Patent ID: 7349192

Claim:
A method of operating a device ( 1 ) controlling electric actuators ( 3 ), and comprising a pair of input terminals ( 4 , 5 ) connected in use to an electric energy source ( 6 , 10 ); a number of pairs of output terminals ( 7 , 8 ), between each of which a respective electric actuator ( 3 ) is connected in use; and controlled switching means ( 11 , 12 ) for connecting said electric actuators ( 3 ) to said electric energy source ( 6 , 10 ) independently of one another; said method comprising the step of controlling said controlled switching means ( 11 , 12 ) to supply an electric current to said electric actuators ( 3 ) via said electric energy source ( 6 , 10 ); characterized in that said controlling step comprises the steps of: determining the possibility of a subsequent operating condition in which specific electric actuators ( 3 ) are supplied simultaneously with electric current from said electric energy source ( 6 , 10 ); and temporally phase shifting the electric currents supplied to said specific electric actuators ( 3 ), to reduce the effective value of the electric current drawn from said electric energy source ( 6 , 10 ).