Power controller for a door lock and method of conserving power

A method of supplying a pick current and a hold current to a multiple of actuator devices using a microcontroller, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) utilizing the microcontroller to determine that a first actuator device is being activated by a first credential device, and a second actuator device is being activated by a second credential device, wherein the activation of the first and second actuators is simultaneous;
• b) providing a first pick current to said first actuator device;
• c) stepping down said first pick current to provide a hold current to said first actuator device;
• and
• d) providing a second pick current to said second actuator device only after stepping down said first pick current to said hold current to said first actuator device.

A power control system for use with an electric lock mechanism having an actuator, wherein said actuator has a coil, wherein said coil of said actuator has a particular coil impedance, and wherein said power control system is configured to improve operating efficiency of said actuator by optimizing the magnitude of drive current to said particular coil impedance, said power control system comprising:

• a) a power supply configured to provide an output voltage having a drive current to the actuator;
• b) a credential device powered by the power supply, said credential device configured to signal said power supply to provide the output voltage upon receiving an authorized access code;
• c) an actuator driver including a multiple-gain current-sensing circuit;
• and
• d) a microcontroller configured to monitor and control said power supply, said credential device, said actuator driver, and the actuator, and wherein said microcontroller is configured to determine said particular impedance of said coil,
• wherein said microcontroller is populated by a look-up table having performance data for a plurality of coils such that the microcontroller selects a duty ratio to establish said optimum magnitude of drive current to said coil based only on the determined impedance of said coil.

A method of optimizing the magnitude of drive current being supplied to a provided solenoid during pick or hold or both pick and hold operations of the provided solenoid, wherein a microprocessor is provided and populated with a look-up table consisting of various solenoid current/time curves, and wherein firmware is provided that includes a self-calibration routine that accommodates a variety of solenoid coil impedances, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a switching circuit containing a current-sensor;
• b) measuring a current through said provided solenoid at a selected measurement time;
• c) comparing said measured current at said selected measurement time to said solenoid current/time curves in said look-up table;
• d) selecting a particular current/time curve from said look-up table that best fits said measured current thereby determining a solenoid coil type;
• and
• e) from the selected current/time curve, determining a required duty ratio to establish an optimum pick or hold, or pick and hold current for the provided solenoid;
• and
• f) providing said optimum pick or hold, or pick and hold current to said provided solenoid.