, SMART

Cards, OCR, MICR, Biometrics, EDI) Industry Management Informa-
tion and Expert Systems. The establishment of relationships with
strategically important manufacturers and standard bodies
(ISO,EEC,CEN,BSI) . The determination, analysis and establishment
of the Automatic Identification Technical and bibliographical
databases containing Automatic-ldentification / Optical Data
Recording related scientific papers, the Proceedings of SCANTECH
USA, UK and EUROPE as part of the move to establish Keele Univer-
sity as the European Centre of Excellence for Automatic Identifi-
cation. Research and dissimilation of data related to the appli-
cation of neural networks in an auto-ID environment. Act as the
Electronic Engineering Department's Software Project Specifica-
tion Consultant for liaison with outside industry.

1991-92 Research Assistant, Electronic Engineering Group, Keele
University, Staffordshire, England

Invited, not recruited to join the staff with responsibilities
for the provision of software engineering, advisory, and support
services on aspects of PC/Mac related application systems.
Evaluation, selection and implementation of software.Reporting
directly to the Director of Postgraduate Engineering Courses, for
involvement in the development of seminar and workshop
programmes, on Auto-lD for the AIM UK (Automatic Identification
Manufacturers Association)/Keele University Education Initiative.
This programme is a collaborative initiative to provide seminars
and workshops on automatic identification and associated issues
(software Risk Management and quality improvement for
accreditation to BS5750/lSO9000).


June 1991-September 1991
10 Week Work Placement: Electronic Engineering Group, Keele
University, Keele,Staffordshire,England.

The analysis, specification, and design, of a database
containing student and course assessment detail records. The
identification and assessment of system needs, formulation of
system assessment criteria, identify concept solutions and user
requirement specification. The Bar code Education Assessment
System for Tracking (BEAST) has facilities designed into it for
tracking documents that combines storage and retrieval of student
records and assessment data.

1990-1991 Full-time Student: Luton College of Higher Education,
Luton, Bedfordshire, England.
Reading Software Engineering Management for a Post Graduate Diploma.
Covering the following subjects: Managing software development;
Software project risk management; Software quality control and
assurance; Software configuration management; Verification,
Validation, Certification; Formal methods; Human Computer
Interface, User psychology.

1990 Unemployed

1988-1990 Information Director: Food Information Technologies
Ltd, Pembury, Kent, England.
Head-hunted to join the company with the main responsibility for

the determination, analysis and the establishment, by research
methods a database to contain EC Food and Ingredient Legis-
lation, with a facility for the translation food and ingredient
terminology into the 11 EC member languages. The Eurolabel system
at the time was a first generation natural language processor, it
used the word transfer model ie., analysis in English then trans-
fer to the target language.


1987-1988 Systems Analyst: Elgonridge Electronics Ltd, Tunbridge
Wells, Kent, England.
Working as part of a team analising and the design of EPOS, POS,
fixed asset, distribution, inventory, asset management bar coded
systems and security systems.

1984-1987 Information/Systems Analyst: Optical Data Systems Inc,
Escondido, California, USA.
Working as part of a design team designing, fully integrated
automatic data capture and processing systems (automatic identi-
fication), for fixed asset, data inventory control, security,
time recording and tracting in warehouse, distribution, Depart-
ment of Defense, and retail applications.

1981-1984 Freelance Information Analyst

1974-1981 Professional and Technical Officer Grade 4(PTO IVJ:
Royal Armament Research & Development Establishment (RARDE Fort
Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Working as an information scientist, establishing by
determination and analysis, by desk research methods a database to
contain Hazardous Materials Information. This system used
the then prototype Code 39 bar code as part of its data capture
system, this code (symbology) is now part of the LOGMAR system
(LOGISTIC MARKING and READING SYMBOLS), used by the US Department
of Defense since 1981 and the MOD in 1986.


INTEREST AND ACTIVITIES

League Cricket Umpire,sailing, walking,the countryside, visual
and performing arts, reading, painting, military history, and
food from around the world.

REFERENCES ON REQUEST