Electrical sensing system for a vehicle shifter
US6209408A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 31, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/20067
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A shifter system for shifting a transmission on a vehicle includes a shifter having a manually-operated shift lever movable between various gear positions, an electrical sensing device on the shifter for sensing positions of the shift lever, and a controller electrically connected to the sensing device and constructed to control shifting of a transmission based on signals from the sensing device indicative of the position of the shift lever. The controller and the sensing device as a system are capable of sensing speed of movement of the shift lever and the controller is programmed to change control of the shifting of the transmission in accordance therewith. In one form, the sensing device includes one of a continuous output potentiometer, a discrete output potentiometer, a membrane potentiometer, and a deformable variable-resistance potentiometer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.