Patent ID: 8843218

Claim:
A method of controlling an actuator, the method comprising: developing a sequence of actuation commands S(t x ), with a control Electronic Control Unit (ECU) from data obtained before a time interval t x to control the actuator at a plurality of different time intervals t x , t x+1 , t x+2 , . . . , t x+n , with the sequence of actuation commands including at least one actuation command for each of the different time intervals, wherein t represents a time and x represents an interval, such that t x represents a time interval, and n represents a total number of time intervals; wherein the sequence of actuation commands for the different time intervals is equal to: S ( t x )= C ( t x ), C ( t x+1 ), . . . , C ( t x+n ); wherein S(t x ) is the sequence of actuation commands obtained from the data before the time interval t x , and C is an actuation command for a time interval; sending the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) obtained from the data before the time interval t x from the control ECU to an actuation ECU; storing the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) obtained from the data before the time interval t x in the actuation ECU; applying the actuation command C(t x ) for the time interval t x from the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) obtained from the data before the time interval t x , upon the actuation ECU receiving the transmitted sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) from the control ECU; developing an updated sequence of actuation commands S(t x+1 ), with the control ECU from data obtained before the time interval t x+1 to control the actuator at a plurality of different time intervals t x+1 , t x+2 , . . . , t x+n ; wherein the updated sequence of actuation commands from the data obtained before the time interval t x+1 for the different time intervals, is equal to: S ( t x+1 )= C ( t x+1 ), C ( t x+2 ), . . . , C ( t x+n ); sending the updated sequence of actuation commands S(t x+1 ) from the control ECU to an actuation ECU; applying the actuation command for the time interval t x+1 , from the updated sequence of actuation commands S(t x+1 ), after applying the actuation command for the time interval t x from the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) and prior to applying any of the remaining actuation commands for time intervals t x+1 , t x+2 , . . . , t x+n from the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ), when the actuation ECU receives the updated sequence of actuation commands S(t x+1 ) at time interval t x+1 from the data obtained before time interval t x+1 ; and applying the actuation command for a specific time interval t x+1 , t x+2 , . . . , t x+n , from the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ), after applying the actuation command for the time interval t x , from the sequence of actuation commands S(t x ) stored in the actuation ECU, when the actuation ECU is unable to receive the updated sequence of actuation commands S(t x+1 ) at time interval t x+1 from the data obtained before time interval t x+1 to provide continued control of the actuator for n time intervals.