Methods and a device for processor optimizations during item scanning and transaction processing

A method, comprising:

• monitoring item code processing operations and a processor utilization of a processor on a combined scanner and transaction terminal device (device);
• stopping and starting one or more of the item code processing operations during a transaction on the device to decrease the processor utilization of the processor;
• allowing feed processor utilization for the processor caused during the stopping to be reallocated and assigned by the processor to a transaction process during the stopping;
• detecting a disable command sent to an item code reader of the device indicating that a read item code was acknowledged by a downstream transaction process for a given item that instructs the item code reader to not send further item codes read for the given item, and overriding the disable command further instructing the item code reader to stop reading the further item codes from item code image frames captured for the given item in addition to not sending the further item codes read for the given item to the downstream transaction process.

A device, comprising:

• imagining sensors configured to capture item code image frames for items;
• a processor;
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions for a processor optimization manager, an item code reader, and a downstream transaction process;
• the processor optimization manager executed by the processor from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causing the processor to perform first operations comprising:
• monitoring item code image frames captured by the imaging sensors that corresponding to a given item during a transaction on the device;
• monitoring read item codes produced by the item code reader from the item code image frames that correspond to the given item;
• monitoring sent read item codes sent by the item code reader to the downstream transaction process for the given item;
• and
• performing one of more of the following to decrease a processor utilization of the processor during the transaction and create a freed processor utilization for the processor during the transaction for allocation to a transaction process during the transaction:
• selectively turning on and off one or more of the imaging sensors during capture of the item code image frames that correspond to the given item;
• selectively sending pause and resume commands to the item code reader as the item code reader translates the item code image frames for the given item into the read item codes for the given item causing the item code reader to skip reading some of the item code image frames for the given item;
• and
• selectively sending a do-not-send command to the item code reader causing the item code reader to not send some of the read item codes for the given item to the transaction process;
• the item code reader executed by the processor from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causing the processor to perform second operations comprising:
• translating or converting the item code image frames captured by the imagining sensors for the given item from an image format into a text format as the read item codes;
• sending the read item codes to the transaction process;
• pausing and resuming the translating or the converting based on receiving the pause and resume commands from the processor optimization manager;
• and
• stopping the sending of read item codes to the transaction process based on receiving the do-not-send command from the processor optimization manager;
• and
• the downstream transaction process executed by the processor from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causing the processor to perform third operations comprising:
• managing read item codes received from the item code reader for the given item during the transaction;
• and
• interacting with the transaction process and other transaction processes to:
• 1) obtain item details for the given item and an item price for the given item based on one of the read item codes for the given item, 2) perform security operations for the transaction or the given item, and 3) process transaction payment to complete the transaction on the device.