Closed-loop control of systems over a communication network with queues

Due to remote sensor, actuator and processor locations, many systems need to implement closed loop control through a communication network. Thus, they face the problem of random delays being introduced by the network. These delays may deteriorate the system performance and may even cause instability. The problems get more complicated when the possibility of queue formation at the transmitting side is considered for closed loop data transmission. The authors propose a state prediction/control scheme to control this type of system. The scheme utilizes knowledge of the amount of data in a queue to enhance prediction. Two automotive examples are used to illustrate the performance of the proposed scheme.